Bruce Springsteen Version
| "War" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band | ||||
| from the album Live/1975–85 | ||||
| B-side | "Merry Christmas Baby" | |||
| Released | November 10, 1986 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Recorded | September 30, 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
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| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 5:10 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Writer(s) | Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong | |||
| Producer | Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin | |||
| Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band singles chronology | ||||
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"War" was performed in concert by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in 1985, added to the set list for the final few shows of their lengthy Born in the U.S.A. Tour. Springsteen and his manager Jon Landau were looking for a way to make these concluding shows, taking place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a little different and special, and Landau suggested playing "War". A year earlier, he had suggested the same, as a loose protest against Reagan Administration foreign policy in Central America and elsewhere, but the band had been unable to come up with an effective arrangement. This time, however, they did. Springsteen taped the words of the song to his arm, prefaced the song with a spoken admonition not to blindly trust the government, leaders or anything else, and then he and the band performed a rock rendition.
Springsteen released the September 30, 1985 performance as a part of his 1986 box set, Live/1975–85. "War" was chosen as the first single from the set, and it was again a big hit, reaching #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The music video for the single was a straight concert filming of the same performance.
Springsteen continued to perform "War" regularly through his 1988 Tunnel of Love Express and Human Rights Now! Tours. He then retired it, until again performing it on his 2003 Rising Tour before and during the start of the Iraq War.
Read more about this topic: War (Edwin Starr Song)
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