50 ANNI ORSONO, IL PRIMISSIMO BOSS

Bruce Springsteen 

& Steel Mill

1970-01-13

The Matrix

San Francisco, CA

01. The War Is Over

02. Lady Walkin’ Down The River

03. Jeannie I Want To Thank You

04. America Under FIre

05. He’s Guilty (Send That Boy To Jail)

06. Goin’ Down Slow

Long before there was an E Street Band, there was Steel Mill. One of Bruce Springsteen’s early bands, Steel Mill, featured Danny Federici, Vini Lopez, and Vini Roslin (Robbin Thompson didn’t join the band until they returned to New Jersey the following month.) This soundboard recording captures Steel Mill on January 13, 1970, a half century ago this very day, at The Matrix in San Francisco. Boz Scaggs was the scheduled headliner, but he cancelled at that last minute due to illness, so Steel Mill played alone. Critic Philip Elwood, attended the concert, intending to review Scaggs but ended up writing a glowing piece about Steel Mill that appeared in the next day’s edition of The San Francisco Examiner. Elwood wrote “I have never been so overwhelmed by a totally unknown talent.” To emphasize just how unknown Springsteen and Steel Mill were, he also noted that few people were in attendance that night. In addition, some sources indicate the band was paid $5 in total for the show, which they split 4 ways! The show includes, He’s Guilty, 1 of 3 songs that the band recorded for Bill Graham later that month. (The Train Song and Goin’ Back to Georgia were the other two.). After the studio session, Graham offered the band a $1,000 recording contract. They declined!  That said, it’s clear that even in the early days, critics and promoters alike could sense that Bruce might be destined for greatness!