Collecting log: recent miscellaneous purchases under COVID-19 (2021)

The small 20th-anniversary logo is printed
on the main booklet and outer slipcase for
the promo-only multi-CD set picked up here.

The controversial and tumultuous Tokyo Olympics was over, and as exactly predicted, we suffered from the fifth wave of COVID-19, the worst so far that has hit all over Japan. Although I live far from the Metropolitan area, the number of infected people was seriously significant and peaked at the highest ever in late August. As a result, the national state of emergency here was extended by the end of September, limiting my collecting activity low and hunting exclusively on the internet until recently. It was just two weeks ago that I was able to visit a "physical" record store for the first time since the post-fourth wave period in late June this year. Nevertheless, I obtained some interesting items that may be worth blogging about as miscellaneous collectibles. In this post, I show two such examples (CD and vinyl albums) released here in the 1980s from CBS/SONY Inc. (Tokyo, Japan), both of which are promotion-only compilations featuring or involving Springsteen. These were new to me and have not thus far been listed in the Discogs database and most probably in others as well.

CBS/SONY GROUP 20TH ANNIVERSARY  (CBS/SONY XDDS 93001-5)

This set is a significant finding that surpasses other custom promo-only CD compilation releases from Sony Japan previously mentioned (see 09/30/2019 and 11/12/2020). Born To Run, the only Springsteen's tune included, appears as track eight on the second CD named POPULAR that focuses on foreign artists.

Back then, black and white coloring was likely
applied to Sony's custom promo-only 3" CD
releases, as seen in the Human Touch/Better
Days promo disc (see 03/19/2017).

Even though being a long-time collector in the Far East, I had never known that this deluxe multi-CD compilation celebrating the company's 20th anniversary was released here more than 30 years ago in 1988 (i.e., CBS/SONY was founded in 1968 as a joint venture between Columbia Broadcasting Systems and Sony). The promotion-only package contains five discs (four full-album-length CDs plus one 3-inch CD-EP). The full-length CDs are stored in a bulky jewel case that is built in a thick folded cardboard holder. The holder also carries a mini gate-fold paper sleeve for the 3" disc and two booklets for the CD albums and CD-EP in a single pocket inside. Moreover, this cardboard holder comes in a custom paper slipcase.

The CD holder has the same prints as the
slipcase on the front, rear, and spine, though
the 20th-anniversary logo is absent.

Disc One is called CLASSIC, a self-explanatory title with 21 orchestral recordings spanning between 1968 and 1988. POPULAR is the name given to Disc Two that gathers 20 tracks from the label's foreign artists/groups, including Springsteen's Born To Run on track 8. Both Discs Three and Four share the same title, LOCAL, featuring a total of 39 songs from domestic Japanese musicians. Finally, the CD-EP entitled CBS RECORDS 101 YEARS collects six historical recordings from as early as 1903 to as late as 1958. The title is obviously connected to the invention of the gramophone, the prototype of the turntables and record players, in 1887 (i.e., 101 years ago from when the set was issued).

The glossy 54-page booklet features the label's representative albums chronologically between 1968 and 1988, picking up BORN TO RUN, DARKNESS, THE RIVER, BORN IN THE USA, LIVE/1975-85, and TUNNEL OF LOVE from his back catalog.

Besides its volume and packaging, what is impressive is the two booklets, especially the main one consisting of 54 pages that describes a detailed account of the company's history and activities in the past 20 years (written in Japanese, of course). It also features small color pictures of representative album releases year by year from 1968 to 1988, with six selections from Springsteen's discography. Another booklet with 12 pages gives explanations of the early recordings and the performers included on the CD-EP with the brief history of CBS Records in the U.S.  

Almost a year ago (11/12/2020), I blogged about the miscellaneous purchases during the COVID-19 days in 2020, mentioning another gorgeous Sony's compilation 2-CD set called COMMEMORATIVE COMPACT DISCS (SONY TDCD 90042-90043; Lost In The Flood collector's website also introduces it in the CD section). However, in my opinion, even that compilation is put in the shade by this volume set.

BIG HIT ON CBS/SONY - APRIL -1985  (CBS/SONY XAAP 90074)

The custom two-tone color sticker has the effect as if the record were manufactured and released from the Tower Records chain. Note that four songs appear twice on the vinyl disc, with We Are The World as the lead-off track on Side One and the closing number on Side Two. No insert or info sheet is included in my copy.

Unless a bootleg, any vinyl pressing, coming in a plain white sleeve carrying minimum information, is of special interest to record collectors since such a copy might often serve as an advanced or test pressing, promo-only release, or sample disc. This one is such an example issued from CBS/SONY in the mid-1980s. Although it was for me a never-seen-before sample rarity, I nearly passed it since Springsteen was not mentioned on the tracklist. Then, however, I recalled that the main track, We Are The World, features him as one of the solo singers in USA For Africa, a superstar group organized for the famous charity purpose early in 1985. The disc's dead-wax matrix numbers are as follows (all stamped):

• Side One:   XAAP-90074A1     〄CS        [〄, Japanese Industrial Standards; CS, CBS/SONY]
• Side Two:   XAAP-90074B1

The JIS acronym-CS stamp is found on only Side One of the vinyl discs pressed from the early 1980s (probably 1982) until 1989 when CBS/SONY stopped manufacturing analog records (for the image, see 11/20/2016). In the case of Springsteen's LP and 12" discs, NEBRASKA (CBS/SONY 25AP 2440) and the following albums up to TUNNEL OF LOVE (28AP 3410) have this triple code while only the JIS mark is stamped on THE RIVER (40AP 1960-1; for the image, see 09/25/2014) and the extremely rare The Killer Tracks From The River (XDAP 93030; for the photo, see 09/19/2017) released in 1980 and 1981, respectively.

Generally, I don't collect regular versions of omnibus or compilation albums that include one track or a few performed by Springsteen. Instead, I have tried to obtain promotional counterparts or unique custom promo-only editions to commercial issues. The 7" and 12" singles of this all-star charity recording or the album released under the same title were (and still are) no exception. So, for the first time, this purchase has provided me with the opportunity to listen to his outstanding contribution to this particular song played on vinyl sound.

BORN TO RUN US pressing LP variants: the short-lived, CX-encoded noise-reduction disc released in the early 1980s (Part 2 of 2)

Large round sticker glued on the
shrinkwrap on the front side of
CX-encoded LP sleeves.

When exactly was the CX version of BORN TO RUN released? According to Billboard magazine ("CBS Steps Up Push On CX LPs," Nov. 13, 1982), CBS Records had a plan to concentrate on the label's strong-selling artists and groups for CX alternates. Among those included were Meat Loaf, Claude Bolling, Boston, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Aerosmith, Johnny Cash, and Bruce Springsteen. Early next year, the magazine reported that a then-latest catalog listed 137 titles available ("CBS Stresses CX Commitment," Billboard, Jan. 29, 1983). Subsequently, around May 1983, the CX catalog was approaching the 200 mark, 30% of which were classical titles (although I do not know whether the listed number of CX titles was indeed manufactured or included the future releases yet not pressed). At the same time, ironically, the record company started to mull the abandonment of CX as a commercial disc configuration ("Doubt Cast On Future Of CX," Billboard, May 21, 1983) for the reasons shortly described in the last post (09/30/2021).

Compared to the gate-fold sleeve for the standard "JC"-prefixed release, my "CX" copy showed no noticeable difference except the gold promo stamp and small "CX" identification sticker on the rear face.

 

The spine also prints "JC" but not "CX." The promo stamp shows the
typical style of the U.S. Columbia Records in the era. Check similar
examples on THE RIVER (09/12/2014) and NEBRASKA (09/28/2016).

Although I have not seen any CX-related documents issued by Columbia/CBS Records that explicitly listed Springsteen titles, it is reasonable that his third album was reissued in the noise-reduction format between late 1982 and early 1983. The relevant Discogs entry concluded that it was 1982. My copy is housed in the gate-fold sleeve with the "JC"-prefixed catalog number (Columbia JC 33795), which is indistinguishable from the standard issue (classified as Release 7 in the blog post on 07/29/2016) unless you notice a small CX identification sticker on the rear. In addition, there is another large round red CX-logo sticker on the front if the sleeve remains shrink-wrapped, as shown in the recently featured Discogs entry (here; see also the top image). I do not know if the CX album originally included information sheets introducing the new technology, just like the Half-Speed Mastered (HSM) series that first attempted to improve the sound quality of this album. My used copy came with no insert sheets.

Matrix numbers printed on the
labels of the three U.S. audiophile
reissues in the early 1980s for
the mid-1970s masterpiece.

By contrast, the CX-encoded vinyl disc differs from the conventional "JC"-prefixed disc in the label descriptions and dead-wax matrix numbers. A small CX logo is found on the red labels on which a newly assigned matrix number is printed for each side (CXAL 533795 or CXBL 533795; cf. those for "JC" pressings are AL 33795 or BL 33795). The addition of "CX" in the two codes is obvious, but what does the leading digit "5" mean?  Before the CX discs, Columbia Records released the aforementioned HSM edition twice, originally in 1981 (HC 33795/HAL 33795) and then in 1982 for the reissue (HC 43795/HAL 43795). So, based on the release order, the three audiophile renditions out in the early 1980s might have been assigned the successive catalog/matrix numbers in the first digit position (i.e., 3, 4, and 5), although the HSM series are 5-digit numbers while the CX edition is a 6-digit.

A CX-encoded disc is easily recognized by the logo on the labels. In addition, the unique matrix number is printed right below the side indication on each label.

Disc's dead-wax space also carries the same matrix numbers, as found on the record labels, in machine-typed lettering. Interestingly, the first of a six-digit number ("5" of "533795") was absent originally, which was added by hand-etching on each side (see the pictures below).

• Side One:    p G o    CXAL533795-2A      COLUMBIA NY
• Side Two:    p G o    CXBL-533795-2B     COLUMBIA NY
                    (straight, stamped; oblique, hand-etched) 

The "COLUMBIA NY" stamp, frequently found on the label's vinyl discs pressed in the 1980s, signifies that the disc was mastered at recording and mastering studios owned by Columbia Records in New York City. Other matrix markings include another stamp, "p," which generally indicates that a given disc was pressed at the Pitman factory, NJ. However, a "G" is inscribed after "p," which refers to Columbia Records' another pressing plant in Carrollton, GA. My simple interpretation is that one plant was responsible for cutting the master disc while the other engaged in vinyl pressing — just speculation. I do not know what a small "o" stamp means, which is already present on the run-off space of an early vinyl pressing of the first album released in 1973 (see the post on 09/26/2015).

Matrix numbers and other dead-wax markings on Sides One (top)
and Two (middle). Note the hand-etched first digit "5," which was
missing in the original five-digit code stamped on each side. The
remaining machine stamp shown on the bottom is found on
both sides and indicates where the recordings were mastered.

Alright then, is the sound quality really improved on the CX disc?  Unfortunately, I do not own the decoder hardware. So, I cannot say anything about it as I have not experienced the expanded sound yet through the decoding system.

Columbia/CBS Records predicted that their new technology would become standard on the future LP releases, which in reality did not happen. Considering the unique encoding system and short-live span, we collectors can safely say that the "CX"-encoded edition of BORN TO RUN LP is a rare item among many vinyl collectibles. However, how rare is it? 

Neither the Blinded By The Light book (P. Humphries & C. Hunt, 1985, Plexus, London) nor early issues of the Backstreets magazine describe anything about the CX disc, as far as I have checked. A complete lack of information makes it quite difficult to estimate the number of pressing even roughly. This case is not unlike that of the "CBS Special Products" edition of THE RIVER (Columbia PC2 36854; see 12/23/2017), although the CX-encoded album is probably much rarer.

An example of CX samplers I own (Holland CBS SAMP 35). Although
several CX compilation promo-only albums are released in the U.S.
and Europe, I have never seen any of these featuring Springsteen's
tracks. The introduction to "CX" is printed on the rear side of the
custom sleeve in English (shown right), French, and German.

In addition, there is yet another factor that renders the estimation a little bit more complex. As already told, the "CX" gatefold sleeve is not easily distinguished from the regular "JC" sleeve manufactured from the late 1970s to the demise of the vinyl era in the 1990s. It appears that's why all the CX copies were differentiated by the two stickers on the sleeve mentioned earlier (one large on the front shrinkwrap and another small glued directly on the rear). However, most of the used copies in circulation are shrinkwrap-removed, eliminating the large sticker together. Remember that the sleeve is gatefold and unless the shrink is removed, the inner side is not viewable. This led me to assume that a certain fraction of the CX copies of BORN TO RUN LP may have been and still is circulating while unnoticed by sellers, buyers, or both. If so, the actual pressing number of the CX version in circulation would be more than what we could estimate from the collector's market.

To date, no other CX alternates of Springsteen's LPs have been confirmed to exist for commercial releases in the U.S. The "demo" version of THE RIVER disc, briefly mentioned in the last post (09/30/2021), will be reported here sometime in the future. It must be noted that many CX discs were also manufactured in Europe, mostly Holland-pressed with the catalog number prefix "CBS-CX." However, I do not know whether or not Springsteen's CX discs were pressed there, and at least, I have never seen his CX copies of European origin before. If you know something about this, please pass it along.

— Back to Part 1.