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).