I’ve featured Bruce’s covers of Hank Williams’ songs a few times over the past couple of years.
Bruce has long and often discussed his fondness for Williams’ music, and he’s covered several of his songs. However, those performances tend to be few and far between, often not even during an official show but rather at pre-show soundchecks. (See “Jambalaya (On the Bayou)” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” as examples.)
But here’s one that Bruce actually did perform at an E Street Band show.
On a late summer Pittsburgh evening on the Darkness Tour, Bruce broke out Williams’ “(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle” mid-set for his one and only official performance of the 1951 classic.
Bruce’s version is more pensive than Williams’ original, and although the taper was obviously at some distance from the stage, the sound is clear enough for us to appreciate Bruce’s terrific vocals–Bruce has rarely sounded better.
Bonus: Although the clip above is Bruce’s only known “official” performance of “(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle,” we do have one more partial recording, from a soundcheck in Passaic just a few weeks later. You can listen to that one below.
(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle
First performed: August 29, 1978 (Pittsburgh, PA)
Last performed: August 29, 1978 (Pittsburgh, PA)
