Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. potential hit single. As such, Springsteen wrote and recorded "Blinded by the Light" and "Spirit in the Night". Because pianist David Sancious and bassist Garry Tallent were unavailable to record these songs, a three-man band was used—Vini Lopez on drums, Springsteen on guitar, bass and piano, and the previously missing Clarence Clemons on saxophone. These two songs bumped "Jazz Musician," "Arabian Nights" and "Visitation at Fort Horn," leaving a total of seven band songs and two solo songs. The album was originally slated to be released in the fall of 1972, but was moved back to early 1973 to avoid
Asbury Park, New Jersey eminent domain of the Board of Education building on Lake Avenue. The Board of Education moved to the third and fourth floors of 603 Mattison Avenue, the former "Asbury Park Press" building, where it paid $189,327 in rent per year. In February 2007, the offices of the Asbury Park Board of Education were raided by investigators from the State Attorney General's office, prompted by allegations of corruption and misuse of funds. Per-student expenditures in Asbury Park have generated statewide controversy for several years. In 2006, "The New York Times" reported that Asbury Park "spends more than $18,000 per student each