The lost “Dancing in the Dark” video resurfaces
By Thom Watts·September 25, 2026
Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” video almost came out looking VERY differently.
A master tape of the original version is up for auction, and it’s apparently Bruce… dancing awkwardly… against a black background. Literally dancing in the dark. Clarence Clemons pops in with the sax, but even the Big Man couldn’t drag this thing into MTV credibility.
Former Columbia Records president Al Teller saw it and reportedly decided it was a four-minute felony. So he called in director Brian De Palma, who gave us the version with the roaring crowd, the sweat, the swagger—and a then-unknown Courteney Cox getting pulled onstage.
Teller kept the rejected master, with four versions of the video, and it’s now on the auction block through October 22nd. Last check: the high bid was $2,500.
That’s a lot of cash for proof that even The Boss occasionally needs a rewrite.
Check out the video HERE!
Photo by Jose Antonio Gallego Vázquez on Unsplash