Collecting log: a single U.S. test pressing from LIVE/1975-85 with an unusual coupling of two sides from the five discs (Part 2 of 2)

What is curious about this particular test pressing is that, although the disc plays two sides culled from ten sides of LIVE/1975-85, its playing-side combination is unusual. Namely, one side represents SIDE 3 of DISC 2 (i.e., Backstreets, Rosalita, and Raise Your Hand from the Roxy, 1978), while the other corresponds to SIDE 5 of DISC 3 (i.e., Badlands to Racing In The Street from the 1980-81 tour) of the officially released set.

As grooves on the vinyl disc tell, the test pressing (upper row) consists of SIDES 3 and 5 of the 10-side live recordings, not coupling SIDE 3 with SIDE 4 or SIDE 5 with SIDE 6, as in the standard release (lower).

Collecting log: a single U.S. test pressing from LIVE/1975-85 with an unusual coupling of two sides from the five discs (Part 1 of 2)

Based on the sticker indication, this test pressing was created nearly
two months before the official release in the U.S. (Nov. 10, 1986).

Looking at vinyl disc's dead-wax stamps and inscriptions or simply matrix numbers, we can easily recognize a few notable differences that distinguish LIVE/1975-85 (Columbia C5X 40558) from his previous seven albums (i.e., up to BORN IN THE U.S.A.). As listed below, I compare matrix information of SIDE ONE (of Disc One, if multi-disc release) of his first eight albums, each of which is taken from an early U.S. copy in my private possession. 

The matrix numbers of LIVE are relatively long, carrying unique codes like "DMM" and "EDP," and overall faintly inscribed on the run-out vinyl area (see the dead-wax images below). Such features reflect the differences in record production processes newly introduced into this deluxe LP box.

DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN US LP variations: A revision to Decoding Two- or Three-Letter Matrix Hand Etchings on the Early Pressings — "PPP" was NOT a code for Columbia Records' Pitman but for another New Jersey pressing plant!

The oldest American company for children's
music turned out to have helped Columbia's
Pitman plant for pressing Springsteen's 4th
album (image taken from Discogs). 

Early vinyl copies of Springsteen's original albums up to THE RIVER (Columbia PC2 36854), the fifth released in October 1980, were pressed at three record-pressing plants Columbia Records owned and located in Santa Maria, CA, Terre Haute, IN, and Pitman, NJ. However, DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (Columbia JC 35318), his fourth, was the exception due to the temporary suspension of production at the New Jersey factory caused by labor strikes between April 2 and May 17, 1978, when this long-awaited album was slated to be released in late May (cf., The album was slightly delayed to be released on June 2). As a result, several pressing plants of non-Columbia Records were subcontracted to the Pitman to prevent the inevitable shortage of album supply, mainly in the East Coast market.

Collecting log: BORN TO RUN Japanese original LP with an oval-shaped sticker

Finally, the shrink-wrapped, stickered copy joins my collection. All the
others obtained previously are shrink-removed without the sticker.

As you can know from my blog title, I was born and raised in the Far East country of Japan, collecting vinyl and CD collectibles of my favorite artist for many years. So, you might assume that I own, if not all, nearly all of the official rare collectibles released here under his name, from major items like custom promo-only stuff from the 1970s and 1980s to minors such as cheesy CD-R samplers released in the current century (see the image below for some examples from 2007 to 2009). But, no, that is not true. My official vinyl/CD collection is rather limited in variety and far from perfection, still lacking this and that sort of major domestic rarities, whether promo or regular releases. Why? Although paradoxical, that is right because I live in Japan and have spent all of my life here (except for a one-year stay in the U.S.).

DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN US LP variations: Notes on the late pressing labels and deadwax

Even a barcode-bearing, very late issue comes with the hype sticker
as viewed in the mirror (This one is a Pitman pressing with the matrix
numbers G2C/G1C). See my thoughts on DARKNESS stickers posted
previously (8/24/2020 and 8/29/2020).

The DARKNESS label variation continues. Here are some notes for the U.S. late pressing, although I don't own as many copies as the early pressing. With the shutdown of the pressing plants in Santa Maria, CA (1963 to 1981), and Terre Haute, IN (1953 to 1982), in the early 1980s, vinyl releases after that from Columbia Records were manufactured at the old Pitman factory, NJ (1960 to 1986), and the newly launched facility located in Carrollton, GA (1981 to 1991). As the major differences from the early releases, at first, these late issues came in the sleeve with the small tracklist/white credit on the rear side, often accompanying the barcode on the upper right corner. Second, the inner sleeve is made of thin paper with poor-quality pictures. Finally, the discs do not carry TML-M or TML-S stamps on each side of the dead-wax space.