DETROIT MEDLEY

Live 21 Sep 1979 version

A one, two, three, four!

Devil with the blue dress, blue dress, blue dress
Devil with the blue dress on, ahhh!
Devil with the blue dress, blue dress, blue dress
Devil with the blue dress on

Fe, fe, fi, fi, fo, fo, fum
Look at Molly now, here she come
Wearing a wig, hat, shades to match
High healed sneakers and an alligator hat
Wearing her diamonds, wearing a big ring
She got razors on her fingers and everything

Devil with the blue dress, blue dress, blue dress
Devil with the blue dress on
Come on Max!
Devil with the blue dress, blue dress, blue dress
Devil with the blue dress on

Wearing her perfume, Channel number five
Got to be the finest looking woman alive
You looks so pretty every time she walks by
The boys are too nervous, even to say hi
Not too skinny, not too fat
She's a real humdinger and I like it like that

Devil with the blue dress, blue dress, blue dress
Devil with the blue dress on
Come on now band!
Devil with the blue dress, blue dress, blue dress
Devil with the blue dress on

Good golly Miss Molly, sure like to ball
Good golly Miss Molly, sure like to ball
When you're rocking and rolling
Don't you hear your mama call

From the early, early morning to the early, early night
See Miss Molly rocking in the house of blue light

Good golly Miss Molly, sure like to ball
When you're rocking and rolling
Let me hear your mama call

Well C., C.C. Rider
Come on see what you've done
Well I said C., C.C. Rider
Come on see what you've done
You made me loving you
Now, now, now your man has come

Well I'm a-going (C.C. Rider)
Gonna see my baby (C.C. Rider)
Well and I won't be (C.C. Rider)
Back until fall (C.C. Rider)
Well I'm going (C.C. Rider)
Gonna see my baby (C.C. Rider)
Now and I won't be (C.C. Rider)
Back until fall (C.C. Rider)

When I find myself a good love
No no no no not come back at all
(C.C. Rider)

That's right!
Jenny, Jenny, Jenny, won't you come along with me
(Jenny Jenny, whooo! Jenny Jenny)
Jenny, Jenny, Jenny, won't you come along with me
(Jenny Jenny, whooo! Jenny Jenny)
You know I love you baby, I'm living in misery
(Jenny Jenny, whooo! Jenny Jenny)

Spinning, spinning, spinning, spinning like a spinning top
(Jenny Jenny, whooo! Jenny Jenny)
Spinning, spinning, spinning, spinning like a spinning top
(Jenny Jenny, whooo! Jenny Jenny)
You don't love me darling and I can't stop
(Jenny Jenny, whooo! Jenny Jenny)

[Spoken:] Roy. A little love from the Big Man. Are you ready to dance now? Mighty Max! Let's rock!

[Spoken:] Bring it down a little bit, uh... I've been asked, by uh, the management of the hall to make an emergency announcement. It's an emergency medical announcement. Please, bring it down guys. Uh, the management has asked me to announce ─ please, please, it's an emergency ─ that if there's anybody in the house that has a weak heart, or a weak stomach, or has recently had a heart or brain transplant, to please leave the hall during the next five minutes of this show as it might be dangerous to your health. Now, in case you don't wanna go, you might've missed it coming in but, me and the guys we got to get together and on the side, we, we sell this little... we got to─ we sell this little insurance policy. That's, that's if you're hurt, anytime when, during the next five minutes ─ it's terrific, it's really great, I, I gotta tell you about it ─ if you suffer any damages or if you get mugged coming into the Garden by the concessioners outside, or if you fall from the cheap seats, you know... Well, now listen, if you got a mother, has a wife, a dog, I don't care, if you got something home this is something that can really help you out. Uh, I happen to have one right here. Uh, are there any takers? No? Once, twice, gone. You asked for it. You see it ain't so bad when we do this. And it don't hurt too much, you might get away with a short trip to the emergency room when we do this. And you might even survive with just a light case of shock when we do this. But, but, when we do this...

[Spoken:] Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you ready? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Devil with the blue dress, blue dress, blue dress
Devil with the blue dress on
Devil with the blue dress, blue dress, blue dress
Devil with the blue dress on

[Spoken:] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Info

The above lyrics are for the live 21 Sep 1979 performance of DETROIT MEDLEY at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY, during the MUSE Concerts For A Non-Nuclear Future. This version of the medley included the usual four songs, DEVIL WITH A BLUE DRESS ON, GOOD GOLLY, MISS MOLLY, C.C. RIDER, and JENNY TAKE A RIDE.

Ticket stub for the 21 Sep 1979 show at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY

Pass for the 19-23 Sep 1979 shows at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY

The live 21 Sep 1979 version of DETROIT MEDLEY was first released in an edited form on the No Nukes album in 1979. This version omits the complete spoken parts before the last verse and features some vocals overdubbing. For example, on the No Nukes album there are no shout outs like "Come on Max!" and "Come on now band!", he corrected "You looks so pretty..." to "She looks so pretty...", added the "just" to the "Come on see just what you've done" lines... The complete, unedited version was eventually released on the No Nukes 1979 official live download in 2018.

The live 21 Sep 1979 version of DETROIT MEDLEY was released on The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts album and home video in 2021.

The MUSE Concerts

Shortly after the Three Mile Island nuclear plant meltdown in Pennsylvania in March 1979, a coalition of performers and activists opposed the use of nuclear power and founded Musicians United For Safe Energy (MUSE). The anti-nuclear group was the brainchild of four performers (Jackson Browne, John Hall of the 70's band Orleans, Bonnie Raitt, and Graham Nash) and four antinuclear activists (Sam Lovejoy, Howard Kohn, Tom Campbell, and David Fenton).

The group organized a series of five benefit concerts billed as the "MUSE Concerts For A Non-Nuclear Future", held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY, from 19 to 23 Sep 1979. The goal of the concerts, and an accompanying 200,000-person rally staged in Battery Park City in New York City, was to spread awareness about the dangers of radioactive-fueled energy and to raise funds for an anti-nuclear / pro-solar campaign.

MUSE's Tom Campbell mentioned the subject to Bruce Springsteen on 03 Jun 1979 when the two met in Los Angeles at the wedding party of Springsteen's lighting director Marc Brinkman. However, it was Jackson Browne who later convinced Springsteen to join the bill for the MUSE concerts. He agreed on the condition that no politicians be given microphone time or money from the event's proceeds. He was the only musician who did not outline his reasons for joining the antinuclear movement in a short statement for publication in the MUSE program book. "Bruce felt that a statement wasn't appropriate - the music was enough," his manager, Jon Landau, explained.

The MUSE concerts program book

The list of acts invited to play at the event included Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Graham Nash (who re-united Crosby, Stills & Nash for this one occasion), John Hall, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, James Taylor and Carly Simon, The Doobie Brothers, Jesse Colin Young, Gil Scott-Heron, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, among others.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band were the highlight of the event. They performed on two nights; 21 and 22 Sep 1979. "The concerts Friday and Saturday night [21 and 22 Sep 1979] are different, and the reason is Bruce Springsteen", Daisann McLane wrote in Rolling Stone. "He has the kind of drawing power in the New York area that will pack a house for two nights in a row". The 21 Sep 1979 concert was the only sellout of the five nights. "The crowd is younger, and crazier; for the first time, I spot a few bloodied casualties being dragged down the aisles by security people. This is a Springsteen crowd, too, with little patience for preliminaries. On Friday [21 Sep 1979], Jesse Colin Young and Jackson Browne do short sets but fail to capture the allegiance of this revved-up bunch. Saturday [22 Sep 1979], Peter Tosh, who exuberantly performs twenty minutes of reggae, lopes back and forth across the stage in a burnoose and fares better, as does Tom Petty, who rocks hard but seems a little taken aback by the size of the stadium. This is a tough audience to crack. On Friday [21 Sep 1979], Chaka Khan leaves the stage in a huff. Seems she thought the audience was booing her; what she really heard was the sound of thousands of voices chanting Bruuuce! Bruuuce! [...] The crowd is his; fans are on their feet, standing on chairs from the first note, mouthing the words to every song. For the first time all week, it feels like something special is happening at Madison Square Garden. [...] The MUSE principals have been searching all week for the vibe, the feeling. Springsteen doesn't have to search for it; he walks onstage and it's there."

Rolling Stone magazine (issue #304, November 1979)

The MUSE concerts produced a 1980 theatrical movie release titled No Nukes, which includes Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's performances of THE RIVER (the live 21 Sep 1979 version), THUNDER ROAD (a mix of the live 21 Sep 1979 version and the live 22 Sep 1979 version), and a cover of Gary U.S. Bonds' QUARTER TO THREE (the live 22 Sep 1979 version). No Nukes was released on home video and a three-record live album was also created from the event. The album contains two Springsteen performances. His duet with Jackson Browne on STAY (the live 21 Sep 1979 version) was chosen for the album, but since the release was a three-record set, Springsteen was asked for a an additional track. According to Dave Marsh, the rendition of THUNDER ROAD was the one Springsteen, Browne, and Jon Landau wanted, but "playing 'Stay' over and over again, they heard and liked the transition, a particularly seamless one, from 'Stay' into the band's medley of Mitch Ryder hits 'Jenny Take a Ride' and 'Devil With a Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly.' Finally, Landau suggested that the Detroit Medley was probably what should go on the record with 'Say.' The others agreed." DETROIT MEDLEY (the live 21 Sep 1979 version) became the second Springsteen track on the live album. The album was certified a gold record by the RIAA in September 1980. From the concert, record, and film, MUSE raised and donated over $1 Million to anti-nuclear and safe energy groups throughout the United States.

The No Nukes film includes live performances by James Taylor & Carly Simon, Bonnie Raitt, John Hall, Graham Nash, Jackson Browne, The Doobie Brothers, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, and others. It also includes backstage footage and covers the behind the scenes work of the musicians to put together the MUSE concerts. The film was directed by Danny Goldberg, Anthony Potenza, and Julian Schlossberg. It was distributed by Warner Bros. and released in theaters on 18 Jul 1980.

In December 2018, the complete recordings of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band sets from both the 21 and the 22 Sep 1979 MUSE concerts were officially released on Live.BruceSpringsteen.net (see the "Official Live Downloads" section below for more details). The audio was recorded live with the Record Plant mobile truck by David Hewitt and crew. It was mixed by Jon Altschiller from 2-inch, 24-track tape source, with additional engineering by Danielle Warman. STAY, RAVE ON, and portions of DETROIT MEDLEY from the first night were missing from the multi-track transfer and a two-track soundboard recording was used to complete the show. The shows were mastered to DSD and PCM by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering Studios in Portland, ME. $2 from each purchase of the release were donated to Musicians United For Safe Energy.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- No Nukes 1979

In November 2021, a 13-song selection from Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's sets from the 21 and the 22 Sep 1979 MUSE concerts were released on The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts home video and album.

Official Live Downloads

Prior to the High Hopes Tour, Bruce Springsteen's management announced a new service allowing fans to download concert recordings approximately 48 hours after each show. The initial plan required fans to purchase a special USB wristband, which could then be used to download a single High Hopes Tour show of the purchaser's choice and also functions as a regular reusable USB flash drive. The wristband, which could be purchased online or at the concert venue, was priced at $40. Following some negative response from fans over the high cost for the wristband, Springsteen's management subsequently announced a separate cheaper option for purchasing shows directly, without the need for the wristband. The shows were available for purchase and download via Live Nation, Bruce Springsteen's concert promoter, priced at $9.99 for MP3 and $14.99 for FLAC. Audio recordings for 31 of the 34 High Hopes Tour dates (all except 16 Feb 2014, 06 Apr 2014, and 03 May 2014) were released as such and they were available until 30 Jun 2014.

On 17 Nov 2014, Live.BruceSpringsteen.net was launched. It's a new addition to the official website, serving as an online store offering high-quality live concert recordings as well as high-resolution digital releases of Springsteen's album catalog. The download store is powered by Nugs.net in cooperation with Columbia Records. Audio recordings for 30 of the 34 High Hopes Tour dates (all except 16 Feb 2014, 06 Apr 2014, 03 May 2014, and 18 May 2014) were re-released on the new download store in multiple formats, including MP3, lossless CD-quality FLAC or ALAC, and 24-bit HD FLAC or ALAC or MQA, as well as audio CD-R with custom artwork. Nugs.net adopted the MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) format on 24 May 2017. From then on, all Bruce Springsteen live concert recordings, including the previously released ones, became also available in MQA.

Audio recordings for all 75 The River Tour 2016 dates were also released on Live.BruceSpringsteen.net in multiple formats, including MP3, lossless CD-quality FLAC or ALAC, and 24-bit HD FLAC or ALAC or MQA, as well as audio CD-R with custom artwork. Each show was generally released within a month after it took place.

Audio recordings for all 14 Summer '17 Tour dates were also released on Live.BruceSpringsteen.net in multiple formats, including MP3, lossless CD-quality FLAC or ALAC, and 24-bit HD FLAC or ALAC or MQA, as well as audio CD-R with custom artwork. Each show was generally released within a month after it took place.

Archival releases were periodically released on the same site, as part of the Bruce Springsteen Archive Series. These shows were also made available in multiple formats, including MP3, lossless FLAC or ALAC, 24-bit FLAC or ALAC or MQA, DSD, and audio CD-R. So far 90 shows (or sets of shows) were released from the ongoing series.

No Nukes Album

The No Nukes album was released by Asylum Records in November 1979. It was issued internationally and was available on vinyl, Musicassette, and 8-track tape. The album was reissued on compact disc by Elektra Records in October 1997.

Various artists -- No Nukes

3xLP - Asylum Records (ML-801) - USA, 1979

Various artists -- No Nukes

2xCD - Electra (60592 2) - USA, 1997

The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts

The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts is a film released in November 2021 by Sony Music Entertainment's Premium Content Division, in partnership with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The film consists of a 13-song selection from Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's sets from the 21 and the 22 Sep 1979 MUSE concerts.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts

The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts film, along with its accompanying soundtrack album of the same title, was released globally for digital download on 16 Nov 2021, as a 2-CD plus DVD set, as a 2-CD plus Blu-ray set, and as a 2-disc vinyl record set on 19 Nov 2021, and for digital rental on 23 Nov 2021. The 2-CD plus DVD and the 2-CD plus Blu-ray packages include a 24-page booklet, a sticker, and reproductions of a vintage ticket envelope and a ticket stub. The 2-disc vinyl record set comes in a gatefold sleeve and includes a 24-page booklet and a 33"x19" poster showing a wider view of the cover shot. Film producer Jon Kilik, who served in the camera crew for the MUSE concerts, wrote liner notes for the release.

2-CD plus DVD or Blu-ray set

2-disc vinyl record set

The film was newly edited by Springsteen's longtime collaborator Thom Zimny from the original 16mm film, restored and remixed in HD. The audio was newly remixed by Bob Clearmountain and remastered. "A few years ago, I started re-examining the filmed archives for Bruce and the Band's appearances at the No Nukes concerts of 1979," Zimny said in the film's press release. "I quickly realized that these were the best performances and best filming from the Band's legendary Seventies, and dedicated myself to bringing out the full potential of the footage. Having worked as Bruce's principal director and editor for the last 20 years, I can say without reservation that this newly re-edited, re-mixed and restored ninety-minute film is the gold standard for Bruce and the Band live during one of their greatest creative periods."

Though first announced on 20 Jul 2021, an official press release for The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts came out on Springsteen's 72nd birthday, on 23 Sep 2021. A trailer was simultaneously posted on Bruce Springsteen's VEVO YouTube channel.

Available Versions

List of available versions of DETROIT MEDLEY on this website:

Page last updated: 02 Jan 2019