Collecting log: TOP 3 collectible acquisitions in 2014

Seeing the New Year soon, I have checked back the recent collecting log and selected what are considered as Top 3 collectibles from what I have obtained through this year. The (subjective, self-satisfied) results are listed below with a short note for each collectible.


Murder Incorporated / Because The Night (live) / Pink Cadillac / 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) 
(Holland Columbia 661313 6)

    This 4-track 12-inch vinyl is pressed in Holland for export to France in 1995. Housed in a black & white cover whose design is identical to that of the 7-inch vinyl (COL 661313 7; backed with Because The Night) or 5-inch CD-EP (COL 661313 2; the same configuration as the 12") under the same title. Like the CD-EP, it comes with a black sticker on the front sleeve saying in French "titre inédit avec le E Street Band" (new song with the E Street Band). According to the Lost In The Flood collector's page, for unknown reasons, this release was hastily withdrawn. Seldom seen on eBay indeed, and equally tough to find as the 7-inch counterpart.

TEARDROPS ON THE CITY   
(bootleg LP, no catalog number)
    This Swedish triple-LP bootleg from THE RIVER European Tour 1981, was and still is considered one of the essential titles in the history of Bruceleg. There are reissues and pirate versions of this vinyl bootleg circulating (and even the known CD editions have been sourced from the vinyl copies because, reportedly, the original master tape of the concert no longer exists). However, this copy is a genuine original pressing (and the second copy to my collection), as shown in the right (upper), parallel with the reissue pressing for comparison (lower; which I got sometime in mid-1980). As you can recognize, the difference is obvious. Never expected to have come across this very limited, fabulous copy at this price (about $10) here in the Far East, more than three decades after it came out from a north European country.

THE RIVER  
(New Zealand CBS S2BP 220235)
    Among all of the acquisitions in 2014, the absolute BEST is a regular copy of my favorite double LP from New Zealand. Why? Just take a look at the right-hand picture and it tells all. Unbelievably and truly one of a kind (see the post on 2/20/2016 for more details).


Have a Happy New Year and see you in 2015!

Radioshow Disc: ROCK ON THE ROAD Part II: The American Bands 5LP w/ Prove It All Night - Berkeley live 1978 (concluded)

Front of the custom D.I.R. file folder specifically
designed for this radio program LP

ROCK ON THE ROAD Part II: The American Bands is a 3-hour concert program that is issued and distributed to radio stations by D.I.R. Broadcasting Corporation (New York City, NY). The radio shows released by D.I.R. were available only by subscription to radio stations for broadcast, initially in reel-to-reel tapes, and later vinyl and CD formats. This 5-LP set is pressed in 1980 and captures 21 bands in concert in various venues spread all across the United States, plus interviews with the artists. The bands and musicians featured therein are Aerosmith, The Band, The Beach Boys, Pat Benatar, Blondie, The Blues Brothers, Jackson Browne, The Charlie Daniels Band, The Doobie Brothers, Foreigner, Heart, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jefferson Starship, Van Morrison, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, The Marshall Tucker Band, James Taylor, Jessie Colin Young and Bruce Springsteen. It is said that all of the bands included are captured at the top of their game performing extended versions of some of their best known, rarest or most-loved songs.

The copy I have owned for years seems to be a complete set, accompanying a 8-page track-list/cue-sheet and other paper materials such as a 3-page affidavit/reply form with an pre-addressed envelope, all stored in the D.I.R. custom file folder specifically designed for this broadcast program. According to the affidavit/reply form, the program was assigned for broadcast on the 7th, 8th or 9th of November, 1980, depending on the choice of a radio station.

Inside the custom folder are various documents including cue
sheets, affidavit/reply form and others (the printout with blue
header is the Western Union mailgram; see the main text)

Among 10 sides from 5 vinyl discs, the highlight is definitely Side 3 that features two live tracks plus interview of Springsteen, starting with a short introduction by DJ that segues into Bishop Danced (Max's Kansas City in NYC, January 31, 1973). This is the long-known acoustic performance that has been aired on radio programs with the very first by the King Biscuit Flower Hours (KBFH; on February 18, 1973), bootlegged over the years (among the most famous is FIRE ON THE FINGERTIPS), and finally released officially on TRACKS in 1998. Bishop Danced is followed by a short interview with Springsteen where he talks about a young girl who almost knocked out his front tooth by kissing him so hard (taken from the KBFH interview by WNEW-FM DJ Dave Herman in 1978). And then comes a lengthy live take of Prove It All Night (Berkeley, July 1, 1978) which is slightly cut at the beginning of piano intro in order to remove Herman's introduction to the song (the same editing can be heard on the 12" vinyl bootleg FILE UNDER BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN which is sourced from this radio show).

Part of the track listing (up to Side 4) in the 5-page cue sheet.
Note that Springsteen's two tracks are crossed out (meaning
not allowed to be aired) while all the other tracks (including
those not pictured) are identified by check marks.

Because both Herman's interview and the live recording of Prove It All Night are broadcasted via the KBFH program on July 9, 1978, at least concerning the Springsteen's live tracks and interview, the ROCK ON THE ROAD program is entirely based on the recording sources previously used for KBFH. This is no wonder, knowing that D.I.R. is responsible for both these radio programs. However, no official vinyl is known to exist for the July 9th KBFH radio show (D.I.R. had not used LP format until 1980 for distribution of radio show programs). Therefore, as mentioned in the last post, this particular live performance of Prove It All Night is exclusive to this set and not available on any other official vinyl or CD, except on the famous 12-inch acetate.

On the other hand, the version of Bishop Danced is pressed in both vinyl and CD formats for special radio programs. The vinyl-disc version was distributed to radio stations for the KBFH 500th broadcast celebration (aired on April 15, 1984) while the CD was pressed for its 15th anniversary broadcast (May 29, 1988). Listening to this special broadcast disc, I can't help feeling that the radioshow version of this performance (with the spoken introduction) is much better than the TRACKS version as the former still retains more live atmosphere at the small club.

The mailgram requesting not to air Springsteen live 
(shown only the message part)

And back to the question posed in the last post: Why had this soundboard recording of Prove It All Night been rarely bootlegged in the vinyl era? Among the documents included in my copy, what I found interesting is an unusual printout message of the Western Union mailgram (which was back then widely used in official notifications and legal transactions).  Through the mailgram dated November 8, 1980,  D.I.R. requests all radio stations not to play Side 3 which is devoted to Springsteen's live tracks (read the mailgram; This explains why only the two Springsteen's tracks are crossed out, as shown above, on the track-listing sheet). In 1979, he and the Columbia Records filed against the Californian bootleggers (Vicky Vinyl and her colleagues) for having made those classic bootlegs like PIECE DE RESISTANCE and LIVE IN THE PROMISED LAND (see the previous post on October 12, 2014), and as of the date above, the case was probably still pending in court in West Coast (although the verdict was issued by the end of 1980). So, it is obvious that Springsteen and the Jon Landau management made this request in order to prevent bootlegging. The rather urgent request by the Springsteen camp, as it was made on November 8th while the broadcast was scheduled in the time frame between the 7th and 9th as mentioned above, may have reduced the opportunity that bootleggers access this soundboard recording from the radio show. Just guessing.

From Backstreets Records Catalog no. 33 (Winter 1993)

I've seen this 5-LP set on eBay before, but very infrequently (probably only a few times in the past decade). The right-hand picture is a part of Backstreets Records Catalog back in 1993, advertising this 5-LP set for sale. Nowadays, most copies are likely missing the custom paper folder, the cue sheets and other accompanying documents, either partly or entirely. So, the fully intact copies are considered quite rare.

I've just learnt that the Agora FM-broadcast concert (Cleveland, OH, August 9, 1978) is officially released online in its entire form. Finally, Springsteen has decided to open the vaults and liberate unreleased classic live recordings. Since at least twice seriously considered for the official release in the past (in 1978 and 1986), this live recording may see the light of day in near future, maybe as a bonus track of a 1978 concert download.

Radioshow Disc: ROCK ON THE ROAD Part II: The American Bands 5LP w/ Prove It All Night - Berkeley live 1978

Side three containing two live tracks,
Bishop Danced (NYC, 1973) and
Prove It All Night (Berkeley, 1978)

If you weigh official products over bootlegs for unreleased or live materials that are not available on regular releases, this set should be the one to get. This is because, to the best of my knowledge, the multi-disc radioshow set is the only official vinyl release where you can listen to the long-intro live recording of Prove It All Night (July 1st, 1978), that was originally planned to be released as a promo-only 12" vinyl in 1978, and later considered for inclusion in LIVE 1975/85 in 1986. So far not released in any CD format officially. A few copies of the acetate disc for the planned 12" vinyl are known to exist. One of such copies was put on auction in 1997 by Backstreets Records, with the minimum starting bid of $1,000. The auction catalog (issued in Spring 1997) introduces this item as follows:

How much value now?

In 1978, Columbia considered releasing a live version "Prove It All Night" as recorded at the Berkeley Community Theater 7/1/78. They went so far as to release reel to reel tapes of this 7:45 performance to radio station – some stations still play this tremendous version of this song and it was considered (but left off) the LIVE 75-85 album. Stickers for the cover of the 12-inch were printed up and eventually found their way into collector's hands. This however, more than a sticker – this is an actual Columbia Records acetate (with a "Mastering Lab" printed label) of this incredible performance. It comes in a white CBS "Demonstration, Not for Sale" jacket with the famous sticker on the cover. Also included is a sheet of mastering instructions and a Xerox of the proposed white label (it would have been given the number AS480 and it was planned to be released only two weeks after the show). However, the project was scrapped and vinyl copies of this 12-inch release were never pressed – this acetate was as far as the process ever got. Hence, this item is the only official issue of this historical live track. The quality of this recording is amazing....

Looking like a test pressing – a nice idea

As far as I know, this famous live recording was bootlegged only once in the vinyl era: FILE UNDER BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN was (and still is) the only vinyl bootleg that contains this version of Prove It All Night. This is a 12-inch 33 rpm release, often mistakenly referred to as picture disc in major Bruceleg guidebooks, most probably due to the enlarged picture labels on the colored wax [for example, check the description on Blinded By The Light by Patrick Humphries and Chris Hunt (1985) or the first volume of the Wanted magazine by Jan Rodenrijs (1994)]. Coupled with is Bishop Danced (from NYC 1973) that is also featured in this radioshow LP and released commercially in 1998 as one of the two live tracks on the TRACKS boxset. By comparative listening, it is apparent that this bootleg is made using this radioshow disc as the sound source.

By the way, despite the soundboard recording available on the acetate, reel-to-reel tapes (that were sent out to radio stations instead of the aborted promo-only 12" vinyl) and the radioshow LP, as noted above, this particular live version was rarely bootlegged in the vinyl era. I've long thought this being curious. Was it because radio stations overplayed this live recording? I guess probably not. Then why?

 — To be continued.

Collecting log: Rosalita Dutch 12" vinyl (still sealed)

Including or not including the poster. That is the question.
Together with the hard-to-find 7" counterpart.

No, no, this is not a recent acquisition. I have long kept this 12" vinyl, pressed in Holland and released in 1979, under sealed condition.  There are several reasons that make this particular release special among the entire Springsteen's official records. This is the first-ever commercially available 12" vinyl under HIS name, the first-ever commercial release of the title track along with the 7" counterpart pressed in the same country (although it is already released in 1974 on the second album and on the 3-track US promo-only 7" EP), and by far the only maxi 12" single with Night from the third album. However, what makes this release so collectable is not the vinyl itself but the inclusion of the folded poster of a 1975 live stage shot. Reportedly, such copies are quite limited in number and only the early pressings come with it.

BTW, why Rosalita is issued in 1979 in Holland as both 12" and 7" singles, 5 years after  its original release in 1974, has been unclear to me. Might it coincide with the premiere in Europa on TV broadcast of the promotional video clip of the live performance at a concert in Phoenix in 1978?

A copy of the early pressing with
the poster (pic from Popsike)

I have no idea whether my sealed copy is such a major rarity or one of the relatively common old vinyl without the bonus addition. Sometime I feel the temptation to tear up the wrap-around shrink to see if the poster is inserted into the sleeve, but so far I have been able to hold it back.

Any clue as to how to distinguish "the" copy from other pressings without opening the shrink wrap?

Incident On 57th Street (live): Which is the best sounding disc?

LIVE 1975/85 poster issued by CBS/Sony in Japan
with track listing on the right-hand side

About three decades ago, like many hardcore fans, I was also the one who was disappointed at the first glance of the track listing of LIVE 1975/85. I well remember that sometime in September or October 1986, at an import record shop frequently visited back then, I stood straight and stiff in front of the huge poster on the wall that announced the forthcoming release of the 5-LP box set, checking thrice, fourth, or even fifth, the complete 40-live tracks on the album. Despite repeated attempts, I was not able to find on the list, from my viewpoint, what should have been included in the extraordinarily anticipated live album.

One of the legendary bootlegs ...

Incident On 57th Street (live) was one of such missing tracks that was fortunately released later as a B-side of Fire 7" in the US and of the maxi 12" single War in Europe and Mexico. The 12” vinyl and CD EP containing this track were also pressed in Japan, but the tracklist differed from the other related issues. Until the tracklist was available, I had confidently believed that the version from Main Point (February 5th, 1975) would have been on the LIVE album because of countless listening to this particular performance on the classic vinyl bootleg YOU CAN TRUST YOUR CAR TO THE MAN WHO WEARS THE STAR. So, it was a total surprise to me when I knew that the officially released version was a full-band electric performance at Nassau Coliseum (December 29th, 1980) that had, up till that point, never circulated on any vinyl bootlegs (that were the only source for me back then to be able to listen to unreleased material). However, what turned out was that, in my opinion, this particular recording is one of the best live tracks that have been released officially.

So far the best sounding Incident (live)
from my view.

One thing I have long thought about Incident (live) is its sound. As mentioned above, this track has been issued in three formats: 7", 12", and CD. The US 7" disc is often mentioned among general vinyl collectors as the longest 7" ever pressed, running over 10 min. Needless to say, this seriously affects the sound quality. Even worse, one of my two turntables (the cheaper one) no longer traces the vinyl correctly, with skips and surface noise. It's quite hard to understand why the Columbia US has decided to press one of the longest recordings, if not the longest, in the history of the 7" or 45 rpm record (except for a cost-cutting strategy not to use 12" format). By contrast, and obviously, one can expect much more excellent sound for the other two formats. The majority would argue that the CD version is better, but to my ears, the UK 12" sounds fabulous. I feel that the 12" vinyl sounds more dynamic and louder, and to me, the Japanese CD EP's sound is modest in comparison. So, for me, this UK pressing is one of the essential 12" in both sound and performance (I have no idea about the other 12" pressed in Holland because I do not own it).

Radioshow Disc: THE PRODUCERS Jimmy Iovine LP

Side 1 contains tracks from Lennon,
Springsteen and Patti Smith.

Radioshow LPs (and CDs) are also my target of collecting although I am not so enthusiastic as in collecting official rare records. Certain particular radioshow discs carry rare songs that are otherwise unavailable through regular releases (one of the good examples is the KING BISCUIT FLOWER HOUR program releases). So, the main reason to collect these discs is to obtain such tracks as live versions of officially released studio tracks or unreleased songs. However, even if nothing special in terms of featured tracks, these radioshows are enjoyable to me because listening to these records often gives an opportunity to feel a familiar song in fresh and different ways.

Top of the three-page info sheet

Here what I introduce is an example of such radioshow discs titled "THE PRODUCERS" which, according to the lead by DJ, is a series of the radio program spotlighting the most famous record producers in music history. This particular single LP features Jimmy Iovine, the recording engineer of such classic albums like BORN TO RUN and DARKNESS, and culls one song from each LP (Thunder Road and Prove It All Night). Also included are nine songs performed by other artists for whom he has worked mainly as producer or engineer such as John Lennon, Patti Smith, Tom Petty, Dire Straits, and Stevie Nicks. Broadcasted in Canada probably sometime in 1980s (no air date indicated on the accompanying 3-page information sheet).

Each side has various excerpts of interviews with Iovine that are scattered in between songs. The last half on Side 1 is devoted to his relationship with Springsteen where you can hear his talk about how he got to join the recording session of BORN TO RUN, introducing Thunder Road as the very first song he has heard as the album engineer. Before and after Prove It All Night, he also reminisces about those hard-working days engineering DARKNESS in the day time and producing Patti Smith's LP in the night, which has yielded her version of a Top 20 hit in 1978, Because The Night (last track on Side 1).

This vinyl LP seems to be fairly rare (at least I have never seen any other copy except my own) and remains one of my favorite radioshow releases.