Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: ALL THOSE YEARS — unofficial but the first retrospective release of a supectacular 10-LP box collection (Part 3 of 3)

One of the ten white label test pressing discs of the
ultimate Bruceleg. Shown is Side Two of Disc One,
as indicated by the matrix number "SR 112," hand-
marked on the plain label and engraved on the vinyl
deadwax (not in my possession). Photos provided
courtesy of hrubesh.

 

"As the man behind many older bootlegs, including All Those Years, one has to be impressed with the sincerity and integrity of Mr. Dane* as a bootlegger."
(unsigned article,1989) Bootleg Compact Discs: An exclusive investigation into illegal CDs. Backstreets Magazine, Number 29, excerpted from p. 16.
*Pseudonym for an anonymous member of the Italian Great Dane Records label who was interviewed by the magazine for the article when he participated at the Austin Record Convention, Texas, in the Spring of 1989. Needless to say, the label purportedly released the first known Bruceleg CD (i.e., YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME) early that year.

"Great Dane consists of a group of collectors. We select artists using our 'heart', [and] we select our production considering three things: popularity of the artist, quality of available tapes and the sales potential. There's nothing original in this, except that we consider Europe as our market."
Clinton Heylin (1995) Chapter 17. It was less than twenty years ago ... In: Bootleg: The Secret History of the Other Reccording Industry, excerpted from p. 310, St. Martin's Press (New York).

"Great Dane even managed to remaster (and upgrade) the famous ten-album Springsteen bootleg set All Those Years, jamming it all into a five-CD box. The original vinyl version, which had also originated in Italy, had excited considerable comment in the wake of Springsteen's own disappointing three-CD collection Live 1978-85 [sic]."
Clinton Heylin (1995) Same source as above, excerpted from p. 311.

As most of you know and referenced in the above quotes, this "ultimate in bootlegging" came out in Italy 40 years ago, allegedly released by the folks who played a significant role in establishing one of the pioneering bootleg CD labels in the late 1980s. Based on what I've seen in my career of collecting and the relevant information available in print and online publications and databases, three different editions were produced and circulated in the underground market by the mid-1980s, as detailed below:

• Serially numbered 10-picture disc/red box sets with a bonus red-colored, one-sided 7" single (said to be strictly limited to 50 copies released in 1984). The picture (same as the front image of the box package) is one-sided only on each disc, whereas the other side is plain red.
• Serially numbered black 10-LP/black box sets, generally referred to as originals (reportedly limited to 1000 copies released in 1984).
• Un-numbered black 10-LP/black box sets, regarded as reissues (around 500 copies released in 1985 or later).

The original 1000-limited numbered copies are distinguishable from the late un-numbered issues by three differences on the back cover of the accompanying booklets. The band members' list and Roman-numeral year notation strongly suggest that the original black box (left) was already out in the market before the release of Springsteen's 7th album in June 1984 and the subsequent promotion tours in 1984-85.

Although I don't own the red-box edition, according to collectors who own all three versions, they were pressed with the same stampers. By appearance, the black-box sets are almost indistinguishable between the original and reissue, except for three noticeable differences on the rear cover of the accompanying 20-page booklet:

• Two new members back then (Nils Lofgren and Patti [misspelt as "Patty"] Scialfa), who joined the E Street Band upon the North American and subsequent world tours promoting BORN IN THE U.S.A. released in 1984, are not mentioned in the members' list on the original booklet but appended to the reissue one.
• Printed Roman numerals differ from each other between the two booklets (MCMLXXXIV or MCMLXXXV), most probably indicating the individual release year (1984 or 1985, respectively).
• As widely known, a limited number is handwritten for the original release only using a silver ink marker, although there are exceptions (see below).

Did bootleggers prefer Roman numerals
to Arabic numerals? Shown is a limited
number handwritten on the booklet for
one of the fifty copies of the red box

release (not in my collection).

Interestingly, close examinations of limited serial numbers of several copies (including my two copies and a dozen others whose images are available online auctions and databases) made me aware of or confirm the following facts:

• For the red-box edition, Roman numerals were used to denote a limited serial number with the total copy number at the bottom (e.g., XXX/L = #30/50). On the other hand, Arabic numbers were employed for the original black-box release to indicate a serial number alone without the total copy number (which is believed to be 1000 copies).
• Although seemingly small in quantity, a certain fraction of the black-box reissues carrying the MCMVXXXV-printed booklet have circulated with serial numbers exceeding #1000 (e.g., "#1120"). I don't know whether such numbering was originally made by bootleggers, although the handwriting styles are similar to or almost the same as those found on the original booklet. The highest serial number I have seen so far is #1238.
  

As far as I examined, serial limited numbers
exceeding #1000 were always coupled with
the presumed year notation MCMVXXXV
(= 1985) but not MCMVXXXIV (= 1984),
indicating that such limited numbers were
specifically given to the reissue copies.

Although trivial, I'm curious about why the bootleggers have shown key numbers, such as release years (for both red and black box sets) and serial numbers (only for the red box), in Roman style on the booklets. Such numerals are harder to recognize, especially in large numbers (which reminds me of Fibonacci's achievement in introducing Arabic numerals to the Western world early in the 13th century).

Left: A test-press box contained ten white-labeled discs and a booklet still under production. The booklet was not bound together but left as individually separated sheets, probably because some pages had not been fully printed yet (see the image below). Right: Another test press came in a non-standard box (likely a prototype or error in production) with the hinge fastening at the bottom instead of on the left side. Photos provided courtesy of hrubesh.

Upper: Unfinished booklet pages with no text and no back-
ground color. Note that pages 2 and 19 are on one sheet
next to each other in the unbound status. Lower: The
corresponding pages from the released booklet are shown
for comparison. Upper images courtesy of hrubesh.

Finally, as a collector based in the Far East island, it's always my pleasure to communicate with fellow Boss collectors around the world. To wrap up this three-part vinyl bootleg article, I would like to share a glimpse of the ultimate collectibles of this legendary Bruceleg, which I do not own, unfortunately. Although principally, my blog policy has been "Not to write about what I don't own," this opportunity is an exception. These particular test-pressing copies are owned by someone widely known among collectors' circles who, I think, needs no introduction (check the photo credits, please).
I got to know him through my blog activities years ago, and since then, I've been impressed by his dedication and enthusiasm as a fan and collector. It's a rare privilege to present such super rarities to you vinyl bootleg lovers, collectors, and connoisseurs. Really amazing, and enjoy what he shows, like I did!

— Back to Part 1 or Part 2.