Japanese Rolling Stones Fan Club Flexi-Discs: Rare 1980s Mail-Only Singles

The Japanese Rolling Stones fan club, run by the local record company, issued a handful of exclusive flexi-discs to members in the early ’80s. These thin, flexible vinyl records were mailed directly to fan club subscribers, usually as a bonus for renewing membership or for specific promotions. Because they were never sold in stores and each was limited to a single pressing run, they’ve become collector’s items.

The most famous is the 1981 “Fan Club” flexi, which included an early live version of “Start Me Up” from the 1981 US tour (different from the Tattoo You take) and a studio outtake called “No Use in Crying.” Another from 1982 featured a bluesy, unreleased track “I’m Gonna Drive You Out of My Mind” paired with a live cut of “Going to a Go-Go.” In 1983, members got a flexi with “Too Much Blood” (a rough mix predating Undercover) and an alternate take of “Undercover of the Night.” Each disc was housed in a plain sleeve with a Japanese fan club stamp.

These flexi-discs weren’t just hype—they offered genuine rarities. Since the Rolling Stones rarely gave away official outtakes through fan clubs elsewhere, the Japanese series became a secret pipeline for hardcore collectors seeking variations not on any album or single. Today, a mint copy can fetch several hundred dollars.