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).

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. 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.

The clear polystyrene slipcases for the SBM-remastered 
edition (SRCS 7908) — released 30 years ago and still in 
circulation — have deteriorated, yellowed, or browned 
with age, making intact copies quite hard to find.

So, 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 actually sent out to CD Club 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, Part 3, or Part 4.

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 (Part 4 of 4)

"Originally scheduled for exclusive release in Japan on September 22, 1999, the second wave of the first 'mini-LP' cardboard sleeve CD reissue series — including BORN IN THE U.S.A. — was ultimately canceled." The above photos show what I consider rare Japanese collectibles for this album: a withdrawn sample CD and an advance cassette tape placed on either the advance pressing (left) or the sample LP (right) — the cassette and both LPs date back to original 1984 release. A small white tracklist sheet included with the sample LP set contains a misspelling of "BLUCE" in the artist name column.

What comes to mind when you think of Japanese collectibles of this best-selling album? For me, they include the advance promotion-only LP and its cassette version (see 07/18/2015), as well as the withdrawn CD (Sony Music Entertainment SRCS 8984) from the second batch of Japan-exclusive paper sleeve reissues planned for fall 1999, which is believed to have been canceled at the request of Springsteen Inc. (see the last paragraph of 09/10/2016). Sample copies are also of interest to collectors. However, compared to white label promo LPs phased out in the late 1970s for CBS/Sony releases, these are less sought-after, differing from commercial copies only by a "SAMPLE" imprint (in kanji on the label of vinyl discs or as-is on the inner ring of CDs), and a rectangular sample sticker affixed to the back cover.

Not only is the sample LP — featuring a sample sticker on the rear sleeve — hard to come by, but a sealed regular copy, with the front side facing up in the photo, is also difficult to find now. The Japanese text on the hype sticker translates to "Deluxe Edition Vinyl." The dead-wax information on Side A of the sample disc includes the matrix number "2A," the stamper code "1 A 2," and the CBS/Sony (CS) stamp accompanied by the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) symbol 〄.

Nevertheless, two "sample" vinyl albums released in the 1980s remain highly collectibles: one for the LIVE/1975–85 box set (CBS/Sony 75AP 3300–04; see 11/23/2020) and the other for the Mastersound edition of BORN IN THE U.S.A. (CBS/Sony 30AP 2878). Their appeal lies purely in their exceptional rarity, similar to the sample copy of the Brilliant Disguise one-sided single reissue (CBS/Sony 04SP 1075; see 05/15/2024). In fact, sample copies of these three vinyl titles are extremely hard to find even here in Japan, likely due to the multi-disc format of the release (e.g., a 5-LP box) or their nature as non-standard reissues (low-budget or audiophile editions).

In Japan, from 1984 to 1994, the release year of vinyl records and 
CDs was indicated on the sleeve by a single-letter alphabet code 
based on a simple system established by the Recording Industry 
Association of Japan (RIAJ). Here, the letter "N" stands for 1984, 
showing that the Mastersound edition was released on July 21, 
1984 — one month after the original album release. Another 
example (not shown) is "O-10-21" for TUNNEL OF LOVE 
(CBS/Sony 28AP 3410), where "O" denotes the year 1987; 
thus, the LP was released in Japan on October 21, 1987.

The CBS/Sony Mastersound series in Japan was marketed as a line of high-quality audiophile pressings, employing one of the four approaches for each LP: digital recording, digital mastering, half-speed mastering, or direct disk cutting (see 09/30/2019). Like many other international pop/rock titles in the series, BORN IN THE U.S.A. was digitally mastered from analog tapes for vinyl pressing — likely not from first-generation analog masters (which were probably not available in Japan) — using early digital technology. As a result, audiophiles (not me) have often pointed out the analog/digital trade-offs of the 1980s, expressing skepticism about whether these premium reissues truly offered an improvement in sound quality.

In 2014 — already more than a decade ago — this album was finally remastered using a new analog-to-digital tape transfer process called Plangent. Then, in September 2024, it was reissued in Sony Japan's Blu-spec CD2 format and repackaged as part of the 40th Anniversary Japan Edition (Sony Music Japan SICP 31728–31). For reasons briefly noted earlier (see the postscript of 05/15/2024), I have refrained from purchasing recent official releases and reissues that offer no truly new material, such as BEST OF ... and ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE, and this deluxe but pricey set was no exception. That said, over half a year after its release, I came across a sample copy and decided to pick it up — it was available for two-thirds less than the retail price so that I couldn't resist.

A future collectible? This is just a sample copy with no promotional or advertising flyers. All four discs bear an orange-inked "SAMPLE - LOANED" imprint on the inner ring. However, no "SAMPLE" stickers are affixed to the gatefold sleeve or to any of the other printed materials included in the set.

My copies are standard editions. Notice that since 1995, the RIAJ's 
release year format has been replaced with a last two-digit year code 
(e.g., "01" for 2001). The international release date of the original 
edition is shown in parentheses as (98-11-10). A circled "Y" denotes 
Western music (cf. "L" for Japanese).

As with the aforementioned LIVE 5-LP box, sample copies of multi-CD sets are also rarer than those of single or double-disc titles. For example, in February 2022, such a copy of the resized TRACKS quadruple-CD box (Sony SICP 52–55), which was exclusively reissued in Japan in late 2001, drew 25 cumulative bids in a local online auction and ultimately sold for 41,500 JPY (approximately $360 at the time). I followed the auction and was surprised by the final result, which far exceeded my expectations, although even standard copies of this compact edition have become scarce in recent years, and rarer than the original long box version (Sony SRCS 8801–04).

The 2024 red vinyl set and the 1984 Mastersound edition feature a 
similar obi design. On the back of the 2024 gatefold sleeve, the 
original release date is incorrectly listed in parentheses as 
"June 9, 1984" — the correct date is June 4.

Lastly, a few words on the “strictly limited” Japanese vinyl edition (Sony Music Japan SIJP-178) of the album — a repackaging of the European import colored vinyl — which was released on July 24, 2024, two months earlier than the aforementioned 40th Anniversary Deluxe CD set. Although advertised as remastered, playback on a turntable reveals significantly less output gain than the original U.S. and Japanese pressings. I’m not an audiophile, but even to my ears, the result was underwhelming —  though perhaps my expectations were too high. That said, this outcome was not entirely unexpected: the audio wasn’t remastered with vinyl’s analog nuances and physical constraints in mind. Instead, it likely reused digital remasters tailored for CD and streaming, leading to lower volume and a compressed dynamic range.

The difference in cutting level and dynamic range is clear between the remastered 2024 vinyl (top) and the original 1984 Japanese pressing (bottom). For details, see the original article (linked here). Image courtesy of, and used with permission from, MagicVinylDigital.net.

For those interested in sound quality and technical details, I highly recommend the article “Bruce Springsteen – Born In The U.S.A. – Review – (Test: Japanese vinyl, 2024 remastered, CD and streaming) Should you buy remastered vinyl records?,” featured in Magic of Analog, Vinyl, Digital and Spatial Sound — a thoroughly insightful and worthwhile read.

— Continued to Addendum / Back to Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3.

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).

Collecting log: The first-ever CBS/Sony promotion-only compilation disc to feature Springsteen in Japan

Since this Springsteen track from THE RIVER was never released as
a single in the U.S., it is marked as "Hit-Bound"—a term generally
used in the music industry for songs with strong hit potential that
have not yet officially entered the main music charts. The bottom
image was from the rear sleeve.

While I'm not particularly enthusiastic about collecting various artists' compilation releases, I find it hard to pass up vinyl albums that feature the Boss—especially those intended for promotional use only and released before BORN IN THE U.S.A. The other day, I came across one of these LPs at a local used record store—an old copy released over 40 years ago from CBS/Sony's monthly compilation series ALL AMERICAN TOP 100, which ran from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. Although I was aware of this promo disc (previously mentioned on 09/19/2015 and 09/17/2017), I had never had the chance to dig it up in-store or find it in an online auction. So, I grabbed this relative rarity just for one coin (= 500 JPY).

The Japanese 7" single, issued on March 21, 1981, is highly collectible
not only for its unique Side-A selection but also for its sample copies,
which are the last known white-label promo vinyl disc pressed in
Japan for Springsteen's releases.

The copy I found (CBS/Sony XAAP 90022) was Volume 34, the May 1981 issue, which included one Springsteen track, I Wanna Marry You—known as a Japan-exclusive 7" single from THE RIVER (CBS/Sony 07SP 525). The decision to release Fade Away (Columbia 11-11431; see 07/18/2016 and 09/17/2017) as the second single in the U.S. was somewhat odd and unexpected, leading to alternate choices in Europe (i.e., Sherry Darling) and Japan. As a result, this slower pop ballad was also selected for two other noteworthy Japan-only promotional releases: ultra-scarce Killer Tracks From The River 12" EP (CBS/Sony XDAP 93030; see 09/19/2017) and gorgeous gate-folded CBS/SONY POPULAR BEST 9 LP (CBS/Sony XDAP 93031-2; see 09/17/2017).

Left: The first and second compilation albums (YALC-49 and -54) that include Springsteen were housed in a very thin, generic company sleeve the CBS/Sony Records used back then. As usual for promotion-only releases, no OBI is included.
Center: The company sleeve specifically for this promo-only series bears a field for entering the issuing date (expressed in the Japanese Imperial year and month) and a "For In-Store Use Only" notification, both printed in sky blue on one side of the sleeve (upper). However, neither of these appears on the other side (lower).
Right: These two compilations dedicate one side to international artists and the other to domestic performers. Here, the label for the latter is shown on the second compilation (YALC-54). The first and last songs listed became nationwide hits in Japan nearly half a century ago (when I was an elementary school boy)—so popular that I can still sing both!

That brings me to a minor but intriguing question—what CBS/Sony compilation album was the first to feature a Springsteen track? As all you collectors know, the first Springsteen LP released in Japan was THE WILD, THE INNOCENT & THE E STREET SHUFFLE (CBS/Sony SOPL-239; see 04/26/2015, 04/29/2015, and 11/12/2020), which came out in March 1974. However, the first 7" single release didn't arrive until November 1975: the title track from BORN TO RUN (CBS/Sony SOPB 334; see 01/28/2024 and 02/03/2024). Accordingly, the first-ever compilation album to include a Springsteen track was issued around that time, bearing the catalog number YALC-49. The album title was provided only in Japanese, roughly translating to POWERFUL HIGHLIGHT EDITION: For In-Store Use Only.

International artists and track titles are exclusively written in Japanese on the Side-A label on both compilation albums. The years 50 and 51, which are printed on the labels and precede respective months [November (=11) and March (=3)],  represent the Japanese Imperial year (= Showa 50 and 51). The Showa era corresponds to the reign of Emperor Showa (Hirohito), which lasted from 1926 to 1989. Thus, "50 [followed by a Kanji character meaning 'year'] 11 [three Kanji characters for 'month' and 'new releases']" refers to "November 1975 New Reelases," and "51 [a Kanji] 3 [Kanjis]" refers to "March 1976 New Releases." The middle image was from a recent Japanese 2CD/2DVD set released in October, 2023 (Sony Records Int'l  SICP 31655~8).

As already mentioned briefly (see 04/23/2023), the tracklist for this compilation appears only on the record labels and is written entirely in Japanese. The only identifiable information is the catalog number of the single (printed as "SOPB-334 A"), which makes it difficult for foreign collectors who are unfamiliar with Japanese to recognize that this otherwise unremarkable LP features Springsteen on Side A / Track 4. Born To Run was also featured on two subsequent promo-only compilations: POPULAR "BEST 101" Volume 1 (CBS/Sony YAPC 77; see 12/17/2016) and ROCK BEST 100 (CBS/Sony YAPC 105), released in 1976 and 1978, respectively. However, the track was truncated on both records and significantly shortened (POPULAR, 1 min 13 sec; ROCK, 2 min 57 sec). By contrast, the 1975 sampler disc contained the full-length recording (4 min 30 sec) despite cramming ten tracks, including this one, onto Side A (see the image left immediately above)

Following the release of POWERFUL HIGHLIGHT EDITION in late 1975, another promotion-only compilation featuring Born to Run (though just over one-minute fragment), POPULAR "BEST 101" Volume 1 was out in 1976 (shown at the lower left of the left image). Once again, the track listing appears only in Japanese on the rear sleeve and record labels (middle and right, respectively, indicated by green lines). Springsteen's inclusion is evident only inside the accompanying booklet (shown in the upper half of the left image), which briefly introduces him and his third album, along with relevant pictures (see 12/17/2016).

The second single, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (CBS/Sony SOPB-350), was selected for inclusion in the March 1976 issue of the promo-only compilation series (CBS/Sony YALC-54), appearing as Side A/Track 9 (no edits, even though this side also tightly packed ten tracks). Just for your information, below are the tracklists for the two compilations, selecting international artists and groups from CBS/Sony and Epic/Sony labels (Side A only, as Side B is devoted exclusively to domestic pop and folk singers; see the right image of the third photo from the top):

ROCK BEST 100, a 1978-year issue and
probably the third promo-only compilation
containing BORN TO RUN (albeit a three-
minute truncated version), finally lists its
original English title in a small print on the
white label and back sleeve. The green-
colored front sleeve is found in one of
the images immediately above.

YALC-49 (released on November 1975)

1. My Teenage Heart  Bay City Rollers
2. Take Good Care Of Yourself  The Three Degrees
3. Gone At Last  Paul Simon & Phoebe Snow
4. Born To Run  Bruce Springsteen
5. Hello Mary Lou  Lougins ＆ Messina
6. Rock N' Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)    Mac Davis
7. Do It Any Way You Wanna  People's Choice
8. Brazil  The Ritchie Family
9. 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (Blow Your Whistle)  Gary Toms Empire
10. I Only Have Eyes For You  Art Garfunkel

YALC-54 (released on March 1976)

1. Ginza Red Oui Oui  Dave
2. Africano  Earth, Wind & Fire
3. Sing A Song  Earth, Wind & Fire
4. Soul Sacrifice  Santana
5. Black Magic Woman  Santana
6.  Samba Pa Ti  Santana
7.  Give And Take  Santana
8.  Chicago Bus Stop (Ooh, I Love It)  The Salsoul Orchestra
9. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out  Bruce Springsteen
10. Saturday Night  Bay City Rollers

As of the day this blog post was published, neither of these albums had been cataloged in the Discogs database.

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.