Earth

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1968 edit Jump to the most recent show or view the tour statistics.

1968-01-00 - CAFÉ WHA?, NEW YORK CITY, NY

No set details known. A typical Castiles performance would be on one of the weekend afternoons, with the band sharing the bill with one or two other bands. Please click for an extensive overview of The Castiles’ history at this club. 00Help-32.png If you have any information (eg. setlist, memories, ticket stub or other images, as applicable) regarding this date please get in touch.

1968-01-00 - CAFÉ WHA?, NEW YORK CITY, NY

No set details known. A typical Castiles performance would be on one of the weekend afternoons, with the band sharing the bill with one or two other bands. Please click for an extensive overview of The Castiles’ history at this club. 00Help-32.png If you have any information (eg. setlist, memories, ticket stub or other images, as applicable) regarding this date please get in touch.

1968-01-26 - THE LEFT FOOT, FREEHOLD, NJ

No setlist details known. A dated photograph suggests that The Castiles played at The Left Foot this night, although it cannot be absolutely confirmed. Click the date/location link above to view a set of photographs featuring Springsteen and the band on stage at The Left Foot from Marion Vinyard's scrapbook. If you have any information about The Castiles' appearances at The Left Foot, please get in touch. 00Photo-32.png

1968-02-00 - CAFÉ WHA?, NEW YORK CITY, NY

No set details known. A typical Castiles performance would be on one of the weekend afternoons, with the band sharing the bill with one or two other bands. Please click for an extensive overview of The Castiles’ history at this club. 00Help-32.png If you have any information (eg. setlist, memories, ticket stub or other images, as applicable) regarding this date please get in touch.

1968-02-00 - CAFÉ WHA?, NEW YORK CITY, NY

No set details known. A typical Castiles performance would be on one of the weekend afternoons, with the band sharing the bill with one or two other bands. However near the end of the group’s time playing at Café Wha? they did perform a couple of evening slots with just themselves on the bill, as evidenced by the poster (above). Please click for an extensive overview of The Castiles’ history at this club. 00Photo-32.png

1968-02-23 - LE TEENDEZVOUS, NEW SHREWSBURY, NJ

No set details known. One show, with The Castiles the sole act on the bill. 00Photo-32.png

1968-03-02 - LE TEENDEZVOUS, NEW SHREWSBURY, NJ

No set details known. One show, with The Castiles the sole act on the bill. Please note that previously this gig was listed as February 3rd 1968, it is believed that the correct date is in fact March 2nd 1968. 00Photo-32.png

1968-03-10 - HULLABALOO, FREEHOLD, NJ

No set details known. The Castiles perform at the grand opening of the franchise’s Freehold location. This was the third and final Hullabaloo franchise to open in the area, the Middletown Hullabaloo having opened in 1966 and the Asbury Park Hullabaloo having opened in 1967. New evidence points towards the fact that The Castiles did not open this venue. The venue was actually opened on 22nd March by a group called The Fuzzy Bunnies. The MC for the evening was Screaming Lord Sutch. 00Help-32.png If you have any information (eg. setlist, memories, ticket stub or other images, as applicable) regarding this date please get in touch.

1968-03-22 - LE TEENDEZVOUS, NEW SHREWSBURY, NJ

No set details known. One show, with The Castiles the sole act on the bill. 00Photo-32.png

1968-04-00 - HULLABALOO, FREEHOLD, NJ

No set details known. One show, the The Castiles the sole act on the bill. 00Help-32.png If you have any information (eg. setlist, memories, ticket stub or other images, as applicable) regarding this date please get in touch.

1968-04-26 - LE TEENDEZVOUS, NEW SHREWSBURY, NJ

No set details known. One show, with The Castiles the sole act on the bill. 00Photo-32.png

1968-05-00 - OFF BROAD STREET COFFEE HOUSE, RED BANK, NJ

SUNLINE / SLUM SENTIMENTS / NEW YORK MORNING LOVE / ALONE / DEATH OF A GOOD MAN / UNTIL THE RAIN COMES / INSIDE THE CASTLE WALLS / UPON THIS DAY / FOR NEVER ASKING / THE VIRGIN FLOWER / A WINTER’S REVELATION (IN 9 ILLUSIONS) / THE WINDOW / CRYSTAL / THE WAR SONG / CLOUDS

The Off Broad Street Coffee House opened in May 1968 to cater for the burgeoning singer-songwriter music scene taking hold at the time. The club also hired rock bands and provided open mike and hoot nights for aspiring talent of all types. Springsteen is known to have given several solo performances at the club during the May to October 1968 period. These performances included an array of folk orientated songs Bruce had written from late 1967 to mid-1968, material that didn’t fit into the rock setlists performed by The Castiles (and later Earth). The above-mentioned fifteen songs (all Springsteen originals) represent much of his original composition repertoire played at these solo shows during 1968. One of these songs, “Alone”, was co-written by Springsteen and Norman Luck (leader of the band Purpul Dyneste). The Springsteen songwriting style here bears some similarity to the 1967-68 material of Tim Buckley, Leonard Cohen and Donovan, and these artists songs were sometimes intermingled with Springsteen originals during the solo shows. 00Photo-32.png00News-32.png

1968-05-00 - THE LEFT FOOT, FREEHOLD, NJ

No set details known. This is likely to have been The Castiles' final appearance at The Left Foot after the club closed it's doors permanently some time this month. Click the link above to view the only photo known to exist that includes Bob Alfano on organ. 00Photo-32.png

1968-05-11 - HULLABALOO, FREEHOLD, NJ

No set details known. One show, the The Castiles the sole act on the bill. 00Photo-32.png

1968-06-06 - HULLABALOO, FREEHOLD, NJ

No set details known. One show, double bill, with The Castiles opening for eccentric British novelty-rock headliner Lord Sutch, who had just recently arrived in the U.S. to tour, along with his bizarre, custom-painted old Rolls Royce 'hearse' that he traveled to venues in. Sutch (with a backing band called 'The Beautiful Quality') was performing several club shows in the NJ shore area. George Theiss has confirmed to Brucebase that Sutch (known by some as ‘Screaming’ Lord Sutch) did indeed arrive at the Freehold Hullabaloo in his infamous 'hearse'. 00Photo-32.png

1968-06-08 - HULLABALOO, MIDDLETOWN, NJ

No set details known. One show, with The Castiles the sole act on the bill. 00Photo-32.png

1968-06-18 - YMCA, LONG BRANCH, NJ

No set details known. One show, a 'Battle of the Bands' extravaganza held in the gymnasium, featuring a dozen groups, each playing a couple of songs. The Castiles, who by mid-1968 were considered respected veterans within the local rock scene, were guest judges (not contestants) and also performed to close the show. Although the year on the ticket stub is partially blotted out, a brief mention of the event in the Long Branch newspaper confirms this as 1968. 00Photo-32.png

1968-06-19 - LE TEENDEZVOUS, NEW SHREWSBURY, NJ

No set details known. One show, with The Castiles the sole act on the bill. 00Photo-32.png

1968-06-22 - OFF BROAD STREET COFFEE HOUSE, RED BANK, NJ

No set details known. Two shows, with The Castiles headlining. 00Photo-32.png00Star-32.png

1968-06-28 - WEST END CASINO, LONG BRANCH, NJ

No set details known. One show, double bill, featuring The Castiles along with The Broadways. The Castiles had previously opened for The Broadways at a gig on December 22, 1967 but they closed this night’s show. The soul-influenced Broadways had evolved from a group called The Uniques that had a 1964 single (with Nick Addeo on lead vocals) on Norman Seldin’s Selsom Records label. Then, as The Broadways, they’d released two singles on the MGM label in 1966. The Broadways included vocalists Leon Trent (leader of the longtime Asbury Park based soul troupe Waterfront) and Billy Brown (who had several R&B hits in the 1970s with his group The Moments). Kirk Shorte, the lead guitarist in the backing band that supported The Broadways, informed Brucebase of this and the following week’s show. 00Help-32.png If you have any information (eg. setlist, memories, ticket stub or other images, as applicable) regarding this date please get in touch.

1968-07-05 - WEST END CASINO, LONG BRANCH, NJ

No set details known. One show, double bill, featuring The Castiles along with The Broadways. As they had the previous week at the club The Castiles played last. Kirk Shorte, the lead guitarist in the backing band that supported the 4 man Broadways vocal quartet at these West End Casino gigs, has mentioned to Brucebase that his amplifier malfunctioned at both this gig and the previous week’s show and that Springsteen was nice enough to let Kirk borrow his equipment on both occasions. 00Help-32.png If you have any information (eg. setlist, memories, ticket stub or other images, as applicable) regarding this date please get in touch.

1968-07-06 - LE TEENDEZVOUS, NEW SHREWSBURY, NJ

No set details known. One show, with The Castiles the sole act on the bill. 00Photo-32.png

1968-07-12 - HULLABALOO, FREEHOLD, NJ

No set details known. One show, with The Castiles headlining on the bill supported by The Junction Blues Band. 00Photo-32.png

1968-07-17 - OFF BROAD STREET COFFEE HOUSE, RED BANK, NJ

No set details known. Two shows, double bill, singer Jeannie Clark opening and The Castiles closing. The newspaper ad for this show is somewhat deceptive, as its billing (see above) 'Jeannie Clark and The Castiles' implies they performed together when in fact Jeannie performed separately as the undercard, she did not perform onstage with The Castiles at the show. Jeannie had recently left local band ‘Gross National Product’ in order to pursue a solo folk singing career. She would end up opening several shows for Springsteen in 1970-71 (see August 8, 1970, September 11, 1970, October 23, 1970, July 10, 1971) as well as being one of the ‘Zoomettes’ for the Dr Zoom & The Sonic Boom gigs in May 1971.

The text below is copyrighted to Jeannie Clark Fisher. Off Broad Street Coffee House, Red Bank, NJ, 7-17-68 The first time I remember really setting eyes on Bruce Springsteen was at the Off Broad Street Coffee House, where I sang often in the late 1960s and early ‘70s. I knew he had a high school band, The Castiles, that rivaled my band from Middletown, the Gross National Product. He appeared shy, alone, and mysterious. His hair was long, or seemed long to a girl fresh out of high school in the 60s. I hadn’t seen hair like that on a guy, except for Bob Dylan’s bass player, when I saw him perform at Rutgers University. I didn’t have the courage to walk up and talk to Bruce, although I sensed that he had a soul deeper than the GI I was hanging with, sitting with a group around a table. 00Photo-32.png

1968-07-24 - LE TEENDEZVOUS, NEW SHREWSBURY, NJ

No set details known. One show, with The Castiles the sole act on the bill. 00Photo-32.png

1968-08-09 - OFF BROAD STREET COFFEE HOUSE, RED BANK, NJ

No set details known. Two shows, with The Castiles headlining. The second last gig for The Castiles, whose members had mutually decided to split up a few weeks earlier. Springsteen having already put together a new group (preliminarily called ‘Earth Band’, but quickly changed to 'Earth’) that was ready to make its debut. 00Photo-32.png

1968-08-10 - LE TEENDEZVOUS, NEW SHREWSBURY, NJ

No set details known. One show, with The Castiles the sole act on the bill. Believed to be the final Castiles gig. Castiles founder George Theiss subsequently joined the already established local band Rusty Chain, while Bob Alfano and Vinnie Manniello formed Sunny Jim. Both Curt Fluhr and Paul Popkin (both of whom are now deceased) decided to forgo musical careers. 00Photo-32.png

The Start of the 'Earth' Era

1968-08-16 - OFF BROAD STREET COFFEE HOUSE, RED BANK, NJ

No set details known. Two shows (8:00pm and 10:15pm) featuring what is believed to have been the debut public performance of Springsteen’s new band 'Earth'. The initial lineup of the group consisted of Springsteen (guitars & vocals), John Graham (bass) and Michael Burke (drums) Organist Bob Alfano would soon be added to the line-up. It would be the foursome of Springsteen-Graham-Burke-Alfano that performed most of the gigs during the band’s brief, 6 month existence. Longtime confusion about whether Earth was a 3 piece or 4 piece group apparently stems from the fact that Bob Alfano occasionally had to miss gigs due to other commitments. All the members of Earth had initially met and jammed informally at The Off Broad Street Coffee House during spring and early summer of 1968. The new group was very blues-rock orientated, in the mould of then popular outfits such as Cream and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. 00Photo-32.png

1968-08-24 - V.F.W. RECEPTION HALL, BROOKLYN, NY

No set details known. Earth perform at a private wedding reception held at the Veteran of Foreign Wars building. 00Help-32.png If you have any information (eg. setlist, memories, ticket stub or other images, as applicable) regarding this date please get in touch.

1968-08-27 - CAMP ARROWHEAD, MARLBORO, NJ

No set details known. This event was advertised as a Castiles gig two months before it took place, during which time the band split up. It is unclear whether they fulfilled this commitment, although George Theiss has noted that some Castiles gigs were taken over by Earth. 00Photo-32.png

1968-08-31 - CONVENTION HALL, ASBURY PARK, NJ

Bruce sees The Doors at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park. 00Movies-32.png

1968-09-00 - OCEAN COUNTY COLLEGE, TOMS RIVER, NJ

FIRE / GET OUT OF MY LIFE, WOMAN / SHAPES OF THINGS / DEAR MR. FANTASY / OUTSIDE WOMAN BLUES / SWLABR / CROSSROADS / POLITICIAN / SPOONFUL / TOAD / SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE / PURPLE HAZE / FOXY LADY / SLOW BLUES IN G / FAST BLUES BREAK IN G / THE WAR DRAGS ON / SITTIN’ ON TOP OF THE WORLD / HELP ME / SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING / I’M A MAN / HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN / JEFF’S BOOGIE / THE MORNING: ANOTHER MORNING / RIDE ON, BABY / BORN TO BE WILD / BACK DOOR MAN

Springsteen (along with fellow Earth band members John Graham and Michael Burke) entered Ocean County College in September 1968. Bruce ended up staying for three semesters, dropping out in December 1969 shortly after his parents moved to California. Earth is believed to have performed several times at Ocean County College during the September to December 1968 period. Springsteen even contributed a piece of poetry to Seascapes, the school’s Literary Yearbook.

The twenty-six above mentioned songs are taken from the only known Earth-era repertoire listing (see photo). The document is likely to have been created by Springsteen in September or October 1968. The amount of tracks displayed, their sequencing, plus the header and numbering notation by Bruce, all point to this as being an inventory of Earth’s live repertoire of 'cover' material. For this reason it is of greater historical significance than an individual gig setlist, particularly in that no Earth audio is circulating.

A few of these songs are performance hold-overs from the The Castiles era. Since Earth was a three-piece band it’s hardly surprising that material from both Cream and The Jimi Hendrix Experience (the era’s two premier three-piece bands) are abundantly represented. Most are well known songs. However there are several obscurities, “Slow Blues in G” and ‘Fast Blues Break in G” are public domain titles, likely influenced by Eric Clapton’s arrangements during his 1965-66 Bluesbreakers period. There is also Donovan’s protest anthem “The War Drags On”, plus Cream’s “Swlabr” and "Toad”. “Help Me” is a track from Ten Years After’s 1967 debut LP. “The Morning: Another Morning” is courtesy of The Moody Blues. From a timeline standpoint the latest released song titles are Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild” (July 1968) and Cream’s “Politician” (August 1968). 00Photo-32.png00Setlist-32.png

1968-09-13 - OFF BROAD STREET COFFEE HOUSE, RED BANK, NJ

No set details known. Two shows (8:30pm and 10:30pm) with Earth the sole act on the bill. 00Photo-32.png

1968-09-20 - LE TEENDEZVOUS, NEW SHREWSBURY, NJ

No set details known. One show, with Earth the sole act on the bill. The band performed a 2 hour show consisting of four 30 minute sets with intermissions between sets. 00Photo-32.png00Star-32.png

1968-09-28 - OFF BROAD STREET COFFEE HOUSE, RED BANK, NJ

FLY AGAINST THE WIND / HEY JOE / IT’S TOO LATE / THE EARTH IS BROKEN / CARNIVAL SONG / TROUBADOUR / WAYFARING STRANGER / INSIDE THE CASTLE WALLS / IF I NEEDED SOMEONE

Two shows, double bill, with Bruce Springsteen headlining and performing solo/acoustic and a folk group called The Founders opening. The newspaper ad (above) is somewhat deceiving, as it implies both acts performed together when in fact they performed separately. Some of the titles from the setlist are covers - “If I Needed Someone” is a Beatles tune, “Hey Joe” was covered by several artists in the mid-late 60s (most famously by Jimi Hendrix) and “Wayfaring Stranger” is a traditional song. “Fly Against The Wind” and “It’s Too Late” are titles we have been unable to match to any artists of the period. The remaining three, “The Earth Is Broken”, “Carnival Song” and “Troubadour”, are known 1967-68 songs titles by singer/songwriter Tim Buckley, a favorite of Springsteen’s at the time.

The above mentioned 9 song setlist emanates from an alleged 83 minute audience recording of Springsteen performing solo and live, sometime in 1968. The audio is not specifically linked to this show, details have been placed here merely as a logical reference point. A private collector claims to have this audio in their collection (obtained many, many years ago). The sound quality is alleged to be quite good. Brucebase was informed of the audio several years ago and was provided with basic details of titles/running time by the actual collector who claims to have it. However Brucebase has been unable to listen to even snippets of the audio and, as such, we cannot verify that the claim is genuine. Intriguingly however, one of the song titles provided, “Inside The Castle Walls” has subsequently turned out to be a verified Springsteen composition from this era (see May listing). The existence of this composition only became known in 2005, which lends some credence (but not compelling proof) to the claim the audio is real. 00Photo-32.png

1968-10-00 - OCEAN COUNTY COLLEGE, TOMS RIVER, NJ

No set details known. One show, featuring Earth. Held in the school’s Student Union 'Coffehouse'. According to some recollections Earth had a split musical personality - they played hard rock at some shows but at other gigs played softer, introspective, singer-songwriter material by the likes of Tim Buckley and Leonard Cohen (material that Bruce was also playing at his solo acoustic shows during this period). When Earth formed in August 1968 it did not have a promoter/manager for the first few weeks. However sometime during September they started being looked after by Francis “Fran” Duffy and Rick 'Spanky' Spachner (spelled Spaahner on some memorabilia). Both Duffy and Spachner ran a music and concert promotion and management business called 'Ooze & Oz Productions'. Other bands that were in the Ooze & Oz stable included Brother Duck, The Clique, Sidewalk Theory and Black River Circus. 00Photo-32.png

1968-10-12 - HULLABALOO, FREEHOLD, NJ

It is unclear whether this gig ever took place. One advert shows Earth as the headliner, another showing The Electric Airplane. Given that the advert showing the latter was published on 11th October it is probable that Earth never performed at this show. Alternately this could be an error that was corrected in the later advert or, even more outlandishly, the band could have taken on this pseudonym for this one show. 00Help-32.png If you have any information (eg. setlist, memories, ticket stub or other images, as applicable) regarding this date please get in touch. 00Photo-32.png

1968-10-19 - LE TEENDEZVOUS, NEW SHREWSBURY, NJ

No set details known. One show, with Earth the sole act on the bill. The band performed a 2 hour show consisting of four 30 minute sets with intermissions between sets. 00Photo-32.png00Star-32.png

1968-11-06 - LE TEENDEZVOUS, NEW SHREWSBURY, NJ

No set details known. One show, with Earth the sole act on the bill. 00Photo-32.png

1968-11-22 - LE TEENDEZVOUS, NEW SHREWSBURY, NJ

No set details known. One show, with Earth the sole act on the bill. The band performed a 2 hour show consisting of four 30 minute sets with intermissions between sets. 00Photo-32.png

1968-12-00 - FILLMORE EAST, NEW YORK CITY, NY

No set details known. Co-manager Francis Duffy is able to get Earth hired for a small band performance role in very low budget soft-core adult movie being made under the work-in-progress title of “N.Y.P.D. Now You’re Practically Dead”. This was not a public concert performance, as the film’s director apparently rented Bill Graham's Fillmore East as the shoot location. During Earth’s performance scene a naked girl dances onstage amongst Bruce and the band. People were having sex (or simulating it) on the lighting rig above Springsteen, and at one point underwear falls onto the end of his guitar. A brother of Earth bassist John Graham has confirmed to Brucebase that the events did indeed occur. The film was never released. The film’s director, the film company involved and the possible whereabouts of any surviving footage all remain a mystery. It is likely that this was a relatively major undertaking by the filmmakers as Bill Graham was hiring this venue out around this time for £3,000, a cost that would almost certainly have been beyond the reach of film students. 00Help-32.png If you have any information (eg. setlist, memories, ticket stub or other images, as applicable) regarding this date please get in touch.

1968-12-20 - OFF BROAD STREET COFFEE HOUSE, RED BANK, NJ

No set details known. Two shows at 8pm and 10.30pm. This show is advertised under the headline 'Earthlings Dig the Earth', with the tag line 'It's a Real Earthquake.' 00News-32.png

1968-12-27 - LE TEENDEZVOUS, NEW SHREWSBURY, NJ

No set details known. One show, with Earth the sole act on the bill. The band performed a 2 hour show consisting of four 30 minute sets with intermissions between sets. At this show a new keyboard player, Frank "Flash" Craig, makes his debut, likely filling in for Bob Alfano. It is probable that the band wanted a keyboard player in place for the following night's show in New York City. 00Photo-32.png

1968-12-28 - CRYSTAL BALLROOM, HOTEL DIPLOMAT, MANHATTAN, NY

No set details known. Two Ocean County College students book Earth and a band called Baker Street Division into this major, 1,800 seat venue. Who the two students are is unclear, but a newspaper report from the time notes that the event was organised by Ooze and Oz Productions (Fran Duffy and Rick Spachner), Joe McHugh of Atlantic Highlands and Underground News Media. The event was held in order to raise funds for a proposed new medical centre on the Lower East Side. Not only is the band completely unknown in the New York City area, but it is a long trip for the group's modest New Jersey fan base. Consequently a week or so prior to the show less than 100 tickets had been sold. With the student would-be promoters unable to get out of their contract with the hotel and facing financial disaster, support rallies are held on the OCC campus. The College administration chips in and organizes free bus transportation to all who buy tickets in advance. The rallies prove a success and the show turns out to be a near sell-out. The bus departs from The Inkwell in Long Branch, the bar where the name Steel Mill would later be born. Bruce has recounted this show as the largest crowd he'd performed in front of up to this point in his career, and the high point of Earth's tenure as a band. This was to be Frank "Flash" Craig's second and last show with Earth. 00Photo-32.png00News-32.png < Previous | Listing | Next >