Bruce Springsteen Live Coral Records

$

154

Auction Item:

Bruce Springsteen Live / Coral Records - Matrix NR 909 1975 Coral Ltd. 2 LP set features: Full color gatefold cover - custom labels - black vinyl.

This extremely hard to find vinyl record was Bruce Springsteen's very first  bootleg! Please read the history below.

Item Condition: Excellent

History of Bootlegs

It would be hard to pinpoint the first time a live concert was ever recorded. Possibly the best starting point would be in the late 1960's with the explosion of such great live acts as Bob Dylan, The Who and The Rolling Stones. Concert going became a more riotous affair compared to the more sober shows that came before. Music collecting became more serious and the album overtook the single as the prime release.

Around this time a Bob Dylan concert turned up at record fairs and independent music shops. It was a recording of his famous show at the Manchester Free Trade Hall (although the bootleg proclaimed it was recorded at The Royal Albert Hall). It became a sought after item by fans who wanted something more than just the steady release of studio albums. Interest in his concerts were high as he was apt to play many unreleased songs.

Bruce Springsteen Bootlegs

One of the most popular bootlegged artists is Bruce Springsteen. This is largely due to that fact that his shows very rarely follow the same set list and he often plays unreleased material. This prolific artist has recorded literally hundreds of unreleased songs. His bootlegged concerts have drawn many classic recordings, some of which now form part of his legacy as a musician. His famous show at London's Hammersmith Odeon for example has now been released in official format, mirroring the release of the famous Bob Dylan show mentioned above. These recordings allow the listeners insight to the artist’s music career from a different perspective. Bootlegs from live concert recordings to actual studio outtakes and demos, can offer a glimpse into the artist freed from the constraints of the studio and record company.

Springsteen’s First Bootleg

In early 1975, Springsteen was still considered a local act, rather than a national figure.  In Clinton Heylin’s book “Bootleg: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Recording Industry”, he states “he [Springsteen] was barely known outside certain fanatical enclaves of New York, the New Jersey Shore, Philadelphia and Cleveland.”  By October, this situation would change dramatically.  Born To Run was released on August 25th and Rolling Stone called it “a magnificent album that pays off on every bet ever placed on him.”  Springsteen performed a high profile four-night, six-show stand at the Roxy in Los Angeles during October 16-19 and the hype culminated as Springsteen was featured on the covers of both Time and Newsweek on  October 27th. 

However, it was something unsuspecting that helped launch Springsteen’s rise to fame; the first bootlegs of his performances.  As Heylin states, “This was one instance where bootlegs were helping to establish an artist, rather than riding on the back of his success.”  It was the radio broadcast of the early show from 15 August at the Bottom Line which provided the source for what is arguably stated to be the first Springsteen bootleg:  Bruce Springsteen Live on Coral Records.  (I must note that this honor is also claimed by the noted early bootlegger Lou Cohan for his “The Jersey Devil” release).  Even though Cohan’s release doesn’t come close to the quality of Coral’s, if you are seeking that release for historical purposes, we will be posting it here shortly for auction.

All I know is that it was the Coral Records release which first appeared inside the small Tobacco and Newspapers store located on the north section of the Asbury Park boardwalk.  I judged it by its cover. It just looked cool. I think I paid eight dollars for it which at the time was not a bad investment on our local hero.  In fact, this bootleg looked to be so much like an official release that CBS and federal agents set out to confiscate them and that they did.  Released in 1976 and initially pressed at 1000 copies, these vinyl records became and remain extremely hard to find.

"Bruce Springsteen Live" on Coral Records became so rare and in demand by fans that it became the first bootleg to actually be bootlegged. Copies of the original Coral Records issue were spawned including “Live at the Bottom Line” on Butterfly Records, “The Boss Is Back” on the Record Man label and “The Great White Boss” on the Hangman label.

Here’s what the Springsteen collectors website Brucebase.com has to say regarding the genesis of this historic artifact:

The first show was broadcast live by New York’s influential WNEW-FM and it was a cannibalized home taping of this show off the radio that appeared on the very first-ever Springsteen vinyl bootleg “BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN LIVE” (Coral Records) in late 1975. The LPs came in a black gatefold sleeve featuring the head-and-shoulders photograph, taken during the “Born to Run” photo-shoot of a smiling Springsteen in floppy flat cap on the front cover.  Tinted in pastel shades, the design featured a garland surrounding Springsteen, with a pair of sneakers dangling from the neck of his guitar.  The back of the sleeve carried an onstage shot of Springsteen together with the track listing and the sleeves opened up to reveal two more amazing photographs.  In Chris Hunt’s book “Springsteen: Blinded by the Light” he contends that this is, “certainly the rarest of all [vinyl] Bruce bootlegs.”

About this collection:

247 Design is proud to announce an exclusive auction of Bruce Springsteen memorabilia. This collection consists of both rare and promotional merchandise including: imported vinyl records, compact discs, official promotional items, tour t-shirts, ticket stubs, backstage passes and limited edition/ out of print books, magazines and posters.

All vinyl records in this collection are in excellent to near mint condition. This collection was owned by an audiophile who handled the vinyl with meticulous care and utilized only used high end audio equipment. In fact, most of these records were played only once, in order to transfer the recordings to reel to reel tape for the owner’s personal listening.

The collection was previously owned by a private collector and a native of Asbury Park, New Jersey, who has been collecting Springsteen items since 1972. This collection contains some of the rarest and most interesting Springsteen items available for sale. While personally autographing an item for the collector in 1979, Bruce Springsteen stated, “You have more stuff with my picture on it than my mother.”

This auction is intended for the serious Springsteen collector and assumes that the bidder recognizes the historical significance of the items. All Items are in mint to excellent condition.  These items have been kept on display in a smoke-free and humidity-controlled environment.

Because it would take months to fully describe each item in detail, descriptions are being left to a minimum.  However, if you would like specific details regarding any item, please email us and we will be more than happy to supply any additional information.

Also, because we have hundreds of items in this collection to catalog, photograph and list, we will be adding pieces regularly and we urge you to check our eBay auction frequently. Please send us an email if you are looking for a specific piece as we may have that item in our collection.

We truly appreciate your business. Thank you for viewing our auction and most importantly, Good Luck Bidding!

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