My goodness, where did this come from? And where did it go?
Other than this maddeningly unclear tape of a Darkness Tour rehearsal from late 1978, we have no record of “I’m Gonna Treat You Right” (also known by bootleggers as “Wild Kisses”).
Bruce doesn’t appear to have ever recorded it either in the studio or as a home demo, he’s never played it on tour, and we’ve never seen a scrap of handwritten lyrics.
And yet, “I’m Gonna Treat You Right” is almost certainly a Springsteen original, one with a ton of light-hearted potential.
We can understand enough of the lyrics to understand why it was left off of Darkness on the Edge of Town–it certainly wouldn’t have fit the serious tone of that album.
Hey mister, you see that girl walking down the street
That little girl, she used to turn’ em on
Wild kisses and a heart that’s oh-so-sweet
??? in the middle of the night
And now, wild kisses never seem to settle down
Afraid to get my feet back on the ground
Well baby ???
I’m gonna meet her tonight
And now my wild world’s tumblin’ and dancin’
I’m looking for true romancin’
But it would have been perfectly suited for The River, and a brilliant live addition to the Darkness Tour. Bruce is clearly getting his Buddy Holly on in that rehearsal tape, and with a little polish, “I’m Gonna Treat You Right” would have made a great pairing or alternate for Bruce’s cover of Holly’s “Rave On” that frequently graced Bruce’s 1978 set lists.
Alas, “I’m Gonna Treat You Right” appears to be lost to history; it doesn’t look like it ever even made it to the vault.
It sure would be a nice surprise for Tracks II, though.
I’m Gonna Treat You Right (Wild Kisses)
Never recorded
First performed: October 26, 1978 (Holmdel, NJ) (soundcheck only)
Last performed: October 26, 1978 (Holmdel, NJ) (soundcheck only)
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