Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: THERE AIN'T NOBODY HERE FROM BILLBOARD TONIGHT original black vinyl pressing (Part 2 of 3)

Two copies in my possession alongside the Roxy '75 concert poster
(not real stuff, image taken from Brucebase). Also shown bottom 
are three early CD bootleg releases of the live broadcast. I don't 
own the Crystal Cat version because I have stopped collecting
bootleg CDs since free online distribution was available for 
 downloading electronic sound files in the late 1990s.

The year 1975 is not only remembered for Springsteen's national breakthrough hit with BORN TO RUN, but also saw the first appearance of his vinyl bootleg titles on collectors' market. Following a single live compilation album named THE JERSEY DEVIL (Hoffman Avenue Records, HAR 147), THERE AIN'T NOBODY HERE FROM BILLBOARD TONIGHT (HAR 160), a 2-LP set of the Roxy '75 broadcast from the same label, is generally said to be the second ever release of Springsteen's bootleg, although another double disc volume of the legendary Bottom Line concert (LIVE on Coral Records or LIVE AT THE BOTTOM LINE  8/15/75) is often mentioned as an alternative possibility. Irrespective of whether it came out secondarily or later, one thing clear is that THERE AIN'T NOBODY ... represents the first ever full-concert live bootleg of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band*. In my opinion, for this fact alone, it deserves to be called a classic Bruceleg.
*To be exact, the very last part of Pretty Flamingo is cut. On the other hand, neither of the Bottom Line bootlegs is complete in their recording, missing one song totally or editing a few tracks heavily (detailed here).

Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: THERE AIN'T NOBODY HERE FROM BILLBOARD TONIGHT original black vinyl pressing (Part 1 of 3)

I love old, amateurish, slick/insert covers!

One of the fun things to collect bootlegs is to be able to enjoy a wide variety of cover sleeves irrespective of whatever they look like (excellent, mediocre or awful). Although professionally manufactured color sleeves of 1980's bootlegs are attractive, I rather have a preference for slick or insert covers when it comes to vinyl bootlegs. It's because, along with rubber-stamped covers, that's the way these stuff came out originally. In other words, the amateurish appearance of many of slick covers represents what vinyl bootlegs were supposed to be in the first place. Thankfully, these days second-hand vinyl bootlegs are available at much cheaper than they used to be in the 1970's through 1980's when the bootleg industry was at the height of its prosperity (for one example of such a purchase, see a past blog post here).

DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN US LP variations: A repressing with an erroneous lyric sheet

The custom Zippo lighter used as a paper weight is serially numbered
(#026/200) and distributed for promoting the Hungry Heart Berlin '95
single in France. Though not shown, it comes in a black plastic holder.

Based on the dead-wax matrix information, US-pressing copies of the vinyl DARKNESS album are roughly classified into two groups, one with and another without a machine-stamped TML marking (either TML-M or TML-S), a proof for the early pressing issues that were mastered by Mike Reese at The Mastering Lab, Inc., Los Angeles, California. So, any vinyl copies lacking this stamp on both Sides 1 and 2 are instantly excluded from the list of my "variation" analysis on the U.S. version of this classic album (A series on this subject starts here).

Collecting log: Dead End Street, an Israeli soundtrack 12" one-sided EP

The vinyl format of 12-inch single/EP came into popularity in the 1970s for commercial releases. The first-ever Springsteen's commercial title in this format was Rosalita (Come Out Tonight), backed with Racing In The Street and Night (CBS 12.7753), that was issued relatively late, back in 1979 in Holland. When 7-inch singles were cut from the albums in the 1980s, almost without exceptions (with the exception of single releases from NEBRASKA), 12-inch counterparts were simultaneously released as either or both of regular and promotional discs.

The 12-inch vinyl came in a matt-surfaced sleeve. The replica sleeve has circulated for long on collector's market, and reportedly, has rather glossy surface without a red promo sticker on the rear. By the way, could someone translate loads of Hebrew writings on the rear sleeve?
 

Collecting log: THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD and the Japan Tour in 1997 (various collector's items)

Some official and unofficial Japan 1997 Tour collectibles. Shown right is the official Japan-exclusive 8-page booklet (with flyers inserted in it) featuring the entire album lyrics in both English and Japanese, which was distributed at the entrance to the concert hall for every night performance.

The first concert at the third and last time Springsteen visited Japan was performed 21 years ago tonight, January 27th, 1997, during the promotion tour for THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD. I remember the solo acoustic tour received only a modest attention here, which was in marked contrast to the hoopla surrounding BORN IN THE U.S.A. and the World Tour when he hit Asia for the first time in April 1985 (cf. His second visit here was September 1988 during the Amnesty tour in Tokyo).