Cover Me: You’re The One That Done It

We’re going obscure today.

I mean seriously obscure: we’re going to listen to a Springsteen cover of a one-hit wonder, and this isn’t even the one hit. And Bruce never officially covered it–he only sound checked it. Once.

Thomas Wayne was only eighteen when he released “You’re The One That Done It” in 1958.

It never charted, but the rockabilly single (written by Raymond Scott) captured the attention of enough young artists to inspire a few also-under-the-radar covers over the years.

If he wasn’t already aware of the original, the one most likely to have caught Bruce’s attention is The Inmates’ cover version from their debut album, First Offence, which (barely) made the U.S. Top 40 on its release in 1979. But even then, “You’re The One That Done It” wasn’t a single–it was buried deep in the album.

However it came to Bruce’s attention, it lodged deep enough in his brain for it to re-surface in 1988 at his sound check with the E Street Band in Atlanta.

Bruce had a penchant for pulling out eclectic mixes of favorite oldies during sound checks on that tour, and occasionally a well-placed fan was able to capture them. (Thanks, Chris!)

Much of the time, those performances were just snippets or frequently interrupted for tuning or adjusting, but this one is complete and features a terrific seat-of-their-pants E Street Band jam.

Take a listen to this delightful one-off cover of an early rockabilly shoulda-been-a-hit single.

You’re The One That Done It
First performed: March 23, 1988 (Atlanta, GA – soundcheck only)
Last performed: March 23, 1988 (Atlanta, GA – soundcheck only)