Has anyone here heard Springsteen's Harry Potter Song "I'll Stand By You Always"?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by jonboy71, Feb 3, 2014.

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  1. jonboy71

    jonboy71 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Oxnard, CA
    This was recorded in 2001 and even issued as a CDR to Sony Execs. Oddly enough, this song has never surfaced.

    Intro
    Bruce Springsteen copyrighted the song I'LL STAND BY YOU ALWAYS with the Library Of Congress on 13 Jun 2001. All the other songs he copyrighted at the Library in 2001 and 2002 were issued on The Rising album, so there is a very high possibility that this song was recorded for that album but was left in the vaults.

    I'LL STAND BY YOU ALWAYS remains unreleased, and unfortunately, the lyrics were never revealed.

    Studio Recording
    The song must've been recorded in early 2001 at the Hit Factory in New York City, NY. There were minor media reports/sightings at the time (late-Feb to late-Mar 2001) of Springsteen and various members of the E Street Band coming and going from the Hit Factory. It was the "Chuck Plotkin-Toby Scott" studio team behind the dials for these Hit Factory sessions, not the soon-to-be-hired "Brendan O'Brien-Nick Didia" team. Some tracks from The Rising are likely candidates that might have been recorded (or attempted) at these early 2001 sessions.

    The Promo CD-R
    I'LL STAND BY YOU ALWAYS was given out on an "in-house" promo CD-R exclusively to some very few top executives at Columbia Records. The CD-R was burned on 31 Oct 2001, right around the time when the track was being offered up to the Harry Potter producers, and about a week before the Live In New York City DVD was released. The CD-R contains three tracks:

    1. SONG FOR HARRY POTTER
    2. MY HOMETOWN [live 29 Jun 2000]
    3. THIS HARD LAND [live 29 Jun 2000]
     
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  2. stevemoss

    stevemoss Forum Resident

    Intriguing.

    When I think "song for a magical movie about British child wizards" I sure don't think of Bruce, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be an interesting listen.
     
  3. Yankee8156

    Yankee8156 Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    I haven't read any accounts of anyone hearing this song. Seems like a no-brainer inclusion on a Tracks 2.

    Very mysterious outtake, especially with it being pulled from Marc Anthony's album.
     
  4. mestreech

    mestreech Forum Resident

    If there is a pressed promo then this song should have leaked by now!!!
     
  5. jonboy71

    jonboy71 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Oxnard, CA
    that's what one would think. I'm surprised too.
     
  6. mikeja75

    mikeja75 Forum Resident

    Location:
    U.S.
    I'm a pretty crazed Bruce fan and can confirm that it has never circulated. Unfortunately.

    The BruceBase wiki states the following:

    Note: A mysterious history. A ballad written by Springsteen sometime between 1998 and 2000 and inspired by Bruce’s reading of Harry Potter books to his youngest son Sam. This is not a children's song however. Sometime in early 2001 Bruce made the song available to director Chris Columbus, who at the time was shooting the first of the Potter movies. A Springsteen recording of the song was filed with the US Copyright Office on June 13, 2001. However the Springsteen song was ultimately rejected due to Harry Potter novelist/creator JK Rowling’s contractual stipulation that no commercial songs of any type be used in the Potter film series, Warner Bros Music President Gary Lemel, who was involved in the Potter music, was asked by USA Today about this Springsteen song but said he preferred not to comment publicly – but in doing so seemingly verified the basic truth in the story. In September or October 2001 Springsteen donated the song to fellow Sony artist (and Latin/Salsa star) Marc Anthony, who recorded a cover version. In late 2001 both Sony and Anthony issued press releases specifically promoting the Springsteen composition and mentioning it would be one of the tracks on Anthony’s forthcoming album “Mended” (and likely the lead single off the album). Strangely, when the “Mended” album was finally released in April 2002, the song was not on the album, nor was it issued as a single. A later special edition of the Mended album with bonus tracks also didn’t include the song. There has been no explanation as to why the Springsteen composition was not issued.
     
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  7. mestreech

    mestreech Forum Resident

    That's indeed very strange.
     
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