Editing Born to Run (section)

==Production history==
===914 Sound Studios===
The recording sessions for the album began at 914 Sound Studios in January 1974.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=174}}{{sfn|Dolan|2012|p=107}}{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=49}} Springsteen and Appel acted as co-producers; ''Greetings'' and ''Wild'' producer Jimmy Cretecos had departed Springsteen's company in early 1974, citing low profits.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=70}} Louis Lahav, the [[Audio engineer|engineer]] from both albums, returned for these sessions. The members of the E Street Band were [[Clarence Clemons]] (saxophone), [[Danny Federici]] (organ), [[David Sancious]] (piano), [[Garry Tallent]] (bass), and [[Ernest Carter (drummer)|Ernest Carter]] (drums);{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=72}} Carter had replaced [[Vini Lopez|Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez]], whom Springsteen fired in February over poor personal behavior.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=70}}{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=175–177}}{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=102–103}} The band went back and forth between studio recording and live concert performances.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|p=35}} Springsteen used the latter to develop new material,{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=174}} and he spent more time in the studio refining songs than he had on the previous two albums.<ref name="UCR">{{cite web |last=Lifton |first=Dave |url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springsteen-born-to-run/ |title=How Bruce Springsteen Finally Became a Star with 'Born to Run' |date=August 25, 2015 |website=[[Ultimate Classic Rock]] |access-date=June 19, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315033210/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springsteen-born-to-run/ |archive-date=March 15, 2017 }}</ref> The album's working titles included ''From the Churches to the Jails'', ''The Hungry and the Hunted'', ''War and Roses'', and ''American Summer''.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|p=35}}

Recording for "Born to Run" lasted six months.{{sfn|Dolan|2012|p=107}}{{sfn|Masur|2010|pp=44–47}} Springsteen's [[Perfectionism (psychology)|perfectionism]] led to grueling sessions:{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=86–89}} he obsessed over every syllable, note, and tone of every [[Texture (music)|texture]], and he struggled to capture the sounds he heard in his head on tape.<ref name="UCRGuide" />{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=51}}<ref name="week">{{cite web |last=Moss |first=Charles |url=https://theweek.com/articles/569558/born-run-40-short-history-album-that-turned-bruce-springsteen-into-americas-biggest-rock-star |title=Born to Run at 40: A short history of the album that turned Bruce Springsteen into America's biggest rock star |work=[[The Week]] |date=August 24, 2015 |access-date=June 19, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316033829/http://theweek.com/articles/569558/born-run-40-short-history-album-that-turned-bruce-springsteen-into-americas-biggest-rock-star |archive-date=March 16, 2017 }}</ref> His aim for a Phil Spector-type [[Wall of Sound]] production meant multiple instruments were assigned to each track on the studio's 16-track [[mixing console|mixing desk]]; each new [[Overdubbing|overdub]] made the recording and [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing]] more difficult.{{sfn|Dolan|2012|p=107}}{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=86–89}} As he kept rewriting the lyrics,{{sfn|Springsteen|2016|p=210}} Springsteen and Appel created several mixes containing electric and acoustic guitars, piano, organ, horns, [[synthesizer]]s, and a [[glockenspiel]], as well as strings and female backing vocalists.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|p=33}} "Born to Run" reportedly had up to five different versions.{{sfn|Masur|2010|pp=44–47}}{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=186–187}} According to Springsteen, the final song had 72 different tracks squeezed onto the 16 tracks of the mixing console.{{sfn|Springsteen|2016|p=210}} Springsteen was pleased with the final mix,{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=86–89}} completed in August 1974.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=71–72}} CBS/Columbia refused to release "Born to Run" as an early single, wanting an album to promote it.{{sfn|Dolan|2012|p=108}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=48–49}}

{{multiple image
| footer = [[Roy Bittan]] (left, 2002) and [[Max Weinberg]] (right, 2019) replaced the pianist [[David Sancious]] and the drummer [[Ernest Carter (drummer)|Ernest Carter]], respectively, following their departures from the E Street Band in August 1974. 
| image1 = Roy bittan schunk.jpg
| width1 = 151
| alt1   = A side-shot of a bald man with glasses
| image2 = Max Weinberg-9 (cropped).jpg
| width2 = 125
| alt2   = A photograph of a man playing a drum set
}}
The same month "Born to Run" was completed, Sancious and Carter departed the E Street Band to form their own [[jazz-fusion]] band, [[Tone (jazz-fusion band)|Tone]]. They were replaced by [[Roy Bittan]] on piano and [[Max Weinberg]] on drums.<ref name="UCRGuide" />{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=50}}{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=182–184}} Bittan had a background in symphony orchestras while Weinberg had experience with various rock bands and [[Broadway theatre|Broadway productions]]. Bittan had previously known of Springsteen's music but Weinberg had not.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|p=35}}{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=109–111}} The two meshed well with the rest of the band, offering new musical insights and relaxed personalities that eased tensions that had built up over years of recording and performing.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=182–184}} On the album Bittan mostly replaced Federici, whose sole contribution was the organ part on "Born to Run".{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=86–89}} Bittan later said he believed this was due to both men's different performing styles and Bittan wanting to "prove himself" as a new member of the group.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=90–91}}

Recording at 914 continued into late October 1974.{{sfn|Dolan|2012|p=113}} The band made attempts at "[[Jungleland]]", "[[She's the One (Bruce Springsteen song)|She's the One]]", "Lovers in the Cold", "[[Backstreets]]", and "So Young and in Love", but faulty equipment and Springsteen's lack of direction halted progress.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=94–97}}{{sfn|Dolan|2012|p=113}} The music critic [[Dave Marsh]] suggested that Springsteen remained at the subpar 914 Studios because studio costs built up, even though superior ones were available.{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=44}} In November,{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=113–114}} Appel sent "Born to Run" to various radio stations around the United States, which CBS executives viewed as professional misconduct.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=71–72}} The stunt generated interest in the track and anticipation built toward the album's release,{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=48–49}}{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=48}} prompting Columbia to fund further sessions.{{sfn|Dolan|2012|p=108}}{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|p=34}} "Born to Run" became frequently requested on radio and at shows.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|p=34}}

By January 1975, the band had been working for over a year with one finished track. Production continued to be plagued by faulty equipment, false starts, and Springsteen's desire for more takes.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=188–189}} A new track, "Wings for Wheels", debuted live in February.{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=115–116}}{{sfn|Masur|2010|pp=52–53}} Springsteen felt he lacked direction,{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=194}} and he requested production advice from the writer and producer [[Jon Landau]], who had criticized the production on ''Wild'' in an article for ''[[The Real Paper]]''.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|p=37}}<ref name="week" /> The two met in Boston in April 1974 and developed a close friendship after.{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=48–49}}{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=178–179}}{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=104–105}} In February 1975, Landau was invited to a session, where he suggested moving the saxophone solo on "Wings for Wheels" to the end rather than in the middle.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|p=37}}{{sfn|Marsh|1981|p=146}} Springsteen liked the change and hired Landau as co-producer of the album.{{sfn|Marsh|1981|p=146}}{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=54}}

===Record Plant===
In March 1975,{{efn|Most sources say March 1975,<ref name="UCR" />{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=194}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=52}} while others say February{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=68}} and April.{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=54}}}} Landau moved the recording sessions from 914 to the superior [[Record Plant]] in [[Manhattan]].{{sfn|Marsh|1981|p=146}}{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=54}} Landau helped Springsteen regain focus and direction with a fresh perspective.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=194}}{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|p=37}}{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=64}} Springsteen told ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' in 1975: "[Landau] came up with the idea, 'Let's make a rock and roll record.' Things had fallen down internally. He got things on their feet again."{{sfn|Eliot|1992|p=100}} Appel and Landau had disagreements on production choices, which Springsteen had to resolve.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=194}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=52–53}} Like the band, the two helped Springsteen complete already devised ideas, not think of new ones.{{sfn|Dolan|2012|p=123}} Louis Lahav was unavailable due to family commitments so these sessions were engineered by [[Jimmy Iovine]].{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|p=37}}{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=74}} 

Sessions at the Record Plant lasted from March to July 1975.{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=52}}{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=74}} Apart from a few live performances, Springsteen spent most of these months working on the album.{{sfn|Marsh|1981|p=147}} The sessions were grueling,{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=74}} dragging on despite increased professionalism brought by Landau and Iovine.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=37–38}} While the backing tracks and vocals were recorded with little difficulty, Springsteen struggled with his overdubs and completing the writing of the lyrics and arrangements.{{sfn|Marsh|1981|pp=149–150}} Springsteen obsessively labored over{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=74}} and sometimes spent hours revising single lines{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=58}} or taking days to figure out the song arrangements.{{sfn|Marsh|1981|pp=149–150}} Springsteen later said: "[The sessions] turned into something that was wrecking me, just pounding me into the ground."{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|p=38}} Weinberg called it the hardest project of his career, and Federici said "[we] ate, drank, and slept [that album]".{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=74}} Work was mostly done between 3&nbsp;p.m. and 6&nbsp;a.m. the following morning.{{sfn|Marsh|1981|pp=149–150}}

"Wings for Wheels", now called "[[Thunder Road (song)|Thunder Road]]", was finished in April. Springsteen reportedly took 13 hours to complete his guitar parts.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=76–78}} "[[Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out]]" and "[[Night (Bruce Springsteen song)|Night]]" followed in May.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=92–93}}{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=82–83}} For "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", Springsteen hired the [[Brecker Brothers]] ([[Randy Brecker|Randy]] and [[Michael Brecker|Michael]]), [[David Sanborn]], and [[Wayne Andre]] to play horn parts.{{efn|Randy Brecker also plays the intro on "Meeting Across the River".{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=92–93}}}}{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=80–81}} Springsteen and Bittan failed to write proper horn parts by the time the players arrived to record,{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=80–81}} so Springsteen's friend and former [[Steel Mill]] bandmate [[Steven Van Zandt]] conceived them on the spot in the studio. Van Zandt joined the E Street Band shortly after.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=196–197}}{{sfn|Masur|2010|pp=57–58}} Springsteen used lyrical ideas from "She's the One" to complete "Backstreets", originally "Hidin' on the River".<ref name="UCRGuide" /> "[[Meeting Across the River]]", originally "The Heist", featured [[Richard Davis (bassist)|Richard Davis]] on [[double bass]]. Davis had previously contributed to "[[The Angel (song)|The Angel]]" on ''Greetings''.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=92–93}} "Jungleland" featured [[violin]] from [[Suki Lahav]], wife of Louis Lahav,{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|p=35}}{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=111–112}} and a long saxophone solo from Clemons, which he spent 16 hours replaying to Springsteen's satisfaction;{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=196}} the latter dictated almost every note played.{{sfn|Masur|2010|pp=51–52}} Clemons played several different solos, bits of which were then edited together into one piece; he then reproduced the final result.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=94–97}}

===Mixing===
According to Iovine, the album was mixed in "nine days straight".{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=60}} The final days were hectic; the band worked vigorously between recording for the album and rehearsing for an upcoming tour scheduled to start on July 20.{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=60}}{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=38–39}} Springsteen wrote in his 2016 autobiography ''[[Born to Run (autobiography)|Born to Run]]'': "In a three-day, 72-hour sprint, working in three studios simultaneously, Clarence and I finishing the 'Jungleland' sax solo, phrase by phrase, in one, while we mixed 'Thunder Road' in another, singing 'Backstreets' in a third."{{sfn|Springsteen|2016|p=222}} Springsteen was demanding and refused to compromise,{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=75}} saying at the time that he could "only hear the things that were wrong with it".{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|p=39}} Appel and Landau fought to keep certain tracks on the finished album. Appel succeeded in leaving "Linda Let Me Be the One" and "Lonely Night in the Park" off and keeping "Meeting Across the River" on.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=195}} Mixing lasted until the morning of July 20, just before the tour began.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=197–199}}{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=124–125}}  

''Born to Run'' was [[Mastering (audio)|mastered]] by the engineer [[Greg Calbi]]<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Bernstein |first=Jonathan |title=Greg Calbi's Invisible Touch |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/greg-calbi-mastering-engineer-interview-1241594/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=January 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117001058/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/greg-calbi-mastering-engineer-interview-1241594/ |archive-date=January 17, 2024 |date=December 4, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> while the band were on the road.{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=62}} Springsteen was furious about the initial acetate, throwing it into the swimming pool of the hotel he was staying at.<ref name="week" />{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=75}} He contemplated scrapping the entire project and re-recording it live before he was stopped by Landau.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=75}}{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=197–199}} Springsteen was sent multiple mixes as he was on the road and rejected all but one, which he approved in early August.{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=62}}{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=125–126}}

===Outtakes===
The seven known outtakes from the album are "Linda Let Me Be the One", "Lonely Night in the Park", "A Love So Fine", "A Night Like This", "Janey Needs a Shooter", "Lovers in the Cold", and "So Young and in Love".{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=63}} "Linda Let Me Be the One" and "So Young and in Love" were released on the ''[[Tracks (Bruce Springsteen album)|Tracks]]'' box set in 1998.{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=53}} Rough mixes of the unreleased songs "Lovers in the Cold" ("Walking in the Street") and "Lonely Night in the Park" surfaced in 2005, when they made their debut on [[E Street Radio]].{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=53}} "Janey Needs a Shooter" was later re-worked by Springsteen and [[Warren Zevon]] into the track "Jeannie Needs a Shooter" for Zevon's 1980 album ''[[Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School]]''.{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=53}} A 2019 recording of the original "Janey Needs a Shooter" was released on Springsteen's 2020 album ''[[Letter to You]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCormick |first=Neil |author-link=Neil McCormick |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/springsteens-40-year-secret-eyes-forgotten-rock-maverick/ |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |language=en-GB |title=Springsteen's 40-Year Secret Is Out{{nbsp}}– and All Eyes Are on a Forgotten Rock Maverick |date=October 22, 2020 |access-date=October 25, 2020 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101094915/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/springsteens-40-year-secret-eyes-forgotten-rock-maverick/ |url-status=live }}</ref>