Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: THE GREAT WHITE BOSS — Making a comparison of the various editions (Part 2 of 3)

Original Hangman (left) and later Blockhead (right) editions in my possession.
As previously shown (07/22/2017), the former consists of two semi-transparent
blue LPs (the Bottom Line part) and one opaque lilac 12" EP (three live tracks
from New York City '73 and Boston '77), all sides of which carry Hangman labels. 

The triple-record box edition of THE GREAT WHITE BOSS is the third vinyl release that bootlegs the radio-broadcasted live at the Bottom Line in the summer of 1975. The track configuration of the first two discs (Sides 1 to 4; the Bottom Line part) is the same as that of a preceding LIVE AT THE BOTTOM LINE 8/15/75 but differs from that of Coral Records' LIVE. Thus, I'm not so sure, but I guess that this bootleg is a copy of one of the two predecessor releases, although obvious edits include fade-in/out and removing snippets of disk jockey's talks on some tracks. 

As noted shortly in the last post (07/21/2021), two very similar editions have circulated in the collectors' market. The original was released in the late 1970s and pressed on colored wax (white, red, dark blue, pale blue, purple, etc.) with a black and white Hangman drawing label or blank labels in various background colors (e.g., black, white, blue, grey, and so on). This means that the three discs did not necessarily come with the custom label in a given box, making it rather difficult to dig out a "perfect" copy with such a custom label on all six sides. Such variations concerning the label design and vinyl color are also true for the only known other Hangman's LP release PAID THE COST TO BE THE BOSS (see 12/10/2017 for some information and fellow collector's comments on this label and title).

I'm still wondering whether the hanged man's drawing is the original by the bootleggers 
or was stolen from somewhere (though I guess the latter is probably the case).

The other release on Blockhead Records appeared probably at the latest by the early 1980s, for which black vinyl discs were commonly available (although the limited copies seem to have carried colored discs). As far as I've seen, the Blockhead label operated exclusively to reissue famous or popular Springsteen's bootlegs such as THE JERSEY DEVIL (the first-ever Bruceleg released in 1975), FIRE ON THE FINGERTIPS (one of the two legendary studio-outtake bootlegs from the early Bruceleg era), PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE, (need the explanation?), and THE JERSEY DEVIL LIVE - PALLADIUM 76 (a copy of PAID THE COST ... mentioned above). Thus, the Blockhead version are easily distinguished from the original by the differences in record labels and vinyl colors. Naturally, then, a collector's typical question is whether the Blockhead edition is a repressing or pirate copy of the Hangman's?  The relevant Discogs entries describe the respective matrix run-out codes as follows (Note that there are no indications as to whether these codes are machine-stamped or hand-etched):

• Hangman (link to Discogs):   ZD1-2A-B/BR1-2 
• Blockhead (link to Discogs):  ZD-2A/B 1A/B BR-1/2

As both are quite similar to each other, the information from Discogs might support that the Blockhead edition was repressed using Hangman's mothers or stampers.

Hangman (left) and Blockhead (right) use different stampers for vinyl pressing. Images compare the matrix code "ZD-1A" hand-etched on Disc 2/Side 3, and the inset shows the two-digit number "42" inscribed only on Hangman discs.

As exemplified in the image above, however, the direct comparison revealed that the matrix code on each side of the three discs is identical but differs in handwriting style and position between the two editions. Moreover, all three Hangman discs carry an additional hand-inscribed number "42" on each side's dead-wax space, which is not present on any Blockhead discs. The exact matrix codes of the Hangman discs are listed below:

Disc 1 (Side 1 / 2):  ZD-2A      42  / ZD-2B      42 
Disc 2 (Side 3 / 4):  ZD-1A      42  / ZD-1B      42
Disc 3 (Side 5 / 6):  BR-2        42  / BR-1        42    (12" EP played at 45 rpm)

[All matrix codes are hand-etched; the two-digit number 42 is absent on Blockhead discs]

Crucially, Hangman's Disc 3 is a 12-inch 45-rpm EP, whereas Blockhead's EP is played at 33⅓ rpm. All these disc-associated characteristics conclude that the Blockhead box is not a repressing but a pirate copy of the original Hangman set.

Comparison of the box packages. Upper: Hangman's cover image (right) is more detailed than Blockhead's picture (left). Lower: The Hangman box (right) is shallower than the Blockhead box (left). The depth measures 12 and 17 mm for the former and latter boxes, respectively.

Finally, I still occasionally encounter sealed copies of this box set when conducting web-store searches or checking online auctions. Then, how can we know which edition corresponds to a given copy without opening the package?  As always, the printing quality of the insert cover is a good measure to distinguish the original from its pirate copies. As shown immediately above, the Blockhead image looks more contrasted black and white, resulting in the loss of details. Another clue lies in the box depth. My Hangman copy came in a visually thinner black box than the Blockhead copy. I don't know if this is a definitive measure, though.

— To be continued to Part 3 / back to Part 1.

Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: THE GREAT WHITE BOSS — Making a comparison of the various editions (Part 1 of 3)

Vinyl bootleg copies of the legendary Bottom Line concert had been more common and readily
available under this title than any other, such as the infamous LIVE on Coral Records. Here,
four copies are compared, two each from the triple-vinyl box (above) and double LP set (below).

The title was presumably named after GREAT WHITE WONDER, the first documented vinyl bootleg of the rock era released in 1969. Maybe, this one is not an essential vinyl bootleg. It is neither the first nor definitive release among those that capture the legendary Bottom Line live broadcasting in New York City, August 1975 (see 08/11/2016 and 08/15/2016). However, the album title THE GREAT WHITE BOSS probably represents one of the most familiar among hundreds of live Brucelegs in the vinyl age, along with the landmark releases like PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE or LIVE IN THE PROMISED LAND. That is probably because, compared with its predecessors (i.e., LIVE on Coral Records and LIVE AT THE BOTTOM LINE 8/15/75), this version has been widely circulated as several variants that differ in disc number, labels, cover art, etc. So, I had long considered adding it to the blog's classic vinyl bootleg category.

The pictured bootleg is one (#10) of the several titles on Deranleau's
list (see below) that have not been mentioned on this blog so far. I love
cover drawings of old vinyl bootlegs like this, which are amateurish but
well done generally. From the title, I expected that the bootleg would
include a Prove It All Night  1978 live, hopefully, a version not heard
before (actually, not on the record). Unfortunately, when mail ordering
this (January 1982), no track information was available from the import
retailer. Back then, purchasing a bootleg wasa kind of thrill, often
resulting in a disappointing outcome, though.

As you already know and as found in the bootleg section of the Blinded By The Light book (P. Humphries & C. Hunt, 1985, Plexus, London), there are roughly two vinyl editions issued under the bootleg name, one being boxed triple records while the other consisting of two vinyl discs in a single-pocket sleeve. The box set appeared earlier, at least a few years before I started collecting in 1981. The first issue of the Backstreets fanzine (issued October 1980) features an article on a serious U.S. Springsteen collector where he compiles 30 Bruceleg albums in his possession, including the 3-LP set (see below). As noted previously (12/10/2017), I consider his list shows an example to overview what bootlegs were available back up to then (i.e., before the official release of THE RIVER), although missing such pioneering releases as THERE AIN'T NOBODY HERE BILLBOARD TONIGHT and LIVE AT THE BOTTOM LINE (mentioned above) and including non-significant reissues and pirate copies like KING OF THE ALLEY and OCTOBER STORIES.

Springsteen’s bootleg albums (compiled by Ken Deranleau, Backstreets Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 2, 1980)

You Can Trust Your Car to the Man Who Wears the Star (2) — From 1976 [sic]. Fire on the Fingertips “E” Ticket — alternate studio tracks some without vocals. Firewax — Also known as Fire or  Fire Vinyl. Contains a great version of “The Fever.” Piece de Resistance (3) — A personal favorite. Live at the Hammersmith Odeon Live at the Roxy (2) Roxy L.A. in Stereo (2) Return to Rock ‘N’ Roll Prove It Every Night — Two interviews plus “Good Rockin’ Tonight.” Bruce Springsteen and the E Streeters. Live in the Promised Land (3) Hot Coals from the Firey [sic] Furnace King of the Alley — Many unusual tracks. Thunder Rouge Bruce Springsteen ’78 (2) — Live in Cincinatti [sic]. Springsteen Raises Cain (2)

Flat Top and Pin Drop Ragamuffin Gunner (2) — Lots of unusual tracks. The Jersey Devil Harley in Heat Philadelphia Special (3) — Red, white and blue vinyl. Includes Gary Busey on “Rave On” and “Quarter to Three.” Agora, Part 1 (2) Agora, Part 2 (2) October Stories More Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. The Boss of E Street — “High School Confidential” and “Pretty Flamingo.” Box O’ Rocks (5) Bruce Springsteen Live (2) — From the Bottom Line. Great White Boss (3) — White vinyl. Paid the Cost to be The Boss Note:  This is a literal transcription of the original list that contains a few errors, as noted. Indicated in parentheses are the number of vinyl discs (if more than two, although some titles miss such information).

As listed at number 29, the triple-record edition was originally released with Hangman labels on various colored pieces of vinyl, although based on the circulating copies, some carried plain labels instead. The original Hangman release was followed by a very similar black box issued from the Blockhead Records label with the insert cover almost indistinguishable unless closely examined. So then whether was the latter a repressing or a pirate copy to the original?

— To be continued to Part 2.