THE RIVER Gate-fold sleeve 2LP: the South African release

With respect to album artwork and design, the South African pressing (CBS AGP 87/88) of THE RIVER album shows some differences from the other double jacket version such as Hong Kong and Israeli issues, and ordinary single pocket releases like the US and UK albums. The following summarize what I have spotted that are unique to this release.

The gate-fold sleeves of THE RIVER released in Hong
Kong (top), Israel (middle) and South Africa (bottom)

1. Aside from the outer front sleeve, all the other three sides of outer and inner gate-fold sleeve are noticeably blue-tinted (see the previous post on Sep. 20 for the inside gate-fold image). 
2. The spine is uniquely white whereas that of all the other releases is colored blue. 
3. The Gothic font used on the jacket is apparently different from that of the other releases. 
4. The outer rear sleeve, which normally features the track listing in almost all the other releases, instead displays the album credits that are otherwise found on the fold-out lyric insert. This coincides with the observation that the South African set probably does not include the lyric sheet originally. The album tracks are printed inside the gate-fold sleeve. So, the track information is not available unless the double jacket is opened. It is noted that there is a variant issue with the track information on the outer rear sleeve. This issue is pasted on the rear with a white sticker (10 x 14 cm) listing the song titles for the individual sides.  

THE RIVER Gate-fold sleeve 2LP: the Hong Kong release (continued)

Machine-stamped matrix number on Side A of Disc 1 of Hong 
Kong (upper) and Japanese (lower) releases

As described in the last post, I had suspected for long the authenticity of THE RIVER Hong Kong release and even considered it as the piracy product cannibalizing the Japanese records. In fact, the Hong Kong vinyl discs are almost NOT distinguishable from the Japanese ones. For instance, shown right is the matrix number stamped on Side A of Disc 1 that looks identical between the two releases. The same is also true for the other three sides of double LP, which most likely signifies the Japanese origin of these Hong Kong vinyls.

THE RIVER Gate-fold sleeve 2LP: the Hong Kong release

Upper: Incredible finding of a sealed copy, bought
from a French seller last year (Dec. 2013); Lower:
Full opened outer gate-fold sleeve of a used copy.

Housed in a double jacket that is made from thick cardboard, THE RIVER Hong Kong release is a sturdy vinyl record product. For its double jacket interior, this release adequately reproduces one side each of the two inner disc sleeves from the common single jacket record (check the last post on Sep. 20th and compare it to the Israeli release in black/white reproduction). 

As far as I checked, no misspelling, no typo, or misprint on the labels, sleeves or the fold-out lyric sheet. Overall, the best quality in terms of sound and packaging among the three different versions in my collection (i.e., Israeli and South African in addition to this).

THE RIVER Gate-fold sleeve 2LP

Undoubtedly, one of the major collectibles of THE RIVER 2LP is the release of the gate-fold sleeve, not only because of its rarity, but also because of its delux package that is far more suitable than a single pocket sleeve for housing a double LP. This special format has been issued in 1980 only in such countries as Israel (CBS 88510), Mexico (CBS LP2S-103), Venezuela (CBS CS-10378), South Africa (CBS AGP 87/88) and Hong Kong (CBS/SONY 40AP 1960-1), according to several informative sources that include the most comprehensive Lost In The Flood website. It remains unknown, though, why only these countries have chosen to manufacture the album in such a unique format.

THE RIVER German promotional store display

In the last post, I mentioned the German copy of my favorite album. Speaking of a Germany-related collectible, back in 2002, I won the eBay auction for a die-cut logo display for store use that reproduces his name script found on the album cover of THE RIVER (I recorded that there were six competitors for this item). This blue/black, foldable cardboard display is measured roughly 32 x 10 inches, and according to the German seller, it was given by the CBS Records to selected record shops in the former West Germany in 1980 or 1981 (possibly coincidentally with the 1981 European Tour). Although I usually do not pay particular attention to anything but vinyl and CD collectibles, this is an exception from my collection.

THE RIVER 2LP: Another proof for Held Up Without A Gun on Side 3

Misprinted track line-up on Disc 2 inner sleeve of the ex-Yugoslavian pressing (left) and the UK counterpart with correct listing (right)

For the vinyl collectors, it is well known that THE RIVER album was originally composed of 21 songs when it was about to be released; however, at the final moment of its release, Held Up Without A Gun was left off for unknown reason(s). Dave Marsh wrote, in his book Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story, that "Actually, twenty-one were included on the first master" (updated version, Dell, NY, 1981). In fact, some copies of the pre-release US acetate of THE RIVER contain this short rocker clocking in at only 1 min 19 sec. Held Up ... is eventually released as the flip side of Hungry Heart, the first 7" single from the album in 1980, and used as one of the three tracks on the US promotion-only 12" version of Fade Away (COL AS 928) in 1981 and on the commercial 12" releases of I'm Goin' Down (CBS A 12.6561) in Spain and Holland in 1985.

THE RIVER "CBS Special Products" US 2LP (continued #3)

Here are additional notes on this particular LP with the unique label.

[1]  The thinner sleeve version does not necessarily carry this special label discs

The regular red label vinyl coming in the "thinner" sleeve. Underneath
is the common box-like single jacket just for comparison.

In the previous post on Sept. 8th, I wrote that this double LP is housed in a thinner single sleeve. However, not all the thinner sleeves carry this special pressing. I own a total of four copies that come in this slightly distinctive sleeve. Namely, one is a still-sealed copy whereas the other three are used ones, among which two come with the "CBS Special Products" label. But the remaining one, unexpectedly, has the regular red "Columbia" label. So, is this copy the same as the normal red label release or somewhat different?

THE RIVER "CBS Special Products" US 2LP (continued #2)

Decoding matrix numbers and inscriptions on the run-off groove area may provide some clues about the origin of this mysterious pressing. So, I tried to make a quick analysis on matrix info although I am certainly NOT an expert on the subject.

"CAPITOL" stamp (left) and "KP" inscription (right) found
on many copies of both regular and white label promo LPs

[1]  As noted on the previous post, both "MASTERED BY CAPITOL" and "KP", which are commonly seen in most, if not all, of the regular and white label promo LPs, are not stamped or inscribed in any side of the two discs.

[2]  Instead, there are "Emw" hand-etching and "LS" or "SL" monogram* (two letters are superimposed) on each side, the former denoting Electrosound Group Midwest, Inc., now a defunct vinyl/cassette manufacturing plant located in Indiana (see this page on Discogs.com for reference) while the latter possibly referring to an yet identified engineer's initials (for known deadwax signatures of mastering/cutting engineers, check here).

THE RIVER "CBS Special Products" US 2LP

THE RIVER vinyl LP copies from various
countries. Non-blue spine sleeves are of
South African and Zimbabwean pressings.

Let me start this blog with THE RIVER vinyl collectibles. For a long, I have collected copies of this double LP from various countries because it is one of the most favorite albums in his entire catalog and because I can't say I like the sound of currently available CD counterparts (hopefully, the forthcoming remastered box set will significantly upgrade the sound quality). Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge, aside from award discs and acetates, there are no great collectibles for this title (I'm talking about LP but not 12" or 7" singles) in comparison to other classic releases such as BORN TO RUN (e.g., so-called "Script Cover" package) and DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (e.g., promo-only picture disc LP). Nevertheless, the rarities do exist, and those include double jacket releases from several countries, white label promo (WLP) (I think WLPs for THE RIVER are quite rare except for the US pressing that is fairly common; I own only the Australian WLP copy besides the US promo), and typo/misspelling on credit or track listing, with the most famous example being "Held Up Without A Gun" erroneously printed as the 2nd track of Side Three on the inner sleeve of some European pressings.