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.*
*The interview was conducted before Springsteen and CBS Records sued Californian bootleggers, including the infamous Andrea Waters, a.k.a. Vicky Vinyl.

PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE is among the ten vinyl bootlegs picked up in the accompanying bootleg reviews (written by the magazine staff, not the bootlegger), where it was concisely described as follows (transcribed as it is):

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Piece de Resistance - Piste
Springsteen fans will go nuts for this 3-record boxed set, all live, including the complete concert from his Sept. 19, 1978 Passaic, NJ appearance. There's lots of stuff not on regular albums, including a whole side of Mitch Ryder medley ("Devil With a Blue Dress", "Good Golly", "C.C. Rider", "Jenny Jenny") and of course all his hits. Bruce, who openly endorses bootlegs, is said to be especially pleased with this one.**
**I don't know whether that was true. However, Springsteen was reportedly delighted when he was handed his first-ever bootlegs, THE JERSEY DEVIL, after the Santa Barbara concert on November 1, 1975 [Clinton Heylin (1995) Chapter 7. Vicki's Vinyl. In: BOOTLEG: The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry, p.135, St. Martin's Press (New York); Clinton Heylin (2012) Chapter 6: 1978–79 — The Ties That Bind. In: E STREET SHUFFLE: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, p.188, Penguin Books (New York)].

Bomp! was published bimonthly or quarterly. Therefore, the March 1979 issue suggests that PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE was released in early 1979, or even by the end of 1978. As I noted long ago (see 01/25/2015), this also contradicts the widespread belief that this bootleg appeared after LIVE IN THE PROMISED LAND (a.k.a. WINTERLAND, 1978), another landmark triple-live-LP bootleg capturing a December 1978 FM broadcast concert at the Winterland Arena.*** It would have been impossible for a bootleg of the December concert to be released by the end of that year or even in early 1979.
***To my understanding, the source of this misconception is Heylin's E STREET SHUFFLE, cited above (on page 187), which states: "When that three disc set (i.e., LIVE IN THE PROMISED LAND) sold well, they (i.e., Vicky Vinyl and her conspirator) issued the Passaic FM broadcast too, as the memorable Pièce de Résistance ..." (parenthetical annotations by this blogger). 

Two "DARKNESS Tour" Brucelegs reviewed in an Aussie magazine issue, which was out in June 1979. Left and center: As you all know, the sleeve artwork — both front and back — of the RASES CAIN double LP bootleg is taken from Dave Marsh’s cover story in Rolling Stone #272 (August 24, 1978). Right: Although the shrinkwrap is partially torn in places due to aging, #01667 of the triple-LP box from my collection remains in sealed condition.

Another article, published in the June 1979 issue (Vol. 2, No. 5) of Roadrunner, an independent Australian music paper, is more detailed and brimming with enthusiasm for his live performances. It is also more extensive (nearly 900 words), partly because it reviews BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN RAISES CAIN (Omega 917), a double LP bootleg presenting an incomplete version of the Roxy 1978 FM broadcast — missing roughly one-third of the concert — as well as PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE. The piece appeared in the official album review section (page 20), with the bootleg titles listed rather anonymously, likely due to their unofficial status: Bruce Springsteen "Live in L.A. and New Jersey 1978" (Bootlegged). The review began as follows:

I was surprised that a U.S. classic bootleg was 
reviewed in a magazine published in a faraway 
Oceanian country shortly after its release.

They say that in his early days, Bruce Springsteen ached so much with yearning to perform that he would play anywhere and hock his music endlessly looking for a break. Listening to these 10 sides is to experience an artist so grateful to be on stage playing his songs that he gives everything, his heart and his soul, to the performance and the audience. One who strives only for perfection and hopes only to be the greatest. (underline by this blogger)

The underlined sentence above explains a major reason I was so drawn to these artifacts, especially in my youth: PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE and another double bootleg of the same Roxy 1978 concert (with a slightly different tracklist from RAISES CAIN) were the fourth and fifth copies in my bootleg collection, acquired 44 years ago on August 29, 1981 (see 11/03/2015). 

The review then moves on to focus on the outstanding live performances captured on the two bootlegs (about 500 words) — which I won’t elaborate on here — before concluding as follows:

If you've ever doubted the man's credibility, the over-bearing romanticism and the whole rain-swept-Jersey-Street imagery that he purveys (and who hasn't ever doubted it?) The antidote lies here. There have been too many outlandish claims on Springsteen's behalf, but I swear there are moments on these two albums that inspire like no other music I've heard. (underline made by this blogger)

Emphatic and almost evangelical, this closing remark is subjective yet highly persuasive because it is grounded in lived experience rather than abstract claims. Though published in 1979 and inevitably nostalgic, it still strikes me as a remarkable review that resonates today. You can find and read the above articles online, if you're interested and willing to do a little digging.

— Back to Part 1.

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 the 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 lunches.

Scanned images are taken from the last volume of a catalog provided by a Japanese vinyl-bootleg retailer I frequently used. If my memory serves me correctly, this B5-sized, 54-page stapled edition was issued in early January 1990. The image resolution of displayed album jackets is low, but twelve Brucelegs (#17–#20 and #23–#30) are still visible in the left image. By the way, the headline could be translated as “★★  Out-of-Print Bootlegs A to Z — Jacket Photo Corner  ★★,” although neither the albums nor the artists/groups are arranged alphabetically. As shown on the right, brief descriptions are provided for selected bootleg titles, including PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE (#29, indicated by green rounded boxes). An original numbered pressing was listed at ¥9,800, while an unnumbered reissue copy sold for ¥6,000 — roughly corresponding to US$68 and $42 based on the JPY–USD exchange rate 35 years ago, which was still something of a bargain, as these were sold at the final clearance prices.

Anyway, here’s an update to the listing of original numbered vinyl bootleg copies, which now totals 159 entries (compared with the previous survey, which documented 96 copies on 07/26/2020) — many thanks to everyone who provided information about their copy.

As before, the listing highlights the differences between early and late numbered issues: early copies carry yellow generic labels rather than Slipped Disc Records labels on the vinyl, with serial numbers stamped on a small plain sticker instead of directly on the slick insert (see 12/13/2015 and 07/26/2020 for label and numbering images). Yet I often encounter misleading descriptions, such as “This bootleg was originally released under Slipped Disc Records.” One new finding from this survey is that, in two cases, the same numbers (#150 and #650) appear to be shared by three independent copies (see the image below).

"Don’t trust the numbers on numbered 
boxed sets," someone in Southern 
California once told me when I acquired
a few records from his collection in the 
mid-1990s. Here’s an example: three 
copies share the same serial number 
(none in my possession).

By the way, I have been curious about how this bootleg was received by fans and collectors when it first began circulating in late 1978 or early 1979. It’s easy enough to imagine the excitement of anyone who managed to get hold of a copy and play it. What really interests me, however, is how it was actually covered in the print media at the time. Back then, there were no guide or reference books that comprehensively covered Springsteen bootlegs*, and it was not until the mid-1980s that such publications became available to collectors — for example, the bootleg file inclued in Blinded By The Light (P. Humphries & C. Hunt, 1985, Plexus, London) and a few other privately issued works, such as The Bruce Springsteen Bootleg Bible (Tony Montana, 1985, Montana Production, Inc., place of publication unknown).
*This may not be true for Hot Wacks issues from the late 1970s; however, I haven’t had the opportunity to read any of them.

In the next post, I will introduce two magazine articles that reported on this bootleg title — one briefly and the other in more detail — both published in 1979. 

— Continued to Part 2.

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: 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 and comparing different copies of the same album can sometimes uncover interesting facts about how vinyl records were made. Take DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN, for instance — early U.S. pressings were produced by eight different plants, among which six were operated by companies other than Columbia Records (see 08/20/2022 for the latest overview). Research like this also helps uncover the identities of uncredited mastering engineers who actually cut the master disc — especially for U.S. reissues and vinyl discs manufactured outside the U.S., where the originally credited engineer usually had no involvement. Examples include U.S. repressings for DARKNESS and THE RIVER, mastered by Chet Bennett (see 05/05/2022 and 12/22/2019), as well as U.K. original pressings of THE RIVER, NEBRASKA, and BORN IN THE U.S.A. by Tim Young (01/01/2020 and 01/05/2020).

A black-stickered U.S. reissue, credited as "Mastered by: Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk" on the custom inner sleeve, was actually cut by Chet Bennett, as revealed by his first name hand-etched in the deadwax (indicated by arrows). Although different master cuts often result in variations in deadwax spacing, the width of Bennett's cutting coincides with that of the Maestro's early pressing on both Sides One and Two (matrix numbers 3A and 2A, respectively: see 08/14/2019; Note that Ludwig also recut the master for a reissue: see 10/10/2020).

While the original U.S. pressing of BORN IN THE U.S.A. was cut by mastering legend Robert "Bob" Ludwig, the copy shown above — the latest addition to my  U.S. pressing collection — is another one mastered by C. Bennett. 

SIDE ONE:    <chet + AD>  PAL 38653    G3S    D G1
SIDE TWO:    <chet + AD>  BL 38653      G2Z    E G1        Straight = stamped; oblique = hand-etched.

As noted earlier, Bennett handled several repressings of Springsteen titles during his time at CBS/Columbia Records in the 1980s. I didn’t know who had mastered this budget reissue with the black hype sticker when I found it online, but I picked it up anyway to check the matrix information — after all, it cost just one coin (500 JPY ≈ 3.47 USD).

Alternate sleeve design also explains why collectors often seek multiple copies of a given title. Here are a few examples of my choices from my collection:

The top horizontal image shows the spine of the custom West German Vivitar sleeve, which bears no information about the artist’s name, album title, or catalog number. The disc is a red-label Holland pressing for the regular reissue. Although not pictured, the standard lyric sheet and inner sleeve are included.

• West-German "Vivtar" promotional reissue (CBS 86304): Released in the former West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) to mark the 50th anniversary of Vivitar Corp., U.S.-based photographic equipment company founded by German immigrants — this edition comes in the custom, promotion-only picture sleeve that makes it a genuine oddity. Yet the altered—or more precisely, replaced—sleeve scarcely identifies the record as a Springsteen release. Even if the cover image loosely relates to the lyrics of Glory Days, it doesn’t mention him or his music anywhere, not in German text on the back, nor on the spine, which reads “50 Jahre VIVITAR – die Weltmarke für Bildaufzeichnung ©1988 Hanimex (Deutschland) GmbH” [50 Years of VIVITAR – the global brand for image recording ©1988 Hanimex (Germany) GmbH]. Aside from the album title logo, there’s no reference to Springsteen at all. While undeniably rare, the release holds little appeal for me as a collector.

The former East Germany released not only the LP but also the cassette. On some copies of the cassette release (catalog number 056 222), the number is misprinted as "0 56 222" on the inlay card, although the correct version, matching the number printed at the top right of the rear LP sleeve, also exists.

• East-German issue (AMIGA 8 56 222): Issued in what was then former East Germany (German Democratic Republic), likely in 1986 or later according to the Discogs description, this version retains the original front cover design. However, about two-thirds of the back cover is filled with liner notes in German, adding a somewhat quirky charm. The layout is complemented by an appropriate photo of Springsteen, taken from the inner sleeve of the standard release. Incidentally, I studied German as my second foreign language during my undergraduate years — roughly four decades ago — but sadly, I’ve forgotten most of it, so I couldn’t make out the text on the back sleeve on my own.

With the Argentine release, the "Disco Para Demostracion..." promo indication appears not only on the front sleeve, but also the record labels. Interestingly, only half of the Spanish-translated song titles — Side One, Tracks 1, 2, and 6; Side Two, Tracks 2 to 4 — match exactly with those on Mexican LP (see top image). The remaining titles differ slightly (e.g., Side Two, Track 5 — possibly a misspelling?) or significantly (Side Two, Tracks 1 and 6). The track-length listings also don’t match exactly between the two releases.

• Argentine promotional release (CBS 20.534): The Argentine sleeve features a distinctive promotional marking “Disco Para Demostracion Venta Prohibida” (Demonstration Record – Sale Prohibited) printed diagonally in the top left corner, and the back deviates from the standard design — it’s printed in monochrome and also includes song titles in Spanish. My pick of the three.

Next, and finally, come a few Japanese items — though they are far less noteworthy or interesting than the advanced promotion-only release I introduced years ago (see 07/18/2015).

— Continued to Part 4 / Back to Part 1 or Part 2.

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.

The flyer also gave ordering instructions, asking buyers to send 6,800 JPY (about US $27 at the time, roughly $80 in 2025) via registered mail to a listed address — a collector’s shop called Universal Records Inc., located in Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo, long regarded as the mecca of bootlegs in Japan. Delivery was free until April 30, after which an additional 800 JPY shipping fee applied. Living in Kyoto back then, I had no way of knowing whether the shop actually existed, so I naturally refrained from placing an order. After all, this was 40 years ago — no email, no internet, no social networking apps, and calling Tokyo was very expensive!

Images are taken from the relevant Discogs entry (here), as my own copy has been in storage at my parents' house for years. Mine is also shrink-wrapped but lacks the small silver sticker that reads "Special Limited Red, Blue, white wax [sic]."

Nevertheless, by mid-July, I found the bootleg in stock at one of my regular stores — JEUGIA's Shin-Kyogoku Sanjo branch in Kyoto — pressed on red, white, and blue vinyl, just as the flyer had advertised. The foldout insert sleeve carried no recording date or venue, and bootleg guides often noted the source as unknown (e.g., Last Ride In A Pink Cadillac; see 04/23/2016 for this booklet) or listed it incorrectly from Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherfold, N.J., August 1984 (e.g., Wanted Vol. 1 by Jan Rodenrijs [1994]; see 12/08/2020 for this excellent guidebook; and the original entry in the Discogs database here).

Last Ride In Pink Cadillac (authors unknown, circa 1986), included in
the gorgeous 6-LP bootleg box set GRANDE FINALE, is a concise
discography that exclusively lists and reviews Born in the U.S.A. tour
bootlegs — 97 titles in total, not including GRANDE FINALE itself.
Numbers in parentheses indicate sound quality ratings on a scale
from 12 to 21, with higher numbers representing better quality. For
example, THIS GUNS FOR HIRE (5LP), sourced from an excellent
audience recording, is rated 19, while the dubious honor of receiving
the lowest rating (12 to 13) goes to LEEDS 85 (4LP).

However, for a young Bruceleg junkie, it wasn't difficult to deduce from the tracklist that this triple-vinyl set was essentially a reissue of the double LP BORN IN THE U.S.A. LIVE Vol. 1. 21-7-84 Montreol [sic], combined with excerpts — mainly encore performances — from the four-record set BORN IN CINCINNATI. Both titles had already circulated locally here before the Japan leg of the tour began, and I had acquired both by then: LIVE Vol. 1, on March 19, 1985; CINCINNATI, on December 15, 1984. The bootleggers simply reconstituted these two sources to present the set as if it were from a single concert recording. Moreover, the mediocre and uninspired album title, along with the sleeve design based on the Star-Spangled motif, was largely borrowed from the latter, one of the earliest and, in my opinion, worst bootlegs from this long-stretched 1984-85 world tour. According to the inaugural issue of Wanted, mentioned above, BORN IN THE AMERICA (reportedly limited to 300 copies) and LIVE Vol.1 are of Japanese origin — yes, both have stamped, not hand-etched, matrix numbers in their dead wax, at least.

I could probably go on about these bootlegs, but I’ll stop here and turn to three collectibles from that official big-selling album — each a bit too minor or mundane for a standalone blog post, yet still worth mentioning.

— Continued to Part 3 / Back to Part 1.

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.

As noted in my old handwritten purchase log, I gave the two double-
LP sets from the first night in Osaka a low sound quality rating (C on
an A-to-C scale), likely because I had been overexposed to excellent
FM-sourced bootlegs from the 1978 tour, such as PIÈCE DE
RÉSISTANCE and LIVE IN THE PROMISED LAND. Note that the
4-LP gatefold edition is not listed here, as this version of the log is
relatively old, dating from the late 1980s, and predates its acquisition.

While I feel tempted to write something about the concert itself (see 04/23/2015), I’ll refrain — after all, it would likely turn into a dull, subjective personal account. Instead, as a collector, I’ll focus here on some of the miscellaneous vinyl and CD collectibles associated with this monster album that have not been featured before on this blog. They may not be especially rare or valuable, but they’re still worth noting. Before that, however, let me revisit my purchase log of bootleg records of the two Osaka gigs on April 22 and 23, 1985 (As far as I know, no vinyl bootlegs have ever been released for the Kyoto concert).

Left: All of the albums, except for the complete 4/22/1985 set (bottom right), were released in 1985, and every title was purchased at JEUGIA music stores in Kyoto city, as mentioned in the main text. Right: The clear LP bag holding the LP (SECOND DAY AT CASTLE HALL Vol. I, backside, which is nicely done) features a JEUGIA logo imprint, which is outlined with a dashed yellow line.

Although the tracklists on all eight sides are identical, as shown
in the image above for Side One, the dead-wax matrix numbers
differ between the two double-LP versions (top) and the quad LP
edition (bottom) of THE BOSS IN THE EAST.

As expected, vinyl bootlegs of the Osaka shows began to surface a couple of months later. The first to circulate were THE BOSS IN THE EAST Vol. I and II (TBS 22485 and 22486) — two double-disc sets capturing the first night (April 22), which still show up fairly often in online auctions here. Back in the summer of 1985, I found them for sale at a music store in Kyoto called JEUGIA (Karasuma-Shijo branch). However, I couldn’t afford to buy both at once — each set cost 5,000 JPY (about US $21 at the time, roughly $62 in today’s money, based on an online inflation calculator). So, I picked up Volume II first on July 10, mainly because it included Devil With The Blue Dress Medley performed exclusively on that night. It took four more weeks for a poor student to get Volume I — on August 6, according to my purchase log. 

Probably a few years later, a pirated copy — not a reissue or repress — of the above sets appeared as a 4-LP gatefold sleeve edition (Dynafidelity 22487). It was issued under the same title with the subtitle THE COMPLETE 4/22/85 on the front and a claim of “LIMITED EDITION 300 SET/PIECES” on the rear sleeve. I ignored it when it first came out but eventually picked up a copy on September 27, 1991 — again at the Karasuma-Shijo branch. Note that the records play back slightly faster than the actual performance.

Two snapshots were taken abroad the Shinkansen bullet train and
at the Japan Railways (JR) station where it stopped — possibly
during the trip from Tokyo to Kyoto. Alternatively, could they have
been taken during a one-day round trip from Osaka to Hiroshima,
as he reportedly visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
on April 21?

Shortly after the original release of THE BOSS IN THE EAST, another JEUGIA branch — located at Shin-Kyogoku Sanjo and specializing in vinyl imports — began accepting reservations for a similar two-volume bootleg set covering the second night I attended, with a 1,000 JPY deposit. The price was the same as that of the first-night bootlegs. By the end of that summer, SECOND DAY AT CASTLE HALL Vol. I and II (TBS 23485 and 23486) became available, and August 30 turned out to be a truly joyful day — I had finally gotten what I’d been eagerly waiting for, something that would let me relive the excitement and emotion through the magic of bootlegging!

A few months later, yet another bootleg of this concert appeared: LAST NIGHT IN THE EAST, a triple-disc set that came with a cheaply made insert and two snapshots. Although it was pricey at 8,000 JPY, I managed to purchase it at the Karasuma-Shijo branch on November 18, 1985 — simply because I had been there and believed it was an independent pressing, not a pirate copy of SECOND DAY ... (which, as it turns out, it was). Most likely, a similar 3-LP set, LAST NIGHT IN JAPAN (which I don't own: see the Discogs entry here), was merely a reissue of this title, featuring a redesigned insert but omitting the photos.

The copy I received is hand-numbered as No. 9 of 100. The concert
date, "April 22," on the front and rear sleeves is incorrect, and the
booklet contains a misspelling, printing “reson” instead of “reason.”

Fourteen years later, in 1999, the first CD edition (Piggham 12–13) of the final night was finally released by Piggham Records — a European CD-R bootleg label whose titles were relatively rare in Japan at the time. I probably learned about this release through LuckyTown Digest, the well-known online Springsteen message/discussion board of the era, and placed an order with the Spanish retailer mentioned earlier (see 12/08/2020). It became one of the last bootleg CDs I added to my collection before I stopped collecting that kind of material.

— Continued to Part 2.