Chimes of Freedom is a liveEP by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. It was released in 1988 to support the multi-artist Human Rights Now! Tour in benefit of Amnesty International. This tour was announced near the end of a first-set radio broadcast during Springsteen's July 3,1988,show in Stockholm,Sweden,after which Bob Dylan's "Chimes of Freedom" was performed. The performance of "Chimes of Freedom" on this EP peaked at number 16 on the Mainstream Rock charts in mid-late 1988.
The other tracks were also recorded on earlier American stops of Springsteen and the E Street Band's 1988 Tunnel of Love Express Tour,which also featured the Miami Horns. Most notable is the slowed-down acoustic rendition of "Born to Run." "Be True" was originally released as a studio recording on a vinyl single as the B-side to "Fade Away" in 1980,and featured prominently as the second or third song of the shows.
Release
The EP is certified gold in Canada in 1988,for over 50,000 copies sold.[3]
In the original vinyl and cassette release,all tracks were at full length,while on compact disc (CD) "Chimes of Freedom" and "Tougher Than The Rest" were edited for length. The format used was the three-inch CD single,which limited the length that could be used. When re-released in the full size five-inch CD,the edited versions remained. Some later CD re-issues have restored it to full length,as well as the version released to iTunes
Live performances
Springsteen performed the song in 1988 during the "Human Rights Now!" tour. During that tour,Springsteen led a group performance of "Chimes of Freedom" featuring the other artists on the tour:Tracy Chapman,Sting,Peter Gabriel,and Youssou N'Dour,with each taking turns on the song's verses. On July 19,1988,Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band played the song live when performing a concert in East Berlin. Among the audience,many interpreted the song lyrics as wishing for the fall of the GDR.[4][5]
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