It’s 1984, and a red-headed woman walks into a bar.
Let’s let Bruce tell the story:
Bruce told that story virtually every night on Broadway. Given how special that song must be to them, you’d think we could practically trip over recordings of Bruce and Patti performing it together.
But even though they’re known to have performed it a dozen times together in the 21st century, it’s pretty tough to find a recording of even one of them. That’s because almost every single one of those times was at a private benefit concert–either for the Rumson Country Day School and the Ranney School (where their kids attended), or Boston College (Evan’s alma mater). Once they even sang it at a wedding.
In fact the only performance of those dozen that was open to the public was their holiday show at Harry’s Roadhouse in Asbury Park on December 19, 2004. At the late show that night, Bruce and Patti finally performed the song that changed their lives in public. Take a listen below–you’ll hear Patti on lead vocals, Bruce on backing vocals.
As for the original version of “Tell Him,” Bruce was technically correct in crediting The Exciters–they took the song all the way to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1963.
But the song actually dates back a little earlier under a slightly different name. In 1962, months before The Exciters released their version, Gil Hamilton first recorded the song as “Tell Her.” Other than the flipped gender, the lyrics are identical, but The Exciters’ version is far more, well, exciting.
And as for that fateful performance back in 1984… well, nothing came of it that night. But not long after, Bruce would invite Patti to join the E Street Band mere days before starting their biggest-ever tour.
The rest is well-documented history.
Tell Him
First performed: April 13, 2002 (Asbury Park, NJ)
Last performed: May 30, 2015 (Oakland, NJ)
