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Bootleg Elvis!

April 17, 2012 | Book

Here is the announcement for the upcoming book: Bootleg Elvis! After many years of painstaking research, a group of five European mega-collectors have finished their work on the ultimate vinyl bootleg bible: Bootleg Elvis

Now, in 2012, the time has come that this massive -640 pages- work of love and labor will be made available to all Elvis fans and music lovers worldwide. With more than 1200 color pictures, track listings, cross-references, matrix numbers, cover/label/vinyl/sound descriptions of about 1000 records on 480+ pages, this is the most in-depth work on Elvis vinyl bootlegs ever!

This book will not only list and visualize every known Elvis bootleg record, but it will also list and show all known variations of each record. All records will be listed in several chapters, being:

• 7-inch Singles
• 7-inch Extended Play Albums
• 10-inch Albums & 78 rpm Singles
• 12-inch Long Play Albums and Maxi Singles
• Interviews and Session Talks
• Novelty and Tribute Bootlegged Records
• Far Eastern Bootlegged Records

To top it off, there is an almost 65 pages description about the history of (Elvis) bootlegging, starting in 1901 up to today. There are about 70 pages of stories written by all the major bootleggers from the USA, Canada and Europe. They will tell you why they made their bootlegs, how they obtained their recordings, how they got their records and sleeves made and how they managed to sell their records without being caught.

Read stories -first hand- about albums like Please Release Me (the first Elvis bootleg ever!) The Hillbilly Cat "Live", The '68 Comeback, Million Dollar Quartet, Loving You Recording Sessions, Welcome In Germany and many more. These are more than fascinating insider stories that were never known nor published before! All in all, this book gives you the most complete insight ever into the evolution of bootlegging Elvis. Even if you’re not a vinyl collector, this book is definitely a must-have!  

Source:For CD Collectors Only
marco31768 wrote on April 17, 2012
A MUST for every collector !!!!!
Bestoftherest8301 wrote on April 18, 2012
Elvis bootlegging in 1901? What album was that then?
Wiebe wrote on April 18, 2012
I think they meant the phenomenon bootlegging
benny scott wrote on April 18, 2012
1901 is obviously NOT a mistake. Wiebe is right ! Surf to the source For CD Coll... Elvis' name is between round brackets. Bootlegging from 1901 on, and Elvis' bootleg records part of the history. Always El.
I am Buffalo-Horn! wrote on April 18, 2012
Now this will be a good book for fans, worth 50 times the "Taking care of business' egotistical Mafia rubbish publications we have had to endure since 1977.
Lefty wrote on April 19, 2012
Bootlegging what in 1901? As a matter of history, bootlegging in the United States started in the 1880s. Hopefully, the book doesn't waste too many pages talking about illicit whiskey stored in flasks and hidden in the top of boots to be sold to Indians (hence, where the term "bootlegging" came from). There isn't any valid connection between that and producing illegal Elvis records and CD's. Nevertheless, if the book is priced right, I may buy it just to read the stories about the super collectors. Too bad the book doesn't cover the bootleg CD market, which has had it's shares of real gems.
benny scott wrote on April 19, 2012
Hi Lefty, I see your point, and indeed it could be a bit confusing reading the year 1901 as the (probably) start of bootlegging. I don't think the authors had "whiskey" on their minds writing this book. Let's not forget the (very primitive) audio recordings already started in 1877 . There's a difference of 24 years between 1877 and 1901 and the recording technique(s) evolved during this period. Could it be that already in 1901 records were bootlegged ? I'd like to know your point of view about that. Would appreciate your reply ! Always El.
Lefty wrote on April 19, 2012
Hi Benny! I did a little bit of research and found that the first known bootlegs used a phonograph recorder to record performances at the New York Metropolitan Opera House between 1901 and 1903. That must be what they are referring to. Imagine that, bootlegged music has been unstoppable since 1901. Lucky for us, right? Some of my very favorite Elvis recordings are bootlegs. Collecting Elvis music just wouldn't be the same if bootlegs weren't around.
Jerome wrote on April 20, 2012
Is this an official release?..
benny scott wrote on April 20, 2012
Right you are Lefty, and thanks for your reaction ! Always El.
brunop wrote on April 20, 2012
I think that it was the time to have such a book on Elvis vinyl boots..being a book and not a record-disc-cd..it is official of course..
marco31768 wrote on April 20, 2012
Jerome... Can you post a serious comment, just one time???
Sally_Coates wrote on April 21, 2012
Vinyl? Why not cds as well or instead of? A completely pointless book. There is a guy (davrid) who visits this site who has well over 20,000 Elvis albums and cds, and if I need to know anyything I'll just ask him rather than fork out for this.
Harvey Alexander wrote on April 21, 2012
Where's the website address to order it from? It's pointless announcing such a book without details of where we can get it from. I'm really looking forward to this book. Love bootleg vinyl!!!
benny scott wrote on April 21, 2012
Harvey, although we didn't agree on some topics in the past, I'll try to look for the info you need about this book. I'll let you know asap I have more info. Though I have only a few Elvis vinyl bootlegs myself I can understand this book will be welcomed by the fans involved, so enjoy !!! Always El.
Lefty wrote on April 22, 2012
Harvey, the Elvis In Australia shop is offering the book on pre-order. Looks like it will be released in July. The price is $149.95 in Australian currency. I'd post a link to the web-site, but I don't that's allowed here.
Sally_Coates wrote on April 23, 2012
The UK price is £64.99 - loads of peope selling it.