Collecting log: 40 years after the BORN IN THE U.S.A. Japan tour — nostalgic old bootlegs and miscellaneous vinyl/CD collectibles related to the official album (addendum)

One more post. In the previous entry (06/14/2025), which wrapped up the topic above, I forgot to mention an additional collectible edition of the Japanese CD of this best-selling album that produced seven top 10 singles between 1984 and 1985. The CD Club version (SME FCCP 40192), released under the SME Records label, was available in the mid-1990s, probably 1995, exclusively through mail order from Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. (SMEJ). While I’m unsure of its collectible value, I’ve seen it draw considerable interest — particularly from overseas collectors, who make up the majority of this blog’s readers — so I’m including it here as an addendum.

Although it resembles the regular 1995 Japanese reissue (left side of the left panel), The CD Club edition (center and right of the same image) shows several notable differences in the disc, sleeves, booklet, and even the jewel case itself. See, for example, the differing position and length of the two molded retaining tabs (or bumps) along the right edge of the transparent lid on the two jewel cases (shown in the far-right images). Note that this subscription-based release originally did not come with an obi strip — the decorative paper band typically included with Japanese CDs.

During the 1990s, my main focus in CD collecting remained on bootlegs (for example, see 12/08/2020), and I largely overlooked official releases, especially those issued domestically. So, I had no awareness of this official Japanese variant at the time. The CD Club was a membership-based subscription service operated by Sony Music Direct Inc., offering a carefully selected “Recommended Disc of the Month” exclusively through mail order, along with a regular issue of the CD Club Magazine. Launched in the early 1990s as a monthly service, it was rebranded in 2010 as The CD Club Net Shop. However, as of 2025, there have been no official updates or new membership announcements, and neither monthly CD offerings nor magazine issues appear to continue, suggesting that the service has effectively ended.

Compared with the most similar standard reissue (SRCS 7861), the rear sleeve of the CD Club version is less informative, omitting both the tax-inclusive price (2,000 JPY) and the release date. The Sony logo is also absent, as SME Records issued the CD rather than Sony Records. The spine uses thinner fonts and a much simpler design — note that the standard edition includes a portion of the BORN TO RUN cover art overlaid on an American flag graphic on one side. The disc bears the CD Club logo at the top, while the Sony logo is again omitted from the bottom. Additionally, the pinkish-red printing is slightly more vivid.

Titles issued through The CD Club carried catalog numbers beginning with “FCCP,” a prefix unique to this subscription series. This clearly set them apart from standard retail editions, which typically used prefixes such as “SRCS” in the 1990s and, later, “MHCP” and “SICP.” The FCCP code thus served as a marker of exclusivity, indicating both limited distribution and the product’s origin within a closed membership system. Notably, unlike typical Japanese releases, these CD copies did not include an obi strip originally, although they were shipped in sealed condition.

As far as I can tell, the two booklets differ in only two respects: the copyright and production information at the bottom of the back page, and the catalog number printed above each page number within the booklet (page 8 is shown here as an example).

As far as my understanding goes, BORN IN THE U.S.A. is the only Springsteen title selected for this subscription service, probably released in 1995. However, no release date is printed anywhere on the CD, likely due to the following reasons:

• It was distributed exclusively through a membership-based mail-order program and was not available via conventional retail channels.
• Since each order was shipped on or after the date it was placed, the concept of a unified nationwide release date did not apply.
• As it was not intended for wholesale distribution, standard retail information, such as the official release date, was unnecessary (and this may also explain why The CD Club version omits the tax-included price found on the standard retail edition, along with the tax-excluded price).

In addition to SME Records' CD Club version, Sony Records — another sub-label under SMEJ — issued two separate editions of the CD album that year: the third standard edition (SRCS 7861), released on November 22, and the audiophile edition remastered with Super Bit Mapping (SBM) (SRCS 7908), released on December 21 — note that this was the second SBM edition; the first was released in 1994 (SRCS 6765). Both were priced at 1,942 JPY before the 3% consumption tax (2,000 JPY including tax). The CD Club version was sold at the same price and shared several features with SRCS 7861, including the picture disc label and the booklet's format and design, though the two are not identical. For detailed comparisons, see the images and table above.

From what I've observed, the clear polystyrene slipcases 
for the LP-style package of the second SBM-remastered 
edition (SRCS 7908) currently in circulation have deteri-
orated and yellowed or  browned with age, making intact 
copies quite hard to find.

What is the collecting value of The CD Club edition these days? A quick eBay search shows three copies currently listed — including sealed ones — with asking Buy-It-Now prices ranging from US$250 to $300. Personally, I think I’d rather put that amount toward another collectible. But how rare is it? Due to its mail-order-only distribution, this CD variant is certainly rarer than most standard retail editions released in Japan — aside from the withdrawn 1999 paper-sleeve version (SRCS 8984; see 06/14/2025). Still, I have no idea how many copies were produced, ordered, or sent out to subscribers 30 years ago.

As shown here, The CD Club version closely resembles the regular third reissue (SRCS 7861), many copies of which circulate on the second-hand market without the obi strip. Because of this visual similarity, CD Club copies can easily be overlooked or mistaken for the standard retail version without close inspection of the disc and sleeve — a factor that may also contribute to their perceived rarity among collectors.

— Back to Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3, or Part 4.