As part of his monthly live archival series, Bruce Springsteen has just issued yet another classic show from the E Street Band‘s famed tour behind his watershed fourth album, Darkness On The Edge Of Town. The new set, which was taped on October 1st, 1978 at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, comes from the night after one of the band’s legendary radio broadcast from the Darkness tour. The new Atlanta release marks the is the tenth concert from the historic ’78 North American trek. The show was originally scheduled as the tour’s finale — until new dates were soon added through the end of the year.
In addition to such concert staples as “Born To Run,” “Thunder Road,” “Spirit In The Night,” “Badlands,” “The Promised Land,” “Growin’ Up,” and “Thunder Road,” the October 1st Atlanta show features one of only three performances on the trek where Springsteen performed “Meeting Across The River/Jungleland” and “Incident On 57th Street/ Rosalita.”
The show included Springsteen’s then-still unreleased versions of “Because The Night,” “Fire,” and “Point Blank.” Also featured are covers of the Rolling Stones‘ “The Last Time,” Elvis Presley‘s “Heartbreak Hotel,” the Animals‘ “It’s My Life,” the now legendary “Detroit Medley,” and Gary “U.S.” Bonds‘ show-closing “Quarter To Three.”
The tracklisting to Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Atlanta – October 1, 1978’ is: “The Last Time,” “Badlands,” “Spirit In The Night,” “Darkness On The Edge Of Town,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Factory,” “The Promised Land,” “Prove It All Night,” “It’s My Life,” “Thunder Road,” “Meeting Across The River/Jungleland,” “For You,” “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,” “and “Quarter To Three.”
FAST FACTS
- Bruce Springsteen‘s Darkness On The Edge Of Town was recorded between June 1977 and April 1978, and released on June 2nd, 1978. The album, which topped out at Number Five, spawned two singles — “Prove It All Night” (#33) and “Badlands” (#42).
- The album’s sessions generated dozens of outtakes, as well as songs that went on to become successful for other artists, including “Fire” for the Pointer Sisters, “Because The Night” for Patti Smith, and “Rendezvous” for Greg Kihn and later Gary “U.S.” Bonds.
- The recording of Darkness On The Edge Of Town, which was the followup to Springsteen’s 1975 album Born To Run, was blocked for a year while Springsteen was in litigation with his former manager and producer Mike Appel. Appel’s suit barred Springsteen from recording with future manager and producer Jon Landau.
CHECK IT OUT: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band on October 1st, 1978 performing “The Last Time” live in Atlanta: