[ NOTE: Four of Bruce's albums are known to have been issued on 7-inch reel-to-reel tapes in the US, all of which came in picture boxes and featured a running speed of 3 3/4 inches per second. Reels usually were clear or grey plastic with tri-circular Columbia labels on them. Other promotional releases than the trio listed below most certainly exist as well. ]
Darkness On The Edge Of Town (COL 1R1 6817)
Nebraska (COL 1R1
7474)
Available through the “Columbia House" record
club only, as reel-to-reel tapes were no longer sold in stores by 1982.
Born In The U.S.A. (COL
1R1 7674)
By far the rarest of all four regular Springsteen album
reels. Again, not sold in stores and exclusively available through the “Columbia House"
record club.
Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (live) (COLUMBIA;
no catalogue number), 1975
Promotion-only tape for radio station use in plain white “Columbia Recording
Studios” box with handwritten info. 7.5 ips running speed. Contains the same live
version (from Greenvale, New York; December 12, 1975) that was later available
commercially on the “In Harmony 2” album and numerous single releases.
Murder Incorporated (live) (COLUMBIA/SONY MUSIC; no catalogue
number), 1995
Very rare US promo-only tape issued to radio stations, containing the February 21, 1995 live version of “Murder Incorporated” that also saw a widespread commercial release on various other
formats. The clear-plastic, unlabeled reel came in a white cardboard box which carried a “Sony Music Studios” info sticker on the lid and originally contained a photocopied DJ letter
(dated April 3, 1995) from Columbia’s then Senior Vice President of Promotion, Jim Del Balzo.
Bruce Springsteen: Columbia Records Radio Hour
(no catalogue number), 1996
Extremely rare set of two promotion-only tapes for radio station use; containing ten live
tracks recorded at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania on December 8/9, 1995 on one reel,
and an interview with Bob Costas on the other. Boxes feature blue/white labels with
company logos of the manufacturer ("NOW! Recording Systems, Inc."). Also
released as a regular cassette.
