Cover Me: New Orleans

“New Orleans” was Gary U.S. Bonds’ first-ever single and one of his highest-charting, so of course Bruce was bound to cover it.

Originally released in September 1960, “New Orleans” was credited to simply “U.S. Bonds” (no Gary), a strange stage name chosen for Gary Anderson by his producer, in the bizarre hope that radio DJs would assume the song was a patriotic benefit or PSA.

He might have been right, but the trickery was unnecessary: the song was a hit, peaking at #6 in the U.S. and #16 in the U.K., and it made Bonds a star. He’d never drop the stage surname, but he’d at least start using his real first name the following year.

By the spring of 1976, Bruce had already been covering Bonds on a regular basis, with “Quarter to Three” as a standard encore. But on the night of May 13th, Bruce changed it up, swapping out Bonds’ greatest hit for the less popular “New Orleans.”

Why? Maybe it had something to with the location: the Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans.

Even if it was a local pander, it was still an inspired choice. Check out the audio below to hear the band nail the cover and segue seamlessly into “Detroit Medley.”

Bruce went on to cover “New Orleans” four more times over the years, all at small clubs. It’s been thirty years since the last time he played it, but a well-placed sign on the next tour could change that in  a heartbeat.

New Orleans
First performed: May 13, 1976 (New Orleans, LA)
Last performed: August 16, 1989 (Long Branch, NJ)