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The Promise
Compilation album by Bruce Springsteen
Released	November 16, 2010 (2010-11-16)
Recorded	1977–1978, 2010
Genre	Rock, heartland rock
Length	88:05
Label	Columbia
Producer	Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, Steven Van Zandt
Bruce Springsteen chronology
Working on a Dream (2009) The Promise (2010) Wrecking Ball (2012)

The Promise is a compilation album by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen, released November 16, 2010 on Columbia Records.^[1] It is a double CD compilation of previously unreleased songs drawing from the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions. The album is also available as part of the box set The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story.^[2][3] The two-CD version of the release entered the UK Albums Chart at number 7.^[4] It had been in production for many years and was originally scheduled to be released for the 30th anniversary in 2008. The Promise debuted at #16 on the Billboard 200, while the box set, The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story, debuted at #27.^[5] Upon its release, The Promise received acclaim from most music critics. "Ain't Good Enough for You", a track from the album, was added to BBC Radio 2 and 96.2 The Revolution's playlists at the end of 2010.

The album features one of the last appearances of Clarence Clemons before his death in June 2011. Clemons is featured on the song "Save My Love", which was the only song on the album completely re-recorded by Springsteen and the E Street Band for the project.

Reception [edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
BBC Music	(favorable) link
The Guardian	link
Los Angeles Times	link
Mojo	[Dec. 2010, p. 112]
Q	[Dec. 2010, p. 119]
Paste Magazine	(favorable) link
Pitchfork Media	(8.5/10) link
PopMatters	link
Rockfeedback	link

Commercial performance [edit]

The Promise debuted at #16 on the Billboard 200^[5] being his lowest charting studio album on the chart since 1973's The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle. While not selling as well as his previous studio albums on the American charts, the set did well on the European charts (with first week worldwide sales of over 187,000 units), opening at No. 1 in Germany, Spain, and Norway. It also charted at No. 4 in The Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland, No. 5 in Austria, No. 7 in the United Kingdom and No. 9 in Switzerland.^[6]

Critical response [edit]

Upon its release, The Promise received acclaim from most music critics.^[7] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 94, based on 16 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".^[7]

Allmusic gave it four and a half stars; they stated that, "The Promise stands on its own as a great Bruce Springsteen record; it feels finished, focused, and, above all, offers more proof that Springsteen is one of the greatest rock and pop songwriters" although stating that "The Promise" was the only track that might have added something to the original Darkness on the Edge of Town album.^[8] BBC Music had a favorable review and stated "The Promise is as compelling an advert for the Boss’s beautiful, blue-collar soul as you’re likely to find outside of the hits; an indispensible portrait of an artist at the top of his game." ^[9]

Track listing [edit]

Disc 1

1. "Racing in the Street" ('78) – 6:49
2. "Gotta Get That Feeling" – 3:17
3. "Outside Looking In" – 2:16
4. "Someday (We'll Be Together)" – 5:35
5. "One Way Street" – 4:19
6. "Because the Night" – 3:25
7. "Wrong Side of the Street" – 3:34
8. "The Brokenhearted" – 5:19
9. "Rendezvous" – 2:37
10. "Candy's Boy" – 4:38

Disc 2

1. "Save My Love" – 2:36
2. "Ain't Good Enough for You" – 4:01
3. "Fire" – 4:08
4. "Spanish Eyes" – 3:50
5. "It's a Shame" – 3:14
6. "Come On (Let's Go Tonight)" – 2:18
7. "Talk to Me" – 4:20
8. "The Little Things (My Baby Does)" – 3:17
9. "Breakaway" – 5:30
10. "The Promise" – 5:52
11. "City of Night"
    "The Way" (hidden track) – 7:08

Performances [edit]

On 16 November 2010, Springsteen performed "Because the Night" and "Save My Love" with Steven Van Zandt, Roy Bittan & The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (along with a cover of Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair" with Fallon posing as Neil Young).^[10] Songs from the album has since started to appear on Springsteen's Wrecking Ball Tour.

Personnel [edit]

The E Street Band [edit]

• 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

Other [edit]

• 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"
• 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"

Charts and certifications [edit]

References [edit]