THE WILD, THE INNOCENT & THE E STREET SHUFFLE Japanese promo-stamped LP with a biography

Besides the white label promotional (WLP) LP with a typographical error on the Obi, there is another collectible for the first pressing vinyl copy of the Japanese issue of THE WILD, THE INNOCENT & THE E STREET SHUFFLE (SOPL-239). In Springsteen's world discography featured in Blinded By The Light (P. Humphries and C. Hunt, 1985, Plexus Publishing), if you check the Records and promotion only items of interest section of Japanese releases, you'll find the description for the second album, "Promotion copies came with a 5 page biography." I own two copies of the WLP (one with the Obi and the other missing it); however, neither of which came with the biography. So, I've been wondering if the biography was lost from these copies as they are second-handed. Or did it really come originally with the WLP copies?

THE WILD, THE INNOCENT & THE E STREET SHUFFLE Japanese white label promo LP: A typo on the Obi

What's wrong with this cover?
(Japanese white label promo copy)

THE WILD, THE INNOCENT & THE E STREET SHUFFLE, Springsteen's second album originally released in the US in November 1973, is his debut album in Japan that is issued in March 1974, as can be known by the catalog number (CBS/SONY SOPL-239) which precedes that assigned to the initial copies of the first album GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, N.J. pressed in Japan (CBS/SONY SOPL-248). This is a fact well known, but there is a less known fact that the album could have been released at least one month earlier (i.e., February, 1974) than the actual release date. Why?  Take a look at the album cover pictured left, which explains the reason of the delayed commercial release.

Just 30 years ago ...

Exactly 30 years ago tonight, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band played the last of 8 concerts to conclude the Japan leg of the BORN IN THE USA World Tour. If my memory is correct, the final 8th concert was not originally planned but added for the public demand. It was a weekday (Tuesday) and the curtain time was set at 6:00 PM, a few hours earlier than in the US, due to the regulation here (i.e., concerts must be finished by 10:00 PM). Back then, a poor student managed to get two tickets through mail order, escaped early from school together with his classmate, and headed for Osaka Castle Hall where he saw finally what he had eagerly been waiting for. A good memory of youth.

Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: THE AGORA SHOW Part I & II (2 x 2LP)

Typical old US bootlegs in a bad sense.
Rated one of the worst vinyl Brucelegs, in my opinion.

THE AGORA SHOW Part I and II are two double-LP sets of vinyl bootleg on the Modern Jazz Records label (matrix BS2000A/B/C/D and BS4000A/B/C/D, respectively), capturing the entire performance of the concert on the 9th of August, 1978, at the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland, OH. Needless to say, this show is one of the five radio broadcasts of the legendary DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN Tour. It was around Christmas time back in 1981 that I obtained these bootlegs at an import record shop. As I was already enthralled by exciting DARKNESS tour bootleg releases (i.e. PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE and WINTERLAND 1978), my expectations were high for these titles, which resulted in total disappointment after the first listening. In fact, the two bootleg records represent a typical example of what inferior bootleg is all about: crummy packaging, wrong and insufficient track information, and low-quality sound. Therefore, I had paid no attention to them until recently, when the Agora concert became available to purchase from Springsteen’s official live download site.

Collecting log: Dancing In The Dark Mexican colored 12" vinyl

Dancing In The Dark 12" remix collectibles:. Clockwise from
top left: Japan-only promo and the vinyl disc, US promo,
and regular Mexican and Portuguese releases.

More than 30 years ago, in a total surprise to his die-hard fans, Springsteen released special dance mix version of the first three top 10 singles (Dancing In The Dark, Cover Me and Born In The USA) from the album BORN IN THE USA, all of which are pressed in 12-inch format and remixed by Arthur Baker, then one of the most fashionable hip-hop producer. Music-wise, I believe that many of hardcore fans ignore, or are not interested in, these 12" releases. However, there are a few vinyl pressings worthy of collecting for Dancing In The Dark. Although I had refrained from collecting these for long, recently, I got a copy each for Mexican (CBS BS-35051) and Portuguese releases (CBS A 12.4436) at relatively cheap prices on eBay.

Collecting log: Mold disaster — a collector's nightmare

Looking nice outside but ... 
Some of box sets released in mid to late 1980s that I took back
 from parent's home to relieve from mold disaster.

As predicted on the previous post (on Jan. 18), I was extremely busy last month, which kept me from writing anything at all. Although still busy at the beginning month (April) of this fiscal year, I am gradually getting back to normal situation at work, and so was able to resume this blog. By the way, during this break, an annoying matter happened to my collection. Last month I made a few official trips and had a chance to make a brief stop at my parent's home where I have left many vinyl Brucelegs for space limitations in my current residence. Sadly, what I found there was that, while I hadn’t seen and taken care of them for some months, the jackets and sleeves of many got moldy! A total nightmare for any collector.