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You have their standard albums, maybe even some of their singles. You have some of their movies. Yet you keep hearing about all of these unreleased songs, alternate takes, and tracks. Where do you go? To the underground.
The Beatles are one of the most bootlegged artists in rock'n'roll history, up there with the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and Bruce Springsteen.
But perhaps I should begin by also stating what is a "bootleg", since the modern definition in music is a bit different from what it used to be. A "bootleg" is a record (or CD) that was not officially released by the group or record company, featuring music that was not meant for release. A bootleg was usually a live recording, sometimes sounding very good, but a lot of times not so good, thus the origin of the term "bootleg quality". There was a time when fans could bring in their cassette decks or reel-to-reel tape machines and record a concert, and nothing was thought of it. The 1970's changed that, bringing new regulations that exist today, which now includes cameras. Sometimes, the sound engineer of a particular show would bring his own recording equipment and simply press record. Now he had a recording most people didn't have. In time, these live tape collectors would eventually gain what was once considered the "holy grail": studio outtakes. These were tapes that were generally kept "in the vaults", away from the public and not meant for anyone to hear but the artist, producer, engineer, and their inner circle.
One of the first major Beatles bootleg projects was a series of albums known as SWEET APPLE TRACKS. These consisted of recordings done during the filming of what was to become LET IT BE. The recordings were not sourced from The Beatles' own masters, but from the tape reels recorded by the film crew. Filming was done as long as the group were in the studio, and hours and hours and hours of songs and chatter were recorded. Since these recordings were not in their hands, it was easier to gain access to and release. There had been a small handful of llve Beatles recordings on vinyl, but good luck in listening to any of it. SWEET APPLE TRACKS was the first time studio-quality recordings of unreleased Beatles songs were heard, and that paved the way for not only Beatles bootlegs, but anyone.
Who made these bootleggers? Young entrepreneurs with some collage money, and knowledge of knowing how to press them at a record manufacturing plant "after hours". For the most part, a bootleg album was pressed at the same places that were making records you could find at Woolworth. Slipping the workers a bit of cash to help them out made it possible, and all one had to do was find a copying store to make some quick covers, slap it on a generic white record cover, and an industry was born. In the early days of "Rolling Stone", one could also find ads for these illegally made albums. As the magazine started to gain attention, so did awareness of these records. With The Beatles long gone, and fans waiting for anything, SWEET APPLE TRACKS became a phenomenon, and fans had to have more. Labels such as Trademark Of Quality, Ze Anonym Plattenspieeler (ZAP), The Amazing Kornyphone Label, and Wizardo became as familar as Capitol, Parlophone, Apple, and Odeon.
By the late 1970's, even as bootleggers were being arrested, the bootleggers were one step ahead of the game, and were already making full color covers. Many times, the bootlegs were far better than anything Capitol or Parlophone were releasing. The output of material bootleggers were coming up with lead to the official release of RARITIES, although it consisted of alternate mixes of songs that were publicly available, but hard to find for the non-collector.
The FBI pretty much slowed down most bootleg production in the U.S., but it didn't stop the records from coming in from Canada, Europe, or Japan. As the compact disc became the format of choice in the 1980's, vinyl bootlegs for mainstream artists would slow down immensely, but not to a halt. In the mid-80's, when compact discs were being promoted as the last format you'll ever need to buy (and looking back, they may have been right), it was considered a format that no one could tinker with. There were only a small handful of CD manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Europe, and the technology was something they felt the public could not have access to. The industry had the CD on lockdown.
That is, until the first bootleg CD's were made. The artists who were honored with the first illegal CD's? The Beatles and Bob Dylan.
In the early 1980's, fans were now gaining access to alternate takes and unreleased material. Abbey Road had offered public Beatles tours so fans could see where the group recorded most of their material, and part of the presentation would include an audio portion with unreleased songs. Bootleggers would sneak in their cassette decks and press record. The bootleggers then started taking risks, and somehow they gained access to the actual tapes. They were released on vinyl. In time, a bootlegger gained access to a CD pressing plant, and released the first two Beatles bootleg CD's, ULTRA RARE TRAX VOL. 1 & 2. It shocked not only other bootleggers and fans, but Parlophone, Capitol, Apple, and The Beatles, because the sound quality was amazing. Was it an inside job? If not, how did they gain access to this material?
What is the appeal of hearing a recording of the group flubbing up in the studio, or forgetting their lyrics? It's a change for fans to hear the development of a song. As for the unreleased stuff, it gives bootleggers a chance to give a middle finger to the industry and say "we can do it better than you". These bootleg CD's came out on the Swingin' Pig label, and it was never the same again. They had been available in legitimate stores before they were forced to take them off of shelves. That didn't stop mom & pop stores from selling them behind the counter, just as they did in the days of vinyl bootlegs, or to go to a head shop and say "I want two Zig Zags and, ohyeah, a copy of that LISTEN TO THIS, EDDIE bootleg by Led Zeppelin."
In Italy, there were loopholes in the copyright laws which made it possible for these recordings to be sold in legit stores. Most of the bootleg CD's started coming out of Italy, and every other group that had a presence in bootleg vinyl form were now on compact disc. When they changed the laws in Italy, bootlegging moved over to Asia. In truth, no one except insiders knew where the CD's were being made, but they were being made, and being sold, and reaching the United States. In time, there were bootleg CD box sets, with deluxe booklets, unseen photographs, and music which seemed to come from nowhere.
Over time, artists like Frank Zappa would take his bootlegged legacy and release the bootlegs as his, flaws included. ========== So you're asking yourself "where can I buy these bootlegs?" If you're a music nut, you'll find a way to obtain them. Diehards will collect anything and everything, although expect to pay $25+ for a single bootleg CD. One thing to consider is that if you take care of them, they occasionally have good reselling value.
One of the first bootleg "bibles" was Hot Wacks. They released a quarterly magazine and a yearly book, featuring a very in-depth discography of most of the bootlegs that were available, which included ratings on graphics, sound quality, and source of the recording (audience, soundboard, or studio outtakes). The Hot Wacks people have since released a number of books on groups who have been heavily bootlegged, and now have a healthy web presence. You can find them at http://www.hotwacks.com .
If you're someone who wants the music, but don't want to give money to an unknown bootlegger, then there's CD trading. There are many places and pages to find someone who is willing to trade, but if you simply want to see the wealth of bootleg CD's that are available, or want to know how to start, here are two websites of interest:
http://www.jpgr.co.uk/i_vinyl.html http://www.bootlegzone.com/
The first link is from a collector who has put up his list of all the bootlegs he has.
The second link is a great side featuring people who have these CD's for trading purposes. Bootlegzone also has a section called THE ULTIMATE BEATLEG GUIDE: http://www.bootlegzone.com/beatleg/ubl-base.php
It is very in-depth and at times overwhelming, especially for a newbie. Popular titles are often repackaged by bootleggers under another title, and the sound quality can differ from CD to CD. The website offers reviews of each title, so you can pick and choose.
If you do trade with someone, DO NOT offer cash. That's a big no no. NEVER NEVER NEVER say "I don't have music, but I'm willing to offer a few dollars for your troubles." There are collectors out there who will actually charge for you to hear these, but if there's a free way to do the same (or at least the cost of blank CD's plus postage {B+P}, do it.
Speaking of free, you also have file transfers. Like anything, you can find unreleased Beatles material at the normal spots. Keep in mind that not everyone will encode an MP3 the same, so if sound quality is an issue, be forewarned. If you know how to use BitTorrent, then you probably know of various search methods to find what you want. You will most likely find many Beatles bootlegs there. =========== If you wish to read up on Beatles bootlegs, I would recommend:
BEATLES NOT FOR SALE and BLACK MARKET BEATLES
Officially, The Beatles released only 11 proper albums in seven years, not counting singles, compilations, or U.S. and foreign variations. Bootleggers have released far more, and yet there are still Beatles songs yet unheard.
=== "I love how some hip-hop dudes think it's perfectly normal to rock huge diamonds and oversized pink clothing but "soft" if you eat a girl out." - discjockingmost ===
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