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.

Springsteen is mentioned as a candidate
for CX alternate releases in a Billboard
article titled "CBS steps up push on CX
LPs" (Nov. 13th, 1982). Bill Fox, Vice
President of operations and finance at
CBS Records Group, was responsible
for the worldwide CX effort (Note that
Billboard has released magazine issues
into the public domain by releasing
them on Google Books and the
Internet Archive).

Then, in 2016 and again in 2020, a purported CX-encoded test pressing of THE RIVER (Disc One only), intended for demo or in-house use only, surfaced on eBay from the East and West Coasts, respectively. As shown in the previous post (01/04/2025), each test pressing came in a plain white sleeve with a small rectangular sticker that mentioned "CX" and featured a misspelled artist name (see the image far below). Despite being stated as a test pressing, the labels on the vinyl itself were the standard red Columbia design with a yellow rim, making them indistinguishable from a regular pressing at first glance.

That said, there are two distinct differences between the "CX" test pressings and regular pressings. The first is the matrix numbers stamped on the deadwax of the CX discs (see the images of SIDE ONE in the post on 01/04/2025 and SIDE TWO on 09/30/2021):

SIDE 1:   p    XRD-AL-36855-A2
SIDE 2:   p    XRD-BL-36855-A2

The preceding "p" stamp is the hallmark of Columbia Records' Pitman-plant pressing.

By contrast, to the best of my knowledge, all standard U.S. vinyl pressings—whether early or late—feature hand-etched matrix numbers. Early pressings also include two distinctive markings: a "MASTERED BY CAPITOL" stamp and the hand-written initials "KP " of Mastering Engineer Ken Perry (see 05/30/2020 and earlier, such as 09/10/2014). For instance, Disc One from one of the regular pressings in my possession bears the following matrix numbers (oblique, hand-etched; straight; stamped):

SIDE 1:   p   PAL-36855 1G F7        MASTERED AT CAPITOL         KP
SIDE 2:   p   PBL-36855 1F F6        MASTERED AT CAPITOL         KP

The second difference is the width of the silent part between tracks, which is noticeably wider on the CX-test discs (see the photo immediately below). However, I am uncertain whether this feature is technically related to the CX noise reduction system. Does anyone have any information about this?

Compared to the standard disc (left ), the CX-test pressing (right ) features a visibly unique characteristic: wider spacing of the silent grooves between tracks. Both images show Side Two of Disc One, with insets offering enlarged views of the silent groove section between Track One (Hungry Heart ) and Track Two (Out in the Street ).

Without a doubt, the central question regarding these alleged CX-encoded test-pressing copies is whether they are official or counterfeit, as no CX-encoded version of this album has ever been commercially known to exist. In the following, I summarize the facts and evidence that either support or refute the authenticity of these test pressings.

CX-encoded LP alternates (identified by the red
logo sticker) have been released for several
of Billy Joel's albums in the U.S. and Europe
(not in my possession). Could Springsteen's
titles have been released as well?

Supportive

1. Both the East and West Coast sellers acquired this Springsteen test pressing along with other known CX-test and regular pressings from industry insiders or audio reviewers. The West Coast seller explained, "We recently purchased a small collection of records from a sound engineer who had some audiophile albums and a few were the short lived CX encoded albums put out by Sony/Columbia/CBS records."  By the way, sound professionals are excellent sources of these vinyl pressings. I also obtained a few test pressings from a sound engineer based in NYC, including a LIVE/1975-85 disc previously mentioned (see 09/24/2022 and 09/30/2022).
2. Each vinyl disc appears to be professionally pressed, exhibiting a clean surface with minimal crackling or popping when played on a turntable. As shown in the previous post (01/04/2025), the record labels seem genuine and indistinguishable from those on standard pressings.
3. The sound quality is fine even without decoding, although I must stress that I'm not an audiophile but a collector.
4. The matrix number prefix, XRD, is quite uncommon, and I have never seen it in the matrix numbers on any U.S.-pressed LPs of Springsteen’s titles. However, a search of the Discogs and Popsike databases uncovered several instances of this prefix appearing in the matrix numbers of Columbia/CBS Records releases across various genres, from rock to classical music, including Elvis Costello's CX-test pressing for GET HAPPY!  (here). According to the East Coast seller, "The XRD means it's encoded for the CX process."  However, I have not yet been able to confirm this claim.
5. The commercial release of the CX-encoded edition of BORN TO RUN LP raises the possibility that, back then, additional albums were being prepared for similar treatment—potentially including THE RIVER CX demo LP. Multiple CX-alternate releases from the back catalog of a single artist, such as Billy Joel, further support this idea.

The sticker carries a misspelling and no record title.
And what does the number "11" refer to?  Copy number?

Refutable

1. The record labels are from Columbia Records' regular pressing rather than Pitman's white test pressing (see 01/25/2015 and 11/11/2017). Moreover, there is no "CX logo" on them, even though the CX-encoded BORN TO RUN disc features it on the standard red labels (see 10/08/2021).
   
2. Although THE RIVER is a double album, only the Disc One test pressing has surfaced to date. Note, however, that this seems plausible, as test pressings for multiple-disc sets are generally checked individually during manufacturing (e.g., LIVE/1975-85; see 09/30/2022). If this were the case, the release of the CX version of THE RIVER might have been abandoned halfway through due to Columbia/CBS Records' withdrawal from the project sometime in 1983.
   
3. The improbable misspelling "SPRINGSTEIN" on the rectangular sticker pasted on the sleeve raises suspicions that the record is not genuine but a counterfeit. The sticker is not unlike that of a LIVE test pressing, though (see 09/30/2022).

Based on the above, it seems to me that this is genuine, though I'm still unsure. I would appreciate your thoughts and any insights you may have regarding this particular CX-test pressing, as well as any leads or information you might have on it.

— Back to Part 1.

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.

CX identification stickers are typically affixed to the rear
sleeves (photo sourced from the blog on 12/29/2022).

Previously, I introduced the Compatible eXpansion (CX)-encoded vinyl pressing of BORN TO RUN (U.S. Columbia JC 33795), released circa 1982 or early 1983 (see 09/30/2021 and 10/08/2021). This pressing shares the same catalog number as the late 1970s and later reissues, but it is distinguished by CX identification stickers on the album sleeve (see the image right). This particular vinyl format is notable because it can be played both with and without a CX decoder, which is why it is referred to as "compatible." To my surprise, this unique pressing of Springsteen's iconic album has been largely overlooked by collectors, as well as in guidebooks, databases, and fanzines like Backstreets, for nearly four decades. It appears to have only been added to the Discogs database around 2019 (here). 

Despite the innovative technology behind it, the CX encoding system was highly criticized by prominent sound engineers, including Robert "Bob" Ludwig, known later for his work on many of Springsteen's records, including back catalog reissues. Ludwig said, "I hate it. I’m going to give up the business if it ever catches on." (Billboard, June 27, 1981, p. 33). As a vinyl collector, however, I always regard this short-lived release as a unique entry in Springsteen's catalog, rarer and more difficult to find than other variant releases of the third album, such as the Half-Speed Mastered edition (U.S. Columbia HC 33795 for the original and HC 43795 for the reissue).

Although apparently a different pressing, the record labels and stamper rings of a CX-encoded disc (right) are
indistinguishable from those of a standard copy (left). Both are manufactured at Columbia Records' Pitman plant,
as evidenced by the "P" stamp in the deadwax (see the image below).

To date, this U.S. pressing remains the only confirmed commercially released CX-encoded Springsteen record, despite the numerous CX-encoded LPs pressed in Holland and widely available across Europe—none of which, to my knowledge, include any Springsteen titles. However, as I wrote previously (09/30/2021), BORN TO RUN was not the first CX-encoded Springsteen album that brought this unsuccessful audiophile format to my attention. That distinction goes to THE RIVER (Disc One only), reportedly not a commercial release but a test pressing. So far, I have seen it appear online just twice.

The matrix number on Side One deadwax is machine-typed
"XRD-AL-36855-A2" with a "P" stamp, the hallmark of
Pitman-plant manufacturing, on the upstream.

Back in 2016, the first copy appeared on eBay with the caption "COLUMBIA EXPERIMENTAL DEMO CX ENCODED #20/500 Bruce Springsteen The River."  The U.S. seller, located in Massachusetts, seemed knowledgeable about audio formats and devices, likely with some direct or indirect connection to the music industry. Then, in 2020, another copy was listed on the auction under the heading "BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN 'THE RIVER' CX ENCODED AUDIOPHILE PROMO 1 LP RARE UNUSUAL WLP," although it was actually not a WLP (white label promo). This second copy was sold by someone, probably a second-hand record retailer or shop staff, based in Washington State. Both vinyl pressings look identical in terms of labels and deadwax matrix numbers.

— Continued to Part 2.

BORN TO RUN US pressing LP variants: the short-lived, CX-encoded noise-reduction disc released in the early 1980s (Part 1 of 2)

This special vinyl edition is the one I previously mentioned as a major lack in my LP list of various U.S. BORN TON RUN releases when I replied to the comment posted by an anonymous visitor (to the blog article on 07/29/2016). It is one of about 70* new and reissue titles of various music genres from Columbia Records' unsucceeded project in the early 1980s to introduce a novel noise-reduction technology to the analog audio sound, called "Compatible eXpansion (CX)" encoding system, originally developed by CBS Laboratories in the late 1970s. 
*According to the information available on Wikipedia; however, the number differs depending on the sources.

A small CX identification sticker is not pasted on the shrink warp,
but directly glued on the lower right corner of the rear side of
the gate-fold sleeve (Columbia JC 33795).

The "CX"-encoded disc program would allow vinyl sounds better not only by reducing record surface noise but also by extending dynamic ranges. The "CX" is said so because a CX-encoded disc could even sound normal on any regular audio device (with an acceptable level of dynamic range compression), although you can benefit from the noise reduction/dynamic range expansion process if your playback system is equipped with add-on CX-decoder hardware. 

However, despite what the record company officially claimed, the debate over its "compatibility," a key part of the "CX" project, continued even inside the company. Early on, some of the label's own producers, engineers, and artists criticized that the CX-compressed action was audible without using the decoder, disputing the claim of its single-inventory compatibility. The same was outside the company. Among those who strongly opposed this new technology were Ken Perry of the Capitol Studios and Bob Ludwig of New York's Masterdisk, two cutting engineers associated with Springsteen's works ("CBS Fields CX Knocks," Billboard, June 27, 1981). In addition, there were no CX software releases from other major record labels and companies, which also hindered its widespread use. Consequently, the CX-sound system had become extinct on the vinyl format around the time when the CD arrived on the scene quickly. The technology was successfully applied on laserdisc, though.

What is described as the demo "CX" version of THE RIVER Disc 1
is visually distinguished from the standard pressing only by the
deadwax's matrix number (XRD-BL-36855-2A on Side 2) that
appears in the contrast-changed uppermost part of the image.

Because of the short-lived format, I had long been unaware of the existence of the CX-encoded version of the BORN TO RUN LP available commercially. However, it was not this album that made me realize CX alternates on Springsteen's LP titles. Back in 2016, through the usual search on eBay, I came across a curious auction item with the headline, "COLUMBIA EXPERIMENTAL DEMO CX ENCODED #20/500 Bruce Springsteen The River." 

Being a vinyl collector but not an audiophile, I had never heard of or known anything about the audio technical term "CX." Obviously, the auctioned demo LP prompted me to explore other examples of the unique vinyl format on Springsteen's back catalog. Then, I found a piece of relevant information in a Steve Hoffman's Music Forum thread entitled CBS "CX encoded" LP's (starting on May 9, 2005), where someone self-proclaimed as a die-hard Springsteen collector recalled his encounter with the CX version of the third album in Houston, TX, years back. To quote his post, he concludes: I passed on the record -- much to my eternal regret, as I've never seen another one, either in person or offered for sale anywhere at anytime (posted on Jan. 23, 2014). His words were enough to stimulate my instinct as a collector to try to dig out the CX-encoded BORN TO RUN LP.

— To be continued to Part 2.

Collecting log: The early 1980s U.K. vinyl pressings with "timtom" or "Ty" handwritten matrix inscription (Part 3 of 4)

Happy new year! I tried to complete this topic within the last year but was just not able to have enough time to do so. Anyway, I'll continue to blog on my collection and hope all your collectors' wishes come true this year.

In my collection, the earliest example of a timtom-inscription, as shown in the inset on the upper-left corner, is found on Side 2 of BORN TO RUN (matrix number suffixes; -A4/B2) that was included in the 3-LP box set released in the U.K., November, 1979. However, his hand-etching was not found in the other two albums (the first two albums) also coming in this box; the same is the case for a later regular copy of BTR LP shown on the left (-A5/-B3).

The latest three blog posts, including this one, focus on Springsteen's U.K. pressings that were cut by Tim Young, an audio mastering maestro in Europe, also known as the first non-U.S. Grammy-awarded engineer (2008). Before co-founding and joining the world renowned Metropolis Mastering with his colleagues in 1993, he had served at CBS Studios, London (1976-1993), where he was already admired for his work of cutting vinyl records for various artists. As shown in the last two posts, his handiwork of cutting 7" and 12" singles from THE RIVER is easily identified by his timtom or Ty hand-etched signature on the dead-wax space. As far as I examined, however, it was not confirmed that he was involved in cutting 7" singles from the next album NEBRASKA and further subsequent albums (i.e. no signatures on the dead-wax), suggesting that his contribution was exclusive to THE RIVER singles. So, to clarify this a little more in depth, I extended the survey into the vinyl album pressings.

A DMM stamp as found on the plain white test
pressing of TUNNEL OF LOVE U.K. picture disc.

Although my U.K. vinyl collection is quite small in quantity compared with the U.S. counterpart, I found timtom or Ty inscription in some copies of BORN TO RUN (CBS S 69170), THE RIVER (CBS 88510), NEBRASKA (CBS 25100), and BORN IN THE U.S.A. (CBS 86304), that have been originally released between 1975 and 1984. Note that this does not exclude the possibility that he was involved in the cutting of other albums pressed in the U.K., especially of DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (CBS S 86061), since the release year of which falls within the period of his career at CBS Studios (unfortunately, I own only a repressed copy for the U.K. edition that does not carry either hand-etching). It is, however, unlikely that he cut the lacquer masters for LIVE/1975-85 (CBS 450227 1) and TUNNEL OF LOVE (CBS 460270 1), taking into account the fact that these mid- to late-1980s pressings were made from direct metal masters (often accomanying a dead-wax stamp or inscription DMM).

An observation almost common to these timtom- or Ty-inscribed albums of Springsteen mentioned above is that his signature is inscribed only on one side of a vinyl disc. For example, I found a timtom hand-etching on Side 2 of BORN TO RUN that came as a part of BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN 3LP box set (CBS 66353) as shown in the top picture:

• Side 1:   CBS-S-69170-A4
• Side 2:   CBS-S-69170-B2         timtom  

The above copy is obviously not an initial pressing since the box was issued November 1979. This coincides with the fact that his career at CBS Studios started in 1976, but not in 1975 when this classic rock album is originally released, although a further late copy I own had no timtom handwriting (matrix number suffixes -5A/-3B ).

Part of matrix inscriptions on Side 1 of the test pressing (left), the regular first pressing (middle), and a subsequent pressing (upper and lower right) of THE RIVER U.K. 2LP, the last of which additionally carries a machine stamp and hand-etchings that are generally found in the U.S. pressings.
 

 

Comparison of the dead-wax width among four different U.K. pressings of THE RIVER LP. From left to right: test pressing, first pressing, and two subsequent pressings with the U.S. matrix information on Sides 1, 2 and 4 (left of the two) and Side 2 only (right). The last one came with a two-sided flyer advertising through BORN IN THE U.S.A., indicating that it's a mid-1980s repress. Note that the dead-wax space gets narrower as a pressing gets later.

The other three albums mentioned above were released in the 1980's after he joined CBS Studios. As for THE RIVER LP, however, there are no his signatures on the test pressing and its regular release edition in my possession, which share the identical matrix numbers as follows:

• Side 1:   84622-A-1   CBS S 85510-A-1
• Side 2:   84622-B-1   CBS S 85510-B-1
• Side 3:   84623-A-1   CBS S 85510-C-1
• Side 4:   84623-B-1   CBS S 85510-D-1

A typical early U.K. package contains round-top inner sleeves in
addition to a hype sticker and a flyer advertising back issues.

Although here I don't go into the details, this LP released in the U.K. shows variations in several aspects from pressing to pressing (BTW, the variations found in the European copies of THE RIVER LP is definitely a collector-oriented subject that needs exploration). To my knowledge, the relatively early copies came with a hype sticker on the front sleeve, inner sleeves with round-top cut-out shape, a one-sided merchandise leaflet listing up to DARKNESS, and sunburst record labels with "MADE IN ENGLAND" printed on the bottom but not on the rim. However, most of such pressings had matrix numbers different from those of the above-mentioned very early pressing, strangely mixing up with the U.S. pressing-specific inscriptions (see here and here, for example). Here is one instance from my collection (oblique, hand-etched; straight, machine-stamped):

• Side 1:   CBS-S-84622-A3  85510-A3  PAL-36855 ENG F21    KP   MASTERED BY CAPITOL
• Side 2:   CBS-S-84622-B3  85510-B3  PBL-36855 ENG F21    KP   MASTERED BY CAPITOL
• Side 3:   CBS-S-84623-A2  85510-C2       Ty
• Side 4:   CBS-S-84623-B3  85510-D3  PBL-36856 ENG F23    KP   MASTERED BY CAPITOL 

Young's signature found on Side 3 of a U.K.
pressing. Note that this side is free of U.S.-
related matrix inscriptions.

Supposedly, these pressings used the U.S.-made lacquer masters after the U.K.-specific matrix codes were inscribed on the dead-wax space, with the exception of Side 3 where such U.S. codes are totally absent. Interestingly, only this side carried a Ty signature, an indication that it was the only side among the four that was cut in the U.K. 

As always, I fantasized how this mixed-up matrix codes could happen, which is explained by the following speculative scenario:

1. The very first lacquer masters, which were cut in the U.K. (but not by Tim Young because his signatures are not found on the deawax), were used to press the vinyl album at the early phase of its release. In fact, I've seen these regular copies (with the matrix suffixes A-1/B-1/C-1/D-1) much less compared with the rest of pressings.
2. And then for unknown reason(s), the lacquer masters were replaced by those of the U.S. origin carrying a MASTERED BY CAPITOL machine-stamp and KP inscribed by mastering engineer Ken Perry at Capitol. Another matrix inscription ENG might refer to the assigned export to the U.K. Note that some other European pressings, such as Dutch discs, carry a similar abbreviated country code like HOL, in addition to the U.S. pressing-specific inscriptions. 
3. However, such lacquer masters might happen to contain Held Up Without A Gun, the last tune deleted from the album, on Track 2 of Side 3. 
4. So, the new lacquer was cut by Young using the final master tape including five tracks, but not six, for this particular side. 

Oddly, mastering engineer's name does not show up in the album's production credits on the U.K. edition (left),
but is clearly indicated on the U.S. edition (right, Ken Perry), of the accompanying lyric sheet.

Just a fantasized idea. So, most probably this is wrong. Interestingly, however, the U.K. version of the folded lyric sheet does not credit who is responsible for mastering, despite that Ken Perry (at Capitol) is clearly mentioned on the U.S. edition. This printed fact might support the above speculative scenario (#1) that CBS Records U.K. had originally no intention to use the U.S.-made lacquer masters for pressing THE RIVER LP. The next and final post on this topic examines the U.K. edition of NEBRASKA and BORN IN THE U.S.A.
— To be continued.

Collecting log: The early 1980s U.K. vinyl pressings with "timtom" or "Ty" handwritten matrix inscription (Part 1 of 4)

Whoever credited (see the inset taken from the lyric sheet), the
master lacquer of this vinyl pressing is cut by someone else.
Shown is a U.S. repressed copy of THE RIVER Disc 1, where the
matrix inscription "chet" means that the master-cutting engineer
is Chet Bennett who worked for CBS Records in the 1980s.

As you see in this blog, one of my favorite activities to do when hunting a vinyl record, whether official or bootleg, is to check the dead-wax space for the matrix numbers and associated stamps or inscriptions. This can allow us to know fundamental information regarding production of a given record, such as the generation of the pressing and location of the pressing factory. The initials of a mastering engineer are also hand-etched or stamped, though not always. Of course, we can know who is responsible for mastering and cutting, from production credits that are usually printed on the inner or outer sleeve, or accompanying lyric sheet. Such credits, however, generally remain not updated when the record is repressed and someone else acts for the original engineer to cut master recordings. So, the presence of the initials for the original mastering engineer is regarded as a proof for an original pressing. Known examples of such initials on the dead-wax space of Springsteen's vinyl albums are KP for Ken Perry on THE RIVER (always coupled with the machine-typed "MASTERED BY CAPITOL"), D.K. for Dennis King on NEBRASKA (as part of the stamp "Atlantic Studios D.K."), and RL for Robert "Bob" Ludwig on BORN IN THE U.S.A. (in association with a "MASTERDISK" stamp). The above three are all U.S.-based mastering engineers. Then, is there any non-U.S. engineer who has left his/her signature on a lead-out space of vinyl records pressed and released outside the U.S.?

A Grammy-winning engineer cut several of Springsteen's U.K. releases in
the early 1980's. This U.K.-only 12" EP has two typical his signatures,
timtom on Side A (lower right) and Ty on Side B (upper right).

Tim Young is a famous British sound and mastering engineer. He's probably best known as the first to win a Grammy Award among non-U.S. mastering engineers in 2008, for his contribution to LOVE, the sound track compilation originally recorded by the Beatles. He's also well known for his reputable works of vinyl lacquer cutting at CBS studios, London, in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. Those vinyl records include LONDON CALLING (The Clash), METAL BOX (Public Image Limited) and PRETENDERS (The Pretenders), to mention a few. Although seldom mentioned as his representative works, if you carefully examine your U.K. copies of Springsteen's titles, you may find "timtom" or "Ty" hand-etching on certain vinyl pressings. These matrix inscriptions are two of several typical signatures used by him.

One of the earliest acquired items in my collecting career starting in the 1980s (two each of the misspelled and corrected releases). 

Perhaps it was when I started collecting official releases, in addition to bootleg records, that I first noticed these signatures on some U.K. pressings. One of such official collectibles I obtained in the mid-1980s included a 12" EP copy of The River - Born To Run / Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (CBS A13-1179) with a classic misprint error "East Street" twice on the rear sleeve. Back then, however, I didn't care about these matrix things and it was much later that I became interested in what they meant by and what I could know from them. According to the Lost In The Flood website, there are three variants for this U.K.-only release, first in the misspelt picture sleeve, second in the corrected sleeve, and third in a die-cut company sleeve. I own the first two both of which are identical in all respects of their discs including the matrix codes:

     Side A:  CBS • S • A • 13 • 1179 A1       timtom
     Side B:  CBS • S • A • 13 • 1179 B1          Ty

Then I was just curious about whether these signatures were also inscribed on the other U.K. releases related to THE RIVER and his other albums and singles pressed there in the 1980s. 
— To be continued.

Collecting log: Collectable acquisitions in 2017 (Part 1 of 3)

To me, officially and privately, 2017 was the busiest in recent years, and although the calendar year is coming to a close, here in the Far East, the fiscal year still continues to the end of March next year. Accordingly, the number of blog posts this year (that counts 22 including this one) is the lowest since 2014 when I started writing about my collection. This situation also slowed down my activities for collecting and hunting, which, in marked contrast to the last year's report, resulted in few exciting collectables in 2017 (and that's why I refrain using the term "best" collectable for the title of this year-end post). Having said that, I pick up three vinyl titles from this year's acquisition: they are not new here, or probably not main stream collectables, but still worth mentioning as interesting items. Note that this first post is also the latest part of a featured blog series THE RIVER LP collectibles.

THE RIVER "CBS Special Products" US 2LP (US Columbia PC2 36854)
Yes, this rarely seen edition of my favorite double LP has been featured on the very first post in this blog. This year I won yet another copy at Yahoo! Japan auction for an unexpectedly cheap price (330 JPY; just below US $3.00 as of the exchange rate when the auction ended). The seller was a used record store adopting a low margin/high volume policy, and so the starting bid was set as 100 JPY for every auctioned vinyl. The auction

The auction ends at a way cheap price with total 6 bids raised by 5
bidders. A major difference from the regular labels is the omission
of the yellow peripheral rim of COLUMBIA RECORDS lettering/logo
(Images taken and modified from the actual auction page).

page stated shortly the minimum information on the record (i.e., the catalog number and sleeve/disc conditions). A picture of the front sleeve with the two discs was also shown, from which I knew it was "CBS Special Products". There were five competitive bidders including myself who joined the auction. Luckily for me, the bid amounts raised by the other four competitors were quite low by a factor of 100 (i.e. 320, 280, 220, and 200 JPY) when compared to how much collectors have paid for similar auctions (average US $218 and median $167 from 10 eBay auctions, ranging between a minimum of $27 in 2014 and a maximum of $522 in 2013; see the summary table based on the search results on Popsike.come). So, it is obvious that these bidders did not know or recognize the market rate of the auctioned copy

(though exaggerated, in my opinion) and merely regarded it as one of many second-hand imports from the US. Having obtained the third copy in my possession, I thought this would be a good opportunity to update the information on this unusual release that remains vague even in collector's circles.
      Since its first appearance on eBay around in 2013, this particular double LP has often been explained as a possible early or advanced pressing every time it was put for auction sales. For example, an eBay seller suggestively described his/her item as "Maybe a test/pre-pressing before they [i.e. Columbia Records] did the normal run?"  To quote a comment posted on Discogs.com, what it says is: "Very rare CBS Special Products pressing, made with distinct labels just prior to distribution of regular stock copies". From my view, these descriptions represent the most probable misleading information, based on the following facts and observations:

• Matrix information: The two matrix markings, "KP" (the initials of Mastering Engineer) and "MASTERED BY CAPITOL", are not found on the dead wax of the double discs, although having these hand-etching and machine-stamp is an indication of early pressings of this vinyl album (see here for the details). Moreover, the double-letter suffix codes (-AB/-AA) of the matrix numbers, AL-36855-AB/BL-36855-AA on Disc 1 and AL-36856-AB/BL-36856-AA on Disc 2, are quite unlikely to have been assigned for advanced or initial pressings, according to the matrix numbering of Columbia Records. Finally, it is also unlikely that back then, advanced or initial pressings were pressed at a plant other than the three major plants of Columbia Records in Santa Maria CA, Terre Haute IN, and Pitman NJ; THE RIVER CBS Special Products LP is pressed at the factory of Electrosound Group Midwest, Inc., located in Shelbyville IN (as indicated by the matrix etching "Emw"). As far as I know, there is no evidence that this company is involved in the album production in 1980. 

The sleeve surface of the original pressing is glossy
laminated (away) whereas that of the repressing looks
rather matte (front), which may represent another
noticeable difference between the two pressings
(though the picture is not good enough to show the
difference).

• Sleeve format: The original single-pocket sleeve of THE RIVER LP is box-like, with a thick spine (approximately 6 mm in width) that is large enough to house two records stored in thick inner sleeves plus a lyric sheet fold-out. Although the thinner sleeve version (with the spine width of about 3 mm) also exists, as far as I examined, such release mostly contains later vinyl pressings of the regular Columbia label discs, as shown by the different matrix codes without the above-mentioned two matrix markings. So, almost certainly, the thinner sleeve format was introduced one or more years after its original release in 1980, in order to cut down production costs when the album was repressed (It is well known that the maga-hit sales of BORN IN THE U.S.A. results in a boost of his back catalog sales). To the best of my knowledge, all the known THE RIVER CBS Special Products releases come in the thinner sleeve, and I have never seen any copy of this edition housed in the original thick sleeve.

Other examples of the CBS Special Products LP releases. Note that the albums with this unique label
seem to have been released in a short time period between 1983 and 1985. From left to right: 18 SONG
YOU'LL ALWAYS LOVE by Martin Robbins (1983), ROCK OF THE 80'S by various artists (1984), THE BEST
OF MILES DAVIS by Miles Davis (1985), and CHRISTMAS WITH JOHNNY MATHIS by Johnny Mathis (1985)
(Images taken from Discogs.com).
 

An example of Columbia Special
Products labels (taken from
LondonJazzCollector)

• Record label design:  There are many examples of Columbia Special Products (CSP) LP releases (By the way, I don't exactly know what the difference between the two "Special Products" issues is). However, if you perform Google Image Search for CBS Special Products, you would probably fail to hit the same label design as Springsteen's. So, is the CBS Special Products label unique to Springsteen's 5th album or used for other releases by other CBS/Columbia Records artists?  Because Google Search was not helpful, I surveyed the image data available on Discogs.com and found several examples indeed (see the relevant picture above). These CBS Special Products pressings seem to be compilation/reissue albums by old (older than Springsteen!) country/western-based singer/song writers (such as Charlie Rich and Marty Robbins), popular music singers (such as Johnny Mathis), jazz and orchestra players (such as Miles Davis and Mitch Miller), and so on. Importantly, the release years of these vinyl albums are confined to the period between 1983 and 1985. It is very likely that the version of THE RIVER was also released in the same timeline. If so, these circumstances would instantly deny the groundless idea that this unusual 2LP set is "test/pre-pressing before the normal run" or "made just prior to distribution of regular stock copies, although it still remains unknown exactly when it was released.

Finally, despite what I claim here, the CBS Special Products edition of THE RIVER U.S. LP still stands as high collectable. This is mainly because of the scarcity at the market and unusual features otherwise unseen in the standard LP copies, such as the unique label design and semi-transparency of the two vinyl discs.
—  Collectable acquisition in 2017 to be continued.

Collecting log: THE RIVER-era promotion-only various artists' compilation albums released in Japan and The Killer Tracks From The River (concluded)

One of the few coolest sleeves among his entire vinyl releases.

Since the mid-1970s, as pointed out in the early issue of the Backstreets Magazine (#10, Summer 1984), Japan has been a major source of highly collectable vinyl records from Springsteen. As far as the 1970's albums go, the most highly demanded include the advanced white label promotional 1st pressing copy of THE WILD, THE INNOCENT & THE E STREET SHUFFLE (CBS/SONY SOPL-239; released in 1974) with a typo obi, both regular and promotional 2nd pressing copies of GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, N.J. (SOPO-124; released in 1975) with a wrap-around obi, and the world's first-ever custom promotion-only album LAST AMERICAN HERO FROM ASBURY PARK N.J. (YAPC 95; relased in 1978). Although not an LP but a 12-inch EP recorded at 33 1/3 rpm, The Killer Tracks From The River (XDAP 93030; released in 1981), another custom promo-only compilation, probably represents the most important Japanese 30-cm diameter discs released in the 1980s under his name.

As usual with Japanese pressings, matrix symbols and numbers
are not hand-etched but machine-stamped on the dead wax space.
Left, JIS, an acronym symbol for Japanese Industrial Standards, is
found only on Side A. Right, Side B matrix number XDAP-93030B1
(the other side is XDAP-93030A1).

This mega rare promo record is seldom seen even here. In fact, I've noticed only a few times in the past decade this being put on Yahoo! Japan auction (According to my log, the probable latest auction ended in May 2016, at 78,000 JPY through "Buy-It-Now" option). So, the copies seem to circulate less widely in the domestic market (= the largest domestic auction site) compared to the aforementioned LAST AMERICAN HERO LP (see here for recent auction results of this LP). Using eBay as indicative of overseas trends, a quick search on the popsike.com database showed that three copies of this mega rare 12" vinyl have been sold in 2017 with final bids ranging from US $600 to UK £800 (equivalent to 68,275 to 114,941 JPY).

Parallelly shown is HUNGRY HEART 3LP bootleg (featuring 1981 U.K. shows) which also uses the official boardwalk/phone booth 7" sleeve as the front cover (upper left). The rear sleeve design of the bootleg is totally different from that of Killer Tracks, but it looks very nice, too (lower left).
 

Spine title with a misspelt word "KIFLER". Note the positional
relationship between spine and each side of the sleeve, from
which you can know which side is front.

What is fascinating with this release, like the promotion-only compilation double album CBS/SONY POPULAR BEST 9 (XDAP 93031-2) focused on in the last post, is its custom-designed sleeve featuring a photo of the three (Bruce, Steve and Clarence) along with the lyrics of four tracks included (Hungry Heart / The River // I Wanna Marry You / Point Blank). This side is absolutely much better than the other side that straightforwardly reproduces the standard sleeve for Hungry Heart 7" single (without Japanese lettering). However, you would recognize that this side of the sleeve is not front but rear, if you check the position of the side opening slot or the spine of the sleeve (i.e. Normally, the opening slot and spine of an LP sleeve are positioned on the right and left side of the front sleeve, respectively). I can't help thinking how nice it were if the withdrawn, alternate color picture sleeve (taken by photographer David Gahr; shown here) instead could be used for the front cover [Note that the photo revived and was eventually used for the rear sleeve of another impossibly rare Born To Run / Hungry Heart custom promotion-only 5" CD (SONY XDCS 93176) when GREATEST HITS (SONY SRCS 7631) was released in Japan in 1995]. 

For DJ shipping? (printed on the bottom-right corner
of the rear sleeve).

Another interesting fact is that the title of this release is inconsistently read on the sleeve, spine and labels on the wax. Confusingly, the front sleeve lists it as HUNGRY HEART b/w HELD UP WITHOUT A GUN whereas the rear displays it correctly as THE KILLER TRACKS FROM THE RIVER. The spine erroneously prints it as THE KIFLER TRACKS FROM THE RIVER. Finally, the record labels only say SPECIAL D. J. COPY "THE RIVER" on both sides, with nothing else for the title.

This release is accompanied with an insert that contains translation into Japanese of the four featured songs. In addition, in three-fifths of the insert space, it also reprints excerpts from the book titled BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN by Kenji Muroya. To be exact, the book is the Japanese edition of Springsteen's biography that is originally written by Peter Gambaccini. Mr. Muroya, a music critic/translator in Japan, translated the book that had been released here in January 1980 (but now log out of print). The rear side of the insert is blank.

 Accompanying insert (left) lists translated lyrics in Japanese and reprints excerpts,
titled "Once I found the guitar, I had the key to the highway", from the Japanese
edition of a biography on Springsteen authored by Peter Gambaccini (right).
 

As mentioned previously on this blog, Mr. Ryo Okada was back then the company's staff who was responsible for promoting Springsteen in the domestic market. When THE PROMISE: THE DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN Story (SONY SIPC 2971-6) was released in 2010, he contributed articles to the Japan-only booklet, revealing some inside stories on manufacturing and marketing the domestic album and single releases, including interesting tales on LAST AMERICAN HERO. So, upon the release of THE TIES THAT BINDS: THE RIVER COLLECTION (SONY SICP 4612-8) in late 2015, I had high expectations that he would disclose similar interesting stories concerning the domestic production and releases of THE RIVER LP, singles, and promotional discs. In particular, I was interested in knowing about: (1) the full account of the withdrawn picture sleeve for the 1st single (Hungry Heart); (2) how the different 2nd single (I Wanna Marry You) was to be chosen and released against the U.S. counterpart (Fade Away); and (3) any tales related to The Killer Tracks From The River. Disappointedly, he writes none of these at all in his contribution to the booklet for THE RIVER box.

According to the Japanese booklet, having listened to the master tapes that arrived in late August (1980) from the U.S. Columbia Records, Mr. Okada was quite happy with this new album because he found that it contained several songs that would become smash hit singles and suit for radio airplay. This stood in a marked contrast to the situation surrounding the previous DARKNESS LP, which he thought was hardly commercial due to the dark tone covering the entire album and the absence of potent hit-single candidates. He mentions that his choices among many on the new LP are Hungry Heart, Sherry Darling, Point Blank, and The River. These songs are included in either or both of The Killer Tracks and CBS/SONY POPULAR BEST 9 (see the previous post ), strongly suggesting that he made (or at least had a decisive influence on) Springsteen's track selection for the two major custom promotion-only compilations released in 1981.

Japanese edition of THE RIVER box and Mr. Okada's contribution
(found in the middle column) to the Japan-exclusive booklet.

What Mr. Okada mainly describes in the booklet is about the marketing plan to promote the album. Since he has done whatever he could to publicize Springsteen and his then new album DARKNESS when it was released in 1978 here in the Far East, he needed to devise another new strategy in the advertising campaigns for THE RIVER. Then what he did was to invite Japanese press/critics/journalists, who worked in the fields of popular/rock music, to one of the Los Angeles concerts during THE RIVER tour in late October 1980 (the Halloween week), and let them publish articles on the highly reputable live performance*. Note that Springsteen's first ever concert in Japan was on April 1985; so almost all Japanese never experienced his live at this point (Unfortunately, I don't know and have probably not read any of such concert reviews as I just began to listen to his music and was not so serious about it around that time). Finally, after the show, Mr. Okada brought press people to the backstage where he tried to meet and interview with Springsteen. He and his companions waited up for 2 hours or so. However, this attempt failed because of Bob Dylan who came midway through the concert and after which, the two were deep in the conversation and remained in Springsteen's private room. He writes "God has come and there was nothing we could do any more."  His contribution to the booklet ends with this "it was close" story.
— Back to the relevant post 👉 

*Update: Check the post on 02/11/2023 for such an article.