Bootlegs History

[KiwiAlan]

For those not in the loop.

I would find a history of bootlegs very interesting. How it started. The ownership of the labels. Cross ownership. Sales details . EVERYTHING!.

Apart from those in the public domain, names could be changed to protect the "innocent".

Perhaps those talking in riddles might like to contribute to a thread. Before you all die off

[Maurice Carver]

In the end, too much will be said.
They are also monitoring this site.

[Rob]

Bootlegs? What's a bootleg?

If it is not an officially released CD, I'm not the least bit interested. I want all involved to get their proper share of royalties. I couldn't sleep at night knowing otherwise.

[drjohncarpenter]

A lot of interesting history and links are here -> Bootleg Recording - Wikipedia

[Buffalo Wings]

Highly recommended and essential book:




Regards,
Buffalo Wings
aka "Beatle Bob"

[Luuk]

Try finding "Hot Wacks" books or "Hot Wacks Quarterly" magazines.

[davepenny]

If it is not an officially released CD, I'm not the least bit interested. I want all involved to get their proper share of royalties. I couldn't sleep at night knowing otherwise.

If you believe that buying "official" releases ensures that performer/musician royalties are being paid, Rob, I'm afraid you are labouring under a delusion. Just ask Scotty!

The bigger the record company, the more likely they are to wriggle out of paying royalties.

[KiwiAlan]

Thanks Doc and Buffaloe.

[drjohncarpenter]

Kiwi -- enjoy!

[likethebike]

Read Clinton Heyln's book "Bootleg". It is a very eye opening account of not only the bootleg industry but also the music industry. Most of the people do use their real names. It has a nice little chapter on Elvis bootlegs.

What will come as a shock to many fans is just how little money there is in the field. There is not the untold millions in lost profits that the record companies claim. A few sellers broke free and sold tons of copies but most sell a few thousand tops. The people in the industry are mostly dedicated fans.

[colonel snow]

the first bootleggers were the people who recorded with portable recorders in the late 60's in the cinema the movie songs which were different to the Lp release. (in 1963 Philips invented the cassette tape!).

colonel snow

[Little Darlin]

In the end, too much will be said.
They are also monitoring this site.

They are? Really?

Wonder what they think of the Forum then. It makes you wonder just WHO is looking in doesn't it?

[Liverbobs]

In the end, too much will be said.
They are also monitoring this site.

They are? Really?

Wonder what they think of the Forum then. It makes you wonder just WHO is looking in doesn't it?

LD They may be looking in RIGHT NOW !!!!!!

[Luuk]

Read Clinton Heyln's book "Bootleg". It is a very eye opening account of not only the bootleg industry but also the music industry. Most of the people do use their real names. It has a nice little chapter on Elvis bootlegs.

What will come as a shock to many fans is just how little money there is in the field. There is not the untold millions in lost profits that the record companies claim. A few sellers broke free and sold tons of copies but most sell a few thousand tops. The people in the industry are mostly dedicated fans.

I know someone who has a nice house, lots of art, a shop for his wife and a degree after a long study for himself. All paid for by selling nothing but bootlegs.
If this guy walked into a recordfair or Elvis convention, all fans swarmed around him like bees after honey! It's a surprise he never was robbed, carrying all that cash upon leaving for home.
In the seventies it was big bucks for dealers. That is why they were able to spend the cash on the rare previously unreleased tapes.

Funny story: when Joan Deary was at an Elvis convention, all known bootleg makers swarmed around her like bees looking for honey.

[TALLHAIR 2]

only true in part. He sold many, but made few himself...
And .... he got caught by the authorities! Plus his father, who was in
poor health, died shortly after, when he and his wife were lifted
from their beds by the police at 4 in the morning, suspected
for being involved with their son's activities.... His heart problems
could not cope, and he died a shortwhile later. It's not only
fame and fortune friends....
"All bootleggers swarmed around Deary..." All ? Like how many
do you talk about in the Elvis world? Three, maybe four? And the
most famous one wasnt even there that day....

[ekenee]

tallhair2 wrote: when he and his wife were lifted
from their beds by the police at 4 in the morning, suspected
for being involved with their son's activities....
*************************************************

Do the police even do that with drug dealers?

And all of this bootlegging and raids, and arrests are all BMG's fault, because if they released the material in the first place there would be no need for anyone to bootleg anything.

[Gregory Nolan Jr.]

Well...yeah, but if you're the owner of something, you want to be the one meting out portions..

"Get yer Elvis hotcakes!






I've wanted to read that "Bootleg" book for some time. I've heard it's a good one.

The real story will only be written long from today -when the principals are all gone, public domain rules the day, and only eccentrics cling to their beloved antique 'records" and "Cee Dees."

May there yet be some chapters left to write...!

[likethebike]

How far do you go though Greg? There's a specific story in Heylin's book that details how the legendary "Behind Closed Doors" that came about because a janitor found a stash of tapes that RCA had THROWN out. For the longest time RCA didn't want it and didn't want to give it out.

Heylin brings up some good points as well about the actual ownership of concert recordings. (Recordings really should have been owned by Elvis who paid for and created them.)

[Gregory Nolan Jr.]

LTB, catching up here - I'm just a realist about lawyers and such - that is when and if they care at all. (You can't fight city hall," etc).

Otherwise, I'm totally with the idea of saving Elvis tapes (or issuing them while we're still alive) as noted in your example. In fact, I view bootleggers as heros in that respect, especially the good ones.

On another recent but sort of old thread I just found on FTD sales, a "Richard Palmer" was trying to badger us into his idea that its hypocritical to be against copying FTDs and yet to also support boots. I don't buy it. And I wonder what his agenda was, come to think of it.

It's one of the reasons I find myself a defender of the European take on public domain laws, which is a very old concept originally regarding books.

I will vow to read that book on bootlegs in '08. Thanks for the reminder.