Springsteenlyrics.com

This is a subject I discussed in length with manattop. He has provided a lot of information that contradicts much of what I knew before.

I always thought that the gold-obi issue is the 1st pressing and the red-obi issue is the 2nd pressing. This is because:
- That's what's stated on Lost in the Flood.
- Also according to this Japanese collector's page.
- And because my gold-obi copy came with and my my red-obi copy did not.

But when I was looking at the 2005 Japanese vinyl replica editions, I noticed that the titles that were not issued on vinyl in Japan featured newly designed obi strips, and the titles that were previously issued on vinyl in Japan (up to "Tunnel Of Love") included an obi strip based on the one that came with the first vinyl pressing of the respective album, with two exceptions: Darkness On The Edge Of Town and Live/1975-85.


Regarding Darkness On The Edge Of Town:
(this is not the main topic in this thread)

There are four Japanese issues of the Darkness On The Edge Of Town LP:
- First issue with black vertical obi with red stripe
- Second issue with black vertical obi
- Third issue with narrow red horizontal obi
- Fourth issue with brown vertical obi

Here's the difference between the first two vinyl pressings of Darkness On The Edge Of Town:
The 2005 Japanese vinyl replica edition of Darkness On The Edge Of Town replicated the obi of the second issue, not the first.

Manattop's comment on this:

Although I'm not sure, I think the LP release with extra red strip to be the earlier pressing because what is written in Japanese on that red strip notifies that the free given away poster is available for anyone who purchases the album, but limited to initial pressing only (as I wrote in my blog at https://manattop.blogspot.jp/2016/03/co ... -edge.html).

Why Sony has reproduced the other version (w/o red strip) for the paper sleeve reissue project is not clear. The company might regard both the two releases as the 1st pressing (Pressing the red strip version could be small run, and so considered to be part of the initial pressing or something special). Or because the album is released so long ago, the current company staff might be confused as to which is the first. In fact, I read somewhere that the company needed to gather information as to the exact appearance of their initial LP pressings, including what the 1st pressing obi looked like, when the paper sleeve reissue project was initiated (not specifically for Springsteen’s but for the others like Dylan and so on). Old documents and record may be lost and some old stuff or material (such as initial LP pressings) are missing from the company’s archive. In fact, one of the white label promo copies for the Japanese 2nd pressing of GREETING (w/ wrap-around obi) in my collection has company’s stickers glued on the sleeve that say "permanent repository” in Japanese, probably leaked out from the company's archive.

Regarding Live/1975-85:
(this is the main topic in this thread)

Manattop bought his copy on the day it was released in Japan in November 1986. It has a red-obi. He didn't see any copy with gold-obi on the shelves that day. That proves that the red-obi is a first pressing. But some questions remain:

- When exactly was the gold-obi version released? Shortly after the red-obi version or after a while?
- Are we 100% sure that the gold-obi came after the red-obi and not at the same time? We are 99% sure as almost all evidence point in that direction, but we are still looking for an undisputable proof.

As manattop pointed out, the only difference between the two obi strips, besides the color, is a text box found only on the red-obi and text box found only on the gold-obi. See scan below:
The box found only on the red-obi has (manattop's translation):
"The liner note and booklet for this release are handed separately from the box at retail shops"
(see manattop's comments below for more details)

The box found only on the gold-obi has (I used Google Translate):
ォリジナル写真集 > Original photo album
歌詞.特別解説書付 > Lyrics with special commentary
I think this means that it includes the original English booklet (with photos) plus the Japanese booklet.

I also noticed that CD issue of the box set came with a gold-obi that has the same box that I translated above (found on the gold-obi of the vinyl pressing). The CD issue was released on the same day as the vinyl issue... so it's a bit strange that the obi that came with the CD would look like the one used for a 2nd vinyl pressing.

Here are some of the points that manattop raised that also indicate that the red-obi version came first:

There is a boxed description at lower part on the rear side of the red obi that is removed from the gold obi, which says something like "The liner note and booklet for this release are handed separately from the box at retail shops." I think this is a clue. Because of the volume and weight of these printed matters, probably CBS/Sony at first had a plan that these stuff were not to be included in the box package. In fact, however, they are included in the box when this album was out. This may explains why the description is deleted on the gold-obi edition.
However, it is possible that the gold-obi edition was released shortly after the red-obi version. This is because the obi design between the two releases are almost identical, except for the color decoration and the description noted above. Note that CBS/Sony has drastically changed obi-design for every reissue of Springsteen titles. High demand of the box set might exceed the company’s estimation and result in rather accelerated reissue without major revision on the obi.

If my memory is correct, the portrait panel was handed separately from the box as a special gift. So, I think all the red-obi version originally came with it if properly handed at retail shops, and at the same time the possibility was high that the panel was lost with some copies because it was not included in the original package. I think the gold-obi edition might also have the panel as far as the supply of the panel continued. During circulation in second-hand markets, some copies might lose the panel while the others might acquire it. I think these explains why the panel accompanies with some but not with other copies of each obi edition.

From my view, it's less likely that the red- and gold-obi editions came out concurrently. I think two minor revisions regarding boxed descriptions that we spotted are rather crucial: the one on the red obi but not found on the gold edition says that the booklet and liner notes are not included and handed at retail shops, while the other printed only on the gold-obi states that both the booklet and liner notes are contained. The released box in fact included both therein. So, logically, the red obi that carries misinformation issued first and then the gold one came out with the error fixed. Production-wise, I think there is no merit of making two different obi strips for the initial pressing, which would simply cost more.

I have no idea as to whether the album was pressed more than two different locations (but I don’t think so). Even if so, I cannot think of a logical reason to prepare two different obi strips simultaneously.

I made a quick comparison of matrix numbers between the two versions. The dead wax information is complex, carrying hand-written inscriptions (originally made in the US) and machine-typed stamps (of Japanese catalog numbers and others, obviously made after the import) on each dead wax. Specifically examining the hand-etched US record numbers, I found they are almost identical except that on Side 8: What is hand-etched for the red-obi version is “BL-40562-1A DMM” whereas that for the gold one is “BL-40562-1A-3 DMM”. There may exist more differences on other matrix codes and numbers. Although not definitive, this may support again that the red-obi is the first to come out.

Domingo also compared his copies and got this:

Gold Obi:

1-A: AL-40559-2A-DMM 1 MISF2SMI 75AP-3300A1
1-B: BL-40559-1A DMM-2 MISFF2SM4 75AP-3300B1

2-A: AL-40560-1A DMM EDP MI SFR SM 75AP-3301A1
2-B: BL-40560-1A DMM-6 MISF2SM7 75AP-33101B1

3-A: AL-40561-2A 3 DMMEDP MISAISM 75AP—3302A1
3-B: BL-404561-1A DMM-2 EDP MIFR2SM4 75AP-3302B1

Red Obi:

1-A: AL-40559-2A DMM 1 MISFF2MI 75AP-33001 (vis-a-vis comparision: same stamper)
1-B: BL-40559-1A DMM-4 EDP-MI S42 AM/ 75AP-3300B (vis-a-vis comparision: different stamper)

2-A: AL-45060-1A DMM EDP MI SFR SM 75AP-3301A1 (same stamper)
2-B: BL-40560-1ª DMM-6 MISF25M7 75AP3301B1 (same stamper)

3-A: AL-40561-2A 2 DMM EDP MISI2-S2 75AP-3002A1 (different stamper)
3-B: BL-40561-1A DMM-2 EDP MISFR2SM4 75AP-3302B1 (same stamper)

Both my copies are stored back home. I will not have access to them until summer.

I think this might help matters. I recently acquired a SAMPLE copy of this issue. It has the red obi, sample sticker on rear and appropriate markings on the labels. I cant believe that the sample copy would be the second issue? Anyway here's the pictures.

Thanks for sharing these photos. This is consistent with manattop's analysis.

sheepwash, thank you for your valuable info and great photos. Probably because of its volume (five discs) and the custom promo-only release of “The Legend Comes Alive” single LP, the sample copy for LIVE box is rather rare (I think rarer than “The Legend Comes Alive”). However, Japanese sample issues are not necessarily limited for the first pressing: I've seen the sample issues exist of THE RIVER, NEBRASKA and BITUSA with an obi strip for the second or third pressing, although never so far seen the LIVE box sample for the gold-obi version.

Thank you for that information, I must admit I have never seen sample issues for other than 1st issues. I am always on the hunt for Japanese versions, must say I had not seen the sampler 5LP 75-85 before and I was told by the seller that most thought it did not exist because of the Legend comes alive being a sampler. So I am guessing it was a rare beast perhaps with very few issues to executives perhaps. Thanks again.