Bruce Springsteen sings “Jersey Girl” at the Tradewinds in Sea Bright, on June 28, 1993.
On June 1, 1993, Bruce Springsteen wrapped up his 1992-93 world tour with what has come to be known as his Other Band: A group of mostly non-E Street Band musicians who did a decent job, but still were inevitably compared — unfavorably, in most people’s eyes — to the legendary group they replaced.
There were two more shows back in the States, later that month: benefits at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, June 24 — fans were thrilled when E Streeters Clarence Clemons, Steven Van Zandt and Max Weinberg showed up and sat in at that one — and Madison Square Garden in New York, June 26.
Just a few days later, on June 28, Springsteen was back on a Garden State stage, but a much smaller one, guesting with Clemons’ band the Red Bank Rockers at the Tradewinds nightclub in Sea Bright.
Among the songs they did was “Jersey Girl,” the sentimental Tom Waits ballad that Springsteen had been performing in concert since 1981 (and included on his 1986 boxed set, “Live 1975–85”). The YouTube clip below (“Jersey Girl” starts around the 9:10 mark) captures the moment and, especially, Springsteen’s joy at hearing Clemons’ solo. Skip to around the 14:45 mark if you want to see a very happy Boss.
Waits, of course, is not a New Jerseyan, but did write the song in tribute to his wife, Kathleen Brennan, who grew up in Morristown — and also as a kind of musical homage to Springsteen.
New Jersey celebrated its 350th birthday in 2014. And in the 350 Jersey Songs series, we marked the occasion by posting 350 songs — one a day, from September 2014 to September 2015 — that have something to do with the state, its musical history, or both. To see the entire list, click here.
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