RECORD OF THE WEEK :
THRILLER JAPAN SUPER AUDIO 
BOXSET CD
EPIC/SONY ESGA503

This particular version in Superaudio cd released in Japan, probably is not the most relevant "Thriller" item in the Showroom, but deserves this honour because of its rarity (it's really hard to find, especially in mint conditions with its "superaudio" red sticker on front) and because, before the 2001 remastered edition of "Thriller", before the SHMCDs produced in 2009, and before the actual BLUSPEC CDS, the Superaudio cd was the 90's best standard of quality for a musical format, with a special "DSD mastering" (written on the "obi").
The japanese release date (written on the back of the box) is April,1st, 2000.
This cd is housed in a special thick carton box (similar to digipack editions) with a special storage for the booklet. The catalogue number is similar to other 90's "Epic" releases, but with adifferent letter (ESDA instead of ESCA) to distinguish the different version of this cd easily. I've never had a Superaudio cd player, so I couldn't make a test to hear the higher quality of mastering.
The cd price was higher, at the time, than a regular "Thriller" cd (something like 40 euros nowadays) : this is another reason why, apart its rarity, today this cd is often sold at high prices (from 150 to 250 euros).

THE RECORD OF THE WEEK & 
today's WELCOME TO THE SHOWROOM : THE ORIGINAL SOUL OF MICHAEL JACKSON
KOREA MOTOWN SMPR-020

Here it is another one unseen for a long long time...I knew about a korean press of "The original soul" but I've never seen a copy like this with that wonderful sticker. So I decided it was the time to add a Korea copy of this album to the Showroom. Now he can meet the "family" - and this became the 5th copy of the album in this collection!
(p.s. the record is sealed, that's why I can't show you the labels)

Today's WELCOME TO THE SHOWROOM :
ANOTHER THRILLER? THRILLER 25? REISSUE? 25 OR NOT?
THRILLER USA PICTURE DISC REISSUE EPIC/SONY 88697353391-1

What's this? I really don't know.
It's a kind of reissue of the Thriller picture disc, with a slightly different artwork (no "25" near the Thriller logo, and "The world's biggest selling album of all time" placed in another side of the picture) but with the same leaflet of the classic "Thriller 25" release. So...it's a reissue of a reissue, in my opinion.
I didn't know about it excistance until a few weeks ago!
And by the way...can a collector ignore it? no it shouldn't. Can you live without it? of course you can. It's nothing so rare. But...it's a 25$ copy you might miss, and for a cheap price like this, it's worth the purchase, isn't it?

THE RECORD OF THE WEEK &
TODAY'S WELCOME TO THE SHOWROOM :
GOT TO BE THERE BRAZIL LP
MOTOWN/TAPECAR M-747-L
(REISSUE : MOTOWN/POLYGRAM 530-162 1)
 


Finally, the Showroom found a near mint copy of the original press of the first Michael solo album made in Brazil! Infact, as of today, the only brazilian press of GTBT in this collection was the reissue. The reason why is simple:the first release is not easy to find, and most of the times have writings on labels or damages on sleeve. You won't see a record with writings or damages here, it's a prerogative - my prerogative - to get the records in almost mint conditions, I don't care if we're talking about 50 years-old presses. If a rare record it's not in good conditions, I don't even watch it! So...the one you see in the picture is a very good copy, and now I can let him rest back to back to his younger brother!!!!

BLAST FROM THE PAST:
GONE TOO SOON 
AUSTRALIA PROMO CD
EPIC/SONY 659986 1
 

Released worldwide on December 1st (excluding the U.S. market, where only promotional copies have been distributed) in conjuction with the World AIDS day, the 9th and last single taken from the "Dangerous" should have been released in Australia with a variant of the well-known Ryan White picture sleeve. After the child molestation allegations, Sony Australia decided to release the single with a different cover (a detail of the 'Dangerous' album artwork - the mask with MJ eyes), a choice taken because they probably thought that a cover picturing MJ with a child could be too controversial (!).
A small quantity of promotional copies have been distributed to radio stations with the original "Ryan White" artwork sleeve.

MISTAKES & MISPRESSES 
AROUND THE WORLD :
BAD KOREA CD 1ST PRESS
EPIC/CBS CPK1012


The "mispresses saga" continues with this rare korean "BAD" cd.
This is the very first press (on the front sleeve of the booklet there's still the red bonus track 'Leave me alone' advice, and the catalogue number is clearly of an early Korea press. Where's the mistake? It's on the back insert of the cd, and exactly on the spine : Michael Jackson's name was mispelled as "Michael Jacksoon"!!!
This is a kind of mispress you can find and easily admit on several bootlegs but...this is a 100% official press!! Obviously, the mistake has been corrected on subsequent re-releases.