Collecting log: a copy of the legendary bootleg LIVE on Coral Records, purportedly autographed at a Philly stop during the 1978 tour (Part 3 of 3)

If my memory serves me correctly, this is the concurrently auctioned LP, described by the seller as “signed by the whole band.” Gary Busey’s signature appears vertically near the center-right, to the left of a drawing of a heart pierced by an arrow. Several signatures are difficult to read in this image, but a few—most notably Garry Tallent’s just above the timing strip glued to the bottom—appear clear enough to support the item’s authenticity (not in my possession).

As I mentioned in the previous post (06/06/2026), the eBay seller was offering several Springsteen-related collectibles. Among them was another signed LP: a promotional copy of Springsteen’s official album DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN, described as “signed by the whole band” in Philadelphia, 1978 (see the seller’s reply to my query in the previous post). Unfortunately, the only image I kept from the listing is a low-resolution one of what I believe to be the item in question. I should have saved the entire webpage for that listing, but at the time, I thought it was enough to keep documentation only for the items I had actually acquired. In hindsight, it simply never occurred to me to preserve the listing for an item I had not obtained.

In fact, as far as I can recall, that copy bore not only the signatures of Springsteen and all the E Street Band members but also Gary Busey's, as the image above appears to show. Busey had starred that year in The Buddy Holly Story (Columbia Pictures, 1978), a film Bruce had seen earlier during the California leg of the DARKNESS 1978 tour, most probably early July. As Bruce and Busey themselves explained onstage before Rave On at the August 19 Spectrum show, the two met there, and Bruce invited Busey to appear at the Philadelphia shows. Busey then made guest appearances on August 18 and 19, joining Bruce on stage for Rave On both nights and Quarter To Three on the first night (both shows were bootlegged; see 06/06/2026).

Accordingly, the promo DARKNESS LP was most likely signed backstage during that Philly stand. Although neither the seller nor the owner remembered exactly whether the Coral Records LIVE album had also been autographed on that occasion, or during the earlier May 26–27 stand (see the seller’s reply to my query; 06/06/2026), I found the seller’s account credible. This was the main factor behind my decision to choose the bootleg over the DARKNESS LP. To be honest, if I had the chance again today, I might well have bid on the DARKNESS LP instead—but back then, bootlegs were my main obsession, and I simply could not afford both.

The signature on this LP appears to have been first written with a reddish marker, but because the ink was faint and hard to see, it seems to have been reinforced with a thick black marker.

Finally, let me return to the central question: whether Springsteen’s signature on this legendary bootleg LP is genuine or a forgery. I am a complete novice when it comes to authenticating signatures, and I cannot do so in any strict professional sense. In addition to the provenance information discussed in the previous post (06/06/2026) and earlier in this one, however, I see several features that suggest this may be a genuine late-1970s Bruce Springsteen autograph.

• The signature does not appear to be markedly inconsistent with Springsteen’s signatures from that period. It is loose, elongated, and somewhat rushed, rather than a neat, carefully formed modern example. The black-marker line also shows a degree of speed and confidence. It does not give the strong impression of a slow, carefully copied forgery; instead, it looks more like an in-person signature written quickly on an LP sleeve, possibly in a backstage setting.
• This somewhat loose and stretched appearance may also have been influenced by the nature of the object itself. The front cover is colorful and visually busy, with broad black margins roughly 4–6 cm wide, leaving no obvious light-colored blank space ideally suited for an autograph, especially one written with a dark marker. If the item was signed quickly backstage, Springsteen may have written across the available surface rather than carefully positioning the signature.
• Another point worth noting is that, in 1978, white or silver opaque markers were not yet the commonplace autograph pens they would later become. Springsteen may simply have used whatever ordinary marker was available, even if it was not ideal for such a dark, busy cover.
• Seen in this context, the faint reddish line visible beneath or near the black signature is especially interesting. It seems to follow a similar signing movement, but not so exactly as to suggest simple tracing. One plausible explanation is that the item was first signed with a reddish marker that did not show well against the cover, and was then signed again or reinforced with a black marker. This is not proof of authenticity, but it is consistent with a hurried real-life signing situation.

In short, I would describe this as a fairly promising but unauthenticated signature: plausibly genuine, supported by unusually good provenance for an autographed bootleg, but still requiring direct examination and expert comparison with verified late-1970s Springsteen signatures before any final judgment can be made.

So, is there anyone out there willing to authenticate this signature? Even if the verdict is negative, I will not be too disappointed—I already have a genuine Springsteen autograph personally inscribed to me, as shown in the first post in this series (2026/06/01).

— Back to Part 1 or Part 2.