Audio: International Album Releases (Regular)

Down In The Groove (1988)

This page is part of a list of original releases by release date of international commercially-released regular stereo Dylan albums. They do not contain rarities or obscurities and are not eligible for the Searching For A Gem list. Nevertheless, their interest value or scarcity means they're worth listing here - as far as I know some are not included on any other Internet site. Promo releases of regular albums are now listed here and no longer in the former yearly Promo sections.

This page is still incomplete - more entries required. For releases of this album in CBS/Columbia multi-packs, see International Album Releases (Regular) - Multi-Packs.

Oh Mercy (1989)

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Original US stereo album, Columbia OC 45056 (LP), OCT 45056 (MC), CK 45056 (CD), 9 Feb 1989 (bobdylan.com lists it incorrectly as 18 Jan 1988)

This release was much delayed, the concerts with The Grateful Dead took place in Jul 1987. A version with a very different track selection circulates amongst Dylan fans, supposedly compiled by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. Bob is reported to have selected tracks that had not had live versions released before over tracks with musical merit!

The commercial copy shown is sealed, with a black sticker with red and white text promoting three of the live tracks. The promo copy shown has a black sticker with red and white text promoting the Dylan/Dead collaboration and a gold promo stamp over the barcode. The record is in a picture inner sleeve and has red Columbia labels. The promo record has handwritten matrix numbers: Side 1 - PAL 45056-1A DMM, Side 2 - PBL- 45056-1D DMM.

Thanks to Hans Seegers for information and to Gerd Rundel for further information and scans.

Columbia OC 45056 (USA) - front sticker scan by Gerd Rundel (commercial copy)

Columbia OC 45056 (USA) - detail of rear with sticker and gold promo stamp, scan by Gerd Rundel (promo copy)

Columbia OC 45056 (USA) - inner sleeve front, scan by Gerd Rundel

Columbia OC 45056 (USA) - inner sleeve rear, scan by Gerd Rundel

Columbia OC 45056 (USA) - Side 1 scan by Gerd Rundel

Thanks to Gerd Rundel for information and scans.

CBS 463381 4 (UK) - box with sticker (my copy)

The front of the cassette case has a red sticker with yellow text.

CBS 463381 4 (UK) - unfolded front insert

CBS 463381 4 (UK) - Side 1

CBS 463381 4 (UK) - Side 2

CBS 463381 4 (UK) - inside of unfolded front insert

Thanks to Patrick Helfrich for information and scans.

Thanks to Manuel Garcia Jara for information and scans.

CBS 463381 1 (SE) (Spain) - detail of Side 1, scan by Manuel Garcia Jara

This album was manufactured in Greece for Diski CBS. The rear sleeve has a copyright credit to "The Grateful Dead Productions Inc." as well as "CBS Inc.". The record has red CBS labels with English and Greek text. On the rear sleeve it looks as if the symbols below the barcode have been blacked out.

CBS 463381 1 (Greece) - rear scan by Gerd Rundel

CBS 463381 1 (Greece) - inner sleeve front, scan by Gerd Rundel

This record has red CBS labels with stamped matrix numbers: 01 463381 20 1A/B1 plus HP ISRAEL written.

There is also an insert (see below for the Brazilian release).

Thanks to Hans Seegers for the information.

Thanks to Stuart Moore for information and scans.

CBS 463381 4 (Australia) - cassette Side 1, scan by Stuart Moore

CBS 177.130/1-463381 (Brazil) - rear scan by Hans Seegers

CBS 177.130/1-463381 (Brazil) - insert front scan by Hans Seegers

CBS 177.130/1-463381 (Brazil) - insert rear scan by Hans Seegers

CBS 177.130/1-463381 (Brazil) - Side 1 scan by Hans Seegers

Thanks to Jack from Canada for information and scans.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus for information and Franck Faugere for the scans.

These releases have an 8-page stapled booklet as the front insert.

Thanks to Juergen Flicker for scans of the 1989 CBS release.

CBS/Columbia 463381 2 (Austria for Europe) - outside of front insert (both releases)

CBS 463381 2 (Austria for Europe) - CD scan by Juergen Flicker (1989 release)

Columbia 463381 2 (Austria for Europe) - rear insert (1990s release)

CBS/Columbia 463381 2 (Austria for Europe) - centre of front insert (both releases)

This promo CD has a black, red and white obi with yellow, white and black text. The release date is shown as "E-3-1" (1 Mar 1989) - see International Album Releases (Regular Albums) for information on Japanese alphabetic year codes. The original obi has the price ¥2,500 without sales tax. The replacement obi shows two prices: ¥2,280 without sales tax and ¥2,348 including sales tax (sales tax was introduced in Japan in mid-1989). Copies of CBS/Sony 25DP5402 with the ¥2,500 obi are therefore much rarer. This was the last Japanese Dylan album to be released in the "25DP" series because the catalogue numbering system was changed after the introduction of sales tax, while at the same time regular CD prices were reduced from ¥2,500 to ¥2,348 to stimulate sales.

The copy shown is a promo, with a promo panel on the rear insert and Japanese characters indicating a promo on the clear centre of the CD. The front insert was a 32-page stapled booklet in English and Japanese.

Thanks to Hans Seegers for initial information and to Wil Gielen for further information and scans.

CBS/Sony 25DP 5402 (Japan) - CD scan by Wil Gielen (promo copy)

This release has the same 8-page stapled booklet as the front insert.

Thanks to Stuart Moore for information and scans.

Columbia 463381 2 (Australia) - rear insert scan by Stuart Moore

Sony Music 88697082282 (Austria for Europe) - front sticker

Sony Music 88697082282 (Austria for Europe) - outside of digipak unfolded

Sony Music 88697347052 (Austria for Europe) - rear scan by Nol Grint (jewel case release)

The four 2009 remasters were released in Japan not in digipaks but in mini-LP cardboard sleeves reproducing the US initial release with the original CBS/Sony Japan obi. In this case that is the Columbia OC 45056 sleeve and CBS/Sony 25DP 5402 obi. There is an 8-page stapled booklet in English, a 20-page stapled booklet in English and Japanese, and the CD is in a paper inner sleeve. There is a black sticker which is not attached to the shrink-wrap but loose inside the sleeve.

Thanks to Sonny Boy McFitzson for information and to Wil Gielen for further information and scans.

Sony Music SICP 2014 (Japan) - sticker scan by Wil Gielen

Sony Music SICP 2014 (Japan) - rear with obi, scan by Wil Gielen