Bruce Springsteen's new "High Hopes" album, scheduled for release on Jan. 14, was leaked briefly on Amazon for download on Dec. 28 before the online retailer realized the mistake and pulled it from the website.
Billboard.com reported that it was not clear if the leak was intentional, but singles from "High Hopes" were available for sale for a short period. Some savvy listeners who were quick enough to purchase it in MP3 format are making it available through file-sharing websites.
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The album also marks the first appearance for S
pringsteen's E Street Band since the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this month.
"High Hopes" will also feature performances by Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello, whose work shows up on eight of the 12 tracks. Morello is a vocalist on a new version of "The Ghost of Tom Joad."
Late E Street members Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici also make appearances through previous studio outtakes.
"The album, which is due out on Jan. 14, is a hard-driven 56-minute collection of oddities,"
Alan Kozinn, of the New York Times, said. "Included are several new studio recordings of favorites from Mr. Springsteen’s concert sets."
The E Street Bank will be recognized with the Award for Musical Excellence during Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in April. The honor was announced in December.
Springsteen formed the E Street Band in 1973 after getting a recording contract with Columbia Records. That first lineup included Garry Tallent on bass, Federici on organ, David Sancious on piano, Vini Lopez on drums and Clemons on saxophone.
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Drummer Max Weinberg and pianist Roy Bittan replaced Lopez and Sancious in 1974 and Springsteen's close friend Steve Van Zandt became a member in 1975 during the recording of Springsteen’s breakout album "Born to Run."
It was that that lineup that led the E Street Band through its most critically acclaimed albums – "Born to Run," "Darkness on the Edge of Town," and "The River." The band continued to back Springsteen live during that period.