"The Promise" is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on November 16, 2010, by Columbia Records. The album consists of previously unreleased songs that were recorded during the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions in 1977–1978, with some vocals and additional instrumentation overdubs recorded in 2010. It was released in both 2CD and 3LP formats and is also available as part of the box set The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story.
The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 7, and debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. Despite not matching the sales of his previous studio albums on the American charts, The Promise performed well in Europe, with first-week worldwide sales exceeding 187,000 units. It reached number 1 in Germany, Spain, and Norway, and charted in several other countries, including No. 4 in The Netherlands, Denmark, and Ireland, No. 5 in Austria, No. 7 in the United Kingdom, and No. 9 in Switzerland.
The Promise features one of the last appearances of Clarence Clemons before his death in June 2011. Clemons appears on the song "Save My Love," which is the only track on the album that was fully re-recorded by Springsteen and the E Street Band for the project.
In promotion of the album, Springsteen performed "Because the Night" and "Save My Love" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on the album's release day, accompanied by Steven Van Zandt, Roy Bittan, and the Roots. Songs from The Promise were also included in Springsteen's Wrecking Ball Tour setlists in 2012–2013.
