Collecting log: Devil With The Blue Dress Medley (live) from NO NUKES 1979 (a.k.a. the MUSE concert), a U.S. custom promotion-only 12" disc released as the 100-numbered 33⅓-speed limited edition (Part 3 of 4)

Both test pressing and white label promotional copies for NO NUKES LP shown here were pressed at the Santa Maria pressing plant in California, as each side of vinyl has a hand-etched number/letter code (1S) that specifies where these discs were pressed. The pressing plant is also known from an abbreviated code CSM (Columbia Santa Maria) in a parenthesis that is found beneath the catalog number-side indication (ML-801-E) on the white label. According to Discogs, there are two more code variations, CP and CTH, referring to Columbia Pitman and Columbia Terre Haute, respectively. Thus, this soundtrack album (yes, this album is classified as the soundtrack for the NO NUKES documentary movie) was pressed at the three major Columbia Records' pressing plants even though it is an Elektra/Asylum release.
 

Report on the Nov. 24th 1979 issue of the Billboard magazine 
as to the forthcoming MUSE concert live LP. Inset is the album
advertisement on the back cover of the Dec. 15th issue. Note that
Billboard has put the magazine issues into the public domain by
releasing them to Google Books and The Internet Archive.

Later in the month*, a more pressing circumstance came up. The MUSE concerts were being released, as a double disc live album; pressured by Jackson Browne, Bruce mixed the song they had sung together, a version of the Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs' hit "Stay," in only a few days. Then it was decided that in order to better represent all of the artists who had appeared, it was necessary to make the album a three-record set. But if there was more than enough obvious material for two records, it was harder to fill up a third. 
*October 1979.
Excerpted from Born To Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story, Dave Marsh, 1981, Dell Publishing Company.

The executive notes the quick turnaround required to get the album out before Christmas has not only tested the skills of his staff, but of the artists involved, many of whom mixed and selected the cuts they wanted. "We're dealing with a group of artists who don't exactly operate at rapid speed," Smith** wryly. 
**Joe Smith, the then Elektra/Asylum chairman.
Excerpted from the 11/24/1979 issue of the Billborad magazine.

Red/blue writings on one of the white covers of the test pressing 
were apparently made by the U.S. seller (retailer) but not at the
pressing plant. The promotional copy (far left) is distinguished 
from the regular release by the front sleeve red/white sticker
and white labels on each wax.

As quoted above, and with the commercial release slated for early December (of the live performance recorded late September of the same year), the manufacturing schedule for NO NUKES album (US Asylum ML 801) was so tight that its production was hard-pressed to keep up with the plan. The test pressing in my possession came with the photocopy of the rear sleeve design and fact sheets listing track information, indicating that it is close to or almost a finalized form of the regular release. It is apparent from the labels and dead-wax matrix inscription that the vinyl discs were pressed at the Columbia Records' Santa Maria plant. The matrix numbers on each side are as follows:
 

Comparison of the matrix numbers on Side 6 between test pressing
(upper) and white label promo (lower) copies. In addition to Santa
Maria's specific code 1S on the left of each picture, another code
CSM for this pressing plant is inscribed on the right.

    Side 1:  1S    ML-801-A-16  (RE) 
    Side 2:  1S    ML-801  B-17  RE  CSM
    Side 3:  1S    ML-801-C-  CSM
    Side 4:  1S    ML-801-D  CSM
    Side 5:  1S    ML 801  E-1  CSM
    Side 6:  1S    ML-801- F-15-  (RE)  CSM

What caught my attention was the huge difference in the master cutting number between Sides 1/2/6 and 3/4/5 as indicated by the matrix number suffix. Although I own only several test pressings of Springsteen titles such as GREETINGS ... and BORN TO RUN, I have never seen such high cutting numbers as those around 15 to 17 for test pressing. Then, the question arises as to who are on these playing sides?  An interesting fact is that these sides feature Jackson Browne (on Side 2), Graham Nash (on Side 2 as solo and Side 6 as Crosby, Stills & Nash), and Bonnie Raitt (on Side 1) as main performers, and that these artists are the core members of MUSE and credited as producers of the album. So, I guess that using their position in album production, they repeated mastering and cutting of lacquer masters that included their performance thoroughly until they were satisfied with the outcome.

Comparison of the matrix numbers on Side 5, which contains
Springsteen's two live tracks, between test pressing (upper)
and white label promo (lower) copies. In contrast to the
frequently found "1S" code, I have never seen any vinyl copies 
of Springsteen with the code "CSM" among those pressed at
the Santa Maria factory (i.e., from GREETINGS... to THE RIVER).

On the other hand, this important process for vinyl production was carried out in much less time for the other sides including Side 5 with Springsteen's contribution, probably only once when test pressing was made (as indicated by E-1), and only a few cuttings in the end, according to the matrix numbers found on the white label promo discs, as listed below. 
 
    Side 1:  1S    ML-801-A-16  (RE) 
    Side 2:  1S    ML-801  B-16  RE  CSM
    Side 3:  1S    ML-801-C-1  CSM
    Side 4:  1S    ML-801-D4  CSM
    Side 5:  1S    ML 801  E-3  CSM
    Side 6:  1S    ML-801- F-17-  (RE)  CSM

Although the cutting numbers are different (i.e., E-1 versus E-3), I cannot recognize any difference in the sound of Springsteen's tracks between test pressing and white label promo copies.
— To be continued.