Back before the pandemic, when 2020 was shaping up to be a big E Street touring year, Bruce’s bandmates devoted 2019 to solo projects while they could. Max toured with his Jukebox; Nils, Steve, and Jake all released new music.
And at the height of summer, bassist Garry Tallent released his own solo album–only his second ever–a love letter to garage rock called More Like Me.
Buried deep in the album is a cut so tight and terse that you’d have to look to “Held Up Without a Gun” to find an officially released track with Bruce on it that clocks in at less time.
And yes, that is Bruce singing backing vocals during the second half of the song. He’s pretty easy to pick out.
Garry dropped his album on August 2, 2019, but fans got a sneak preview of his collaboration with Bruce almost a month earlier, when Bruce dropped by his friend’s concert at the Stone Pony Summer Stage on July 6th.
Together, Bruce, Garry and his band ripped through “Dirty Rotten Shame” in the album arrangement, a performance that was even shorter than the not-quite-two-minutes studio track.
Garry acknowledged the song’s brevity, calling it the shortest track he’d ever recorded and likely the shortest stage appearance Bruce has ever made.
But it’s not about how long the song is but rather what you do with the time you have, and those two minutes of stage and studio time present two lifelong bandmates tearing through a terrifically fun rocker.
Dirty Rotten Shame
Recorded: Unknown
Released: More Like Me (2019)
First performed: July 6, 2019 (Asbury Park, NJ)
Last performed: July 6, 2019 (Asbury Park, NJ)
Much enjoyed the studio track (cleanly produced) and live take of “Dirty Rotten Shame”. Great to hear Garry sing on both. Got to LOVE Bruce and Garry sharing a mic during the live version. Great to see Garry playing the six-string rhythm and the classic Vox amp in the background.