Nov 30, 2014

Collecting log: GREETINGS Japanese 2nd pressing LP with a wrap-around Obi

Note the unnecessarily and rather punctiliously
folded wrap-around Obi (pic from actual auction).

Quite busy these days and can't have enough time to write something about rare records and old bootleg titles. So, I just made a quick note from my collecting log that may be interesting to potential readers. I recently obtained by internet auction a used copy of the second Japanese LP pressing of GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, N.J. (CBS/SONY SOPO-124), which is famous for the wrap-around Obi decoration. It cost only 380 Yen (= 3 bucks and some pennies) without competition, probably because the Obi, as shown in the picture (from actual auction), was folded and cut open along the bottom edge, although the postcard sleeve and vinyl are rather clean in excellent condition.

From BACKSTREETS Records catalogs issued back in 1990s
(specifically from 1991, 1992 and 1996).

This release has been one of the steady collectibles from Japan, even not only as a promo but also as a regular copy. Having looked through old catalogues I received from BACKSTREETS Records back in 1990s, I found that it was advertised at between $350 and $425 for set sale (though I think this was still way overpriced even in the era when vinyl discs were more demanded and much more valued than currently viewed as popular music collectibles ). A good buy, isn't it?

But what made me happy with this cheap purchase is that finally I got all the three copies for this particular release! (BTW, I have yet bought that remastered LP box; that's way too expensive!)

ALL THE THREE GET TOGETHER: a test pressing with blank white labels, a white label sample copy with a boarding ticket-style questionnaire card, and a regular issue of the Japanese second pressing for the first album (CBS/Sony SOPO-124)


Nov 14, 2014

Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: FIRE ON THE FINGERTIPS (concluded)

While I am convinced the UK heavy vinyl as the initial pressing by doing my own amateurish analysis, there has still been confusion about the relationship and timeline of early repressings and pirated copies of this bootleg. For example, I do not still figure out what makes clear distinction between Releases B and C (see the previous post on Oct. 24), assuming that both editions do really exist. Since the advent of the online auction, copies of FIRE ON THE FINGERTIPS has almost regularly turned up on eBay UK or USA markets in various forms, and occasionally auctioned off by seemingly knowledgeable sellers judged from their item description. So, when I found such sellers, I used to request them for the detailed information on the vinyl and sleeve, or about how they obtained their own copy, even if I had no intention to raise a bid.
 
Release D (HR-133): the genuine first American pressing?
Note the dead wax matrix area which appears to be much
wider than the other pressings. Images taken from the actual
auction
in 2003 (which I didn't join).
Back in 2003, one seller in the US responded to my query message with some interesting information. His copy was obviously Release D (see the rightward photos from the actual auction), which is specifically characterized by the different matrix number (HR-133 A/B) and, when compared to the heavy UK vinyl or the red-colored US pressings, by the wider dead wax space on the vinyl disc (i.e., the space between the edge of the label and the edge of the grooves of the last track). The other features unique to this release are the vinyl color which is bloody red, and the sleeve picture which is more contrasted than that of the original UK release (a sign of rephotographed images). The modified image contrast seems to be common among copies of the "wider" dead wax edition (e.g., compare the sleeve of #8 with any other sleeve in the first picture shown in the last post on Nov. 9).
 
According to him, this one is the genuine absolute first American pressing after one month of the original UK release. He said that he obtained the copy from the people who made it (“They used to sell at the monthly Capitol Records swapmeet out there right after they issued it”). Because this refers to the legendary swapmeet that was held in the parking lot of the Capitol Records tower in Hollywood from late 1960s throughout 1970s, if he is believable, this version of the bootleg is most probably made by West Coast bootleggers. He continued, That pressing was sold out within 2 swapmeets (two months), and then they made the 2nd one on black vinyl with the wrap around insert of the same sleeve image." If so, certain slick cover edition is one of the early repressed copies. "Then about three months later, a different bootlegger made it again on red vinyl which was mastered from a copy of the original UK or US vinyl (not the tapes),” he further added. Again, if his story is true, at least three different versions (two independent pressings and one repressing) came out in the US in half a year following the original UK release.
 
My interpretations of what he responded to me are summarized as follows: (1) Release D preceded Release B or C; (2) Release D is mastered from the tape, but not from the UK-pressed predecessor vinyl; (3) the early copies of Release D exist in two forms, the original blood red vinyl in the printed sleeve (as the picture shown above) and the black vinyl repressing in the fold-out slick cover; (4) Release B or C is possibly a pirated copy rather than an independent pressing as, according to him, it is not mastered from the tapes but from the vinyl. Although it is almost impossible nowadays to verify his tale, the information is detailed and certainly interesting.
 
Wider dead wax vinyl pressings in various colors. The width of
dead wax space is indicated by a yellow double-head arrow.
These images are picked up from eBay.
Final note: The detailed bootleg guidebooks commonly explain that the Release D vinyl disc is pressed in various colors (again, check the previous post on Oct. 24). Indeed, I've seen on eBay a variety of colored vinyl with the wider dead wax space (the examples are shown in the photo collage on the right). I measured the width of the dead wax space that is about 20 mm on both sides of the heavy UK vinyls (Release A, UK-4). On the other hand, each side of the Release D disc (HR-133) has the space that is more than double the width of the UK disc, about 48 mm and 42 mm for Side 1 and Side 2, respectively. Generally, on different pressings of the same title using the same master tapes, the width of the dead wax space is a factor that can affect the sound of the vinyl in positive and negative ways. From my understanding, the narrower dead wax space (as a result of the wider groove) may result in more dynamic sound, but tends to cause distorted sound toward the center of the disc (i.e., the final track of each side is most seriously affected by the distortion). When compared the sound between the heavy UK vinyl and wider dead wax HR-133 pressings, to my ears, the UK vinyls do sound better although my copy of Release D is apparently a repress (it comes in a warp around slick insert cover and the matrix HR-133 is scratched out).


Nov 9, 2014

Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: FIRE ON THE FINGERTIPS (continued)

A total of eight copies are classified into three classes
based on the matrix info, vinyl color and sleeve images.
According to the published bootleg guides, what distinguishes the original (UK) pressing of this bootleg from various later (US) issues is the weight of vinyl: the original disc is said to be made of heavy vinyl (see the previous post on Oct. 24). The presumed UK pressings at hand are certainly heavier than the others indeed. Heavier or thicker LP records are often said to sound better than standard pressings although I do not take this myth seriously. Anyway, if so, the initial pressing of FIRE ON THE FINGERTIPS may be one of such a few audiophile-oriented vinyl bootlegs in existence. This aroused my interest in classifying a total of 8 copies sitting on my record shelf, on the basis of their weight. Note that, according to the matrix numbers, vinyl colors, and sleeve images as explained in the last post, these copies have been grouped into three classes [five (#1-5), two (#6, 7) and one (#8)], as shown in the picture above.
 
LP records range in weight from as little as less than 100 g of a cheap and light one to 200 g of an audiophile-oriented heavy pressing. Typically, a regular LP on average weighs between 120 g and 140 g. So, here any vinyl copy over 140-to-150 g weight would be considered a “heavy” record (cf. Official record companies seem to define 160, 180 and 200g vinyls as heavy or high-fidelity pressings). Although not enough samples are available for statistics, the result is rather clear. As shown in the table below, all the five copies (#1 to #5), that I have classified as the UK pressing, weighed over 140 g, with the average and maximum being 156 g and 167 g, respectively.  
 
On the contrary, none of the remaining three pressings (#6 to #8), that supposedly originated from the US and included red-colored vinyls, fulfilled the criterion. I have checked a few other Bruceleg titles and found those pressings also fell into 120 to 140 g in weight (for example, an original copy of "E" TICKET was 131 g in weight). We wouldn't know it now, but the bootleggers might try to produce the first pressing of this particular bootleg with possible high-quality sound, because the source (i.e., Intersong acetate or a low-generation tape copied thereof) was considered one of the best possibly available to them.   To be continued.


Nov 4, 2014

Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: FIRE ON THE FINGERTIPS (continued)

Putting aside bootleg guides and references, my customary measure to distinguish, by appearance, the original pressing from a variety of later and pirated copies is simply to compare sleeve images between two given copies of the same title. In many instances, sleeve artwork reproduction results in down-grade modification of an original image, most notably on the image quality and size. What I check primarily is the size of cover images which is often enlarged slightly during reproduction. This simultaneously causes the loss of the marginal parts of an original image.

Close examination of the cover artwork shows the differences
between "red" (top) and "heavy" (beneath) vinyl releases
Shown in the left-hand picture is the front and rear sleeves of two different copies of FIRE ON THE FINGERTIPS, one carrying so-called a heavy vinyl UK pressing (Release A; see the last post on Oct. 24) and the other with a more common red vinyl US pressing (possibly Release B). Obviously, the one (US release) placed over the other (UK release) has the enlarged image, missing its marginal portion (see Bruce's hair in the rear sleeve, for example) and with little marginal space between the edge and text of album title, artist name or track listing. These are apparent signatures of cover art reproduction and therefore, the sleeve of the red vinyl US release can be a copy or a rephotograghing print from that of the heavy vinyl UK edition (an indication that the UK pressing is the very first pressing of this legendary bootleg).

The record labels (top) and dead wax
"UK-4"matrix numbers on "heavy" (middle)
and "red" (bottom) vinyl discs

Most, if not all, of vinyl Bruceleg guides describe that the original heavy vinyl pressing from UK has no matrix number while the US red vinyl pressing carries "UK-4” as the matrix code (exactly, "UK4-1” on Side 1 as shown here). However, all of the heavy vinyl discs in my possession are inscribed on the dead wax with “UK4 · 1” on Side 1 that appreciably differs from the US matrix inscription. So, they were pressed from different stampers even though the same matrix number was used. As for the record label, both heavy vinyl and red vinyl pressings have an orange blank label on each side. It seems that the US bootleggers have tried making their own version as much as faithful to the original UK version except for the wax color and thickness (otherwise, I cannot think of any logical reason to use “UK” for matrix number). It is not clear to me whether the sound source for the US vinyls is a tape copied off from the Intersong acetate (meaning an independent pressing) or the UK vinyl pressing (meaning a pirate copy). Because the same sound dropout occurs on the first track of Side 2 (which is most probably a defect of the acetate), at least both pressings must share the same original source. By the way, the heavy vinyl, which is reportedly a characteristic unique to the UK pressing, is really heavier than the other vinyls?  To be continued.