Collecting log: GREETINGS first US pressing LP (KC 31903 with the matrix suffix 1A/2A)

It was a little surprise to me that, after 42 years of the release, I was able to find a well cared, beautiful used copy of the first pressing LP at a local record shop in a small town in the Far East

From last Saturday to this Wednesday, here we had 5 consecutive national holidays. So, I took a short trip to visit a local used record shop I have never been before, and found a used stock copy of GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, N. J. At the first face, the sleeve was in pretty fine conditions, as pictured here, which made me think that this one was a Japanese press missing an Obi. I usually don't pay particular attention to regular releases, but I noticed that the catalog number printed on the spine started with the prefix "KC".

The suffix codes of the machine-typed matrix numbers P AL 31903 1A / P BL 31903 2A identify this to be a very first pressing (to be precise, there is a small machine-stamped "o" and hand-etched "1" before the prefix code and following the suffix code, respectively, on each side). Indeed, the dead wax codes exactly match those of another copy I own that is a promotional one with the time strip sticker on the sleeve.

Released in 1973, the first US pressing of the debut album is not so difficult to find, but dare I say it, in this condition is fairly rare including an inner sleeve (on the other hand, the Canadian first pressing LP, which carries the same catalog number as the US one, is seldom seen here in any conditions). The vinyl disc was also fine with the suffix codes of the matrix numbers "1A" (side 1) and "2A" (side 2), meaning a very early copy among the "KC" pressings. So, at the price of just 800-yen (= US $6.66 at the current exchange rate) including the consumption tax, this was really a good buy for me.

Compared to the promotional copy that I have long kept (w/ time strip sticker; pictured right), this new purchase is obviously in superior conditions.

On the shelf of the shop there were many old import and domestic LPs of Dylan, Beatles, and Stones, among others. Having some chat with the shop owner, I asked him if he had more Springsteen titles for sale. Then he brought me to a stock room where what he showed me were, to my surprise, the three Japanese promotional copies that are undoubtedly highly demanded among collectors: the second pressing of the first album decorated with the famous wrap-around Obi (CBS/SONY SOPO-124), the first pressing of the second album with the typographical error-bearing Obi (CBS SONY SOPL-239), and the KILLER TRACKS FROM THE RIVER (CBS/SONY XDAP 93030) custom 12"  release (BTW, pictures of these records are shown at the blog of his shop; see below).

Reproduced from the shop owner's blog, with permission. Note the proofreading mark on the Obi of the first issue of
the 2nd album promotional copy.

There is almost no ring wear on the front sleeve of this new
purchase (top) while the US promo copy (middle) and the
Canadian 1st press (bottom) of my old stock do show the age.

To my question asking whether he obtained these rare records from radio stations, he answered no, and continued that these days good stuff doesn't come out from radio stations. According to him, trade-in targets are copies that have long been kept as dead stocks by music critics. These records, originally distributed by record companies for reviewing purposes, were usually played only once or twice, or even remain unplayed, which makes them available in pristine condition. Moreover, these copies are advanced promo rather than regular pressings. In fact, the three promo copies he showed me were almost mint, except that the typo of the Obi of the second album has been proofread with markings (BTW, I have never seen the copies with an uncorrected, intact typo-Obi). I further asked him "what are you going to do with these rare Springsteen records?' He replied that he would hold them until the private auction he's planning to open at the end of this year. Although I already own these particular promo copies, I am interested in the final outcome of the auction. So, I will report it here when the auction ends.