Shows to Begin April 9th in Barcelona, Spain. "18 Tracks", A Single CD of Highlights From Springsteen's Recent Box Set, to Be Released April 13th. Bonus Cuts Include "The Fever" & a Newly Recorded Solo Version of "The Promise"

Bruce Springsteen will begin a worldwide tour with The E Street Band on April 9,1999 in Barcelona, Spain. The initial European leg of the tour will continue through June 7, and will feature a combination of arena, shed and select stadium shows in Spain, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France, England and Ireland.

The concerts mark the first time since 1988-89"s "Human Rights Now! Amnesty International Tour" that Springsteen and The E Street Band have embarked on a major series of performances. A final set of European dates for June will be announced shortly.

In the United States, shows will begin in mid-July and will continue through the end of September. Springsteen and The E Street Band will perform multi-night series of concerts in select major cities nationwide. Further U.S. details will be announced soon.

In anticipation of the tour, Springsteen said "I'm looking forward to playing with The E Street Band this Spring and Summer. It's going to be a great time for all of our fans and for us."

The First Set of Tour Dates Are as Follows
April 9 Barcelona, Spain Palau Sant Jordi
April 13 Munich, Germany Olympiahalle
April 15 Cologne, Germany Kolnarena
April 17 Bologna, Italy Polosport
April 19 Milan, Italy Forum
April 24 Vienna, Austria Stadthalle
April 26 Zurich, Switzerland Hallenstadion
April 28 Lyon, France Halle Tony Garnier
May 1 Manchester, England Eve News Arena
May 16 Birmingham, England NIA
May 18 London, England Earl's Court
May 19 London, England Earl's Court
May 25 Dublin, Ireland RDS
May 29 Berlin, Germany Wuhlheide
June 2 Paris, France Bercy
June 5 Zaragosa, Spain Romareda Stadium
June 7 Madrid, Spain Estadio de la Comunidad

Joining Springsteen on guitar, The E Street Band is
Roy Bittan - keyboards
Clarence Clemons - saxophone, percussion
Danny Federici - keyboards
Nils Lofgren - guitars
Patti Scialfa - vocals, percussion
Garry Tallent - bass
Steve Van Zandt - guitars
Max Weinberg - drums

On April 13th, Columbia Records will release "18 Tracks", a single CD compilation of highlights from the Bruce Springsteen Tracks box set.

"18 Tracks" features three bonus cuts, including "The Fever" (recorded in 1973) and a new solo acoustic version of "The Promise", which Springsteen recorded in New Jersey in February 1999. The third bonus track is "Trouble River", a rock song recorded during sessions for the "Human Touch" album.

The Boston Globe described "Bruce Springsteen Tracks" as "The Holy Grail of boxed sets" upon its release in November 1998.