With the upcoming release of Deliver Me From Nowhere, the biopic chronicling the making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, there’s renewed interest in the long-rumored full-band version of the album, affectionately dubbed Electric Nebraska by fans. Some had even hoped The Boss might surprise release the record to coincide with the film’s premiere in October. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Springsteen confirmed that the album does indeed exist — but it’s not in any completed form.
At first Springsteen appeared to forget that the record existed, telling Rolling Stone’s Andy Greene, “We tried to do a few songs with the band for a few minor electric versions of ‘Nebraska,’ maybe something else, I’m not sure. But that record simply doesn’t exist. There is no electric Nebraska outside of what you hear us performing onstage.” Greene then reminded him that E Street Band members Max Weinberg and Roy Bittan had previously mentioned running through the songs, to which Springsteen responded, “I have no recollection of it, but I can tell you there’s nothing in our vault that would amount to an electric Nebraska.”
But after the interview Springsteen re-checked his vault and followed up with Greene to confirm that “there IS an electric Nebraska record though it does not have the full album of songs.” Springsteen didn’t elaborate on any plans to release the music — though perhaps it could be included as part of the forthcoming Tracks III?