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.  
5. Curiously, the labels and sleeve make no direct reference to country of manufacture. According to the labels on each wax, this release is "MARKETED AND DISTRIBUTED BY GRAMOPHONE RECORDS CO. (PTY.) LTD."
6. There are at least two misprinting errors in this release. Side 1 label lists the second track as "Sherre Darling." The rear sleeve credits "Garry Talent" as bass player. 

Left: Different rear sleeve display (left, South African; right, Hong Kong). Upper right: Spines of the South African (upper) and Hong Kong (lower) sleeves. Lower right: The South African releases with (left) and without (right) a sticker listing track information.

Found on the run-off groove wax on each side are nothing special, carrying machine-stamped "MASTERED BY CAPITOL" and "KP" inscription which are common to most vinyl pressings of this double LP, in addition to hand-etched matrix numbers with the possible South African-specific code "SAF" (for example, "PAL 36855 SAF F27" on Side 1 matrix). The catalog number (AGP87/88) that is printed on the labels and sleeve is not stamped or etched on the dead wax area.

Left: Different font used for listing Side 1 tracks printed on the left upper corner of the inner
gate-fold sleeve (left: Hong Kong; Right, South African). Right: "SHERRE" misprint on Side 1 label.

Most vinyl records in South Africa were presumably pressed in a small run, because targeted consumers were limited to certain classes of people there. Although this South African pressing looks pale a little compared to the Hong Kong double jacket release in terms of product quality (no lyric sheet, thinner sleeve paper, etc.), in my opinion, the above-mentioned facts and observations certainly make it rare and worthwhile from a collecting viewpoint.

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.

If the Hong Kong release is genuine, how could this be explained? I recently read an interview article with an Ex-executive of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), who joined at the foundation of the company in 1968 and has retired in 2002. Early in his career, he worked at the CBS/Sony Hong Kong Office and reminisced in the interview about back then. According to him, since the establishment of the joint venture (i.e., CBS/Sony Records Inc.) between Sony Inc. (Japan) and Columbia Broadcasting System Inc. (current CBS Inc., USA), it had been the Japan side that held marketing right in the Far East countries including Hong Kong. So, the staff at the Hong Kong Office had to arrange the import of vinyl records pressed in Japan, but not anywhere else, for albums that were to be released there by this music label. From his interview, it is evident that there were no CBS/Sony vinyl records, at least back then, that had been pressed in Hong Kong, and therefore it's no wonder that the vinyl records of the Hong Kong set have Japanese origin.

Then to look for a proof for this, I have made close re-examination of the dead wax matrix codes, and found a small signature implying that these Hong Kong discs are indeed Japan-pressing for export. Industrial products made in Japan, including vinyl records, are often marked "JIS", a three letter acronym that stands for "Japanese Industrial Standards." JIS logo has long been used as a mark affixed to products that are produced at the government-authorized factories in Japan following the standards. This logo is found on the dead wax of Sides A and C of Discs 1 and 2, respectively, of both Hong Kong and Japanese releases (Note: Machine-stamped JIS mark on these vinyl records is the old one that had been used until September 2008 and differs slightly in style from the currently used symbol).

Hand-scratched "JIS" mark on the dead wax of Side A, Disc 1 of the
Hong Kong vinyl (left) and the intact mark on the Japanese disc (right).

What is interesting, comparing Hong Kong and Japanese discs, is that JIS marks are crossed out by a double line on both Discs 1 and 2 from the Hong Kong set while the symbols remain intact on the Japanese vinyls. The following are what I guess to interpret this: (1) CBS/Sony Japan has made at least two master or mother plates for pressing this double album, from which one was used to press the vinyl records for export to Hong Kong; (2) For international export, a JIS symbol on a virgin master or mother plate must be scratched out before being used for vinyl pressing, because the pressed records were to be released commercially as Hong Kong products. I do not know other examples where Japan-pressed vinyl records of Springsteen are officially used for the release in countries other than Japan. Whether or not my speculation sounds likely, there is no reason now for me to be suspicious about the Hong Kong release any further.

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).

However, I was long suspicious as to whether or not the Hong Kong LP of this double album was genuine because, in common with many of the South-Asian countries, the music industry there had (and still has) persistent problems of piracy activity. Indeed, apart from the double sleeve format, the Hong Kong release quite resembles the Japanese one in several key points, such as the catalog number (40AP 1960-1), dead wax matrix codes, record labels, and outer sleeve design including that of the spine, although lacking an “Obi” decoration (which is common to LP and 12” releases in Japan).

Comparison between Hong Kong (HK) and Japanese (JP) releases.
Upper, Side A labels (left, HK; right, JP); Middle, spines (upper, HK; lower, JP);
bottom left, trademark on the upper left corner of the outer rear sleeve
(left, HK; right, JP); bottom right, album credits on the lower left of the outer
rear sleeve 
(upper, HK; lower, JP).

Until recently, these made me think of the possibility that the Hong Kong products could be pirated copies cannibalizing the Japanese LP. Repackaging single into double jacket format would increase the potential value of the artifact because such a rare format certainly attracts a great deal of interest from record collectors. In this respect, what made me suspicious the most was the fact that the vinyl discs themselves were hardly distinguishable between Hong Kong and Japanese releases, excluding the printed label on the wax. So, it was almost sure that the Hong Kong two discs were actually Japan-pressed vinyls (to be continued to the next post).

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.

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

Among these double jacket releases, the Israeli pressing is relatively easy to find as the copies often turn up on eBay. On the other hand, the Mexican and Venezuelan vinyls are scarcely seen on auction or market. When compared to these Middle American LPs, Hong Kong and South African releases are more readily located, although still they appear only occasionally. It is of note that the gate-fold package may have also been issued in Zimbabwe (I saw it on eBay once but not sure if it was a genuine copy). The single sleeve reissue was pressed in Mexico in 1986 under the different catalog number (CBS LP2S-125).

For most collectors, what is the interesting part is the inner side of these gate-fold sleeves. In fact, for the interior design, all but the Mexican release have just borrowed from images of the inner disc sleeves of the common single jacket album (not bad, though). Shown in picture are a copy each of the Hong Kong, Israeli and South African releases from my possession. They look like as if the two inner disc sleeves (for Discs 1 and 2 of the single jacket release) are put side by side. Although these sleeve images are familiar to anyone who has this album, each gate-fold issue shows unique color tones or sleeve design, notably on the right-hand side of the sleeve.

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.

Apart from the acetate discs, it is also widely known among collectors that the definitive proof for the last-moment track change made on this double LP is found on the inner sleeve for Disc 2 of the Dutch (including export to other countries), ex-Yugoslavian and Brazilian releases, which list this track on Side 3 as being the second following the lead-off song Point Blank. As far as I've seen, the same printing error also occurred in the Portuguese pressing. So, this error is fairly common to European pressings with the exception of those from Greece (the LP originally coming without inner sleeves), UK and Spain (both accurate listing from the beginning). These misprinted copies still remain readily available because the error has not been corrected throughout the vinyl pressings. As a result, this probably represents the most famous example of misprinting among Springsteen LP releases, next after "John", the misspelt co-producer's first name on the rear sleeve credit of the initial US pressing (and UK copies) of BORN TO RUN LP.

Promotional fact sheet "PLATTENPASS" for the German release (left) and track-list comparison to
 the release note that is included in the sample copy of the Japanese pressing (right)

Here what I show is another proof for this. Advanced or early LP releases from CBS Records in the former West Germany often contained a copy of a promotional fact sheet called "Plattenpass". This two-sided, orange-colored small official document (written in German) for THE RIVER reveals what the original line-up of tracks was, listing Held Up ... as being on Seite 3 (Side 3), if you look at the rear side of the sheet (Another noticeable variation is that the order of Cadillac Ranch and I'm A Rocker is reversed, but I don't know if this also reflects the original track listing or just a typing error). For comparison, also shown is the Japanese fact sheet that was originally included in the advanced sample copy (or "Mihon-Ban" in Japanese) of the album released in that country. In contrast to the German fact sheet, the Japanese one provides correct track information. This may be explained by the fact that the album release date of Japanese pressing is generally two weeks to one month behind the US or European schedule, at least in part because of the additional production of "Obi" decoration, lyric translation, Japan-exclusive album reviews by domestic music critics, and so on [Original release date: US, Oct. 1st, 1980 (but postponed to Oct. 17th); Japan, Nov. 1st, 1980].

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?

Side 1 labels of Disc 1 from the "thinner" sleeve (left;   
Columbia label version) and the box-like sleeve (right).

   I found that the "red" label of this copy is slightly different from that of another one of the regular US pressing I have, in terms of spacing between track names and the order of catalog number listed on the left of the label (---> check here for the updated info). I do not know which label is more common as I do not own more red "Columbia" label copies to be compared. What is more interesting to me is the fact that, even though normally looking "red" label, there is no "MASTERED BY CAPITOL" or "KP" marking on the trail-off groove region of each side of the two discs, just like the "CBS Special Products" discs. Moreover, the prefix code of the matrix number seems to differ significantly from either the commonly circulated vinyls or the "Special Products" edition: the codes on Disc1 read "P <J-MP> PAL 36855 G1F" for Side 1 and "(HXAP) P BL-36855 – G1D2" for Side 2 (without quotation marks; no idea what "P <J-MP> and "(HXAP) mean; the first "P" on Side 1 could refer to Pitman Pressing Plant?). These inconsistencies may reflect different location of pressing plant, different generation of pressing, or both. Could there be two different masters for pressing this album, one cut by Ken Perry at Capitol Records that has been widely used, and another not by him, despite that he is credited as mastering engineer of this album. Just guessing.

[2]  Promotional issue
One of the two "Special" copies from my collection has a gold promo stamp on the upper-right corner of the rear sleeve. As far as I checked, there are no other differences between the "regular" and "promo" issues of this particular pressing. When compared to the "true" white label promo LP (that is usually stamped on the upper-left corner of the backcover), the promo stamp is noticeably smaller and above which, what seems to be a serial number(?) is also stamped in gold. Apart from my own copy, I've seen only once this "promo" version before, being auctioned on eBay.

CBS "FOR PROMOTION ONLY" gold stamps on the rear sleeves of
the CBS Special Product edition (left) and white label promo LP (right)

→ Check here for the updated information.

 

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).

*NOTE: Further Internet search suggests that "LS" may actually be "ES" which also refers to Electrosound Group Midwest, Inc., although I don't figure out why two different codes ("Emw" and "ES" ) are used to specify the single same pressing plant.

Hand-etched "Emw" and "LS" (or "SL") on the CBS special Products LP

[3]  One of the white label promo LPs from the US I've kept for decades is supposedly an early pressing as it comes with a memorandum from Bruce Lundvall, the then President of the domestic division of CBS Records. So, I compared the main code of the matrix number (side 1 only) of this "Special" pressing with that of the WLP copy:

     WLP: T1 PAL36855 1M
     CBS Special Products: AL 36855-1AB

Label and matrix number on Side 1 of the CBS Special Products release

From these facts, (i) Unlike many circulating copies, it is possible that the master for this pressing is not cut by Ken Perry at Capitol Records. (ii) Back in 1980, Columbia Records had three principal vinyl pressing plants: Terre Haute, IN (1953-1982), Pitman, NJ (1960-1986) and Santa Maria, CA (1963-1981). For big artists like Springsteen, the album must have been pressed at all major pressing plants. The WLP matrix is preceded by "T1" (actually on all sides), which presumably indicates that these vinyls are pressed at Terre Haute, IN, whereas the CBS Special Products version seems not to be pressed at any of the three because of the absence of such a pressing plant-specific signature. (iii) The last code of the matrix usually reflects cutting number/history at Columbia Records. One-letter code ("M" for WLP) may suggest an earlier pressing than two-letter code ("AB" for Special Products). However, I wonder if this comparison makes sense because the two sets are most probably pressed at different plants as indicated by different label design and matrix info. Prefix codes ("PAL" vs. "AL") preceding five digits ("36855" for Side A) also do not match between the two pressings. I have no idea what this difference means.
— To be continued.

→ Check here for the updated information.

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.

What I intend to introduce here is uncommon copies of recently floating US pressing that are distinct in several respects compared to the regular pressing. First, the label on each wax has a unique design, with the large "CBS Special Products" printing without a yellow "Columbia" rim on a red background. Second, the single-pocket sleeve is appreciably thinner than the regular pressing (that is box-like), as reflected in the width of the spine. Third, the matrix numbers and inscription on the dead wax areas are substantially different from those of the common vinyls, without a "MASTERED BY CAPITOL" machine stamp and the mastering engineer Ken Perry's inscription "KP." Finally, the vinyls are translucent, which, as shown here, is apparent when these discs are held against a strong light. I own two copies of this particular pressing, and both are so, whereas regular and WLP US vinyl discs are solid black (opaque). So far, I have been unaware of the existence of any other translucent disc from Springsteen's official LPs, excluding this version of THE RIVER and the colored copy of BORN IN THE USA from Colombia.

Most likely first appearing on eBay in February 2013, almost all the copies are highly priced at auctions (for example, check Popsike). I obtained two copies much cheaper without competitors since the sellers did not recognize the particularity of the pressings and put them on auction as commonly circulated used copies. It remains unknown, however, whether these special copies are genuine (I assume so), and if so, why they are made in limited quantities and how they came up and circulated only recently. Any lead or thought is welcome.

Left: Transparency of three different vinyl pressings of THE RIVER LP from the US with unique labels (top, regular; middle, white label promo; bottom, CBS Special Products)
Right: Spine comparison of the single pocket sleeves

— To be continued.

 → Check here for the updated information.