Springsteen Debuts 'Darkness' Documentary

Bruce Springsteen will give fans an inside look at the making of one of his most acclaimed albums in the documentary The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town, which is slated to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14th. The Thom Zimny-directed film will be included as part of the Darkness on the Edge of Town reissue that is due later this year. A statement from Springsteen's reps confirms he is currently completing the Darkness package.

See vintage photos of Bruce Springsteen.

"We're doing a little bit of fixes on some Darkness on the Edge of Town outtakes, which is going to be a really fun reissue coming for Christmas," E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt recently said, adding that the reissue will likely feature at least 10 outtakes from the Darkness sessions. "We put 10 or so outtakes on the [1998] Tracks box set and we [have since] found 10 more. I'm not sure how many we'll put on there. We'll go back and he might finish a lyric on one or two, or finish a harmony on one or two, but we'll keep them intact pretty much."

Keep up with Rolling Stone's hottest photos in Random Notes.

According to IndieWire, The Promise provides an "intimate look" at Springsteen in the studio. The film will feature never-before-scene footage including home rehearsals and recording sessions from the era. "A lot it was captured on film," drummer Max Weinberg told Rolling Stone about the Darkness sessions. "There was always a guy in the studio with a little hand-held camera. If that does make the light of day, it would be something I would heartily endorse."

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Great Gatsby' Is a Crushing Disappointment
• 
  TV Why You Should Watch 'Happy Endings'
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“Let My Love Open the Door”

Pete Townshend | 1980

A peppy, hopeful love song, "Let My Love Open the Door" became a U. S. Top Ten hit for Pete Townshend in 1980, anchored by the kind of repeating synthesizer figures that he'd used in some of the Who's recordings in the previous decade. Although Townshend brushed the song off as "just a ditty" in Rolling Stone shortly after its release, in 1996 he revealed it was about love of the holiest sort. "It's supposed to be about the power of God's love," he remarked. "That when you're in difficulty, whether it's major or minor, God's love is always there for you."

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter