Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: RESTLESS NIGHTS ー THE RIVER outtakes LP ー original picture-disc and later black-vinyl editions (Part 1 of 3)

This cool-looking picture disc was one of the most extensively played vinyl studio
bootlegs on my turntables, until the release of the TRACKS 4-CD box set in 1998
that contained six of the nine RIVER outtakes on the bootleg.

It's always fun for vinyl collectors like me just to look into unique artworks and descriptions found on bootleg LP sleeves, including slick insert covers. Vinyl picture-disc records are more enjoyable, since this fascinating format is better suited for the display by framing and hanging on the wall. In fact, there were already several bootlegs in this format out there when there was still only one official picture disc (for the DARKNESS promo) and before the flood of vinyl Brucelegs, including various colored and picture discs, during and the post BORN IN THE U.S.A. era. However, I used to avoid purchasing the picture-disc edition of vinyl bootlegs, especially when regular black-vinyl counterparts were also available.This was because I primarily collected bootlegs to appreciate live or unreleased recordings that were otherwise unavailable from the official sources. For this purpose, cassette tape trading could have been an alternative means, but to my knowledge, it had not been well organized and developed in Japan compared with the situation in the U.S. So, I thought it was not a wise choice to select picture discs that generally sounded worse with more surface noise. Besides, many of these picture discs were reissues or pirated copies for existing bootlegs and often issued only one disc even if previously released as a multi-disc set. 

The left two images were taken by myself back in February 2001, upon the request of Mr. John G. Leach, the founder of the original Brucebase database (http://www.brucebase.btinternet.co.uk; URL not working anymore). Back then, I was running a website exhibiting my collection. He looked through my site and sent me an e-mail message asking for high-resolution image files for some bootleg titles. Such JPEG files contained the above two left images that were displayed in the studio boots section of the website called The Studio Bruceleg File. For comparison, I took similar photos of the current disc on this occasion for the first time in 20 years (right two). Then, and sadly, I found that the clear parts did show the symptom of discoloration, the disastrous phenomenon frequently observed with picture discs, notably shaped ones manufactured in the 1980s in the U.K. My bad, I had long forgotten that the disc remained kept in a PVC bag still with the price sticker! Check the previous post (12/23/2016) for the ugly discolored examples of Springsteen's official picture discs.

RESTLESS NIGHTS was the first vinyl picture disc I added to my bootleg collection. That was back in early August 1984 before the first bootleg of the then-ongoing North American tour appeared in the collector's market. Only one copy was available at the usual import record shop (called JEUGIA in Kyoto, Japan) and I bought it at the expense of 4,000 JPY that was the same amount as the fixed retail price for the Japanese THE RIVER 2LP (CBS/SONY Japan 40AP1960). Even though a single disc, pricey setting was a rather norm for bootleg imports back then, especially for Springsteen's special editions. According to The Bruce Springsteen Bootleg Guide Vol. 1 (Tony Montana, 1985, Montana Production Inc., p. 37; see the top image on this page), this picture bootleg was made in Italy, although I didn't and still don't know any background information about this release.

If I'm not mistaken, RESTLESS NIGHTS was the first bootleg album full of THE RIVER outtake/unreleased tracks (though, exactly saying, it contained two tracks already released on the B-side of the official singles and one DARKNESS outtake). 

• SIDE 1: Be True / Rickie Wants A Man Of Her Own / Cindy / Roulette / Restless Nights
• SIDE 2: Loose Ends / Take'em As They Come / You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch) / Held Up Without A Gun / The Way

Production-wise, this European bootleg is excellent with picture labels, pressed on
colored vinyl, and comes in a printed inner sleeve (on both sides) that was rarely
accompanied by bootleg releases.

However, this picture LP was not the first bootleg that featured the album's outtakes. I believe that the first bootlegged track from the album's recording sessions was Roulette, which was already found in both ROULETTE and DON'T LOOK BACK, the two U.S. single-LP bootlegs from the very early 1980s. Following was yet another single LP called BY THE RIVER that came out from Europe, devoting one side to four unreleased tracks (Take'em, Cindy, Loose Ends, and Rickie) in addition to Roulette and the other to miscellaneous live recordings. Subsequently, two more unreleased tunes, Restless Nights and You Can Look (a rockabilly take), were included among the four tracks on a double 7" set entitled The River That Talks coming in a nice gate-fold sleeve. I also bought a triple-colored-vinyl box called "LUTHER" around the same time as RESTLESS NIGHTS, containing some of THE RIVER outtakes, including Roulette again. Note that the famous SON YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE bootleg LP came a few years later than these releases.

Because I was not so enthusiastic about hunting 7" records,
my copy of this great Scorpio's release is neither numbered
on the rear sleeve nor colored on vinyls.

When I obtained this picture disc, I still didn't own either the European LP or the double 7" single mentioned above. So, six of the nine tracks left off the 5th album were completely new listen to me (namely, excluding Be True, Roulette, and Held Up). Admitting myself as a big THE RIVER fan, I really got into this bootleg to fulfill my need and personal curiosity until the arrival of new tour bootlegs here late that year (BTW, the first 1984-tour bootleg I found and obtained was a shitty sounding BORN IN CINCINNATI ; see 06/06/2015). This made it one of the most extensively played among my collection of both official and underground releases.
— To be continued to Part 2.