Chuck Berry Papersleeve Edition from Japan

Great news for Chuck Berry collectors!
Over the last years, the U.S. branch of Universal Music provided us with three superb four-CD sets documenting Chuck Berry's complete recordings for CHESS Records from 1955 to 1975 including many previously unissued tracks:

• Johnny B. Goode - His Complete '50s Chess Recordings (HIP-O-Select B0009473-02, 2008)
• You Never Can Tell - His Complete Chess Recordings 1960-1966 (HIP-O-Select B0012485-02, 2009)
• Have Mercy - His Complete Chess Recordings 1969-1974 (HIP-O-Select B0013790-02, 2010)

Now, the Japanese branch of Universal Music fulfills another long-standing collectors' wish: Perfect CD re-issues of Berry's original CHESS albums.
In a series called the "Chuck Berry 55 Papersleeve Edition", Universal Music Japan re-released 15 original CHESS albums and one MCA album. Of most interest is that this includes albums previously not available on CD such as Bio, Back Home, or San Francisco Dues. Each album is sold separately, but many collectors will want to get the whole set. Unfortunately the retail price of 2,800 Yen translate to approximately $35 each, plus packaging, postage, customs and taxes.
If you can afford buying some, you will be glad to get:

• a 100% exact replica of the original album sleeve scaled to CD size. This includes the exact printing of the original US edition, even on the spine. Bio and The London Sessions come in their original gatefold cover. And they even managed to duplicate the paper texture, e.g. of the London Sessions album.
• an audio CD of SHM-CD type. This CDs are made from a special enhanced transparency polycarbonate material (Super High Material) said to improve sound quality. It plays on every CD player, though.
• a many-page booklet containing a preface by Marshall Chess, recording data for all songs, complete lyrics, and a long description of the album by Kazuhiro Uda, that one unfortunately in Japanese language only.

Given this high-quality outfit, two things are a bit astonishing. First of all, the CD does not come in a hard box. You just get a plastic envelope which includes the papersleeve and the typical obi strip. This "tasuki" is common to Japanese CDs and includes information about the CD such as price or track listing, all in Japanese language. Secondly, because the obi strip is lost easily, you are left with the papersleeve, which contains absolutely no indication of its Japanese origin.
And without the obi strip and its Japanese-language track listing you might easily overlook another important aspect of these re-releases: Bonus Tracks!
While the original London Sessions album contains five studio tracks and three tracks from the Coventry concert, this re-issue has another eight tracks. This includes the five additional songs from Coventry as released on Have Mercy - His Complete Chess Recordings 1969-1974 (HIP-O-Select B0013790-02, 2010), the single edits of both Roll 'Em Pete and My Ding-A-Ling, and the live version of South of the Border from the 1972 BBC concert in London.
I will try to find out which additional bonus tracks are on the remaining CDs, but I guess they used all or most of the additional tracks from the American four-CD sets. Stay tuned.



Currently these CDs seem to not be stocked by the typical Internet shops. The only offers I found so far were on eBay:

• Set 1 of eight papersleeve albums of the 1950s and 1960s
• Set 2 of eight papersleeve albums from In London to the birthday concert

Thanks to Morten, Andy, and the folks at Universal Music Japan for information about this release!