Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s set during the 1979 all-star “No Nukes” concerts at New York’s Madison Square Garden is legendary, but only one song from it had been released —until November of this year, when Sony Music Entertainment’s Premium Content Division in partnership with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release “The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts.”
The film features ten never-before released Springsteen performances from the concerts, and full footage of the band’s entire setlist for the first time. Edited by longtime Springsteen collaborator Thom Zimny from the original 16mm film alongside remixed audio from Bob Clearmountain, the film will be released in HD on physical formats November 19, including on two CD with DVD, two CD with Blu-Ray and two LP formats. The film will be available globally in HD for digital download on November 16 and digital rental on November 23.
As the trailer shows, the band was in rare form even by their standards on those nights.
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A triple album from the four days of concerts was released in 1980 and featured one track from Springsteen — the “Detroit Medley” — along with tracks by the Doobie Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Carly Simon and others.
“A few years ago, I started re-examining the filmed archives for Bruce and the Band’s appearances at the No Nukes concerts of 1979,” said Zimny. “I quickly realized that these were the best performances and best filming from the Band’s legendary ‘70s, and dedicated myself to bringing out the full potential of the footage. Having worked as Bruce’s principal director and editor for the last 20 years, I can say without reservation that this newly re-edited, re-mixed and restored 90-minute film is the gold standard for Bruce and the Band live during one of their greatest creative periods.”
“The Seventies were a golden period in the history of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and the Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts is the greatest document of that era we will ever have,” said Springsteen manager Jon Landau. “It’s a pure rock show from beginning to end, the energy level is transcendent, and the mastery of the art and the craft of rock music is awe inspiring.”
A composite of two performances captured during the multi-day “No Nukes” concerts, the film packs a marathon Springsteen show into 90 minutes. Among the highlights are then-unreleased versions of “The River” and “Sherry Darling,” live staples “Badlands,” “Born To Run” and “Thunder Road,” plus covers of Buddy Holly’s “Rave On” and a version of Maurice Williams’ “Stay” featuring special guests Jackson Browne, Tom Petty and Rosemary Butler.
“The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts” Setlist
- Prove It All Night
- Badlands
- The Promised Land
- The River
- Sherry Darling
- Thunder Road
- Jungleland
- Rosalita Come Out Tonight
- Born To Run
- Stay
- Detroit Medley
- Quarter To Three
- Rave On
