ATLANTA – SEPTEMBER 30: Bruce Springsteen performs with The E-Street Band at the Fabulous Fox Theater on September 30, 1978 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Tom Hill/WireImage)

It was 45 years ago today (June 2nd, 1978), that Bruce Springsteen finally released his long-awaited followup to 1975’s Born To Run, Darkness On The Edge Of Town. The album peaked at Number Five on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and stayed in the Top 10 for a total of eight weeks.

The recording of Springsteen’s fourth album 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.

The tracklisting to Darkness On The Edge Of Town is: “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,” and “Darkness On The Edge Of Town.”

The album’s two singles — although becoming instant FM and live staples — fared less well on the Billboard Hot 100 — with “Prove It All Night” hitting 33, and “Badlands” stalling at Number 42.

The Darkness 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.

On November 16th, 2010 Bruce Springsteen released the box set The Promise: The ‘Darkness On The Edge Of Town’ Story. The collection featured the first remastered version of the Darkness album, along with two CD’s of previously unreleased outtakes titled, The Promise. The set also included an 80-page notebook, and three DVD’s.

Filed under: bruce-springsteen