Rewind: 1978: Darkness on the Edge of Town Released

This is a slighty expanded version of a post from last year looking at one of Springsteen's greatest releases.

Read the Rolling Stone Article by Dave Marsh

The Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, New Jersey. (2009)

Badlands.

Adam Raised A Cain.

Something In The Night.

Candy's Room.

Racing In The Street.

The Promised Land.

Factory.

Streets Of Fire.

Prove It All Night.

Darkness At The Edge Of Town. 

Three years after 'Born To Run' finally put Bruce Springsteen on the map of Rock and Roll (he'd been there awhile but not many people had noticed him!) and a bunch of legal hassles with Mike Appel his manager that had been dealt with, Bruce was free again to record and release new music. Problem was that he recorded so many songs that it was going to be hard to pick an album's worth that would communicate just what he wanted to say.

Thanks to the release of the Darkness Boxset and the simultaneous release of 'The Promise' we got a little look into the whole process of Springsteen's heart and mind during that time and were able to witness the creativity of those days.

The Making of Darkness Pt1.

The Making of Darkness Pt2.

The Making of Darkness Pt3.

 

Songs from The Promise

12th December 2010

Asbury Park New Jersey

 

 

 

Songs off The Promise Performed Live

Racing in the Streets 78 - Mohegan Sun 17/05/14.

Gotta Get That Feeling - Leeds 24/07/13.

One Way Street - Mönchengladbach 05/07/13.

Because the Night - Perth, Australia 05/02/14.

Rendezvous - Manchester 05/05/99.

Save My Love - Sunrise FL 29/04/14.

Ain't Good Enough For You - Gijion 26/06/13.

Fire - Montpellier 19/06/12.

Talk To Me - Mohegan Sun 18/05/14.

The Promise - Perth, Australia 08/02/14.

There's still quite a number of tracks that were recorded during the sessions that haven't seen the light of day except on Bootlegs:

 

'American Madness' is one of many Bootlegs out there that have gathered up the recordings.

It's a rare thing these days when Bruce doesn't play a single song from 'Darkness at the Edge of Town', the songs have stood the test of time and still have something to say 36 years later.

From a personal point of view 'Darkness' remains as one of my favourite works from Springsteen. I was 15 years old when it came out, listening to punk, struggling with family and school but the heart of the message of 'Darkness' resonated with me. It may be an album that seems full of despair, loss, human frailty, and bitterness but there's also faith, hope, love and belief that there can be a brighter day coming.

Happy Birthday Darkness, you have been a good friend on my own journey.

 

Bonus Live Material

Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank NJ. Premieres of New Songs.

Rendezvous (01/08/76).

Something in the Night (01/08/76).

The Promise (03/08/76).

 

Don't Look Back - Premiere Toledo 03/10/77.

 

Darkness at the Edge of Town Tour 1978

 

Houston 15th July 1978.

Setlist
BADLANDS / NIGHT / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN / FOR YOU / THE FEVER / THE PROMISED LAND / PROVE IT ALL NIGHT / RACING IN THE STREET / THUNDER ROAD / JUNGLELAND / PARADISE BY THE "C" / FIRE / CANDY'S ROOM / ADAM RAISED A CAIN / NOT FADE AWAY - SHE'S THE ONE / GROWIN' UP / BACKSTREETS / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) / THE PROMISE / BORN TO RUN / BECAUSE THE NIGHT / QUARTER TO THREE

Full Audio of the Show. 

Darkness at the Edge of Town - Houston 15th July 1978.

Racing in the Street - Houston 15th July 1978.

Candy's Room - Houston 15th July 1978.

 

Charleston Civic Center, Charleston 4th July 1978.

Setlist
OH BOY (1.52) / BADLANDS (4.24) / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT (7.00) / DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (4.13) / FACTORY (2.21) / THE PROMISED LAND (5.25) / PROVE IT ALL NIGHT (9.55) / RACING IN THE STREET (8.09) / THUNDER ROAD (5.24) / JUNGLELAND (9.15) / PARADISE BY THE "C" (3.10) / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) (6.36) / SHERRY DARLING (4.11) / NOT FADE AWAY - SHE'S THE ONE (12.21) / GROWIN' UP (11.18) / BACKSTREETS (11.51) / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (11.41) / BORN TO RUN (4.41) / BECAUSE THE NIGHT (6.30) / QUARTER TO THREE

Full Audio of the Show.

 

The Agora, Cleveland 9th August 1978.

Setlist

SUMMERTIME BLUES (2.28) / BADLANDS (4.12) / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT (6.35) / DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (4.00) / FACTORY (2.13) / THE PROMISED LAND (5.18) / PROVE IT ALL NIGHT (9.32) / RACING IN THE STREET (9.05) / THUNDER ROAD (5.17) / JUNGLELAND (9.00) / PARADISE BY THE "C" (3.10) / FIRE (2.26) / SHERRY DARLING (3.45) / NOT FADE AWAY - GLORIA - SHE'S THE ONE (13.05) / GROWIN' UP (12.10) / BACKSTREETS (11.53) / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (11.29) / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) (6.28) / BORN TO RUN (4.23) / BECAUSE THE NIGHT (7.07) / RAISE YOUR HAND (4.25) / TWIST AND SHOUT (6.32)

Part One.

Part Two.

 

Capital Center, Largo 15th August 1978.

Setlist

 SUMMERTIME BLUES (1.55) / BADLANDS (4.17) / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT (7.09) / DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (4.05) / FACTORY (2.40) / THE PROMISED LAND (5.24) / PROVE IT ALL NIGHT (11.02) / RACING IN THE STREET (8.00) / THUNDER ROAD (5.25) / JUNGLELAND (cut, 3.40) / PARADISE BY THE "C" (3.33) / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) (6.30) / SHERRY DARLING (3.49) / SWEET LITTLE SIXTEEN (3.08) / GLORIA - NOT FADE AWAY - SHE'S THE ONE (12.21) / GROWIN' UP (11.04) / BACKSTREETS (edits, 11.30) / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (cut, 12.27) / BORN TO RUN (4.39) / BECAUSE THE NIGHT (7.01) / QUARTER TO THREE (13.44)

Part One.

Part Two.

 

Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ 19th September 1978 (Audio).

 

Passiac NJ 19th September 1978 (Black and White Film).

Setlist

 BADLANDS (4.58) / STREETS OF FIRE (4.49) / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT (6.52) / DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (4.12) / INDEPENDENCE DAY (5.27) / THE PROMISED LAND (5.23) / PROVE IT ALL NIGHT (9.27) / RACING IN THE STREET (8.03) / THUNDER ROAD (6.28) / MEETING ACROSS THE RIVER (3.16) / JUNGLELAND (9.39) / KITTY'S BACK (12.41) / FIRE (2.52) / CANDY'S ROOM (3.02) / BECAUSE THE NIGHT (6.34) / POINT BLANK (6.33) / NOT FADE AWAY - SHE'S THE ONE (11.27) / BACKSTREETS (11.30) / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (10.17) / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) (6.36) / BORN TO RUN (4.27) / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (3.54) / DETROIT MEDLEY (7.22) / RAISE YOUR HAND (4.22)

Part One.

Part Two.

 

Badlands - Arizona 13/12/78.

Prove It All Night - Arizona 13/12/78.

Rosalitia (Come Out Tonight) - Arizona 13/12/78.

 

Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco 15th December 1978.

Setlist

BADLANDS (4.43) / STREETS OF FIRE (5.10) / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT (6.39) / DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (4.20) / FACTORY (3.25) / THE PROMISED LAND (5.25) / PROVE IT ALL NIGHT (11.30) / RACING IN THE STREET (9.05) / THUNDER ROAD (5.18) / JUNGLELAND (9.42) / THE TIES THAT BIND (3.24) / SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN (7.41) / THE FEVER (7.47) / FIRE (3.03) / CANDY'S ROOM (3.06) / BECAUSE THE NIGHT (7.12) / POINT BLANK (8.24) / MONA - PREACHER'S DAUGHTER - SHE'S THE ONE - I GET MAD (12.44) / BACKSTREETS (11.58) / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (10.34) / BORN TO RUN (4.26) / DETROIT MEDLEY (9.10) / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (4.02) / RAISE YOUR HAND (4.32) / [QUARTER TO THREE / TWIST AND SHOUT]

Full Audio of the Show.