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).

Collecting log: a copy of the legendary bootleg LIVE on Coral Records, purportedly autographed at a Philly stop during the 1978 tour (Part 2 of 3)

As another example of an autographed classic bootleg, a signed copy of "E" TICKET is reproduced on the back cover of The Bruce Springsteen Bootleg Bible Vol. 1 (by Tony Montana, Montana Production Inc., USA, 1985), with the comment: "This copy was autographed by Bruce backstage at the Spectrum Philadelphia Aug., 1978." I do not know whether this signed copy came from the same original owner as the autographed LIVE bootleg discussed in this post. Image sourced from the blog on 05/16/2015.

Obviously, the main question regarding this particular copy of the classic bootleg is whether Springsteen’s signature is genuine or a forgery. Although he is known to have refused to sign bootlegs over the years, the available anecdotes suggest that he may not have been as reluctant to sign them early on—especially before the famous 1979 lawsuit* against California bootleggers Vicki Vinyl and Jim Washburn.
*For more on that lawsuit, see my previous blog posts on specific bootlegs like "E" TICKET and PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE.

Springsteen’s early attitude toward bootlegs is covered in some detail, for instance, in two substantial books by Clinton Heylin: Bootleg: The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry (St. Martin's Griffin, New York, 1996) and E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (Penguin Group [USA] Inc., New York, 2013). A few passages are particularly suggestive. Springsteen reportedly reacted with delight when he was handed one of Lou Cohan's bootlegs in 1976, exclaiming to E Street Band member Garry Tallent, "We’ve been bootlegged! We’ve finally made it!” (E Street Shuffle, p. 188). He also remarked in a 1978 interview that many bootleggers were, at least in their own eyes, fans rather than profiteers, and that bootlegging was “more like a labour of love” (Bootleg, p. 136).

Collecting log: a copy of the legendary bootleg LIVE on Coral Records, purportedly autographed at a Philly stop during the 1978 tour (Part 1 of 3)

Autographed copy of LIVE on Coral Records, the bootleg LP at the center of the 1976 lawsuit, shown with reference copies of reports from the August 14 and August 21 issues of Billboard (article text obscured; see 08/15/2016 for details).

It has somehow been almost six months since my last blog post. Over the past few months, as has happened from time to time before, I have been—and still am—extremely busy with my job. This time, however, the workload was heavier than usual, which largely explains the long silence on this blog (yes, I’m still working and haven’t retired yet!). Fortunately, I have no shortage of material to write about; I have simply reached a point where I can catch my breath and finally resume posting.

Recently, two very different things brought me back to the mid-1970s, the period around Springsteen’s first national breakthrough in the U.S.

Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: THE DEMO TAPES original U.K. release limited to 500 numbered copies (Part 3 of 3)

As introduced at the beginning of Part One (10/12/2025), music writer Clinton Heylin regarded "E" TICKET, FIRE ON THE FINGERTIPS, THE DEMO TAPES, and SON YOU MAI KISS THE BRIDE as among the definitive studio vinyl bootlegs — a view that is hard to dispute. What I find intriguing about his selections is that, although Springsteen is a quintessentially American artist, all but "E" TICKET are said to have originated in the U.K.

THE LAUREL CANYON DEMOS (shown at the bottom), which appeared in 1989, was probably the first — if not one of the very first — Springsteen bootleg CD titles. MUSIC PUBLISHER'S DEMOS 1972 (shown at the top) included four additional related tracks from the VISITATION AT FORT HORN LP. These early-era underground CDs of his demo recordings were straight- forward transfers from the original bootleg LP or its pirate copy.

While I'm not entirely certain whether SON YOU MAY ... actually came out there (so they can safely be considered non-U.S. bootlegs, at least), FIRE ON ... and THE DEMO TAPES were reportedly sourced from acetate discs originally circulated within the British music industry around 1973. These discs were intended to generate interest among British artists, producers, and record companies, and to secure cover versions or releases that could help establish Springsteen's reputation outside the U.S.

In June 1988, Record Collector, a leading U.K. music magazine, looked back on the early years of his career in a feature article by Peter Doggett titled Bruce Springsteen: Asbury Park to E~Street (no. 106, pp. 3–6), and reported as follows (excerpts from p. 5):

Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: THE DEMO TAPES original U.K. release limited to 500 numbered copies (Part 2 of 3)

Though it isn't as nice a package as the Swedish lps*, we also really like a new boot called The Demo Tapes. This is a repress of a European boot and the material is just fantastic. The songs are very early demos, pre-Hammond tapes**, and the songs rank with the best Bruce has ever written. If you like the early acoustic stuff, you'll love this record. The album is reasonable and is easily found.

—Excerpted from the On Vinyl column entitled More new bootlegs than you can imagine, Backstreets, no. 3 (1982).
*Referring to the two Swedish bootlegs, FOLLOW THAT DREAM and TEARDROPS ON THE CITY.
**Not pre- but post-Hammond demos, mostly recorded between May and August, 1972 (cf., The so-called "John Hammond Demo Session" occured on May 3, 1972).

The red label bears a stamped "MADE IN USA." As is now widely known, any version of this bootleg pressed in the U.S. — identified by "LIMITED EDITION OF 1000" on the front sleeve — is merely a pirate clone of the original U.K. release. This copy (matrix numbers
BSD-A / BSD-B) is likely the earliest U.S. pressing.

The first copy I obtained July 1982 was a relatively thick black vinyl (158 g) with blank red labels (though stamped on one side) and hand-etched matrix numbers: BSD-A and BSD-B on SIDES ONE and TWO, respectively. It came in a black & white sleeve with "LIMITED EDITION OF 1000" printed diagonally on the bottom right corner, but lacking any stamped or handwritten numbering. However, according to Blinded By The Light (P. Humphries & C. Hunt, Plexus, London) — the bible to Springsteen collectors published a few years later in 1985 — this bootleg was numbered and described as follows (transcribed from p. 138):

Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: THE DEMO TAPES original U.K. release limited to 500 numbered copies (Part 1 of 3)

Of the four classic vinyl bootlegs of Springsteen studio outtakes — The Demo Tapes, Fire On the Fingertips, E Ticket and Son You May Kiss The Bride— all save E Ticket* have been issued on CD (in Fire On the Fingertips’ case, as the equally splendid Forgotten Songs).

—Quoted from: Clinton Heylin (2013) E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, p. 315, Penguin Group (USA) Inc., New York [the underline made by this blogger].

Four classic vinyl Brucelegs featuring studio recordings — as defined in Heylin's E Street Shuffle book (2013) — were concisely reviewed long ago in the collectors' bible Blinded By The Light (1985), except for SON YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE, the last of the four to be released in the mid-1980s (though I don't exactly recall whether it appeared during or after the 1985 leg of the BORN IN THE U.S.A. tour).

*Oddly, Heylin regards "E" TICKET as an exception — perhaps because this vinyl bootleg has never been released on CD in its original form. However, the excellent BORN IN THE STUDIO CD from the early 1990s already included all its tracks along with additional recordings (see 06/01/2024).

No, no, I’m not going to talk about Bruceleg CD releases. The above is how Clinton Heylin, a notable British writer on Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, describes these four unofficial vinyl albums in his book, where he subjectively selects 21 bootleg CD recordings of studio sessions. He compiled this discography as a bootleg CD enthusiast, reasoning that a bootleg CD is likely to exist somewhat longer than some of the website links which afford fans the opportunity to download these precious, unauthorized moments (as cited above).

Thoughts on My Father's House on NEBRASKA LP: Update – 2nd – to The alternate take with synth coda on regular vinyl pressing!!!

Recently, Japanese sample copies appear 
to be distributed without a sample sticker 
on the sleeve (see 6/14/2025 for another 
example), making them impossible to 
identify without opening the package.

This year has been exceptionally good for Springsteen fans and collectors, with abundant new material released. That said, I have not purchased the extraordinarily expensive TRACKS II, but instead obtained only a sample CD copy of the excerpted edition, LOST AND FOUND: Selections From The Lost Albums (Sony Records Int'l SICP 31774), though I did listen to the full tracks online. Frankly, I find the package unnecessarily luxurious — if I want a book, I will buy a book, but not such an overpriced CD (or vinyl)/book set (in fact, I don’t think I’ve ever even looked through the one that came with THE TIES THAT BIND: The River Collection). I can’t help but wish Springsteen would focus more on the music itself. For me, the absolute standout is the upcoming release of NEBRASKA ’82 — and honestly, ELECTRIC NEBRASKA on its own would be enough for me. By the way, why does the title even include ’82 ? Surely everyone knows that the album was originally released in 1982.

The two company codes printed on the record labels and sleeve — catalog numbers and C.G.C. numbers (enclosed in green rectangles) — serve as essential indicators for determining whether a vinyl copy pressed in Brazil represents an original release or a reissue, and for identifying its release year when multiple issues exist. As shown, all four of my copies are identical with respect to both numbers (CBS 138.641; C.G.C. 43.203.520/0002-95). 

Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE 3LP box (Update 3, Part 2/2)

As I mentioned in my previous blog post (09/04/2025), I’ll introduce two articles here that reported on this classic bootleg, published in early and mid-1979 — likely shortly after it began circulating in the collector's market (the authors appear to be unidentified).

The last issue (March 1979) takes a look at 
the state of the bootleg industry.

The first appeared in Bomp!, a U.S. music magazine based in Burbank, north of downtown Los Angeles, California, that ran from 1971 to 1979. In its March 1979 issue (No. 21, the final issue), there is an article titled SPECIAL REPORT: BOOTLEGGERS — Rock Robin Hoods or Commie Threat? which includes an interview with an anonymous bootlegger along with reviews of recent bootleg releases (pp. 22–23). The bootlegger, described in the article as “one of the kingpins of this secret industry,” admitted to regularly releasing three or four albums a month and maintaining a catalog of nearly 100 past titles, considering themself one of the “Majors” in the underground record business. In the interview, the bootlegger also mentions Springsteen once, when asked why “today’s bootlegs seem to be so much more nicely packaged than those white jacket with paper insert things of a few years ago,” even though the question refers not specifically to Springsteen’s bootlegs but to others, such as Beatles or Stones titles:

(excerpted) Personally I feel the risks involved make the bucks more than well-earned — but also as an opportunity to make a mark in history with some really fine albums that we, the fans, and even the artists, can be proud of. There are in fact many artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith, who have openly encouraged bootleggers.*

Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE 3LP box (Update 3, Part 1/2)

One of the two new additions came in an unusual hinged 
box, apparently a replacement for the original during its 
time in second-hand circulation.

Speaking of September, it’s impossible to talk about this month without bringing up the legendary 1978 FM broadcast performance (09/19/1978) — first released on the triple-vinyl bootleg PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE from the U.S. West Coast in the late 1970s, later reissued on CD bootlegs in Europe in the 1990s, and finally made officially available online in 2019 as part of Nugs Live Archive series. Among all these versions, the vinyl bootleg — hardly in need of an introduction and legendary in its own right — still holds a special place for collectors, myself very much included. Since my last blog post on it five years ago (see 07/26/2020), I've added two more copies to my stash — I admit, I just can’t help myself. Thankfully, neither came anywhere near the steep prices these records commanded during the 1980s — when both Springsteen’s popularity and vinyl bootlegging were at their peak — or even in the 1990s; instead, they cost little more than skipping a couple of cheap lunches.

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.

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 3 of 4)

Released in numerous countries worldwide, BORN IN THE U.S.A. remains one of the most commercially successful albums in music history. While I have not conducted a thorough survey, its widespread distribution and chart success suggest that the album was officially released in over 40 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, South America, and select parts of Africa and the Arab world.

As with Japanese releases, Mexican editions frequently featured 
altered sleeve designs and modified or added text, resulting in several 
collectible variants. A notable example is the gatefold edition of THE 
RIVER (CBS LP2S-103; see 06/18/2016), which displays lyrics on the 
inner panels rather than on a separate two-fold insert. Official colored 
vinyl pressings from the 1980s are also rare and highly collectible (see 
01/27/2020). The LP shown above (CBS CLS-5808) presents the 
Spanish tracklist and additional text along the bottom of the rear sleeve.

However, when collectible variants of this album — both regular and promotional editions — began to surface from various countries and became available to collectors in the mid-to-late 1980s, I was too engrossed in the flood of bootleg releases from the 1984–85 world tour, particularly those from Europe, to pay serious attention to the official releases. Consequently, many of the official vinyl records in my possession — some of which have been already showcased on this blog — were therefore acquired later, once the internet’s global rise made worldwide communication and transactions far more accessible. Anyway, here are a few of miscellaneous official collectibles of his mega hit album, as I hinted earlier.

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 2 of 4)

The B5-size flyers were most likely distributed at or near the
Tokyo and Kyoto concert venues as well. English translations
of the Japanese text and descriptions provided by this blogger.

One more trivial recollection concerning bootlegs: I remember that on April 23, the final date of the Japan leg in 1985, a young guy was handing out what looked like flyers as I walked down from Osakajōkōen Station (Osaka Castle Park Station) — the nearest stop on the JR Osaka Loop Line — toward the concert venue, Osaka Castle Hall. Out of curiosity, I took one, which turned out to be a pre-order form for a then-unknown three-disc bootleg titled BORN IN THE AMERICA, slated for release on May 20, according to the description. Initially, I expected this new release to feature live recordings of Springsteen's first-ever concert(s) in Japan. However, I quickly realized the flyer explicitly stated “LIVE IN U.S.A. 1984,” although it provided no further details, such as the date, venue, or tracklist.

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 1 of 4)

The ticket was mailed to me in a registered envelope from the
Osaka office of Udo Artists Inc., the tour promotion and man-
agement agency. A clipping — likely from a newspaper, though
uncertain — with the headline “Grammy Winner Bruce’s First-
Ever Japan Tour Becomes a Reality” appears to predate the
addition of two concert dates, April 13 in Tokyo and April 23
in Osaka, as those dates are not mentioned in the article.

This past April in Japan brought something of a celebration on social media among Springsteen fans and collectors. As you might know, this year marks the 40th anniversary of his first—and one of only three, if the one-off Amnesty concert is included — tours to the Far East, promoting his seventh album, BORN IN THE U.S.A. (see 04/23/2015 and 01/27/2018 for Japan tour-related posts). I was a junior in college when I had the good fortune to see him perform on the second night (April 23) in Osaka, which was also the final show of the Japan leg — a performance often regarded as the best of the eight played here. By the way, you might wonder why I’m not talking about the Kyoto concert held four days earlier (April 19), especially since I’ve occasionally mentioned on this blog that I was born and raised in this ancient capital city. The reason is simple: I missed it due to a critical mix-up that left me without a ticket — still one of the most regrettable memories of my youth.

BORN TO RUN U.S. Pressing LP Variants: The late-1970s Scranton pressing by North American Music Industries, or simply NAMI (Part 2 of 2)

The hand-etched "PN" refers to a vinyl record pressed at NAMI in
Scranton, subcontracted by Pitman when the Columbia Records plant
suspended operations due to a labor strike in the spring of 1978.

Scranton or New American Music Industries (NAMI) pressings of the BORN TO RUN LP (Columbia PC 33795) were unique among the several U.S. editions with the "PC"-prefixed catalog number that were commercially released in the 1970s (see 07/29/2016). As shown in the Part One post (04/12/2025), these copies differ noticeably from those pressed at Columbia Records’ three plants — Pitman, Terre Haute, and Santa Maria — particularly in the size of the stamper ring on the labels and the presence of the dead-wax stamp (☖) symbolizing the U.S. Capitol Building, both the same as those found on Scranton pressings of DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (JC 35318; see 3/21/2017 and 04/23/2022). The stamp likely reflects that Capitol Records had previously owned the Scranton plant before its takeover by NAMI in late 1973 (see Scott's comment from 03/18/2017). The plant continued operating until around 1980.

BORN TO RUN U.S. Pressing LP Variants: The late-1970s Scranton pressing by North American Music Industries, or simply NAMI (Part 1 of 2)

Scranton/NAMI pressings are characterized
by a unique symbol stamped in the trail-off 
space of the record. Although often described
as a stylized anvil, a comment on a relevant
post on this blog (see 03/18/2017) claims it
was modeled after the U.S. Capitol Building,
as the pressing plant was owned by Capitol
Records before NAMI.

When it comes to vinyl LPs — especially those from Springsteen's early years in the 1970s and 1980s — I've always gravitated toward U.S. pressings over Japanese or European ones. My preference is pretty straightforward: he is, after all, a quintessentially American artist, and the U.S. pressings feel the most authentic to me. 

Back in 2016, I took a shot at organizing and classifying the various U.S. versions of this timeless masterpiece based on the album track listings and production credits printed on the rear side of the gatefold sleeve (see 07/29/2016). A year later, in 2017, I delved deeper into how matrix numbers and dead-wax markings relate to the earliest U.S. pressings from Columbia Records' three plants — located in Santa Maria, CA; Terre Haute, IN; and Pitman, NJ — which were in operation during the 1970s. This effort might have helped fellow collectors identify individual vinyl copies and shed further light on pressing variations (see 05/21/2017). These two posts have remained among the most-read entries on this blog. Still, as any collector knows, an effort like this is never truly finished. There's always more to uncover, and the work goes on.

Collecting log: I enjoyed digging for old vinyl bootlegs in Japan's Samurai city

Three additions from my mid-March trip to Kanazawa — I never
expected to find these old-timers at cheap in a regional city.

About two weeks ago, I took a three-day trip to Kanazawa, a historic city on the coast of the Japan Sea, renowned for its well-preserved "samurai" districts from the Edo period (1603–1867), its traditional crafts, and its rich cultural heritage. Like Kyoto, this city was fortunate to escape destruction during World War II, preserving much of its historical charm. As one of Japan's wealthiest castle towns, Kanazawa earned its reputation as a "samurai city." 

As is my habit, I made a quick stop after work at a second-hand record shop I had found online and deemed worth visiting there. The shop was fantastic — packed with used vinyl records — and I thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of digging for unexpected finds, even through the short visit.

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).

Collecting log: THE RIVER single disc test pressing for the possible CX-encoded noise-reduction release in the early 1980s (Part 2 of 2)

Taken from the front sleeve of the CX-SAMPLER
LP (Columbia Special Products CXSM 170258),
distributed in the U.S. and featuring tracks from
Billy Joel and some others, but not including any
recording by Springsteen.

Compatible eXpansion (CX)-encoding technology was a short-lived and ultimately unsuccessful initiative by Columbia/CBS Records in the  U.S. and Europe during the early 1980s. Originally created in the late 1970s by CBS laboratories in the U.S., the technology aimed to reduce surface noise and extend dynamic range on vinyl-disc playback through the use of a decoder. While its adoption failed on vinyl, the noise-reduction system achieved greater success when applied to laserdiscs. In the U.S., at least one Springsteen album, BORN TO RUN (Columbia JC 33795), was commercially released in this now-forgotton format, possibly as a temporary, experimental release to gauge customer reactions and market trends (see 09/30/2021 and 10/08/2021). However, no other albums have been confirmed to be pressed in this audiophile edition anywhere in the world.

Collecting log: THE RIVER single disc test pressing for the possible CX-encoded noise-reduction release in the early 1980s (Part 1 of 2)

Two copies of purported U.S. CX-encoded test pressings of THE RIVER (Disc One) came in a plain white sleeve
with minimum information typed on a white sticker. Alongside is an original regular copy (US Columbia PC 36854).

Happy New Year, and thank you for your kind and considerate inquiries via PM about the status of the blog (and my health). Yes, I’m doing fine. As has happened occasionally in the past, over the past three months, my work and personal life have leaned heavily towards the former, leaving me unable to write. I suppose I’m truly a workaholic! Consequently, my collecting activities have been minimal, with only one or two items worth mentioning. That said, it’s only within the past week or so that I’ve finally found some breathing room. Here, I’d like to share my insights about a questionable record—whether official or bogus—that has piqued my interest for some time.

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.