Collecting log: BORN TO RUN Argentine Pressings with an Unusual Track Configuration — Gatefold vs. Single Sleeve: Which Came First? (Part 1 of 2)

A recently acquired sample copy of the BORN TO RUN 50th-anniversary SACD+2CD set, released exclusively in Japan in 2025, alongside another sample copy of the Japanese 30th-anniversary box set from 2005, obtained years earlier.

Rather belatedly, I finally picked up the 50th-anniversary edition of BORN TO RUN (Sony Music SICP 10161-3), released exclusively in Japan late last year—naturally, a sample copy. Since I had never obtained the 1975 C.W. Post College show from Nugs’ live archives, included here as a two-CD set and famous for its live version of Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town, it was a good buy for me. That purchase prompted mse to revisit my own collection of this masterpiece, especially the vinyl editions.

When it comes to collectible LP editions of BORN TO RUN, the item that probably comes to mind first for most collectors is the U.S. advance pressing, widely known as the Script Cover for the script-style lettering used for the album title (Columbia, no number; 01/25/2015).

Collecting log: a copy of the legendary bootleg LIVE on Coral Records, purportedly autographed at a Philly stop during the 1978 tour (Part 3 of 3)

If my memory serves me correctly, this is the concurrently auctioned LP, described by the seller as “signed by the whole band.” Gary Busey’s signature appears vertically near the center-right, to the left of a drawing of a heart pierced by an arrow. Several signatures are difficult to read in this image, but a few—most notably Garry Tallent’s just above the timing strip glued to the bottom—appear clear enough to support the item’s authenticity (not in my possession).

As I mentioned in the previous post (06/06/2026), the eBay seller was offering several Springsteen-related collectibles. Among them was another signed LP: a promotional copy of Springsteen’s official album DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN, described as “signed by the whole band” in Philadelphia, 1978 (see the seller’s reply to my query in the previous post). Unfortunately, the only image I kept from the listing is a low-resolution one of what I believe to be the item in question. I should have saved the entire webpage for that listing, but at the time, I thought it was enough to keep documentation only for the items I had actually acquired. In hindsight, it simply never occurred to me to preserve the listing for an item I had not obtained.

In fact, as far as I can recall, that copy bore not only the signatures of Springsteen and all the E Street Band members but also Gary Busey's, as the image above appears to show. Busey had starred that year in The Buddy Holly Story (Columbia Pictures, 1978), a film Bruce had seen earlier during the California leg of the DARKNESS 1978 tour, most probably early July. As Bruce and Busey themselves explained onstage before Rave On at the August 19 Spectrum show, the two met there, and Bruce invited Busey to appear at the Philadelphia shows. Busey then made guest appearances on August 18 and 19, joining Bruce on stage for Rave On both nights and Quarter To Three on the first night (both shows were bootlegged; see 06/06/2026).

Collecting log: a copy of the legendary bootleg LIVE on Coral Records, purportedly autographed at a Philly stop during the 1978 tour (Part 2 of 3)

As another example of an autographed classic bootleg, a signed copy of "E" TICKET is reproduced on the back cover of The Bruce Springsteen Bootleg Bible Vol. 1 (by Tony Montana, Montana Production Inc., USA, 1985), with the comment: "This copy was autographed by Bruce backstage at the Spectrum Philadelphia Aug., 1978." I do not know whether this signed copy came from the same original owner as the autographed LIVE bootleg discussed in this post. Image sourced from the blog on 05/16/2015.

Obviously, the main question regarding this particular copy of the classic bootleg is whether Springsteen’s signature is genuine or a forgery. Although he is known to have refused to sign bootlegs over the years, the available anecdotes suggest that he may not have been as reluctant to sign them early on—especially before the famous 1979 lawsuit* against California bootleggers Vicki Vinyl and Jim Washburn.
*For more on that lawsuit, see my previous blog posts on specific bootlegs like "E" TICKET and PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE.

Springsteen’s early attitude toward bootlegs is covered in some detail, for instance, in two substantial books by Clinton Heylin: Bootleg: The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry (St. Martin's Griffin, New York, 1996) and E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (Penguin Group [USA] Inc., New York, 2013). A few passages are particularly suggestive. Springsteen reportedly reacted with delight when he was handed one of Lou Cohan's bootlegs in 1976, exclaiming to E Street Band member Garry Tallent, "We’ve been bootlegged! We’ve finally made it!” (E Street Shuffle, p. 188). He also remarked in a 1978 interview that many bootleggers were, at least in their own eyes, fans rather than profiteers, and that bootlegging was “more like a labour of love” (Bootleg, p. 136).

Collecting log: a copy of the legendary bootleg LIVE on Coral Records, purportedly autographed at a Philly stop during the 1978 tour (Part 1 of 3)

Autographed copy of LIVE on Coral Records, the bootleg LP at the center of the 1976 lawsuit, shown with reference copies of reports from the August 14 and August 21 issues of Billboard (article text obscured; see 08/15/2016 for details).

It has somehow been almost six months since my last blog post. Over the past few months, as has happened from time to time before, I have been—and still am—extremely busy with my job. This time, however, the workload was heavier than usual, which largely explains the long silence on this blog (yes, I’m still working and haven’t retired yet!). Fortunately, I have no shortage of material to write about; I have simply reached a point where I can catch my breath and finally resume posting.

Recently, two very different things brought me back to the mid-1970s, the period around Springsteen’s first national breakthrough in the U.S.

Collecting log: You Can Collect, But You Better Not Fold? — Japan's early 3-inch CD singles in snap-packs (including promotional sample copies)

My recent hunting in the domestic market yielded three rare "sample" copies of very early 3-inch CD singles, originally issued in Japan-only snap-pack packages. Here, “snap” refers to the perforated section of the long cardboard sleeve that could be bent along the crease and folded into a compact square. For collectors, intact (unsnapped) packs are obviously the most desirable, but casual purchasers — and radio-station staff handling sample copies — typically followed the package’s instruction and snapped them for easier storage, as shown here. The inset shows the rear side of each release. 

With the Japanese currency (yen) remaining weak against the U.S. dollar and international postage becoming increasingly expensive, my overseas-focused collecting has fallen to an all-time low — these days, I actually find more pleasure in uncovering bargain finds on the domestic market. To be honest, I was never especially keen on domestic releases (as I explain here), and a major gap in my Japanese collection lies in CD singles — both commercial editions and promotional samples.