DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN US LP variations: trivial thoughts on the hype stickers (Part 1 of 2)

Hype stickers, generally affixed to the front side of an album sleeve, are used by record companies to highlight specific tracks on an LP, such as single-cut releases, or to get attention to other attributes like multi-disc numbers and featured guests on the recording sessions. I don't exactly know from which Springsteen's LP a hype sticker is featured on the very first or original U.S. pressing (I'm talking about those specific to an album but not generic ones such as "The Nice Price" stickers). The likely album one would mention is probably DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (Columbia JC 35318), which, if still sealed or shrink-wrapped, occasionally accompanies the rectangle round-cornered sticker that simply says    INCLUDES  "BADLANDS"  35318    in red on the white background.

The album's first single cut is Prove It All Night, but a bit strangely, the front sticker mentions the second single release only.

Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: BORN TO BE THE BOSS original black vinyl pressing (Part 2 of 2)

The copy in my possession (the yellow one) is not currently
with me as I keep it back in my hometown (parent's home).
So, I don't have further details, but what I wrote here.
(Image of the matrix number on SIDE 1 is taken from Eddy's
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics website)

Following the original black-vinyl pressing, the next that came up was the picture-disc edition, subtitled SPRINGSTEEN SUMMER '85, printed on the leather-like sticker glued on the clear plastic bag holding four discs. Strangely, the bag depicts multiple wavy lines (at least three variations in wave color, yellow, red, and light blue), which makes it hard to see picture discs inside. My purchase log recorded that I bought a copy (the yellow one), right in the summer of 1985 (1985/08/23), at the aforementioned imported record shop in Kyoto (Part 1; BTW, back in 1985, a copy of this set was quite expensive). The four picture discs were made from stampers that were different from those used for pressing the original vinyls since hand-etched matrix numbers don't match up between the two (black vinyl, BS 1 to BS 7; picture disc, TT 1A to TT 1G; note that SIDE 8 is blank without matrix codes on both versions). This clearly indicates that the picture-disc set is not a reissue of the original but a pirate pressing. Each picture disc has "PRINTED IN AUSTRALIA" printed on both sides, even though the original is believed to be Swedish origin.

Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: BORN TO BE THE BOSS original black vinyl pressing (Part 1 of 2)

Two editions are distinguished only by vinyl colors. Then, which one came first?

The classic bootleg review continued — speaking of the official live archive series, the most significantly upgraded recording I can think of, which had previously been bootlegged on vinyl, is the final of the six concerts at Wembley Arena, London, from the European leg of THE RIVER tour (06/05/1981). BORN TO BE THE BOSS, originally from Sweden and consistently named so for the bootlegs of this show, appeared thrice on quadruple LP in the 1980s under the Holsten Team Records label, and twice on double CD and triple CD-R in the early 1990s and around 2000, respectively, by Templar and Piggham Records. These CDs are sourced from vinyl sound with pop and clicking noise, and both vinyl and CD versions lack The Promised Land from the first set (which is included in the archive release). Therefore, although I'm not so sure (as I'm not a tape collector), these underground releases originate from the same single audience tape that has probably not circulated among collectors. This situation is essentially the same as those of FOLLOW THAT DREAM and TEARDROPS ON THE CITY, the two other famous Swedish bootlegs that also document the 1981 European tour performances (in Stockholm).

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

The ninth copy in my collection and the first acquisition since 2001 (19 years ago!). On the left is a recent 4-LP box (Rox Vox / RV4LP1002) from Europe, which remains unopened. Is this box sourced from the Crystal Cat CD?

It's been two years and eight months since Springsteen finally started sharing a wealth of live concert recordings from his vault collection (the first release on November 14, 2017). Putting aside technical issues of sound production such as audio mixing, as a relative old-timer craving for nostalgia, I feel I'm almost fortunate enough to own several essential live performances at his peak between the late 1970s and early 1980s. These include four of the five FM-radio broadcasts from the legendary 1978 DARKNESS tour, two-MUSE charity appearance in New York City 1979, two of the three lengthy concerts to close down 1980 in Nassau, and the final show each from the summer 1981 and 1984 multi-night homecoming stands in New Jersey. In my memory, these concerts had been bootlegged on vinyl by the 1980s, or CD until early in the 1990s, with the exception of the 1981 N.J. show.

Collecting log: AS REQUESTED AROUND THE WORLD U.S. promotion-only compilation album with great cover artwork (Part 4 of 4)

Until the commercial release in 1995 of GREATEST HITS (Columbia 7464-67060-1), compilation albums of Springsteen's studio-recording works were strictly limited for promotional use only (I'm talking about those containing his material exclusively). The very first examples in both vinyl and CD formats came out from Japan: the 1978's LP LAST AMERICAN HERO FROM ASBURY PARK, N.J. (CBS/SONY YAPC 95; 09/19/2015 and 01/28/2017) and the 1990's double CD BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN 70's TO 80's [sic] (better known as its subtitle THE FUTURE OF ROCK'N ROLL; CBS/SONY XADP 90009-10), two of the all-time greatest collectibles. The LAST AMERICAN ... LP, now impossibly hard to find, contains 10 songs culled from his first three albums:

• SIDE 1: It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City / Blinded By The Light / Spirit In The Night / Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) / New York City Serenade
  
• SIDE 2: Thunder Road / Born To Run / She's The One / Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out / Jungleland

Promotion-only vinyl and CD compilation albums before the release of GREATEST HITS in 1995. All the CD titles except for the Japanese FUTURE OF ROCK'N ROLL (2CDs) appear during 1992-93 primarily to support and promote HUMAN TOUCH / LUCKY TOWN. These CDs are pressed in Canada, Japan, Sweden (two editions), and the U.K., but curiously no releases from the U.S.