| Chimes of Freedom | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP by Bruce Springsteen | |||||
| Released | August 1988 | ||||
| Recorded | March–July 1988 | ||||
| Genre | Rock | ||||
| Label | Columbia | ||||
| Bruce Springsteen chronology | |||||
|
|||||
| Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band chronology | |||||
|
|||||
| Alternative covers | |||||
|
US reissue cover
|
|||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Robert Christgau | (B-)[2] |
Chimes of Freedom is the name of a 1988 live Bruce Springsteen EP. It was released 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 that also featured The Miami Horns. Most notable is the slowed-down acoustic rendition of "Born to Run", one of several surprises to fans on that tour. "Be True" was originally released as a studio recording on a vinyl single as the B-side to "Sherry Darling" in 1980, and featured prominently as the second or third song of the shows.
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 3-inch CD single, which limited the length that could be used.
When re-released in the full size 5-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.