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The Unforgettable Fire Japanese
vinyl LP
by Matt McGee
There's no special reason this item is being featured -- it
just happens to be a recent addition to my collection, it's
in mint condition, and I got it for a song. So I'm just dying
to talk about it and show it off! But we also get a fair amount
of questions about Japanese-released items, so it might also
help to explain a few things in general about these releases
at the same time.
 For
starters, the Japanese version of ANY release will be more valuable
if it includes the OBI strip -- that's the strip seen at the
left of the cover (photo at left). The OBI strip is a removable
-- it slides off -- piece of paper which details the Japanese
version of the release, such as title, catalog number, price,
track list, etc. The OBI strip is easily damaged, especially
if the item has been handled by other people who picked up the
item prior to your purchase. Luckily for me, this OBI strip
is in mint condition!
Japanese release are also well-known for their lyric sheet
enclosures, and your Japanese release will be more valuable
if you also have this insert inside the album or CD.
As a collector, you'll want to make sure you keep the lyric
sheet in the best condition possible. (see photo lower left).
As a U2 fan, you'll want to ignore the actual lyrics which are
printed because they are NEVER even close to being accurate!
Bono loves to tell the story about the Japanese version of his
duet with Frank Sinatra, which was printed as "I've Got
You (Under My Chicken)."
The Unforgettable Fire vinyl was released in Japan as both
a promo and a regular release. One difference between the two:
the promo release included a unique sticker sheet (see photo
below right) which featured eight (8) high-quality stickers
promoting U2, the album, the 1984-85 world tour, and the first
single, "Pride (In the Name of Love)." As always,
a mint condition sticker label will be much more valuable than
one with creases, bends, wrinkles, or missing stickers!
In our price guide, a mint condition version of this promo
LP is valued at $100.
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