[ NOTE: Most of Bruce's regular albums have been issued on cassette in different parts of the world. This page, however, just features a rather small selection of unique and/or otherwise particularly collectable releases instead of taking in the entire discography. ]

 

1975
Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. (CBS 40-32210 / CBS 40-65480)
Original UK copies faded out right during the piano intro of "Lost In The Flood" (the final track on side A), and had the remainder of the song fading back in on the other side of the tape. This was not rectified until 1980.

The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle (CBS 40-32363)
First UK/European issue with different track order: The E Street Shuffle / Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) / Kitty’s Back / Wild Billy’s Circus Story / Incident On 57th Street / 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) / New York City Serenade.

The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle (CBS 40-65780)
Second UK issue which had “4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” and “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” switching positions in the track order.

Born To Run (CBS 60.696)
Argentine issue with different track order (as also found on promotional “Born To Run” vinyl pressings from that country): Thunder Road / Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out / Backstreets / She’s The One / Born To Run / Night / Meeting Across The River / Jungleland. Picture inlay card features unique type layout.

Born To Run (CBS 40-69170)
Original UK issue with different track order: Thunder Road / Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out / Night / Backstreets / Born To Run / She’s The One / Meeting Across The River / Jungleland. Picture inlay card with regular LP front cover design inset on a light blue frame. These initial copies faded out during the sax solo on "Born To Run" (the final track on side A), and had the remainder of the song fading back in on the other side of the tape. A second issue released in mid-1976 - with same catalogue number and widely identical overall packaging - corrected this faux pas, but featured another alteration of the track sequence (Thunder Road / Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out / Night / She’s The One / Born To Run / Backstreets / Meeting Across The River / Jungleland).

       

 

1978
Darkness On The Edge Of Town (COL JCT 35318)
Original US issue without title lettering on front of the inlay card.

Darkness On The Edge Of Town (CBS/KING'S IND. ???)
Rare official Indonesian release issued by domestic licensee "King's Ind.". Clear plastic clamshell case with picture inlay.

 

1980
Born To Run (COL HCT 43795)
Scarce, US-only “Extended Range/Audiophile” reissue on chromium dioxide tape. Obviously the cassette equivalent of Columbia’s “Half Speed-Mastered” vinyl issue.

The River (CBS 41-88510)
Dutch “Mastersound” issue on chromium dioxide tape. Black-and-white fold-out inlay.

 

1982
Storia E Musica Rock: Bruce Springsteen (CBS ROCK 05)
Italy-only 7-track compilation available exclusively with domestic magazine of the same title (the accompanying issue of which was dedicated entirely to Bruce), published by “Gruppo Editoriale Fabbri”. Unique colour picture inlay card depicting a cool live shot from the "River" tour. Featured tracks: Blinded By The Light / It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City / Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) / Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out / Thunder Road / Jungleland / Darkness On The Edge Of Town.

Nebraska (CBS/SONY 25KP 868)
Japanese issue with unique interior card design.

   

Nebraska (CBS 40-25100)
UK issue with unique picture inlay featuring a cropped version of the original album cover photo printed as a negative image, plus alternate type layout.

 

1983
Historia De La Musica Rock (CBS CSP 40-15482)
Spain-only reissue of the “Born To Run” album featuring totally different, unique artwork; available exclusively with issue # 95 of domestic magazine “Historia De La Musica Rock” (a 100-volume series covering numerous major bands/artists). Also simultaneously released as a vinyl LP, although the cassette version is much rarer.

 

1984
Wrangler - Music For Adventure - Various Artists Promotional Cassette incl. Hungry Heart (CBS CSP 15549)
Rare and obscure Holland-only “CBS Special Products” sampler containing a total of 13 rock/pop songs plus a Wrangler promo spot opening each side. This tape presumably was issued for in-store use and/or as a customer giveaway item.

Born In The U.S.A. (CBS/SONY ???)
Very scarce Japanese advance promotional tape with black-and-white inlay.

Darkness On The Edge Of Town (CBS/KING'S IND. ???)
Rare official Indonesian release issued by domestic licensee "King's Ind.". Clear plastic clamshell case with picture inlay.

Born In The U.S.A. (CBS QCT 38653)
Official Thailand release with alternate/unique front artwork layout.

 

1985
Killer B’s (From The USA) (COL CDNT 239)
Rare Canada-only promotional compilation of single B-sides. Colour inlay card with “stars & stripes” design and tracklisting which features a misprint of “Shut Out The Lights” that also appears on the tape itself. Featured tracks: Pink Cadillac / Stand On It / Be True / Janey Don’t You Lose Heart / Shut Out The Light / Held Up Without A Gun / Johnny Bye Bye / Jersey Girl (live) / Trapped (live) / Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (live).

 

1986
Born In The U.S.A. (AMIGA 0 56 222)
Highly collectable East German issue on state-run “Amiga” label with different/unique picture inlay card sporting the shot of Bruce from the LP’s regular inner bag on a light blue background and alternate type layout. Note that Amiga's cassette release of the album is much less common than its vinyl counterpart.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Live (CBS 170015)
Argentine compilation of 10 tracks from the "Live / 1975-85" box set; also issued as a vinyl LP in that country. Colour picture inlay card with unique typeface and Spanish song title translations. Featured tracks: Thunder Road / Cover Me / I'm On Fire / Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out / Hungry Heart / Born To Run / Born In The U.S.A. / War / Darlington County / Because The Night (all live).

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Live! (CBS 8283-4)
Rare Uruguay compilation with same tracks as the above Argentine release. Artwork is also similar, but features a different typeface/layout.

Ao Vivo (CBS 77.127)
Cassette release of the Brazilian vinyl sampler which omits "The River" from the original tracklisting and is generally harder to find than the LP. Colour picture inlay card. Featured tracks: Thunder Road / War / Born In The U.S.A. / Born To Run / Hungry Heart / Darkness On The Edge Of Town / Cover Me / I'm On Fire / Jersey Girl (all live).

The "Live" / The Legend Comes Alive (CBS/SONY XDKP 93022)
Ultra-scarce cassette version of the comparatively common Japanese promotion-only vinyl LP bearing the same title, issued in a white plastic case. Artwork, however, is totally different and unique to this tape; featuring a great montage of two 1985-era live shots as well as alternate title graphics on front. Rear is marked "Special D.J. Cassette" and has a clearly visible overlay sticker disguising an originally incorrect tracklisting for the B-side's first three songs, although the label on the tape itself remained uncorrected (see picture below right). Also included a black-and-white fold-out insert with bilingual information on the "Live / 1975-85" box set (which actually reproduces the LP's rear sleeve design, right down to the "Spring Steen" misprint). Featured tracks: Born In The U.S.A. / Seeds / Cover Me / Bobby Jean / No Surrender / Born To Run / War / Thunder Road / Hungry Heart / Because The Night (all live).

       

 

1987
Tunnel Of Love (CBS/KING’S IND. C-0010888)
Rare official Indonesian release issued by domestic licensee “King’s Ind.”. Clear plastic clamshell case with picture inlay and fold-out lyric sheet inside. Note that a pirated version from Indonesia (on the “Contessa” label) also exists, featuring different cover artwork and adding three “Born In The U.S.A.” album tracks.

 

1992
A Whole Bunch Of Bruce Springsteen (SONY XCTS 92005)
Extremely rare Japan-only promotional compilation. Basic light brown cardboard slipcase with black type. Came with a folded, 2-sided black-and-white insert featuring several live shots from the 1992 tour, an album discography and a biography in Japanese. Featured tracks: Human Touch / Roll Of The Dice / No Surrender / Born To Run / Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) / Hungry Heart / Born In The U.S.A. / Bobby Jean / The River / Better Days / Lucky Town / Thunder Road.

       

 

1993
In Concert / MTV Plugged (COL 473860 4)
Official Thailand release with different/unique front cover artwork.

 

1995
Greatest Hits (SONY SRCS 7631)
Japanese advance promotional issue with green title inlay card.

       

 

1996
Bruce Springsteen: Columbia Records Radio Hour Part 1 & 2 (COL CAT 7698)
US-only promotional release. A-side contains album selections from “The Ghost Of Tom Joad” interspersed with segments from an interview with Bob Costas; B-side includes a total of ten live tracks taped at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania on December 8/9, 1995 (five of which were never made available in commercial form). Black-and-white picture inlay card. Very rare. Featured tracks: The Ghost Of Tom Joad / Sinaloa Cowboys / Youngstown / Straight Time / The Ghost Of Tom Joad (live) / Straight Time (live) / Darkness On The Edge Of Town (live) / Born In The U.S.A. (live) / Youngstown (live) / Sinaloa Cowboys (live) / Balboa Park (live) / Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street? (live) / This Hard Land (live) / Streets Of Philadelphia (live).

 

1998
Tracks (SONY SRCS 8801-4), (4-Cassette Set)
Japanese advance promotional issue released as two separate double-tape sets in oversized PVC cases with red title/tracklisting inserts.

           

 

2001
Live In New York City (SONY SRCS 2455-6)
Scarce Japanese advance promotional double cassette set including the entire album except "Born To Run". Tapes are housed inside an oversized PVC case with green title insert featuring tracklistings in Japanese.

 

2003
The Essential Bruce Springsteen (no catalogue number)
Set of three Japanese promotional-only cassettes in individual cases featuring plain white type-only inlay cards with different font colours used for each tape.