Collecting log: The Japanese original release of NEBRASKA LP. Was it really issued with a magnificent full-color poster? (Part 2 of 2)

A typical NEBRASKA ad in music
magazines in Japan came with a
catchphrase, "This is a personal
message to you from Bruce."

Among collectors, certain copies of Japan's original NEBRASKA LP (CBS/SONY 25AP 2440) have been highly sought-after because a collectors' bible, the Blinded By The Light book (P. Humphries & C. Hunt, 1985, Plexus, London), reports that the first 1000 copies were issued with a 24" x 36" color poster (exactly, A1 size: 23.4" x 33.1"). As explained in the previous post (09/18/2024), however, I have long been skeptical about this description.

Back when it was originally released in Japan in October 1982, many posters were not inserted into the LP sleeve but were handed in-store as a roll-up form to those who bought the album. Suppose there were poster-contained LP records in the order of a thousand copies instead of 100 or 10 copies only. If that were the truth, in my sense, we could have had many more chances to see or encounter such copies, at least here in Japan.

The 24" x 36" poster is neatly folded to a size that
fits into the LP jacket, obviously done at the printer.
However, it's too tight when a record disc, inner
sleeve, Japanese liner note, and poster are all put
inside the sleeve together.

That being said, the poster-contained copies have been circulated in the second-hand market, even though quite hard to come across. For example, I've seen two copies sold successfully on eBay in June 2006 and July 2019. In the former case, the cumulative total bids of 18 for the copy auctioned by a Japanese seller resulted in a winning bid of US $213.16 (that would cost $332.85 in 2024, according to the US Inflation Calculator). The latter copy from Italy fetched $371.00 (calculated to be $456.82 in 2024) with a total of nine bids.

As far as I've seen, if not all, almost all of these posters were six-folded professionally and accurately in perfect squares that fit into the album sleeve, including the above two examples (and mine). In addition, the first pressing of the Japanese LP was not shrink-wrapped, as opposed to the second and third pressings released in 1982 and 1984, respectively (different obi decorations easily identify the three releases). However, these do not necessarily mean that the folded posters were originally included or inserted into the sleeve of a certain limited fraction of the original copies.

The back cover of Backstreets Mag no. 10 issue
displays the NEBRASKA poster processed in a
modified, mezzotint-like appearance. Note the
folded lines that look identical to the image in 
the previous post (09/18/2024). 

Back in 1984 (four decades ago!), the Number 10 issue of Backstreets magazine published a four-page featured article entitled "THE BOSS IN JAPAN" that introduced various Japanese collectibles. The album and poster in question were mentioned following the regular second pressing LP of GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, N.J. (CBS/SONY SOPO-124) decorated with a wrap-around obi strip that completely covers the album sleeve (see 11/30/2014 for this collectible LP):

The only other noteworthy stock variations is the Japanese Nebraska which in its first limited edition came complete with a magnificent full color poster, folded and inserted into the jacket.   It was impossible to find even in Japan and commands high collector’s prices now. An even smaller number of the posters were printed and not folded. For our money, this is one of the very nicest posters of Bruce yet, a must see (it’s on  the back cover of this magazine, in a mezzotinted version).  [Text underline made by this blogger]

According to the credits, this article was compiled with the help of a few Japanese collectors and experts, including Mr. Yosuke Ono, the then and still most famous Springsteen collector in Japan. So, the information conveyed therein is considered highly trustworthy. Nevertheless, errors and mistakes are rather common in collector magazines, especially the more informative ones like this. For example, the GREETINGS LP mentioned above is mistakenly called the "first" edition. The above excerpt reports that the unfolded posters were printed in an even smaller number (than the folded posters), which contradicts what I've observed: the unfolded (rolled) posters have circulated relatively more frequently in online auction and the collectors' market. In fact, two such posters are currently being put up for the YAHOO! JAPAN Auction by different sellers (auction IDs p1153621639 and w1141750178; both will end tonight).

The poster section of the 6th Annual Summer Warehouse
Sale Catalog issued in 1995 by Backstreets Records lists
a folded NEBRASKA poster alone without the LP for sale
at $200! The poster size (18" x 30") is erroneously smaller
than the actual size.

Finally, yes or no, which is the answer to this subject? Despite the Backstreets Mag's article, my answer is probably no. I'm still not confident, though. I guess the folded posters were probably also handed over at retail shops because of the relative ease of handling and carrying in a record bag compared with the rolled ones. On the other hand, although not impossible, it must have been too tight to push a multi-folded poster into a standard single LP sleeve that holds a vinyl disc, a thick inner sleeve, a questionnaire card, and a two-folded Japanese lyric translation/liner-note sheet. 

After all, the correct answer to this question might not mean so much to us collectors because a folded poster, whether originally enclosed in the sleeve or not, makes a great companion piece to this Japanese record.

— Back to Part 1.

 

Collecting log: The Japanese original release of NEBRASKA LP. Was it really issued with a magnificent full-color poster? (Part 1 of 2)

Six-folded posters are available almost strictly as a set with the
album. In contrast, the rolled and unfolded posters (see the
image on 09/24/2017) generally circulate alone at auctions
and collectors' markets.

Japan is one of the great sources for vinyl and CD collectibles, not only for unique products of both regular and promotional releases but also for standard-issue variants (e.g., obi decoration and variation, graphic modification with Japanese characters, Japan-only booklets, etc.). However, there have been misunderstandings and insufficient information on some common and rare collectors' items. Let me start by mentioning a few notable instances that have already been featured in past blog posts. 

• The first vinyl edition of LIVE/1975-85 (CBS/SONY 75AP 3300-4) is often said to come out with a gold obi, so as the initial CD version (CBS/SONY 75DP 700-2) did, but the red is the first (see 11/23/2020). 
• It had long been unknown or unnoticed that the extremely rare, promotion-only Human Touch c/w Better Days 3" CD single (SONY XDEP 93043), also subtitled The Boss Is Back!!, was originally accompanied by a tri-fold insert with the twin album's info and lyrics, just because such insert is missing in most copies in circulation (see 05/19/2017).

Another example of my awareness concerns the first LP edition of NEBRASKA (CBS/SONY 25AP 2440), released here on October 9, 1982. The collectible section of the Blinded By The Light book (P. Humphries & C. Hunt, 1985, Plexus, London) writes, 'First 1000 copies issued with a 24" x 36" colour poster,'  which, to my understanding, is a somewhat misleading description. Why? That's because it says as if a poster were included in the first 1000 copies of the album (which I don't think so). Still, such an interpretation seems to be a long-held belief among many, especially foreign collectors. In the following, I explain the reasons for my claim.

• In Japan, promotional and bonus posters were generally handed to purchasers by retail shop cashiers as rolls rather than folded and inserted into album sleeves to ensure the posters remained crease-free for display (the rolled NEBRASKA poster is shown in the blog post on 09/24/2017).
• This was (and still is) the standard way for Japanese record companies to distribute posters to customers. 
• The only exception I can think of among his Japanese releases is Live Collection (CBS/SONY 20AP 3326), a Japan-exclusive four-track 12" EP released in 1987, which included a tetra-folded color poster inserted into the shrink-wrapped sleeve.
  

Left: The live version of Incident On 57 Street alone was worth getting this Japan-only maxi-single, although sound-wise, I prefer the same track on the 12" U.K. release (CBS 650193 6;  see 12/09/2014). Right: The front sleeve gold sticker says "with a pinup" in the very small Japanese font, meaning a poster is inserted into the record sleeve.

In agreement with these observations, the vertical obi of the first press shortly states (in Japanese), "★Poster giveaway for first press only. (new line) Please ask in-store for details," but never reads something like "Bonus poster included" anywhere on the obi, sleeve, or liner-note insert (see the image below).

The poster-related note can only be found
on the first-pressing obi (encircled with a
yellow line), which is absent from the obi
strips for the second and third pressings.

• In light of the above facts and observations, it is likely that most of the said 1000 posters were printed for a giveaway and distributed in-store to those who pre-ordered or bought the album at retail shops (I was a real-time purchaser in 1982, back in high school).
• I would lke to stress that if 1000 copies of the LP had been indeed issued with the poster enclosed in the sleeve, we must have seen such copies more frequently for auction and second-hand sale (but in fact, extraordinarily much fewer chances to see them even here in Japan).
• On the other hand, unfolded posters alone are occasionally turned up at online auctions or available at the collectors' markets, supporting that they were handed out to album purchasers independently of the LP record.

These could explain why the first pressing (easily identified by the obi) with or containing a poster seldom comes across even though 1000 copies were supposed to be so. Then, what explanation is possible for the six-folded poster, as shown in the top image?

— Continued to Part 2. 

Thoughts on My Father's House on NEBRASKA LP: Asian pressings and its relation to the Japanese discs (Part 2 of 2) — Notes on CBS/SONY's stamper numbers

Upper: The front sleeve of the Taiwan pressing (left) is of significantly
lower printing quality than the Japanese release (right, the obi removed).
Lower: The rear of the Taiwanese sleeve (left) is unique in featuring the
lyrics compared to the standard sleeve (right, Japanese).

In appearance, a Taiwanese copy of NEBRASKA LP in my collection is like a typical Asian pirate pressing that differs notably in several aspects from the official releases in the U.S., U.K., and Japan. First, it is licensed by an obscure company (Lee Ming Records Ltd.) with a unique catalog number (LMSP-004). Second, the front picture of the album sleeve is inferior in its printing quality (which is also true for the Korean LP), losing the details compared with the Japanese LP (CBS/SONY 25AP-2440), and strangely carries the lyrics on the back. So, the cardboard inner sleeve is not contained. Third, the record labels are amateurish in black & white with completely different looking from those of the Columbia/CBS Records, depicting what is considered a company or label logo, "Star Power." All these observations might be enough to conclude that it is a product of piracy activity.

Like the Korean LP, the spine is white with a unique catalog number (top
and middle). The manufacturer is listed on the bottom of the rear sleeve
(bottom).

Surprisingly, however, the vinyl sound is excellent on par with the regular pressings. Having checked the dead-wax space of the disc, I found that the stamped matrix numbers and symbols are identical to the Japanese pressing as shown below (straight, stamped; oblique, hand-etched), additionally with the Taiwan-specific hand inscriptions. Like Japanese releases, the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) logo and the company's abbreviation (CS) are stamped only on the Side A run-off.

• Side A:  25AP-2440A1  〄CS   LMSP-004-1      1 A 6
  
• Side B:  25AP-2440B1            LMSP-004-1      1 A 6
  

〄, Japanese Industrial Standards; CS, CBS/SONY (see 9/25/2014, 11/20/2016, and 9/19/2017 images for these symbols)

A simple interpretation is that the Taiwanese disc was pressed with the stampers derived from the mother plates provided by CBS/SONY (Japan) after the Taiwanese-specific LMSP codes were engraved (i.e., official). Alternately, a copy of the Japanese vinyl was "converted" to a Made-In-Taiwan product by replacing the record labels (i.e., piracy). I have seen some "fake" test pressings of Springsteen's albums made in this way, using standard vinyl discs. These bogus discs generally show glue splotch or traces of chemical treatments to remove the original labels, especially on the dead wax space. However, my copy of the Taiwanese pressing is clean and in great condition with no traces of such fraudulent manipulation, supporting that the latter case is unlikely. 

Record label and matrix/stamper numbers on the Side-B run-off groove
of the Taiwanese LP. See 10/2/2016 for matrix number images of the
Japanese and Hongkongese pressings. The track-length listing is identical
to that of the Japanese LP, which is slightly different from both misprint
and correct lists of the U.S. edition (TC 38358; see 9/28/2016 for the
images of the U.S. labels).

I have several copies of the Japan-pressed LP. So, I compared their matrix information with the three Asian pressings mentioned here and in the last post (4/9/2022), as summarized in the table below. The six Japanese pressings in my possession showed a minimum variation in the matrix numbers on each side (A1 or A2 on Side A; B1 or B2 on Side B). That's not unexpected because, compared with the U.S., the total copy number of a given title was much smaller in Japan. Furthermore, CBS/SONY owned one pressing plant in Japan, whereas Columbia Records had three in the U.S. in the vinyl era. These different situations had resulted in far fewer variations in matrix codes of Japanese LP. My Taiwanese and Hongkongese pressings carry an A1/B1 combination, suggesting that these were probably out around the same time as the first or second Japanese release in 1982. A single stamper ring was found on each label of these pressings, and their size differed from each other. The Taiwanese disc showed the largest diameter (35 mm), followed by the Hongkongese (30 mm), with the Japanese as the smallest (25 mm).

Stamper numbers are sometimes more informative than matrix numbers, especially when comparing different vinyl copies of the same title pressed around the same period. They are typically stamped at the diagonal position of a matrix number in the case of CBS/SONY's discs. Although styles vary among record companies, to my understanding, "1 A 6" on Taiwanese vinyl's Side A means that the stamper used for pressing this copy was the sixth plated off the mother disc called "1 A," probably the first mother disc created, which originated from the first master lacquer cut "A1" (25AP-2440A1). 

So, theoretically, no Japanese copies exist with matrix/stamper numbers "A1/1 A 6" on Side A and "B1/1 A 6" on Side B since the stampers for such pressings must have been exported to Taiwan and not available in Japan. Nevertheless, if present, the used stampers might have been shipped there. As you see, my collection includes the Japanese pressings with stamper numbers "1 A 12" for Side A or "1 A 9" for Side B, indicating that both Side-A and -B mother discs were not so exhausted when the "1 A 6" stampers were produced.

One final note. Unlike Japanese and Taiwanese LP, the Hongkongese pressing adopts stamper numbers of one-number/one-letter codes. What interested me was "B" of "1 B" on Side B since this indicates that Hongkongese B-side was pressed using a mother different from that used for the Japanese or Taiwanese. I have never seen a "B" code used in stamper numbers for any Japanese releases, including NEBRASKA, except for multi-disc sets like THE RIVER and LIVE/1975-85 or a monster hit album BORN IN THE U.S.A. Therefore, stamper numbers on CBS/SONY's releases need to be investigated further in detail, especially in relation to these Asian pressings.

— Back to Part 1.

 

Thoughts on My Father's House on NEBRASKA LP: Asian pressings and its relation to the Japanese discs (Part 1 of 2)

Asian NEBRASKA LP releases. Upper (left to right): three Japanese editions and a Taiwanese copy. Lower: Korea (left) and Hong Kong (right) pressings.

As I reported previously (see 7/13/2019), the initial vinyl pressings of NEBRASKA from several countries have an error on the side-two label, misprinting the playing time for My Father's House longer (5 min 43 sec rather than 5 min 3 sec). These examples count at least eight, including the U.S. and U.K. releases, although only the Brazil pressings truly contain the long version of the song (see 7/22/2019). The same misprint is found in two releases from Asia (i.e., South Korea and Hong Kong). I also have a Taiwanese copy that lists the track length as 5 min 5 sec. These Asian records, but Hong Kong's, are generally not my collecting targets because of the uncertainty of authenticity. However, this album is the only exception for me to collect from these countries.

Upper: Side B labels of Japanese (left) and Hong Kong (right) discs. Although the two
discs share identical matrix numbers (see 10/2/2016), the diameters of stamper rings
differ significantly, strongly suggesting that these discs were pressed at different
locations (probably in Japan and Hong Kong) using the same stampers (read 5/2/2021
about stamper ring). Lower: Album credits on the rear sleeve of the Hong Kong pressing.

 

Among the three Asian pressings I own, the Hong Kong release is the most superior in every aspect, guaranteeing its legitimacy (see 10/2/2016). This is no wonder since CBS/SONY Japan had the branch office there (see 9/22/2014 and 9/25/2014). Although not coming with an obi originally, it looks almost the same as the Japanese edition sharing the same catalog number (CBS/SONY 25AP2440). As reported previously (see 10/2/2016), the dead-wax matrix numbers are undistinguished from the Japanese codes, telling where the stampers came from. The major difference is the inner sleeve, which is not stiff and thick but thin like the U.K. issue, and the label design also differs slightly but not radically. These indicate that the Hong Kong issues were not the Japanese export but manufactured there.

The South-Korean LP is unique in that the sleeve spine is unusually white (upper) and that the rear sleeve credits contain Hangul descriptions (lower). Why is the catalog number OC 38358 but not QC 38358 (U.S. number)?  A typo?  The Jigu Records' company logo is printed right to the CBS logo. The inset shows the side B matrix inscription.

The South-Korean LP [KJPL-0598 (OC-38358)] also resembles the official Columbia/CBS releases. Nevertheless, their differences are more pronounced than those between Hong Kong and Japanese releases. For example, in addition to the CBS trademark, the rear sleeve prints a unique logo of a domestic record company on the bottom with part of the credits expressed in Hangul letters (that I cannot understand totally). Moreover, the album does not come with the inner sleeve but contains an English lyric insert with liner notes (full in Hangul) on the reverse side. The matrix numbers are inscribed by hand on the dead wax, completely different from those of the Japanese and U.S./European discs (side 1, KJPL-0598-A; side 2, KJPL-0598-B). According to the label and sleeve credits, this album is licensed to Jigu Records in South Korea, manufacturing various releases under license from foreign companies (as the Discogs entry claims). 

Left: The Side 2 record label of the Korean pressing. The date of "APPROVED BY THE GOVERNMENT" indicates its release year (not in 1982). Center: The lyric sheet misspells Springsteen's first name (upper); the liner notes on the reverse side close with supposedly the date of finishing writing (lower), supporting the release year as 1988 or later. Right: The vinyl disc comes in a unique, semi-transparent protective sleeve mentioning both international and domestic record companies.

One more note to the Korea LP is about its release date. The record labels print what is interpreted as such dates, 82.10.18 and 88.12.8 (cf., In the U.S. and Japan, the original release date is September 20 and October 9, 1982, respectively). A similar date, "1988.11.3," together with the supposed writer's name, concludes the accompanying liner notes (I neither read nor understand Hangul, though). Based on the above, the copy I own was probably released in late 1988 or after that. However, all the other misprinted copies from various countries are the first pressing out in 1982, most probably due to confusion arising from Springsteen's final decision to use monaural recordings for the album mix rather than the pseudo-stereo version (featuring the long version of My Father's House). So, for me, it is incomprehensible why the misprint was still created in the Korean edition six years or more after the album's original release.

Asia used to be, and perhaps still is, a grey zone in copyright infringement. In 1993, Billboard magazine reported that the Korean Government began its drive to fight piracy and improve the protection provided by the country's intellectual property law (by Byung Hoo Shu in the March 13 issue). The article also pointed out that Korea's rampant piracy problem was unique, presumably "practiced more by the legally registered companies than the elusive pirates." Provided that the Korean album was released in the late 1980s, I'm still uncertain whether or not this vinyl issue is official.

By contrast, a Taiwanese copy of mine looks like a pirate rather than a legitimate release, at least based on the LP sleeve and labels on the wax. However, I came across an interesting finding on the disc's dead wax, especially in relation to the Japanese pressing.

— To be continued to Part 2. 

 

Thoughts on My Father's House on NEBRASKA LP: an Update to The alternate take with synth coda on regular vinyl pressing!!!

The Japanese CD editions of NEBRASKA (up to the third pressing) featuring the long version of My Father's House have been typical collector's items. Shown is a brief description from a mini-catalog of Backstreets Records issued around 1988.

We, collectors, are always interested in an alternative take or mix on a previously released track, even if the difference is subtle between the two. Among the overwhelming amount of officially released Springsteen's studio/home recordings, My Father's House with an extended coda is the first such example of a regular album track. However, neither he nor the record company intentionally released it, which, for unknown reasons, resulted from using an alternative "pseudo-stereo" album mix featuring this song as the only outstandingly different track from the standard release (see the relevant entry in BruceBase; see also 09/22/2016). This extended version has long been believed to be available exclusively on the CD copies of NEBRASKA originally pressed at a Japanese factory in 1985 (CBS/SONY 32DP 357), which were also exported for the first CD release in other countries, including the U.S. (Columbia CK 38358) and Europe (CBS CDCBS 25100). Note that such CD copies were recalled in the U.S. However, Sony Japan continuously pressed the CD variant for the domestic market until the third pressing in 1995 (SRCS 7860; the second pressing with the catalog number 25DP 5246 in 1988).

The vinyl reissue (the fourth Brazilian copy in my collection) was shipped from that country on October 25th, last year, which I received on November 10th. The faster delivery than I expected, considering the current situation under the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, this long belief turned out to be erroneous. As I reported previously in a series of blog posts on this topic (05/22/2019, 07/13/2019, and 07/22/2019), the vinyl copies of the album issued in Brazil (CBS 138.641) back in 1982 already contained the alternative take instead of the regular track. It was three years before the Japanese version came out, and it was not a CD but vinyl. To the best of my knowledge, the Brazilian LP is the only commercially available source for this track in the vinyl format. So, the story behind how it came about might have differed between Brazilian and Japanese cases as the release year and format are different (i.e., 1982 vs. 1985; vinyl vs. CD). Curiously, the Japanese and Brazilian versions are not the same strictly, differing in the playing time, with the former clocking in at 5 min 35 sec while the latter lasting 5 min 43 sec (see 07/13/2019).

Record labels on early (lower two) and late (upper two) Brazilian pressings of
NEBRASKA LP. The latter is identified only by the release year (1985) printed
on the side-one label (the side-two label remains non-updated).

Owing to the huge success of BORN IN THE U.S.A., the vinyl album of NEBRASKA was repressed in the mid-1980s worldwide, in many countries, including Brazil. So, I was wondering whether the Brazilian reissue continued to contain the extended version or not. Sometime in quarantine days last year, I ordered and obtained a 1985's repressing from a Brazilian seller (the copy is shown in the previous post). By appearance, there are no obvious differences between the original and reissue, and the latter is distinguished from the former only by the side-A label that states "1985." I don't know if the lyric sheet, like the original pressing, was included in the reissue (mine did not). Disc's dead-wax matrix numbers are as follows, which look similar but not identical to those for one of the three 1982 releases I possess (Copy #2, see 07/13/2019):

• Side A:   EL   C       138641 A    1-2-5    AL-38358 I
• Side B:   EL   C       138641 B    1-1-9    BL-38358

The Side B label still prints the running time of My Father's House as 5 min 43 sec, and this side exactly plays Track 3 as listed. So, probably all the Brazilian copies feature the extended version of this song. 

The next post will continue on NEBRASKA LP, focusing on Asian pressings.

Collecting log: The early 1980s U.K. vinyl pressings with "timtom" or "Ty" handwritten matrix inscription (Part 4 of 4)

This is the final part of a 4-Part series exploring U.K. pressings in the 1980s that are cut by mastering maestro Tim Young. In this survey, I have used his signatures, timtom and Ty, inscribed on the run-out area of a disc, as sole measure to identify his contribution to Springsteen's British releases. This is because in the case of non-U.S. pressings of Springsteen's LP and singles, actual master-cutting engineers are generally not credited on record sleeves or other associated printouts.

The five U.K. copies used for comparing matrix information.
From left to right, from top to bottom : a test press (matrix
number suffix 1A/3B) and four regular copies (1A/3B, 1A/3B,
3A/3B, and 5A/3B). Note that the last one came with a flyer
advertising the mega-hit 7th album, meaning that it is a mid-
1980s reissue.

To summarize so far, I was not able to find out evidence for his involvement in cutting 7" and 12" singles from any album but THE RIVER (see Parts 1 and 2). On the other hand, it was confirmed that he was involved in the production of at least the following four albums, BORN TO RUN, THE RIVER, NEBRASKA, and BORN IN THE U.S.A., during his career at CBS Studios in London from 1976 to 1993. DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN* could be listed as well considering the original release year (1978); however, I have no evidence for that. A search on the Discog database also gave no results of the matrix codes containing or associated with his signatures for various copies of this LP pressed in the U.K. The last post (Part 3) explained the case of his involvement in the aforementioned former two albums. Here, the following report on the remaining two albums.
*I confirmed neither timtom nor Ty matrix hand-etching on the dead wax of a U.K. first pressing copy with the matrix numbers CBS-S-86061 A1 / CBS-S-86061 B1 (12/31/2020).

Tim Young's signatures as found on the white label test pressing (left half ) and the original regular copy
(right half ) of NEBRASKA LP pressed in the U.K. Matrix inscriptions between the two are identical, which
indicates that both discs were pressed by the same stampers or stampers made from the same master lacquers.

NEBRASKA (CBS 25100): A test pressing from the U.K. was taken up on this blog previously (here). I have also owned two regular copies with the matrix information identical to that of the test pressing (with the matrix number suffixes A1/B3 ). So, I figure that they are first copies of the album pressed in England. By the way, like the U.S. pressing, I have never seen the U.K. copies with the matrix suffix B1 or B2 on Side 2, likely due to the probable last-minute change in master cutting in favor of the standard version of My Father's House (Track 3 on Side 2), as deduced here.

• Side 1:    CBS 25100 A1     timtom
• Side 2:    CBS 25100-B3     Ty
• Note: Sunburst label; misprint on Side 2/Track 3 length.

Differently handwritten deadwax inscriptions
on Side 2 sharing the same matrix code: A3/B3
(upper) and A5/B3 (lower) with and without
a Ty signature, respectively.

As far as I examined, among the four albums he obviously got involved in, this is the only vinyl disc both of whose sides are inscribed with his signatures. As expected, another copy in my collection with the suffixes A3/B3 had his inscription only on the Side 2 deadwax. Both A1/B3  and A3/B3 copies list the track length of My Father's House incorrectly on the record label. Strangely, yet another copy with the suffixes A5/B3, which came with the error-fixed label, had no Ty inscription on Side 2. A close examination on the matrix numbers revealed the difference in Side 2 hand-etchings between A3/B3  and A5/B3 pressings, indicating that, despite that these pressings share the same matrix numbers on this side, the master lacquers used are different. Finally, it remains unknown why his signatures are absent in the 7" single releases from NEBRASKA (see Part 2), even though, as shown here, his involvement in the album cutting is evident.

Side 2 matrix inscriptions as
found on Copy #1 disc.

BORN IN THE U.S.A. (CBS 86304): My two copies of the U.K. pressings (hereafter simply called #1 and #2), which probably are the first-run pressing based on the matrix number suffix, bear Young's signature on one-side only (BTW, #1 was previously shown here with a blank label on Side 1):

• Side 1 (copy #1):    CBS-86304-A1
• Side 2 (copy #1):    CBS-86304-B2      Ty
• Note: Sunburst label; blank Side 1 label on my copy.

• Side 1 (copy #2):    CBS-86304-A2
• Side 2 (copy #2):    CBS-86304-B1      Ty
• Note: Sunburst label.

Note that on Side 1, even the -A1 suffix does not accompany his signature. I don't know if this really means that his contribution to this album was one-side only. To me, it seems unlikely, though, that the lacquer masters for Sides 1 and 2 were cut by different engineers at the very early round(s) of the vinyl pressing. Finally, as you know and mentioned in this blog earlier (here and here) or lately, the original U.S. pressings were cut by another maestro Robert "Bob" Ludwig. Therefore, an LP set of the initial U.K. and U.S. versions of this monster hit album provides an opportunity to compare the work done by the world's two distinguished sound engineers.

Collecting log: The early 1980s U.K. vinyl pressings with "timtom" or "Ty" handwritten matrix inscription (Part 2 of 4)

Four U.K. 7" singles cut from THE RIVER and examined here.

Between 1980 and 1981, CBS Records U.K. released four 7-inch singles from THE RIVER, for each of which several variant issues exist. Oddly in this era, the company issued two editions for each regular single that differed in the labels on the discs (Sunburst paper or tangerine plastic), with some having a large spindle hole or cut-out center like typical U.S. 7" singles (as found in some paper label copies of Sherry Darling : CBS 9568). There was also a promotion-only disc for each with white paper labels. Moreover, two releases were withdrawn due to mis-coloured lettering on the sleeve (Hungry Heart : S CBS 9303) and mis-configuration of B-side (Sherry Darling backed with Independence Day : CBS 9568 promotion-only pressing). Finally, minor differences were observed in the label printing, such as font size, between same titles (as seen on the paper labels of The River : CBS A1179). Although this vinyl format is not my prime target of collecting, I own at least one copy each for these regular single copies.

And the question is whether or not lacquer masters for these 7" discs were cut by Tim Young, a distinguished mastering engineer in the U.K. The following list shows the dead-wax matrix information on one copy each for the four regular singles in my possession (oblique, hand-etched; straight, machine-stamped). Based on the suffix code, these copies are first pressing (Side A, A1; Side B, B1) except Sherry Darling (Side B, B2) for the reason briefly mentioned above.

Upper : Two "timtom" inscriptions found in U.K. 7"
copies for Hungry Heart (paper label) and Cadillac
Ranch. The inscription of the former is difficult to
read with an extra hand-etching (probably "cbs").
Lower : "Ty" inscribed on Side B of Hungry Heart.

Hungry Heart / Held Up Without A Gun (S CBS 9303)

• Side A:   CBS-S 9309 A1         timtom-cbs
• Side B:   CBS-S 9309 B1         Ty   
• Note: Paper label; small spindle hole; withdrawn blue-lettering sleeve.

Sherry Darling / Be True (CBS 9568)

• Side A:   CBS-S 9568∙A∙1       timtom
• Side B:   CBS S 9568 B2      CBS-S-9493 B2      Ty
• Note: Plastic label; small spindle hole; wrong catalog number on B-side scratched out; picture sleeve.

The River / Independence Day (CBS A1179)

• Side A:   CBS-S-A-1179-A1
• Side B:   CBS-S-A-1179-B1
• Note: Larger "Bruce Springsteen" printed on the paper labels; small spindle hole; picture sleeve.

Cadillac Ranch / Wreck On The Highway (CBS A1557)

• Side A:   CBS∙A∙1557 A1        timtom
• Side B:   CBS∙A∙1557∙B-1
• Note: Plastic label; small spindle hole; picture sleeve.

It must be noted that one of the two signatures, Ty (usually on backside), was so faintly hand-etched that I might miss it out on the latter two releases. Anyway, this short survey, together with the previous blog post, was enough to demonstrate Young's involvement in the cutting of recordings for THE RIVER singles. Strangely, it seems that he was nothing to do with cutting The River 7" even though he obviously did the job for its 12" counterpart. Or might he have just forgotten to make inscriptions on the master lacquer of this 7" disc?

Then I continued to examine Atlantic City (CBS A2794) and Open All Night (CBS A2969), the two single cuts in 1982 in the U.K., from the subsequent album NEBRASKA (CBS 25100). There were no dead-wax signatures of him even for the white-label promo copies in my possession which are supposed to be pressed and released in advance of, or coincidentally with, the regular releases.

This is probably the sole example of a NEBRASKA track
that is clearly indicated as "MONO" among all the vinyl
pressings of the album and singles released therefrom.

Atlantic City / Mansion On The Hill (CBS A2794)

• Side A:   CBS A 2974 A1   2794
• Side B:   CBS A 2794 B1
• Note: White paper label; promo release; wrong catalog number on A-side scratched out; black company sleeve.

Open All Night (stereo) / Open All Night (mono) (CBS A2969; promotion-only pressing)

• Stereo side:   CBS A-2969-A1
• Mono side:   CBS A-2969-A1 DJ
• Note: White paper label; promo release; double A-side; black company sleeve.

So, the matrix information of these 7" singles indicated that the Maestro's contribution to Springsteen's U.K. releases is limited to THE RIVER and that he's not involved in cutting NEBRASKA materials. Is that really so?
— To be continued.

Thoughts on My Father's House on NEBRASKA LP (Update 3/3):The alternate take with synth coda on regular vinyl pressing!!!

NEBRASKA LP B-side misprints. From top to bottom: South Africa,
U.S. (left), Canada (right), Zimbabwe, Brazil (left), U.K. (right),
South Korea (left; not sure of its authenticity though), and Hong
Kong (right).

Having confirmed that the extended version of My Father's House is consistently featured on the recently obtained, three old independent pressings (in terms of vinyl stampers used; check the last blog), I'm almost confident that the regular Brazilian LP of NEBRASKA (CBS 138.641) is the only apparent vinyl source of the alternate version of this track that has been released commercially. Taking into account the number of circulating copies, I don't think this South American edition of the album is particularly rare. However, the LP certainly stands as a unique vinyl collectible with a rare version of a song that is not available on any other vinyl disc. It is of note that Springsteen obviously considers this song as one of the important compositions in his career, since it was recently handpicked by himself for CHAPTER & VERSE, the companion album for his autobiography published in 2016, and more recently, performed regularly on a series of Broadway concerts in 2017 through 2018.

Because the same message is written in the accompanying acknowledgement letters, I found that
my recent purchase of a copy of NEBRASKA LP was from the Brazilian seller who once sold me a first pressing
copy of THE RIVER LP (front) many years ago. Note that a Held Up ... misprint remains uncorrected in
the second pressing copy (back).

As mentioned on the last blog, the version on the Brazilian LP plays a little bit slow when compared to its counterpart on the very first CD pressed in Japan. Then, a question arises as to which running time, on vinyl or CD, is correct?  It has long been known that the early Japanese CD copies run too fast. This issue on the playing time is apparent from the fact that despite including the longer take of My Father's House, the total running time of such CD is about 20 seconds shorter than that of the later corrected releases containing the regular version of the track without the extended coda. For example, my CD deck reads the total running time of the two early U.S. discs (both Columbia CK 38358) as follows: the first edition with a Japanese CD (withdrawn), 40 min 24 sec; and the second edition with a domestically pressed CD (corrected), 40 min 47 sec. Because of this, I guess it is more likely that the vinyl take represents the exact speed and pitch of the track. If so, the correct playing time of the alternate take is 5 min 43 sec rather than 5 min 35 sec.

Examples of Made-in-Brazil regular and promotional vinyl collectibles in
the 1980s, derived from the album THE RIVER through TUNNEL OF LOVE.

Like Japan, Brazil is a country where various unique vinyl discs of Springsteen have been released for promotional use only as well as for regular sale. To the best of my knowledge, the 1980's single-cut release of Hungry Heart (CBS 43.043) is the very first of such examples there. This 7-inch single, which plays at 33⅓ rpm rather than 45 rpm like most 7-inches, is housed in a unique color sleeve of his facial shot (different from the withdrawn Japanese version pictured here) and coupled with Stolen Car as B-side track, which is exclusive to this release all over the world. As exemplified by this, these vinyl collectibles are notably unique in that they exhibit differences in track configuration, sleeve artwork, or both. Although the NEBRASKA LP marks a new entry to rare Brazilian vinyl collectibles, this album is distinguished from all the others by that its uniqueness lies in featuring a rare alternative track rather than assembling selected tracks that have already been made on previously released albums and singles.

Finally, the finding of the alternate take on the regular vinyl release has brought up the following questions to my mind.  

Promotional insert mentioning BORN IN THE U.S.A. made
me wonder about the original release year of NEBRASKA
LP in the South American country.

1. How has the Brazilian CBS got the alternate recording into their hands?  This is totally unknown. It is possible that there was mishandling of the album recording between the U.S. and Brazillian CBS, just like the case of the first Japanese CD pressing (described here shortly). Thus far, however, no evidence has been known to substantiate such possibility.
2. Are the vinyl copies really pressed and manufactured in 1982?  Promotional version of the LP is known to exist, which comes with the gold-promo stamped sleeve and a promo insert in Portuguese, although the disc itself is a stock pressing. An interesting fact is that the insert mentions BORN IN THE U.S.A., indicating that these promo copies were released in 1984 or thereafter. They might be used for promoting reissues of the album thanks to the worldwide success of his seventh album and the long-stretched promotional tour. However, this made me wonder if the original release year of NEBRASKA is indeed 1982 in Brazil. There could be a possibility that the vinyl album was pressed in 1984 or 1985, and if so, which coincides with the year when the CD edition with the alternate track was manufactured in Japan.
3. Which take, regular or alternate version, is used for the cassette (CBS 16641) and CD (Sony Music 746.045/2-463360) releases?  Brazillian CBS has also released the album in cassette and CD format (I don't own neither copy). So, it is of interest to know which version is featured on each format. I'm especially interested in the cassette, since most probably, this format was issued simultaneously with the vinyl LP (see the photo below). On the other hand, the CD must have issued later as indicated by the renewed brand name "Sony Music" on the catalog number.

What seems a cassette in a holder, together with the catalog number (16641), is printed on the rear of
the LP sleeve, indicating that both formats are released simultaneously (cassette not in my possession).

Hopefully, someone reading this blog might answer to these questions or provide clues to answer them.