40 Years Old Today: Darkness at the Edge of Town - Bruce Springsteen (1978)

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Darkness on the Edge of Town - Bruce Springsteen
Columbia/CBS
Produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau and Steven Van Zandt
Released 2nd June 1978
US Chart #5
UK Chart #16

Side 1

Side 2

Personnel
    Bruce Springsteen – lead vocals, lead guitar, harmonica

The E Street Band
    Roy Bittan – piano, backing vocals
    Clarence Clemons – saxophone, backing vocals
    Danny Federici – organ, glockenspiel
    Garry Tallent – bass guitar
    Steve Van Zandt – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
    Max Weinberg – drums

Singles from Darkness on the Edge of Town

(Yugoslavian Picture Sleeve)

Prove It All Night / Factory
Released May 1978 (USA) June 1978 (UK)
US Chart #33

(Spanish Picture Sleeve)

Badlands / Streets of Fire
Released July 1978 (USA)
US Chart #42

UK and other European Territories Single also released in July 1978 had Something In The Night as the B-Side

(Irish Picture Sleeve)

Promised Land / Streets of Fire
October 1978 (UK and Ireland)

Other Darkness Related Live Material

 Darkness at the Edge of Town - Live
Giants Stadium
2nd October 2009

 

Darkness at the Edge of Town
Live at Paramount Theater

**************

There are loads more links below to Full shows and to specfic songs. Click on the links to enjoy more from the Darkness era.

The Darkness on the Edge of Town Tour kicked off in Buffalo on 23rd May, followed by Albany (24th), a two night stand at The Spectrum in Philadelphia on the 26th and 27th before seeing out the month with a three night stand at The Music Hall in Boston (29th, 30th and 31st). On the actual day of release of the album he was probably playing the least rock and roll venue on the planet...the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis (his second appearance there having played 28th May 1976)!

 

Let's rewind for a few moments because three years had passed since the release of Born To Run and a lot of things had changed, namely there was no more Mike Appel in Bruce's corner due to a legal dispute that prevented the recording of new material (I'm pretty sure there's not much need to go over that ground here). With that legal battle finally sewed up it was time to get back to the studio.

 

One of the earliest songs that was demoed that did make it onto the album was Something In The Night. Springsteen had said as far back as 1976 that was going to be on the album but the version he was playing was very different to what ended up getting recorded. I actually really love the 1976 version. By 1977 it had changed to become the version we are more familiar with as this performance in February 1977 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto attests.

 

According to Clinton Heylin's book, E Street Shuffle The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, on 1st June 1977 Springsteen laid down the demos for eight songs: Our Love Will Last Forever, Breakaway, Don't Look Back, Rendezvous, Outside Looking In, Something In The Night, Because The Night, and I Wanna Be With You. Dave Marsh had been a bit fluid with the numbers when he had actually said that 20 tracks were laid down in one night!

 

More tracks would fall by the wayside between October 1977 - March 1978 but thankfully they saw the light of day in 2010 with the release of The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story Boxset and the stand alone release of The Promise album and a few tracks had already appeared on the Tracks Boxset (Don't Look Back, Hearts of Stone, Iceman and Give The Girl A Kiss). Others have remained unreleased (but thanks to the Bruceleggers can be found scattered around on various albums) and a few tracks were held back and would turn up on The River album in 1980 (Independence Day, Sherry Darling, The Ties That Bind, Drive All Night, Ramrod and Point Blank).

 

Songs like Fire, Because the Night, Hearts of Stone, Talk To Me, Don't Look Back, and Rendezvous would all find homes in the catalogues of other artists with Fire (The Pointer Sisters) and Because The Night (Patti Smith) being the most successful of the bunch.

 

It's clear that Steven Van Zandt had the opposite view with regard to accumulating songs: "Basically, the first ten good songs you write, you're supposed to put them out. Well, that process would end - forever." But Bruce had a theme in mind and therefore he chose very carefully what ten songs would make up the final released product.

************

A personal word

I had actually intended to write a bit more on this but I've had a pretty crappy day with my epilepsy and have been unable to concentrate properly for long periods of time. I actually begun working on this around 10am this morning and six hours later (after taking a rest after a seizure) I'm going to finish up with some words I previously wrote a couple of years ago about the album.

 

Apologies if you were expecting something a bit more insightful! I just can't do it today! 😧

"My own thoughts about the album at the time (I was 15 years old when it came out!) was that here was a bloke who knew a thing or two about life and was able to communicate something of the desolation of being stuck somewhere you didn't want to be. I always get a bit annoyed by people who assume that because Bruce is American and he's often writing from an American perspective that he has nothing in common with those outside of the USA. But the fact is alienation, struggle, relationship issues, despair and hope etc are actually very universal themes so it's quite easy I think to find yourself in his songs even if you were growing up in London in 1978."

 

Happy 40th Anniversary, and I dedicate this post to John Kelly and all on Brucebook over on Facebook.

 

 

Revisiting: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Capitol Theater, Passaic NJ, 19-21st September 1978

 

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band

Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ

19th September 1978

Setlist: 

1. Intro 

2. Badlands 

3. Streets Of Fire 

4. Spirit In The Night 

5. Darkness On The Edge Of Town 

6. Independence Day 

7. The Promised Land 

8. Prove It All Night 

9. Racing In The Street 

10. Thunder Road 

11. Meeting Across The River 

12. Jungleland 

13. Kitty's Back 

14. Fire 

15. Candy's Room 

16. Because The Night 

17. Point Blank 

18. Not Fade Away 

19. She's The One 

20. Backstreets 

21. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) 

22. 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) 

23. Born To Run 

24. 10th Avenue Freeze-Out 

25. Detroit Medley 

26. Raise Your Hand

******* 

27. Good Rockin' Tonight *

28. It's My Life*

29. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town*

30. High School Confidential**

31. Sweet Little Sixteen**

32. The Fever**

33. Incident On 57th Street**

34. For You***

35. It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City***

All the tracks highlighted in Red are extra tracks recorded at other shows and and were not part of the original setlist on the 19th September 1978:

 * 20th September 1978 Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ

** 21st September 1978 Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ

*** 1st January 1979 Richfield Coliseum Cleveland, Ohio

They were included on Crystal Cat Records Bootleg Passaic Night which is the actual video/audio that I posted above.

Listen To The Show:

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band

Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ

20th September 1978

 

 Listen To The Show - Click Here.

 

Setlist:

 GOOD ROCKIN' TONIGHT / BADLANDS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN / INDEPENDENCE DAY / THE PROMISED LAND / PROVE IT ALL NIGHT / IT'S MY LIFE / THUNDER ROAD / JUNGLELAND / SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN* / FIRE / CANDY'S ROOM / BECAUSE THE NIGHT / POINT BLANK / KITTY'S BACK / INCIDENT ON 57TH STREET / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) / BORN TO RUN / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT / DETROIT MEDLEY / TWIST AND SHOUT

 

*Santa Claus Is Coming To Town was a Tour Debut

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band

Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ

21st September 1978

 

 Listen To The Show - Click Here.

 Setlist

 HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL / BADLANDS / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN / SWEET LITTLE SIXTEEN / INDEPENDENCE DAY / THE PROMISED LAND / PROVE IT ALL NIGHT / RACING IN THE STREET / THUNDER ROAD / MEETING ACROSS THE RIVER / JUNGLELAND / SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN / FIRE / CANDY'S ROOM / BECAUSE THE NIGHT / POINT BLANK / KITTY'S BACK / THE FEVER / INCIDENT ON 57TH STREET / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) / BORN TO RUN / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT / QUARTER TO THREE

 

*******************

 

Fans of Bruce Springsteen and The East Street Band would have to wait until 1986 for an Official Live Album to hit the shelves at their local Record Shops but for people who lived in the States there was always the promise of a full on Radio Broadcast. This was a channel that Springsteen had been using for many years and one of his finest Radio Broadcasts was the night of 19th September 1978 on the Darkness At The Edge of Town Tour when they pulled into the Capitol Theater in Passaic, New Jersey for a homecoming three night stand.

 

Now, I of course was not and have never lived in the States so this news of Radio Broadcasts etc was quite unknown to me until sometime in 1980 (I think!) that I stumbled on a Bootleg of the show called Piece de Resistance on a market stall that specialized in Bootlegs of all sorts of artists. This 3LP set did cost me a pretty penny or two but hey, a live show of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band! Who could resist that?

This was marvellous stuff back then. It might be a couple of weeks or so before we even got to read about these shows in the British Music Press (if at all!) These days of course it's far easier to follow artists you like as fan footage turns up hours after the gig has taken place or even as it's going on with tools like Periscope and even Facebook Live. Springsteen has himself overseen the release of his last couple of tours and recordings of every night are for sale on his own website along with Archive Concerts.

These three shows in New Jersey in 1978 were recorded and filmed by in-house cameras (the footage is in black and white and as it's been passed down through the years the quality is not so brilliant. Check out the film of the 20th September - click here which is actually better quality than some of the Bootleg DVD's that are floating around).

The band were four months into the Darkness Tour (111 dates between 23rd May 1978 - 1st January 1979). The line-up of the band was:

 

Bruce Springsteen (vocals, guitar, harmonica)
Roy Bittan (piano, keyboards)
Clarence Clemons (tenor, baritone, and soprano saxophones, backing vocals, percussion)
Danny Federici (organ, accordion, glockenspiel, piano)
Garry Tallent (bass, percussion)
Steven Van Zandt (guitar, backing vocals)
Max Weinberg (drums)

Maybe one day Springsteen himself might release these three shows as part of his Archive Series. The only one from Darkness Tour that has appeared thus far is from the The Agora Ballroom, Cleveland on 9th August 1978 (See below for a link to the show). But then again maybe not as there an abundance of releases at least of the first night going around that are of pretty good quality.

Anyway, it's a joy to be able to post this today as some of us need no excuse to listen to a spot of Bruce, especially when he is at his best!

Listen To The Show - Click Here.

Revisiting Darkness on the Edge of Town

Darkness on the Edge of Town - Bruce Springsteen

Columbia

Produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau and Steve Van Zandt

US Chart #5

UK Chart #16

 

38 years old today and I know I've a habit of spotlighting it every year but it's really such a great album that is worth listening to and exploring afresh. There are loads of links here to check out, mainly some of the songs that were left out from the original album but did finally see daylight years later. I think at some point I may do a post on some of these unused songs that are still sitting around in a vault somewhere (thankfully there are some bootlegs around that contain some of these songs otherwise we'd never hear them at all)!

Three years had passed since Bruce Springsteen had released the groundbreaking Born to Run and in case anyone was wondering, he hadn't disappeared off the face of the earth because him and the E Street Band had been out playing live. The delay in a new album being released was due to a legal dispute with then manager Mike Appel. 

In the meantime between live shows there was writing and preparing many songs that would ultimately be discarded in favour of the ten that were released once all the legal distractions were over and done with. More than Forty Songs were written (Jimmy Iovine reckons there were close to 70 songs written and only 52 recorded though a number were not completed). "Don't Look Back", "Hearts of Stone", "Iceman" and "Give the Girl a Kiss" would eventually see their release on the Tracks box set while 21 other outtakes would be released on The Promise album released to coincide with the Darkness at the Edge of Town Boxset in 2010. Some of the unused material became hits for other artists such as "Because the Night" for Patti Smith; "Fire" for Robert Gordon and The Pointer Sisters; "Rendezvous" for Greg Kihn; "This Little Girl" for Gary U.S. Bonds; and several tracks for Southside Johnny including 3 songs released on the Asbury Jukes album entitled Hearts of Stone (an album that Steve Van Zandt produced and wrote pretty much the majority of the songs for). Other songs such as "Independence Day", "Point Blank", "The Ties That Bind", and "Sherry Darling" would turn up on Springsteen's next album, The River, while still others became bootleg classics until surfacing on Springsteen's already mentioned compilations titled Tracks, 18 Tracks, and The Promise.

My own thoughts about the album at the time (I was 15 years old when it came out!) was that here was a bloke who knew a thing or two about life and was able to communicate something of the desolation of being stuck somewhere you didn't want to be. I always get a bit annoyed by people who assume that because Bruce is American and he's often writing from an American perspective that he has nothing in common with those outside of the USA. But the fact is alienation, struggle, relationship issues, despair and hope etc are actually very universal themes so it's quite easy I think to find yourself in his songs even if you were growing up in London in 1978.

The man couldn't get a hit single here in the UK and it's surprising because three singles that were released - Prove It All Night, Badlands, and The Promised Land - were all pretty commercial sounding. As a 15 year old back then I was listening and buying mainly Punk Records and I thought that a song like Badlands had way more of a Punk attitude than anything that The Clash were writing at the time (I know, I'll let you queue up to adminster a fatal beating later!).   

A Couple of Friends say:

 "Growing up in area which relied on heavy industry, coal and the dockyards I felt like I knew the characters on Darkness. Throw in a tempestuous father and son relationship and it was like my life laid down on vinyl. Despite the hardships and despair it's important to remember that there is always hope and something to fight for."  
- Carl Drake (USA)

 "I never really cared for Born To Run and all the hype at the time, I bought that record on the back of reading the NME and Melody Maker. I never bothered with Darkness on the Edge of Town until I had bought The River and seen the tour. Everybody's highlight will be Badlands but there are some real gems on there like Racing In The Street and Candy's Room.
I never cared for Adam Raised A Cain until I saw it played on the Tunnel of Love Tour with the horns and from that day the power of that song really hit me. It could have been a greatest hits album in a way, after all he left some incredible material off it. I will never to this day understand why he left The Promise off, it would have easily fitted the record. It's probably my favourite album now with a few out takes added." 
- Mark D. Huntington (UK)

   
"I first got into Bruce around the River coming out, probably heard Hungry Heart. After that I went out and got the previous albums on vinyl. I definitely remember liking the songs and writing on Darkness especially Promised Land and Badlands and Racing in the Street and Prove It All night. Loved a lot of the guitar work especially. Just seemed very raw and very honest. I remember not being too keen on Candy's Room. Sounded kind of a bit poppy. Overall Classic Springsteen. More concise and to the point after Born to run."
- Simon Herdson (UK)
(Simon was a bit late with his comment as he was away camping and off the grid for a few days so I'm adding his comment now. Doug 6.22pm 2/6/16)

Many of the songs from the album still make it onto the setlist (just last night night in Glasgow he played Badlands, The Promised Land and Darkness on the Edge of Town). I still have a real love for Prove It All Night with the '78 Intro. Also I have to say that I much prefer the 1976 version of Something In The Night to the one that ended up getting released on Darkness. Racing in the Street is probably my favourite track on the album and I love hearing it done live (there's a gorgeous version from 2012 at the Meadowlands that I love a lot). I quite liked the version that ended up on The Promise album.
 

Personnel
The E Street Band
    Bruce Springsteen – lead vocals, lead guitar, harmonica
    Roy Bittan – piano, backing vocals
    Clarence Clemons – saxophone, backing vocals
    Danny Federici – organ, glockenspiel
    Garry Tallent – bass guitar
    Steve Van Zandt – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
    Max Weinberg – drums

Paramount Theater 2009

Included in The Darkness Boxset

Darkness at the Edge of Town

Played in Full

Allphones Arena, Sydney, Australia

19th February 2014

Rewind: 2010 The Promise - Bruce Springsteen

Whilst we are waiting for the Boxset of The River to come along let's take a trip back to 2010.  On this day five years ago Bruce Springsteen released The Promise.

 The Promise - Bruce Springsteen

Columbia

Produced by Bruce Springsteen and Jon Landau

Released 16th November 2010

UK Charts #7

US Charts #16

Tracklist

 All songs written by Bruce Springsteen, except where noted.
Disc 1
    "Racing in the Street ('78)" – 6:49
    "Gotta Get That Feeling" – 3:17
    "Outside Looking In" – 2:16
    "Someday (We'll Be Together)" – 5:35
    "One Way Street" – 4:19
    "Because the Night" (Springsteen, Patti Smith) – 3:25
    "Wrong Side of the Street" – 3:34
    "The Brokenhearted" – 5:19
    "Rendezvous" (Springsteen, Doug Cameron) – 2:37
    "Candy's Boy" – 4:38

Disc 2
    "Save My Love" – 2:36
    "Ain't Good Enough for You" – 4:01
    "Fire" – 4:08
    "Spanish Eyes" – 3:50
    "It's a Shame" – 3:14
    "Come On (Let's Go Tonight)" – 2:18
    "Talk to Me" – 4:20
    "The Little Things (My Baby Does)" – 3:17
    "Breakaway" – 5:30
    "The Promise" – 5:52
    "City of Night" – 2:58
    "The Way" (hidden track) – 3:42

Personnel
The E Street Band
    Bruce Springsteen – lead vocals, lead guitar, harmonica
    Roy Bittan – piano, vocals
    Clarence Clemons – saxophone, vocals
    Danny Federici – organ, glockenspiel
    Patti Scialfa – backing vocals on "Someday (We'll Be Together)" and "Breakaway"
    Garry Tallent – bass guitar
    Steve Van Zandt – rhythm guitar, vocals
    Max Weinberg – drums

Additional musicians
    Tiffany Andrews – backing vocals on "Someday (We'll Be Together)" and "Breakaway"
    Corinda Crawford – backing vocals on "Someday (We'll Be Together)" and "Breakaway"
    Barry Danielian - trumpet on "The Brokenhearted", "It's A Shame" and "Breakaway"
    Rick Gazda - trumpet on "Talk To Me"
    Stan Harrison - tenor saxophone on "The Brokenhearted", "It's A Shame", "Talk To Me" and "Breakaway"
    Dan Levine - trombone on "The Brokenhearted", "It's A Shame" and "Breakaway"
    David Lindley - fiddle on "Racing in the Street" ('78)
    Ed Manion - baritone saxophone on "The Brokenhearted", "It's A Shame", "Talk To Me" and "Breakaway"
    Michelle Moore – backing vocals on "Someday (We'll Be Together)" and "Breakaway"
    Bob Muckin - trumpet on "Talk To Me"
    Curt Ramm - trumpet on "The Brokenhearted", "It's A Shame" and "Breakaway"
    Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg - trombone on "Talk To Me"
    Antionette Savage – backing vocals on "Someday (We'll Be Together)" and "Breakaway"
    Soozie Tyrell – backing vocals on "Someday (We'll Be Together)" and "Breakaway"

The Promise album was released as part of the Darkness at the Edge of Town Boxset. Which on release also broke into the charts at #27.

The Promise Songs Live/Promos etc

Save My Love (Promo)

 

Racing in the Street ('78) - Live Asbury Park 07/12/10

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

One Way Street - Live at Light of Day 15/01/11 with Joe Grueshecky

Because the Night/Save My Love - Backed by The Roots. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon 2010

Because the Night - Live Perth, Australia February 2014

Rendezvous - 18 Tracks Version

Ain't Good Enough For You - Live Asbury Park 07/12/10

Fire - Live Toronto 26/07/84

Spanish Eyes - Live Madrid 17/06/12

Talk To Me - Live Sunrise FL 29/04/14

The Promise - 18 Tracks Version

The Promise - Live Asbury Park 07/12/10

The Promise - Live Solo Piano

The Promise - Live New York 29/10/76

37 Years Old Today! Darkness at the Edge of Town - Bruce Springsteen

Released on this day in 1978 

Darkness on the Edge of Town.

The fourth Studio album by Bruce Springsteen.

US Chart #5

UK Chart #16

Three years had passed since Bruce Springsteen had released the groundbreaking Born to Run and in case anyone was wondering he hadn't disappeared off the face of the earth because him and the E Street Band had been out playing live. The delay in a new album being released was due to a legal dispute with then manager Mike Appel.

The Born to Run Tour had been 116 Shows including his first visit to Europe and in particular the UK and the Hammersmith Odeon. Between September 1976-March 1977 he undertook what has become known as The Lawsuit Tour.

And then came the recording of the new album.

The Making of Darkness Pt1.

The Making of Darkness Pt2.

The Making of Darkness Pt3.

So many songs were recorded that there could have been a couple of albums and thanks to the release of The Darkness at the Edge of Town Boxset a few years back a number of those songs were released as 'The Promise'. 

Darkness on the Edge of Town

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.

Badlands - Dropkick Murphys.

Adam Raised A Cain - The Jeff Healy Band.

Something in the Night - Aram (Arslanian).

Candy's Room - Maria McKee.

Racing in the Street - Justin Townes Earle.

The Promised Land - Oli Ng.

Factory - The Deep Dark Woods.

Streets of Fire - The Hungry Hearts.

Prove It All Night - E Streets of Fire.

Darkness on the Edge of Town - CØVER at SEA.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Live At The Capitol Theater, Passaic NJ, September 19th 1978 (28th July 2014)

Next week sees the release by Klondike Records of one of Bruce Springsteen's classic shows from the 'Darkness at the Edge of Town Tour' in 1978.

Bit puzzled that Klondike seem to have left the mis-spelling of Passaic (Passiac according to them!) on the front cover!

The three disc set covers the whole broadcast by WNEW-FM 102.7.

Tracklist:

Disc 1

1. Badlands
2. Streets Of Fire
3. Spirit In The Night
4. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
5. Independence Day
6. The Promised Land
7. Prove It All Night
8. Racing In The Street
9. Thunder Road
10. Meeting Across The River
11. Jungleland
12. DJ Chat with John Scher

Disc 2

1. DJ Chat with John Scher
2. Vin Scelsa interview
3. DJ Chat
4. Kitty’s Back
5. Fire
6. Candy’s Room
7. Because The Night
8. Point Blank
9. Not Fade Away
10. She’s The One

Disc 3

1. Backstreets
2. Rosalita
3. DJ Chat
4. 4th Of July
5. Born To Run
6. Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
7. Detroit Medley
8. Raise Your Hand
9. Closing comments

The first of a three night stand at The Capitol Theater, Passaic, New Jersey, was the 74th show on the tour and over the years it has been widely bootlegged.

Complete Audio of Night 1.

Night One Part 1 (Black and White Film, not great quality).

Night One Part 2
(Black and White Film, not great quality).

Night 2 Part 1 (Black and White Movie - Newly Restored).

Night 2 Part 2  (Black and White Movie - Newly Restored).

Complete Audio of Night 3.

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.