BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN RARE BORN TO RUN SCRIPT COVER ADVANCE PROMO LP TEST PRESSING

$

660

     If you are looking at this auction, you already know what this record is.  This auction is for the album by BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN -- "BORN TO RUN" -- RARE ADVANCE PROMOTIONAL ALBUM WITH THE SCRIPT COVER.

     I won't go into the whole history of this release.  This was released in 1975, and there are a couple different versions of this album.  Besides having the script cover, there are promos with white album labels that have the songs listed.  This is the OTHER version!  This comes with the white pressing plant labels.

    Before I get too far in to a detailed description, let me give you "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly";

     THE GOOD:   This has the advance pressing plant labels on the vinyl.  The inside sepia-toned photo of Bruce in the gatefold has been pasted in upside down!  The album plays great.

     THE BAD:   Nothing too terrible actually, since the album is about forty-four years old.  Some ringwear and light creases. 

     THE UGLY:   Something sticky must have gotten between the inside gatefold.  There are two tears on the left side, and when the gatefold was opened, the torn parts became attached to the right side.

     And now for a more detailed description...

     I play-tested the entire album, and the condition is better than VERY GOOD ++ (almost excellent, but I like to grade conservatively).  You can see some light surface paper sleeve scuffing (pic #12 shows one section of one side...and the photo makes the vinyl look worse than it really is...honest!) and a hairline scratch or two on both sides, but neither affects playback.  There are NO scratches or loud pops/tics to be heard, and NO skips.  Here's the track by track breakdown;

THUNDER ROAD --  Being the first song on the album, there are some very, VERY (buried deep down) light tics to be heard on the quiet piano intro...up until Bruce starts singing.  Also some light tics at the tail end of the song.

TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT -- A few very low tics on the horn intro before the drum roll comes in at :07 seconds in.

NIGHT -- One pop during the course of the song.

BACKSTREETS -- Clean.

BORN TO RUN -- Clean.

SHE'S THE ONE -- Some light tics during the guitar/piano intro before he starts singing :10 seconds in.

MEETING ACROSS THE RIVER -- A few very low pops/tics on the piano intro.

JUNGLELAND -- A couple of light tics on the intro.

     This copy has the "Columbia Records Pitman, New Jersey" white "advance promotional" copy labels.  The labels have no writing on them.  The matrix/runout numbers are P AL 33795-1A MCR1 / P BL 33795-1A MCR.

     The cover is in VERY GOOD condition.  There is some very light ringwear on the front cover (pic #1), with slightly more on the back cover (top and bottom edges, but also where the label would centered). 

     There is a light 2 1/2 inch crease in the bottom left quadrant that runs from the bottom edge and to the left of the tail end of Bruce's guitar (pic #3).  There are a couple creases along the left edge, a few small creases along the top left corner, and a scuff along the top right edge (to the right of "Springsteen").  There are numerous light creases on the bottom third of the front cover...mainly in that white area below the neck of his guitar and to the right of his belt buckle.  There are some brown markings on the bottom right corner (pic #4).

     The top and bottom left corners are blunted, with the bottom corner having a break in the paper slick (pic #6).

     On the back cover you can see the aforementioned black ringwear (puic #5).  Again, there are about seven small light creases along the bottom edge and a few along the top.  There is a small light blue mark in the bottom left corner, and a small brown marking to the right of Clarence's hat (along the right edge...above Bruce's elbow).

                                                                 There are NO split seams.

     Opening the gatefold (pic #8), you can see the photo of Bruce has been pasted upside down (at least I believe it's upside down...all previous ads I see for this album never mention if the pic is pasted upside down..of if they just took the photo and rotated it). 

     As you can see, there are two large tears along the bottom left side (pic #9).  The paper has been torn off this side and has become attached to the corresponding right side of the gatefold (pic #10).  The far left tear is about three inches across, and the other tear is about 1 3/4 inches across.  Some minor small creases along the top and bottom edges.

     If you have any questions about this item, please feel free to email me.  Also, check out my other auctions going on now of various other items of interest (including some 8-tracks and Quadraphonic 8-tracks, and a rare 1980 Prince "Dirty Mind" promotional poster).  Thanks again for looking...during these most very...very...very...troubled times...

Record Grading:

MINT (10) Perfect! Still sealed albums are presumed MINT, but covers may not be. I will not grade any opened album as "mint", since there's obviously been some handling.

NEAR MINT (9.5) ---- Close, but one or two tiny flaws that do not impact play. Vinyl may have a barely visible scuff mark, but no scratches. Label is bright, clean and unmarked. Covers close to perfect with very minor signs of wear or age just becoming evident.

EXCELLENT (9) ----Disc plays near-perfect. There could be scuffs or a hairline scratch or two that does not impact play. Vinyl is bright and shiny. Label is clean and unmarked. Cover may have some slight corner creases or minor ringwear.

VERY GOOD PLUS PLUS (8) ---- Record handled and played occasionally, but very carefully. Very minor scratches and/or scuffs that should have little impact on the sound quality, or minor label imperfection---noted, but otherwise clean. VERY GOOD PLUS PLUS records may have some light surface noise during quiet passages or between tracks. Covers: one or two minor wear issues such as writing on cover, corner creases, some ringwear, minor staining, etc. (All noted).

VERY GOOD PLUS (7) ----The record has been cared for, but has some minor flaws. Light scratches and/or marks/scuffs that won't make a big impact. Light surface noise here and there, but nothing to overwhelm the listening experience. Covers may have a few minor defects (duly noted). Those who are looking for pristine-only might not be pleased, but most music fans would be happy to have a collectible album in this condition.

VERY GOOD (6)---- The record has been played often with some care, but also a little neglect. Record displays visible surface wear---scratches or scuffs that will cause some minor to perhaps occasionally moderate surface noise. Vinyl could be "dull" at this point and not "shiny', or still perhaps shiny, but then a little more scratched-up. Usually a cover is VG when one or two of these problems are evident: ring wear, seam splits, bent corners, loss of gloss, stains, etc. Most music fans would be happy to have a highly collectible album in this condition.

VERY GOOD MINUS (5) ---- Well-played with little luster and moderate surface noise, but skip-free. Lots of scratches/scuffs or fewer but more deeper marks. Several cover flaws will be apparent, but should not obliterate the artwork---seam splits, significant ring wear, tears, cuts, taping (all noted). I will only sell RARE "VERY GOOD MINUS" records.

GOOD (4) --- Pretty beat-up with lots of scratches, but not dead yet. Record should still appear not to skip, though it's possible it can. Surface noise is moderate to occasionally heavy. Seam splits are usually a bigger issue around this level with the records better off in a plastic sleeve. I only sell VERY RARE "GOOD" records. They are certainly "good enough" until another copy comes along.

GOOD MINUS (3) --- Even more beat with tons of scratches and LOTS of surface noise. Skips are possible, though I wouldn't intentionally sell a record that does. Given the right moment, fans could probably enjoy a GOOD MINUS record, but might also be irritated by it at times. I will only sell VERY VERY RARE "GOOD MINUS" records. Covers are hanging together by a thread (seams shot) but not intentionally defaced.

FAIR (2) ----FAIR records appear and sound lousy (significant surface noise, horrific scratches). I won't sell these, unless I find something that is SO INCREDIBLY RARE. Expect skipping or a very unpleasant listen. Covers may be defaced, seamless, stained beyond belief.

POOR (1) ---- Unlistenable and undisplayable.

9-8-19