The tape containing four takes of the rejected “Dancing in the Dark” video.
Previously unreleased footage made for a video version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” that was rejected in favor of what became the official release, is being auctioned off for charity. For information, click HERE.
Some of the footage — featuring just Springsteen and Clarence Clemons — has been bootlegged (see video below). But this is a more complete look at this unsuccessful attempt to capture the song’s essence on film.
According to the auction site, the 18-minute tape, which had been in the personal collection of former Columbia Records president Al Teller, “holds four complete takes. You see the clapper board and the colour palette card. You see Springsteen’s warm-up moves. You see the byplay with Clemons change from take to take. And you see (Springsteen’s) face as the song ends and he walks out of frame, take after take, perhaps arriving at the conclusion that this is not working. Blurred fragments have circulated online and none of it has ever been seen like this.”
Also according to the auction site, the lot contains “the original ¾-inch U-matic videotape, in its original box with labels,” plus Teller’s Springsteen-signed sales plaque commemorating worldwide sales of 20 million units for the album that contains “Dancing in the Dark,” Born in the USA.
The auction will run until Oct. 22. Proceeds will benefit music education programs.
The film’s director was Jeff Stein, who is best known for directing the 1979 Who documentary, “The Kids Are Alright.” Brian De Palma ended up directing the official “Dancing in the Dark” video, featuring Courteney Cox as a young fan pulled onstage to dance with The Boss during a concert.
Teller says, in the interview that is embedded below, that Springsteen’s manager Jon Landau brought the tape to his office, and he watched it. “After about 10 or 15 seconds, I’m talking to myself,” Teller says. “I didn’t say anything out loud. I simply said to myself, ‘What is this?’ This … I felt was so inappropriate for the song. You know, ‘Dancing in the Dark’ is a big production. It’s a full band production. So the first question one would ask is, ‘Where’s the band?’ The band was not there. The band was nowhere to be seen. It’s Bruce by himself, performing ‘Dancing in the Dark.’ And it’s literally only a single camera, a single shot. There were no cutaways at all. … And towards the end of the song, Clarence Clemons comes strolling across the stage in a red suit with his saxophone.
“When it was over, I just looked at Jon and I said, ‘No way … we can’t use this.’ Jon said that he and Bruce also agreed that we can’t use this. So I said, ‘OK … back to the drawing board.’ And that’s when they … got Brian De Palma to do the video that was done in Minneapolis, which has all the components that you need for a performance video.”
The famed video is embedded below, as well.
Teller says the unused tape has sat in a file cabinet for more than four decades.
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