Collecting log: Secret Garden Dutch 12-inch Maxi single

During my recent official trip to Tokyo, I made a brief stop at a few branches of a famous chain store in Shinjuku that deals with a large number of used vinyl stocks for domestic and imported releases. Unfortunately, there were no exciting collectibles (to my standard) among some 50 or 60 Springsteen titles from all over the world. However, at least I did enjoy pretty much checking out what LP and single varieties were available, and consequently, I made several cheap and discounted purchases.

Two old promo-only "Not For Sale" compilation albums released in 1976 (YAPC 77) and 1987 (XDAP 93175) from CBS/SONY Japan include the truncated version of Born To Run and complete Brilliant Disguise, respectively. Shown left is the enlarged image of the short note for the Man and his 3rd LP featured in the accompanying booklet. Oddly, the 1976 compilation disc carries the regular labels back then, but not white ones, even though the catalog number begins with the custom promo-specific prefix "YAPC."

What I found interesting was the cheap prices set for promo compilation LP releases from CBS/SONY Japan that contain Springsteen tracks. I bought two: one is called POPULAR "BEST 101" Volume 1 (CBS/SONY YAPC 77) released in 1976, with a 12-page booklet and including an edited, shortened version of Born To Run (charged 514 JPY); and another is titled CBS/SONY Presents AMERICAN HIT TUNES Vol. 16 October 1987 (CBS/SONY XDAP 93175) featuring the man's unique drawing on the front sleeve and containing Brilliant Disguise (823 JPY). Usually, I pay no particular attention to and pass these compilation albums, but this time, relatively cheap bargain pricing and overall fine conditions prompted me to purchase the two albums.

Couldn't resist purchasing: Bargain 50% off applied to a new, sealed
US copy for the recently remastered LP (Columbia PC2 36854) and an old,
 used UK-pressed gold-stamped promo copy (CBS 88510). Inset shows the
enlarged image of the promo stamp. Can you guess how many vinyl copies
I own for this particular double album?

By contrast, and predictably, imported promotional discs were sold at higher prices than any others, valued between 5,000 and 10,000 JPY dependent on the volume (i.e., single or double album) and conditions. Those included were the genuine US edition of the DARKNESS picture disc, the US white label promo releases of such classic LPs as BORN TO RUN, DARKNESS and THE RIVER, and so on (although I skipped all of them). In my opinion, these copies were priced more than what might be generally expected. One exception I found, with a much lower price tag (823 JPY including consumption tax), was a 12-inch promotional release that is unique to Holland (Columbia 664236 6) and contains two (i.e., album and string) versions of Secret Garden on each side (total 4 tracks).

Mid-1990s 12-inch rarities pressed in Holland for commercial distribution in Sweden (left) and France (middle) and for promotion-only release in Holland (two copies are pictured in black die-cut sleeves; the lower is the purchased one this time). A US radio-station charity disc released back in 1997 is probably the only pressed CD, but not CD-R, that features the "Jerry Maguire mix" version of the song.

Secret Garden is originally released on the GREATEST HITS album in 1995 and then available as the first commercial single on the three formats (7", 12" and Maxi CD). Holland was one of a few major countries that had continued to press 12" vinyls until late last century (I don't know if this country still plays a major role in supplying vinyl pressing), and according to Lost In The Flood collector's page, there are three different releases for this slow tune. Among these, the two issues share the same catalog number (Columbia 661295 6) but differ completely in color sleeve design. Both version are released in 1995, reportedly one for Swedish and another for French markets exclusively, although the copies distributed in France are said to have been withdrawn. The copy I obtained on this occasion is the third edition issued in 1996, and is a "scarce Holland-only promotional release issued to tie in with the soundtrack album for the Jerry Maguire movie" (quoted from LITF).
 

Reportedly promo release; however, despite a lot of
credit information, there's no PROMO indication at all
on either side of the label (shown is Side 2). Machine-
stamped matrix numbers are the same on both sides
(01 661295 20 1A1).

Because this disc is housed in a plain black die-cut sleeve and carries a red label without any apparent "promo" indication or notification, probably shop staff were not able to recognize the copy as a relatively less known promotion-only rarity but regarded it as a mere regular reissue. Needless to say, it is now sitting on my record shelf. This one is, as shown in the above picture, the second copy in my collection, and my collecting log records that the first copy was obtained years ago at €12 plus shipping fees from Europe (= much more costy than what I paid this time).

By the way, this purchase reminded me of the Jerry Maguire mix, yet another version of this song originally available on a charity CD released by Portland radio station Z100 (see the picture above; the exact CD title is THE MORNING ZOO BOOTLEG). I remember I obtained a copy of this rare CD from a US eBay seller nearly 20 years ago when competition on eBay was not so fierce. According to a Summer 1997 issue of the Backstreets magazine (#56), the official Springsteen's label (not specified which country's Columbia but I assume the US division) also pressed a few hundred copies as promos before Springsteen objected. I don't know whether or not this unreleased (and presumably destroyed) "promo" disc corresponds to the Dutch 1-track radio promo CD-R copy shown on the LITF website (I guess probably not). If the magazine's report is indeed correct, the disc shouldn't be the CD-R, for it is described as being "pressed" but not "burned."


Attention to Bruceleg collectors: Although totally not relevant to this blog article on official 12" vinyls, if you are vinyl Bruceleg collectors, take a read on this post as Mr. Anonymous has provided us with quite interesting information on the featured bootleg.