3 Must-Hear Outtakes From Bruce Springsteen’s Box Set ‘Tracks’

In 1998, Bruce Springsteen scoured his vault of studio outtakes and released them in a four-disc box set called Tracks. Many of these recordings were first heard on Tracks and show Springsteen developing his most iconic albums through various arrangements. The songs below would be defining moments for most mortals, but for The Boss, they are just demos and B-sides.

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“Born In The U.S.A.” (Demo Version 1982)

Springsteen recorded “Born In The U.S.A.” during the Nebraska sessions. Though quite different from the protest anthem it later became, the acoustic demo matches the emotion of “Atlantic City” and the other four-track home recordings captured at this time. When Springsteen worked up full-band arrangements of the Nebraska songs, the initial spirit of the demos was lost, so he released the acoustic versions instead. However, his manager and producer Jon Landau convinced him that “Born In The U.S.A.” needed more work. So they reworked it with the E Street Band, and the song became the title track to Springsteen’s classic album.

“Pink Cadillac” (B-Side 1984)

One of Springsteen’s better-known B-sides, “Pink Cadillac”, backed the single “Dancing In The Dark” in 1984. Springsteen’s synth hit sounds very much of the time, but “Pink Cadillac” echoes the infancy of rock and roll, like a Sam Phillips recording from the late 1950s. Initially demoed for Nebraska, Springsteen re-recorded it for Born In The U.S.A., and it nearly made the final track listing. He chose “I’m Goin’ Down” in its place, and though “Pink Cadillac” was a B-side, it still managed to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Be True” (B-Side 1981)

Recorded in 1979 at The Power Station in New York City for The River, one of Bruce Springsteen’s finest outtakes, “Be True”, first appeared as the B-side to “Fade Away”. Instead of chasing the fantasies of Hollywood movies, the song’s narrator pleads with a girl not to put her dreams in the leading men on screen.

He tells her: “When the action fades, you’re left all alone.”

The track also features one of Max Weinberg’s finest performances. His explosive drumming adds to the desperation of Springsteen’s character as he tries to convince someone to appreciate reality. It’s a twist on the idea of dreams as a hopeful escape from despair.

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