Collecting log: I enjoyed digging for old vinyl bootlegs in Japan's Samurai city

Three additions from my mid-March trip to Kanazawa—I never
expected to find these old-timers at cheap in a regional city.

About two weeks ago, I took a three-day trip to Kanazawa, a historic city on the coast of the Japan Sea, renowned for its well-preserved "samurai" districts from the Edo period (1603–1867), its traditional crafts, and its rich cultural heritage. Like Kyoto, this city was fortunate to escape destruction during World War II, preserving much of its historical charm. As one of Japan's wealthiest castle towns, Kanazawa earned its reputation as a "samurai city." 

As is my habit, I made a quick stop after work at a second-hand record shop I had found online and deemed worth visiting there. The shop was fantastic—packed with used vinyl records—and I thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of digging for unexpected finds, even through the short visit. 

Kanazawa is located in the northern part
of the Chubu region of Japan (Chube
means "central"). Japan regions map by
Peter Fitzgerald is licensed under
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike
(CC BY-SA) 4.0 International.

Naturally, I headed straight to the Springsteen section, where I was delighted to find several old vinyl bootlegs, including the three I purchased, as shown in the image above. The Singer's Original Double Disk (SODD) version of YOU CAN TRUST YOUR CAR TO THE MAN WHO WEARS THE STAR is an all-time classic, and I never pass up the chance to add another copy to my collection—provided the price is reasonable. This one set me back 1,800 JPY (roughly 12 USD). Much like the original numbered box edition of PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE, I simply cannot resist purchasing it (for example, see 07/26/2020).

Another find was LIVE AT THE HAMMERSMITH ODEON Nov. 18, 1975, a typical West Coast bootleg from the late 1970s. As you know, the full performance was officially released on DVD in 2005 as part of the BORN TO RUN 30th Anniversary Edition, followed by a double CD in 2006 and a quadruple vinyl set in 2017. While not exactly rare—I already own three copies—none feature the cigar-smoking Trade Mark of Quality (TMoQ) labels, making this particular version irresistible.

Left: The copy acquired in Kanazawa is the third addition to my collection of the orange SODD insert version (with black World Records labels; see 10/22/2022), which is regarded as the earliest pressing according to Blinded By The Light (P. Humphries & C. Hunt, 1985, Plexus, London).
Center: With the addition of the TMoQ disc (top), all I need is the Slipped Disc label version, which is missing from my collection.
Right: A new entry features my personal favorite on Side Two/Track One.

The third pickup was ODDS & SODDS, a live compilation LP featuring recordings from 1981 soundchecks as well as club appearances and tour performances from 1984. With a few exceptions, such as HOT COALS FROM THE FIERY FURNACE, I generally rank miscellaneous compilations lower than live bootlegs from a single concert or studio-recording albums. As a result, I had long overlooked this title, despite being aware of its existence and passing up several opportunities to buy a copy since its initial release in the mid-1980s. This time, however, I saw no reason to hesitate and grabbed it at a cheap price.

I brought back old vinyl bootleg boxes that had been long forgotten
and stored in my parents' house. PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE (3LP) is
a reissue with no serial number but pressed from original stampers.
Two same-looking copies of WINTERLAND, 1978 (3LP), better known
as LIVE IN THE PROMISED LAND, differ in vinyl colors, one black
and another gold/yellow. LUTHER (3LP), said to be named after a
famous Italian football player who is enthusiastic about Springsteen,
collects studio outtakes and unreleased tracks on colored vinyl (orange,
white, and green). THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD '80 DOWN (5LP)
features many Japanese texts on the box and booklet, givining the
impression of a Japanese release. However, such descriptions have no
connection to Springsteen and his music at all. SON YOU MAY KISS
THE BRIDE is a later double picture disc edition containing a mediocre
cartoon poster.

On the other hand, I had no luck with official releases. In the New Arrivals section, I dug out four copies of the NO NUKES soundtrack LP (Asylum ML-801). This triple live album was pressed at all three of Columbia Records' plants to ensure an expedited release for the 1979 holiday season, as the concerts had taken place in late September. Since all my copies—including the test press and white-label promo discs—were manufactured at Columbia's Santa Maria plant in California (see 05/04/2019), I carefully examined the labels and deadwax matrix markings of these four to see if any were from the Pitman plant in New Jersey or the Terre Haute plant in Indiana. Unfortunately, however, all four turned out to be from Santa Maria (most probably because of its geographically closest location to Japan).

Finally, on my way home from the trip, I stopped by my parents' house in Kyoto, where some of my vinyl records remain in storage (see 04/16/2015). This time, I selected six bootleg boxes to bring back with me—none of them essential or particularly significant releases, at least in my view. However, aside from the SON YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE box, I acquired these titles in the early 1980s, during the early years of my vinyl-collecting journey (see 08/14/2015, 08/16/2015, and 09/02/2015 for posts on my first bootleg purchase). While these unerground releases may not hold much importance in a broader sense, they carry deep personal significance. So many years have passed, yet the thrill of those discoveries remains as vivid as ever.

Collecting log: One Step Up / Roulette — the only cassette tape single commercially released in Japan

My first cassette tape purchase was Chimes Of Freedom (US
Columbia 4CT 44445) issued in 1988, featuring the awesome
live version of Tougher Than The Rest. I used to play it on a
brand-new Walkman portable cassette deck—a great Sony
product—wherever I went. This particular copy is still sealed
with a gold promo stamp on the inlay card.

This short post continues from the previous one, featuring a Japanese collectible. Many collectors probably rank music cassettes third among the three primary physical audio media—vinyl and CD being the other two. I also tend to overlook them unless they are particularly rare, uniquely interesting, or complement existing vinyl or CD rarities, such as promotion-only releases (see, for examples, 07/12/2015, 05/14/2017, or 07/05/2017). Here, I revisit a standard cassette tape from CBS/Sony Records (1968—1991) that I acquired long ago but never regarded as particularly significant, leaving it long forgotten in the vault.

The 3-inch CD remains the most highly collectible among the early promotion-
only releases from 1988. Its rarity and distinctive packaging make it not only a
standout piece but also one of the essential items within his entire CD catalog.
I have neither seen copies sold nor uncover them here in Japan.

Released on February 27, 1988, One Step Up was the third single from the album TUNNEL OF LOVE (Columbia OC 40999), backed by Roulette from THE RIVER sessions—one of the most famous unreleased tracks fans were clamoring for at the time. The music industry was transitioning from analog to digital technology around that period, and this single played a part in that shift for Springsteen in the U.S. Not only was it released as a standard 7-inch record, but it also marked the first to appear on Springsteen's promotion-only CD titles in three different formats: 3-inch single CD, 5-inch single CD, and 5-inch CD EP, as follows:

• One Step Up / Roulette (Columbia 38K-7726)
  A two-track, 3-inch disc packaged in a clear stiff sleeve labeled "Compliments of CBS Records" and mostly distributed at a CBS convention.
• One Step Up (Columbia CSK 1031)
  A single-track, 5-inch disc accompanied by picture sleeves.
• All That Heaven Will Allow / One Step Up / Roulette / Be True / Pink Cadillac (Columbia CSK 1046 and CSK 1108)
  A five-track, 5-inch compilation widely known for its title Tunnel Of Love Express Tour, reissued with the title modified to add "Cont'd" and the tour itinerary information updated.

Compared to the first and second editions of the Tunnel Of Love Express Tour CD EPs, the two One Step Up promos were pressed in smaller quantities. Moreover, unlike in Europe and Japan, no CD singles for this track were commercially available in the U.S., making these releases rare, with the 3-inch version particularly sought after (see 12/27/2015).

Do not confuse the release year of this with that of the 7" single;
the fact remains that the cassette single of My Hometown was not
released in 1985 but in 1988, as indicated by the credit on the rear
of the cardboard slipcase.

That's not all, however. One Step Up was the first-ever cassette tape single (Columbia 38T-07726) issued in the U.S. and probably the second-ever worldwide, following the Spanish release of Sherry Darling (CBS 9568K) in 1981, excluding EP and compilation releases in this media format. Despite the earlier catalog number, My Hometown (Columbia 38T 05728), a similar cassette single coupled with Santa Claus Is Comin' Town (live), was not released in 1985 but rather in late 1988 for the Christmas holiday season. The catalog number of the cassette version of My Hometown was likely assigned to match that of the 7-inch record (Columbia 38-05728), which was released in November 1985 as the seventh and final single from BORN IN THE U.S.A. (Columbia QC 38653).

In Japan, single cassettes, particularly those by Springsteen, are much rarer than album cassettes, although LIVE/1975-85 (CBS/Sony 75KP 1500-1502) is probably the only exception among standard album cassettes. These days, finding a copy of this single cassette, especially one still sealed like this, is not easy due to limited quantities. The three images on the right show front, rear, and spine sides of the U.S. edition.

And then, in Japan, this song was commercially released on April 21 from the album (CBS/Sony 28AP 3410), nearly two months after the U.S. release, on 7-inch vinyl (CBS/Sony 05SP 3017), 3-inch CD (CBS/Sony 10EP 3017), and cassette (CBS/Sony 05WP 3017). Notably, to the best of my knowledge, this represents the only instance of Springsteen's single being issued commercially on cassette in Japan. Like the U.S. release, the Japanese cassette came in a cardboard slipcase. However, the front sleeve design is noticeably different, and the spine is more colorful. As far as I am aware, the cassette single was only released in the U.S. and Japan, with no other countries known to have issued this track in this format.

 

When I dug out a sample copy for the Japanese DEVILS & DUST
CD (Sony SICP 782-783), it was accompanied by a custom
promotion-only cassette with a handwritten number in circle.

Contrary to the U.S. and European countries, cassette tapes had long been a staple music medium in Japan, used for both promotional and commercial purposes. Even after the cessation of commercial releases, album cassettes continued to be produced as promotion-only items, at least until WE SHALL OVERCOME: THE SEEGER SESSIONS (Sony Muisc Japan International Inc., SICP 1080-1), released in 2006. I have yet to encounter any Japanese cassettes promoting the subsequent albums released in 2007 or later; they might have been completely replaced by CD-Rs (see 05/14/2022 for a few examples).