Bruce’s sets have always included covers–Bruce isn’t shy about acknowledging his influences on stage.
On the Born to Run Tour, one of the more frequent covers (performed 13 times) was “Sha La La,” originally released by The Shirelles. Here’s a terrific recording of Bruce’s final performance of it on that tour, in Philadelphia on December 28, 1975:
Bruce clearly modeled his take on “Sha La La” after Manfred Mann’s 1964 version (which hit #3 in the UK, #12 in the US).
…but Manfred Mann’s version was actually the second released recording of the song. “Sha La La” was actually first recorded and released seven months earlier by The Shirelles, and it’s a much more swinging version than either of the ones by the boys.
Sha La La
First performed: July 20, 1975 (Providence, RI)
Last performed: August 19, 2009 (Hartford, CT)
