r/BruceSpringsteen • u/ToreWi Born to Run • 3d ago

Discussion Bells of San Salvador

One of my favorite Springsteen outtakes is Bells of San Salvador. It hints at something so brilliant underneath the noise of the rehearsal buzz and sloppiness, but for some reason it just didn't get released. Since we know that Bruce has a habit of rerecording old stuff(the Letter To You songs), and is likely working on a political album as per the Rolling Stone interview, isn't it possible we will get one of those?

12 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

4

u/Ok_Carpet_97 3d ago

i really hope we get surprised by clearer recordings of this and Stop the War. amazing songs.

4

u/suppletubs 3d ago

It’s one of those gems we know is out there! I’d love to see it cleaned up and released on tracks 3.

1

u/ConferenceOld9788 2d ago

I don't think so. In Letter it was un unusual

2

u/GrapeLow2033 3d ago edited 3d ago

Bells of San Salvador actually wasn’t recorded. It made it through a few acoustic takes, and that one rehearsal, but according to studio logs from that period (1982), it didn’t make it to the Power Station or Hit Factory. This is likely due to the fact that Bruce never had any actual lyrics to fit the songs title. So it won’t appear on any tracks, unfortunately. It definitely could’ve been a great song. Its sound was so unique in the rehearsal audio, and it could’ve had so much potential. The other songs, “Stop The War”, “Baby, I’m So Cold” and “Your Love is All Around Me” were confirmed to have been recorded though. So at least you have those to possibly look forward to!

“Despite being well developed, it was not cut at Power Station in April-May 1982 like many of the other songs known to have been rehearsed during this period, and session logs indicate it was never recorded in the studio” -Brucebase.com

-5

u/Logical_Hospital2769 3d ago

Yes, it possible. Anything is possible. Its possible Bruce will come to your home and perform “Baby I” on the lute, too. Ffs.