Classic Vinyl Bootleg Revisited: PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE 3LP box

The Roxy concert was not fully covered in its
entirety until the CD release in the early 1990s.

By the late summer of 1981, I obtained five vinyl bootlegs, the first three of which have been mentioned previously and purchased on the 26th of July, according to my log file. The subsequently obtained two titles were actually what had once transformed me into a Bruceleg junkie: PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE (3LP box) and LIVE AT THE ROXY THEATER, HOLLYWOOD 1978 (2LP). They were obtained together, following about one month of the first purchase (August 29, exactly), through mail order from the then most famous bootleg supplier in Japan, whose shop was located in Nishi-Shinjuku (West Shinjuku), Tokyo.

A Swedish site launched for Springsteen record collectors!

NOTE: The mentioned website is no longer available (so the links below do not work anymore).

A snapshot from the section of GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, N.J.

Quite busy these days and I just can't afford to have time for my blog work. Here I just want to tell you that one of my good friends in Sweden has launched a new collector-oriented website called Springsteenrecords. Although the site is still under construction, there are already many pictures and images of rare, unique and interesting vinyl collectibles from all over the world. Take a look and enjoy the site.

Collecting log: GREETINGS first US pressing LP (KC 31903 with the matrix suffix 1A/2A)

It was a little surprise to me that, after 42 years of the release, I was able to find a well cared, beautiful used copy of the first pressing LP at a local record shop in a small town in the Far East

From last Saturday to this Wednesday, here we had 5 consecutive national holidays. So, I took a short trip to visit a local used record shop I have never been before, and found a used stock copy of GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, N. J. At the first face, the sleeve was in pretty fine conditions, as pictured here, which made me think that this one was a Japanese press missing an Obi. I usually don't pay particular attention to regular releases, but I noticed that the catalog number printed on the spine started with the prefix "KC".

Collecting log: LAST AMERICAN HERO FROM ASBURY PARK, N.J., Japanese custom promotion-only compilation LP

Two copies in my possession, one in excellent condition and the other in good condition.
Found on the insert sheets are the English lyrics for 10 tracks (left) and their Japanese translations (right).

Definitely, one of the rarest and most sought-after LP releases from his entire official vinyl catalog. Given the estimated value of £1,400 or more for a mint copy, this promotion-only compilation album is ranked at the 5th position on the whole listing, and taking the 2nd place on the album listing (just next to the complete press-kit package of BORN TO RUN or so called "the Script cover" release), of the Top 40 Worldwide Springsteen Rarities that appear as the feature article in the number 329 issue (November 2006) of Record Collector magazine.

BORN TO RUN US pressing LP variants: unusual red labels (JC 33795)

Hand-etched matrix numbers read AL 33795-1CJ SS / BL 33795-1BJ SS

I don't exactly remember when I obtained this second catalog number issue with the US Columbia prefix "JC" (JC 33795). There is no particularity with regard to the fold-out sleeve that appears standard for the reissue of this album with the bar code and a single-line producer credit without spelling errors. However, the record label is unusual. It's a red label without a yellow Columbia rim, which resembles like red European reissue labels. On each side on the label are black lettering around the center hole and white lettering on the rim that starts at 7 o'clock saying "Columbia" Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. Marca Registrada. Not a misprint or production error because the basic design (especially that of the rim) differs from the normal US Columbia labels. Probably, a minor label variation for the Columbia Records-reissue series (maybe after 1980?) that is nothing to rave about but to record it here,for reference purposes.