From Brucie’s 1972 debut album Greetings From Asbury Park NJ, this was a late addition after Columbia Records chief Clive Davis deemed the other songs not commercial enough, and marked the arrival of the big man, Clarence Clemons, on sax.
It was covered in 1975 by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, who added an s to the word Spirit.
For the record, my own chosen spirit in the night would be a single malt from Speyside.