BORN TO RUN US pressing LP variants: Album credit variations

Test pressing and gold promo-stamped copy for the
Half-Speed Mastered series LP released in 1981. 
Hand-written codes on a plain white cover indicate the
matrix numbers scratched out in the dead wax area.

Originally released from Columbia Records in 1975 (with the catalog number PC 33795) and reissued several times, including the early repressing (JC 33795) and recent remastered 180-g vinyl, the U.S. version of BORN TO RUN LP is available in a wide variety of variant forms. Thus far in this series, I have picked up variations initially focusing on different pressings of the LP (i.e., test pressing and white label promo), then production error/export variants, and recently, 7" singles of the title track (i.e. vinyl versus styrene disc) from this masterpiece. However, what gives rise to variations most is the album track information and production credits printed on the rear side of the gate-fold sleeve. Over the years, these descriptions are occasionally subjected to correction, revision, and reconfiguration. Here I summarize the differences as I observed regarding album credits and others such as the company logos.

The album sleeve variations, counting from the "Script Cover" test pressing to the most recent 2014 remastered LP, are classified into 10 releases (simply designated RELEASES 1 to 10) by my personal view. The following list is not necessarily complete, may miss a few or more variant issues of which I am not aware, and may contain some errors and misunderstandings.

Who's idea is this?  Closing up "Script"-shaped title.

RELEASE 1:  The test pressing (no catalog number; so called "Script cover")
No need to explain this, and if still needed, among many others, a blog article here. No track information, no lyrics, no credits, no words, letters and numbers printed on the sepia-toned black and white picture gate-fold sleeve, except for the album title and artist name in calligraphic type.


RELEASE 2:  The early pressing with a spelling error (PC 33795)
Most notably known for "John," a misspelling of co-producer Jon Landau's name. The producers for the title track (i.e. Bruce Springsteen and Mike Appel) and those for the rest seven tracks (i.e., Springsteen, Landau, and Appel) are credited together on the bottom center of the rear sleeve. No bar code is printed on the sleeve throughout this catalog number (prefix "PC" issues). On the bottom of the spine is found "X698" which refers to the designated list price for this LP edition (i.e., $6.98). Originally, "PC" prefix of Columbia's catalog numbering system means a list price of $5.98, which probably explains why "X698" is printed on the spine.

Variation on producers' credits including a famous misspelling on Jon Landau's first name. From top to bottom: original error version (Release 2), overlay sticker version (Release 3), error-corrected version (Release 4), and single-line credit version (Release 5 and the following releases). Shown above are PC 33795 (Releases 2 to 4) and JC 33795 (Release7) issues.

RELEASE 3:  The early pressing with the error-corrected sticker (PC 33795)
There are not any differences between this and RELEASE 2 except that the error-fixed sticker, which corrects "John" to "Jon", masks the entire album producers credits originally printed on the sleeve. It is of note that most of the spelling-error copies in circulation are in fact once pasted a sticker before released to market but peeled it off after purchased, which is easily recognized by checking traces where the sticker was pasted. The area is often discolored and/or dirty due to glue splotch or chemical treatments to remove the sticker. So, my guess is that the "intact" erroneous copies, that have escaped the correction and never been modified with stickers, are rather rare.

Differences in title track credits. Upper, the rear sleeves without producers credits (Releases 2 to 4; PC 33795). One of my Release 4 copies (image on the right) is missing an annotation mark (small circle superscript) that is affixed on the track name; Lower, the rear sleeve with producers credits (Release 5 and the following releases; shown is JC 33795).

RELEASE 4:  The early pressing without spelling errors (PC 33795)
"John" misspelling is fixed and all the rest is the same as  RELEASES 2 and 3. I've seen most of the white label copies come with this version of the gate-fold sleeve (often with the D.J. timing strip on front and promo stamp on back). One copy in my collection has a printing error where a small round annotation mark (i.e. ^oBORN TO RUN) is missing from the title track information. According to the matrix inscriptions on the wax, this copy seems to have been manufactured at the Santa Maria pressing plant in California. Assuming that this is true, I still have no idea whether this small error is found only in small fractions of the copies including mine or generally occurs in the copies from this pressing plant.

Differences in credits on Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out and Jungleland. Left, the rear sleeves without horn arrange and violin credits (Releases 2 to 4; PC 33795). Right, the rear sleeve with these credits (Release 5 and the following releases; shown is JC 33795). Note that album engineer's name also appears for the first time on the back cover.

RELEASE 5:  The mid pressing (PC 33795)
Substantial revision is made on album credits compared with the previous editions. The producers' credits on the title track ("Produced by Bruce Springsteen, and Mike Appel") is now separated from the other credit ("Produced by Bruce Springsteen, John Landau, and Mike Appel") and moved to the corresponding track information column, which gives a faulty impression as if J. Landau were involved in the production of the entire album tracks. For the first time credited are the horns' arrangement (by Steve Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen) on Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out and the violin performed (by Suki Lahav) on Jungleland. The album engineer is also newly added on the bottom part of the rear sleeve ("Engineered by Jimmy Iovine") although this credit already appears on the inside of the gate-fold sleeve for the earlier versions. This variant category includes both faulty manufactured gate-fold sleeve and Japan-export modified sleeve copies that have been reported on this blog.

Comparing spine variations. Upper (from top to bottom): Script cover test pressing (no number; Release 1), PC 33795 (Releases 2 to 5), PC 33795 (Release 6), PC 33795 (Release 6 variant with ”JC" overlay sticker), JC 33795 (Release 7), Half-Speed Remaster (Release 8) and Classic Records (Release 9) versions. Shown lower are close-up images of top (left) and bottom (right) parts of the spines.

RELEASE 6:  The late pressing (PC 33795)
There is a minor change from RELEASE 5 that removes "X698" from the spine, most probably reflecting the list price revision (to $7.98). One copy in my collection has a small clear sticker with black "JC 33795" stamp that is overlaid on the "PC" code on the spine, which is another indication of list price change.


RELEASE 7:  The reissue pressing (JC 33795)

Accompanying the revision of the catalog number prefix from "PC" to "JC" (which means list price change) is the introduction of a bar code that is printed on the upper right corner of the rear sleeve. The catalog number, that is printed above the Columbia logo of the "PC" sleeves, is now deleted on this "JC" sleeve. This reissue category includes unusual red label copies. Some pressings have a silver sticker on front advertising that this album is also available as a Half-Speed Mastered edition.


RELEASE 8:  The Half-Speed Mastered reissue pressing (HC 33795 / HC 43795)
This audiophile pressing has basically the same sleeve design as that of RELEASE 7 except that (1) the two blue "Half-Speed Mastering" logos appear on the front sleeve; (2) the Columbia logo is moved from upper-right to bottom-left corner on the rear sleeve; (3) two additional sentences regarding this special pressing are added on top and bottom of the rear sleeve (i.e THIS RECORD IS ... and "Mastersound" and ..., respectively); and (4) The spine has different writings "COLUMBIA HALF-SPEED MASTERED" on the bottom, instead of "COLUMBIA STEREO". The 10-digt number, 7464-33795-0, printed below the bar code is slightly different from that of RELEASE 7 (7464-33795-1). The Half-Speed Mastered series have been released in 1981 originally and reissued in 1982 under the different catalog number (HC 43795; The bar code number is 7464-43795-1). I don't own the latter but assume that there are no substantial differences between initial and second copies. The test pressing for this "upgrade" reissue has been in circulation at collectors' market. My copy comes in a white plain sleeve on the upper left corner of which the matrix numbers are hand-written in indigo (HAL-33795-2B and HBL-33795-2A). The record labels are white Pitman Pressing Plant labels for test pressing.

Columbia logo and bar code variations. From right to left: PC 33795 (Releases 2 to 6), JC 33795 (Release 7), Half-Speed Remaster (Release 8) and Classic Records (Release 9) versions. Note that the logo is found on the bottom-left corner on Release 8 sleeve (not pictured) whereas neither the logo nor the bar code is printed on Release 9 sleeve.

RELEASE 9:  The Classic Records reissue pressing (PC 33795 / PC 33795-22 GM)
Another audiophile pressing has no major changes in sleeve design but the Columbia logo and bar code are now deleted on the rear sleeve. According to the Lost In The Flood collector's page, this heavy vinyl is originally released in 1999 and reissued in 2005 (PC 33795-22 GM), but I don't have a reissue copy for making comparison.


RELEASE 10:  The Remastered reissue pressing (PC 33795) from THE ALBUM COLLECTION VOL. 1, 1973-1984 (US Columbia 88875 01415 14)
My box is still shrink-wrapped and so I can't check the sleeve. However, the images available through online and several "Unboxing" videos uploaded on YouTube indicate that the rear sleeve credits for the remastered vinyl looks most resemble those of RELEASE 5, thus not reproducing the original sleeve in strict sense.

 Again, I don't mean that the above list is complete, and corrections and additions are always welcome. The more one would examine available copies carefully and thoroughly, the more variations and differences would be revealed. As you can see, for example, minor differences are already noticeable in some images shown here with respect to font color/size/thickness and picture tone/contrast on the sleeves among these variants (which is especially notable between "PC" and the other releases). Here I disregard all these kinds of variations, though.

→ Check here for the updated information.

Collecting log: Fade Away / To Be True US45 misprinting

Sealed with a store header card? (Never seen before)
Along with an open copy of the misprint version.

This is a short and quick note on a recently obtained old 7-inch disc. Shown left are two copies of the US release of Fade Away backed with Be True: one (on the right) is a used copy I have long owned while the other was advertised as "factory-sealed" when I bought it recently. It is, however, very likely a re-shrink-wrapped package as it came with a bizarre store header card that seems to be nothing to do with the Columbia Records. The main cause of purchasing the copy is simple: it was cheap and, although released 35 years ago, still looked better than my old copy. "To Be True", stamped on top of the one-side printed paper card, also called my attention. As well known, this erroneous B-side title can only be found on the record label, but not anywhere on the sleeve, which is another indication that this is a "once-opened" copy rather than being "factory-sealed" (looks fine, nevertheless). Otherwise, how would have the wrong song title been known and stamped on the header? I wish it could be a genuine factory-sealed copy, though.

Left, flip side of the "store header cardboard" and the used copy; Middle upper, two matrix inscriptions commonly found in THE RIVER-related releases (see here for the details); Middle lower, Hand-etched matrix number on Side A; Right, Proof of a styrene-made disc showing red transparency when exposed to a strong light source (see here).

By the way, as I introduced previously, most of Springsteen's 7-inch releases pressed in the US are not made of vinyl, but of styrene, which is recognized by exposing them under strong illumination (i.e. individual discs must show red transparency unless they are vinyl-sourced). This 1981 release is no exception, as pictured above. Found on the trail-off area of the disc are the two matrix inscriptions that signify THE RIVER-related releases ("MASTERED BY CAPITOL" stamp and Ken Perry's hand-written initials; see here for the details). The hand-etched matrix numbers read ZSS-168080 1C F3 and ZSS-168081 1C F3 on Sides A and B, respectively. The US Columbia prefix "ZSS" refers to 7-inch single/stereo/45 rpm, but unlike other Springsteen releases, the suffix codes of the US THE RIVER LP and singles are not straight-forward like 1A or 2B, and I still cannot figure out the code "1C F3".

Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: ROULETTE (the U.S. version of unreleased/studio-outtake collection)

With the exception of Frankie (live in Cleveland,1976), all materials are studio recording. I Wanna Be with You is from the DARKNESS session, Backstreets is performed in string arrangement, and The Height is of course Meeting ...  The original comes with the silver labels on both sides with the hand-etched matrix numbers RT9-101-A and RT9-101-B. Obviously, this my favorite bootleg had been overplayed by myself, as evidenced by a lot of spindle marks around the hole in the record.

Housed in a plain white cover with a cheap xerox-copied insert, ROULETTE (Route 9 Records, RT9-101) represents a typical appearance of bootleg LP records released in the US throughout 1970s and 1980s. Probably, this underground vinyl pressing is one of the first, if not the first, studio-recording bootleg to follow "E" TICKET and FIRE ON THE FINGERTIPS, the two masterpieces of unreleased/studio-outtake collection in the 1970s (Another one I can think of is THE BOSS OF THE BOARDWALK, featuring the 1972 audition tapes collectively known as John Hammond Demo). The best thing regarding this release is that there are no track duplications from either of the above-mentioned two classic bootlegs. So, I remember I was really thrilled and excited to listen to this single 10-track LP, although I already heard the three tracks (i.e. Don't Look Back, The Way, and Roulette) through DON'T LOOK BACK: Bruce Springsteen Collectors Items 1974-1980, one of the first three bootlegs I obtained (and circulated around the same time or a bit later than this bootleg). As a good point, the three tracks sounded much better on ROULETTE.

Maybe made by the same bootlegger?   Shown middle is
THE BOSS OF THE BOARDWALK that uses the same picture
as found on the slick cover of ROULETTE

The man behind this bootleg is certainly knowledgeable about Springsteen and his music because the record labels say "Dr. Zoom & the Sonic Boom" (back then, how many knew the name of his very short lived band he organized before his major debut?). In fact, this bootleg was made by the man who is known as the first bootlegger to release the first ever Springsteen vinyl bootleg (i.e. THE JERSEY DEVIL). After the FBI busted him late 1976, he became cautious and released some more titles, including this one, under different labels than his main one, Hoffman Avenue Records. I speculate that the aforementioned bootleg LP consisting of  John Hammond Demo was also made by his hand because the source is the acetate or the dubbed tape thereof. Back then he was a major collector and must be one of those who were relatively easy to access those kinds of extremely rare collectibles that are desirable to be bootlegged. In line of this, I further think that FILE UNDER BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, a 12" bootleg featuring the still unreleased 1978 live version of Prove It All Night from the acetate disc, is also his artifact.

Reissue vinyl carries plain white labels on both
sides with no matrix numbers on the dead wax

According to my log, this bootleg surfaced again in 1987 as one of the enormous number of Bruceleg records from Europe after the BORN IN THE USA WORLD TOUR. Unlike many crummy releases of pirated or repackaged old bootlegs, this one was rather a quality product, coming in a full-laminated color sleeve with the lyrics for the then-unreleased seven tracks on the back cover. The vinyl disc is of course not pressed from the original stampers and consequently sounds differently. I noticed that some tracks emphasize bass while the sound of the others is boosted treble, which in my opinion results in overall better, more listenable sound. It is noted that the version of Thunder Road, the first track of Side 2, is replaced on the reissue from the full-band outtake (that starts with sax instead of harp) with the famous acoustic guitar solo version that is previously bootlegged on "E" TICKET. There is yet another vinyl Bruceleg called ROULETTE that is a double live album capturing the first half segment of a February 1988 show from TUNNEL OF LOVE EXPRESS TOUR.

JPEG images that have been given to someone around in 2001
still survive on internet and can be seen on some relevant sites

Finally, you collectors may have seen the images right (original front/reissue rear sleeve) somewhere on web sites that introduce this bootleg LP. The pictured copies are in fact my collection as shown here. I took these pictures with my cheap digital camera and sent them out to someone (in Europe?; I don’t exactly remember) upon his/her request, probably back in 2001. As a proof, the current my copy of the original pressing (see the picture on top) still keeps, just like 15 years ago, the price tag exactly on the same position on the upper right corner of the shrink-wrapped sleeve. On the other hand, the reissue copy does not look the same as 15 years ago anymore, as I have removed the transparent wrapper (it's not shrink wrap) from the sleeve due to its aging. Anyway, it's a fun for me to see that the pictures of my own copies, which were taken a long time ago, have survived and spread over internet and that someone still finds them useful to display on his/her web site.

THE RIVER Gate-fold sleeve 2LP: 1980 original Mexican release (concluded)

The Mexican branch of CBS Records releases THE RIVER on vinyl twice in different packages, first in 1980 as the gate-fold cover (CBS LP2S-103) and later in 1986 with the single-pocket sleeve (LP2S-125). In addition to the sleeve format, slight but noticeable differences do exist between the two releases, mostly related to Spanish descriptions on the album credits and tracklist translation that are printed on the rear side of the sleeves and record labels on the waxes.

Slightly different looking of the original (lower) and reissue (upper) back covers

On the back side of the sleeve, the 1986 version puts a little more descriptions concerning copyright and credit matters (though I'm not sure as I don’t understand Spanish language), which imparts a little bit different impression compared to the original release.

However, what interests me more is the Spanish translation to each song title, because some of the original English titles are given two different translations between the original and reissue releases. For instance, The Ties That Bind, the album opener, is translated as El Razo Que Aprieta on the first release and Promesas Que Cumplir on the second issue. They are reverse-translated, according to Google Translation Service, into Gripping Lightning and Promises To Keep, meaning different from one another. The other notable examples include Dulce Querida and Sherry Querida for Sherry Darling, Estrellado En Ti and Loco Por Ti for Crush On You, En El Branco and Sin Rodeos for Point Blank, Desaparecer and Vete for Fade Away, and Ariete and A La Fuerza for Ramrod.

Comparison of Spanish translation of track titles between the original (right on each panel) and reissue (left on each panel, shrink-wrapped) printed on the back covers
 

Comparison of Side 1 (Lado 1) record labels: left, original; right reissue.
Jackson Cage, translated into Prision Jackson on the original release,
 is left untranslated on the reissue label.

These discrepancies between the first and second issues must not result from typos or printing errors because the same inconsistency is true for the track-list translations printed on the record labels. This may mean that these translations, if necessary, were corrected or revised individually when the album was reissued in 1986. I think this is rather a rare case where a company tried to improve the quality of its product, provided that the revised translations successfully resulted in more accurate or appropriate expression.

THE RIVER Gate-fold sleeve 2LP: 1980 original Mexican release (continued)

Part of THE RIVER LP collection. From left to right: (top row) Mexican 1st (gate-fold), US early (w/ a round sticker), US later (w/ a square sticker), Canadian, and UK (w/ a square sticker plus discount price tag); (middle row) Mexican reissue, French (Dutch export w/ a round sticker), Filipino (w/ extra writing), Brazilian, and Ex-Yugoslavian; (bottom row) Japanese 1st (w/ a vertical obi), Hong Kong (gate-fold), Portuguese, Israeli (gate-fold), and South African (gate-fold). Arrows refer to an earlobe (see the main text). 

Superimposing the lyric sheet for a US copy of THE RIVER on the
 gate-fold sleeve of the Mexican copy. Note the Cadillac Ranch image
which is slightly extended to the left on the sleeve.

This is a follow-up for the last blog article introducing the original Mexican copy of my favorite album, mostly known among Springsteen's vinyl collectors or THE RIVER fanatics, for the double LP sleeve featuring the lyrics inside. Although the standard, fold-out lyric sheet is reproduced only partly (i.e. the inner two pages), this unique sleeve design is solely limited to the first pressing of the Mexican release, which alone makes it highly collectable. When compared with the lyric insert included in the US release, the printing quality is relatively low, as shown in the picture above. Nonetheless, the interior of the gate-fold sleeve looks spectacular in my opinion, like the BORN TO RUN LP sleeve.

  Matrix number hand-etched on Side 4.
It reads 02-11-14713-1B.

A further comparison with the US copy revealed some more notable differences the Mexican copy exhibits. As for vinyl disc, the matrix numbers are just hand-written 02-11-14710-1A for Side 1 (Lado 1), 02-11-14711-1A for Side 2, 02-11-14712-1B for Side 3, and 02-11-14713-1B for Side 4. Neither Mastering Engineer's KP inscription nor machine-pressed MASTERED BY CAPITOL stamp is found on the dead wax of each side of the double disc, even though these matrix codes are common to most of the circulated US pressings (see here for the US THE RIVER matrix inscriptions). Like the US release, the Mexican copy contains two inner sleeves, but they are made of thin papers that far more resemble those of the European pressings, such as the UK and Holland releases, not like the thick US inner bags.

Catalog number (LP2S-103) printed on the
bottom right corner on each inner sleeve
and the interior of the gate-fold sleeve

Shown top is an array of front covers of the album released in various countries. They look the same in appearance but differ in minor aspects. The original (far left on top row) and reissue (far left on middle row) Mexican sleeves are unique in featuring the small CBS logo on the top left corner; the Israeli edition carries only the catalog number on the same position. Moreover, though trivial, the front picture of Bruce's portrait is slightly out of alignment (to the left) on the Mexican copies. As a result, his earlobe is cut on the sleeve although it is visible on the left edge on most of the other copies (marked with yellow arrows), except for the South African's which is also gate-fold format (far right on bottom row). The rear sleeve differs from the others substantially, mostly due to the additional descriptions in Spanish for song titles and album credits. On the next article, the original 1980 issue will be compared with the 1986 reissue to conclude this Mexican series.
— To be continued.