Exploring rock music over the last few decades, Bruce Springsteen gained the nickname “The Boss” thanks to hit songs like “My Hometown”, “Born in the U.S.A.” and “Dancing in the Dark.” Just a small sample of the hit songs produced by Springsteen, the legendary singer never seemed to explore other genres. At least, that’s what it seemed. Apparently, Springsteen once recorded a country album that never saw the light of day. That was until now. Expected to release Somewhere North of Nashville, the hitmaker revealed how the album came about while working on The Ghost of Tom Joad.
Back in 1995, Springsteen worked on the final touches of The Ghost of Tom Joad. But at the same time, he also dabbled in country music. Not discussing the somewhat secret project, the album appeared to be lost to time. But now, thanks to his upcoming collection Tracks II: The Lost Albums, fans will get a taste of Springsteen’s country talent.
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Releasing a statement about Somewhere North of Nashville, Springsteen explained, “What happened was I wrote all these country songs at the same time I wrote The Ghost of Tom Joad. Those sessions completely overlap each other. I’m singing ‘Repo Man’ in the afternoon and ‘The Line’ at night. So the country record got made right along with The Ghost of Tom Joad.”
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Bruce Springsteen Goes Country With “Repo Man”
With Springsteen inspired by the streets of Philadelphia, he admitted that he often focused on songs surrounding “topical songwriting.” But during that process, he insisted, “I had this country streak that was also running through those sessions and I ended up making a country record on the side.”
Excited for the release of his country album, Springsteen shared his first single titled “Repo Man.” Again, just a sample, the full album included:
1. “Repo Man”
2. “Tiger Rose”
3. “Poor Side of Town”
4. “Delivery Man”
5. “Under a Big Sky”
6. “Detail Man”
7. “Silver Mountain”
8. “Janey Don’t You Lose Heart”
9. “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone”
10. “Stand on It”
11. “Blue Highway”
12. “Somewhere North of Nashville”
With Tracks II: The Lost Albums expected to hit shelves on June 27th, don’t miss Springsteen’s entrance into country music.
(Photo by Valerie Terranova/Getty Images for Bob Woodruff Foundation)