Last night in Dublin, Ireland, Bruce Springsteen was joined on stage during his set by legendary U2 singer, Bono. The pair performed a stirring rendition of the Patti Smith classic "Because the Night." One smartphone-wielding concertgoer even captured the performance on video -- watch below!
This is definitely not the first time The Boss and the boys from U2 have jammed together. In fact, their collaborative performance history goes all the way back to '87, when Springsteen joined U2 in a singalong of Ben E. King's "Stand by Me" at their concert in Philadelphia. At the time, U2 were on an extensive world tour promoting their landmark fifth album, The Joshua Tree; Springsteen had just completed recording for his unremembered 1987 album, Tunnel of Love.
Springsteen started out this year with an ambitious tour where he and The E Street Band performed his 1980 double album, The River, in its entirety. Speaking to Rolling Stone, the singer discussed the monumental task of translating the complete album in concert:
"The size of the record doesn't make it a casual undertaking. And it's a funny record. It ends on a strange note with "Wreck on the Highway," where it's just a guy and his thoughts [laughs]. ... The album starts with the pursuit of connection and community, the desire to find out where you fit in, and ends up with this guy in a bedroom with the person he loves and hist thoughts."
"Because the Night," though closely identified with Smith and arguably her best known song, was initially composed by Springsteen. Written and recorded during the studio sessions for his fourth album, Darkness on the Edge of Town, the musician eventually discarded the song, considering it a throwaway love ballad.
Smith was given an unfinished demo tape of the song by record producer Jimmy Iovine. She completely reworked the tune, retaining only the signature refrain of "Because the night belongs to lovers." It became a hit for Smith, her sixth single overall, and was featured on her third studio album with the Patti Smith Group, Easter, released in the spring of 1978.
Watch the Boss and Bono belt out "Because the Night":
