BORN TO RUN US pressing LP variants: white label promo (1)

Although it still takes big money to obtain a copy of the script cover (for example, the latest eBay auction ending on January 25 has involved a total of 11 bids with the final amounts of US $1,107.00), you can easily find and get, at a much cheaper cost, the white label promotional (WLP) issues of BORN TO RUN LP US pressings. As pointed out in the previous post, based on the matrix information, the early promo and regular LP copies are made with the same pair of stampers that is originally used for pressing the script cover test pressing. So, if you pursue the best original sound (not remastering!) available for the vinyl album, an early WLP copy may be the choice unless it is exhausted due to aging and overplaying at a radio station.

All are white label promo copies with some differences.
See the text for the details.

There are several variants out there for the WLP issues of BORN TO RUN LP US pressings. The white labels themselves seem to have no variation. However, these WLP copies not only differ in the matrix inscriptions and album credits on the rear sleeve, but also some contain extra stuff as components of a press kit, such as promo photos and reprint articles from magazines and journals featuring the man and his music. Other factors that give rise to variations are whether the sleeve has a corner cut and whether a time strip is pasted on the front sleeve. Some vinyl discs also come in the sleeve with a promo stamp (not that gold-inked "For Promotional Only" stamp but a black stamp) whereas others are not. I have accumulated five US copies of the WLP which are roughly classified into three groups based on the above criteria: coming in (1) the "John" misspelt sleeve, (2) the error-fixed and corner-cut sleeve with promo stuff, and (3) the error-fixed and corner-cut sleeve with a time strip pasted on the front.


1. WLP in the “John” misspelt sleeve

WLP Copy #1
Matrix: numbers: P AL-33795-1A MCR₁ / P BL-33795-1A MCR;
No corner cut; No time strip; No promo stamp

This should be one of the earliest copies of the WLP since it comes in the sleeve with the "John" spelling error on the rear side, which is corrected by an overlay sticker. The copy in my possession has no corner cut, no time strip on the front, and no promo stamp on the rear. So, this copy is not distinguishable from the regular first pressing unless the labels on the wax are examined. The hand-written run-off groove etchings are identical to those of the script cover test pressing, with the suffix of the matrix numbers being 1A and the "MCR (Master Cutting Room)" marking on both sides. 

MCR marking on the first pressing (left, Side 1; right, Side 2).
Note the subscript "I" found only on Side 1.

By the way, if you closely look at the MCR marking, you'll notice that it has a subscript "I" that looks like a roman numeral (MCR_I). This modification is made on Side 1 only and appears to be common to the script cover and the first pressing of the regular red label release with the misspelling; the marking on Side 2 is just "MCR" for these pressings. Interestingly, the numeral number increases after second and third rounds of the vinyl pressing. → Check here for the updated information.

— To be continued.