This single album was intended to capture more casual fans,[1] and thus was oriented towards the shorter, more pop-oriented selections from Springsteen's vault.

"The Promise", a Darkness on the Edge of Town outtake that gained considerable reputation as Springsteen's ultimate tale of betrayal following live performances beginning in 1976 and even more so in 1978, was included in a newly recorded version among the three new numbers.

"The Fever" had been recorded in 1973 but never seriously considered for inclusion on an album; instead, it became familiar to progressive rock radio listeners as manager Mike Appel released it to such stations in 1974 and it became an underground hit.

[4] Though he would acquiesce and release both songs on 18 Tracks to appease his fans, he re-recorded "The Promise" rather than include any of the rejected outtakes he had in his archives.

Though it had been recorded with the full E Street Band during the original sessions for Darkness on the Edge of Town, Springsteen returned to the solo piano arrangement that had been typically used for its earliest live performances, including its debut at Monmouth Arts Centre in Red Bank, New Jersey, on August 3, 1976.