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The Dangerous World Of Elvis Bootlegging

January 28, 2008 | Book
In when there is a lot going on in the bootleg world, bootleg-pionier Vic Colonna announces a book about this subject in an interview on the Elvis Information Website. For the fans that are around for some years now, his name is not unknown. Vic released lot's of beautiful imports in a time that everything was still released on vinyl and they even have to invent the word "CD"'.

The book promises to contain lots of interesting stories, straigth from the source. Where did they find the recordings? How where they pressed? How did they reach the fans? What where the reactions? How could the makers keep out of sight of the police?

Colonna expects to be finished with his manuscript in june, and will search for a publisher at that time. An exact release date is not known at this moment.
Source:Elvis Information Network

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jean michel wrote on January 28, 2008
glad to see Vic back among the livings ! I got my first boots (not made for walking ! lol !) thanks to him. I guess his book will be very interesting for collectors.
Viva wrote on January 28, 2008
Sounds very interesting, I've often wondered how these guys manage to function in such a successful way.
EspenK wrote on January 29, 2008
This has potential to be a darn good read indeed. But did he only do Elvis boots, or other artists too?
Lefty wrote on January 29, 2008
"Keep out of sight of the police?" That's a laugh! In theory, boots are illegal. Yet, they're everywhere, with new releases hot off the presses. Heck, even FTD is in bed with the bootleggers. They released the New Year's Eve CD, which came straight from Vic's fantastic Rockin New Years Eve LP. I think the whole "dangerous" claim of Elvis bootlegging is a ploy. If the copyright police wanted to shut them down, they would. As long as boots spur the fans to buy more Elvis music, the strange marriage between what's official and what isn't will continue to prosper.
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on February 01, 2008
If Ftd is in bed with the bootleggers you think they would learn a thing or 2?
Greg Nolan wrote on February 03, 2008
The re-emergence of Vic Colonna (actually first on the FECC site, where a long thread still is popular) is one the most welcome and unexpected events in some time. The book idea is terrific.
Greg Nolan wrote on February 03, 2008
P.S. Lefty, have you no clue what happened to Vic Colonna ? That's quite apparent! There's nothing funny about the mentioning of the police - Vic actually did get caught by the authorities and as I understand it served time for it after being ratted out by some idiot. (Read Piers interview on EIN (see sidebar) and of course that FECC thread. And the "FTD is in bed with bootleggers" claim is dubious. What's your problem here? Never mind that the label has (re-)claimed many lost tapes that for years were out of the possession of RCA, and thus made them available to collectors. As for your purist stance that FTD shouldn't track down audience tapes, I don't buy that either. Hard-core fans collect all FTDs *and* imports and sleep well at night. I also doubt that FTD tosses and turns over the gems released in the import world but then who honestly thinks they do outside of maybe an occasional Sony/BMG lawyer once in a blue moon? But as for your original point, get hip to the fact that Vic Colonna was a revolutionary, Robin Hood-like figure in the Elvis world for taking precisely the risks he did. The rest of us look forward to his forthcoming book.
Paul Reno wrote on February 04, 2008
We all know tapes have been taken from the RCA vaults - stolen and released by bootleggers. BMG own the tapes and it's not a crime if they release a CD, which was actually theirs in the first place. I have heard the 1976 New Years Eve concert was recorded on a Soundboard tape but remains in a private collectors hands. Not sure how truthful that is, perhaps it's a rumour? Either way, if FTD can get their hands on good quality tapes, they have the right to release them. I do know many private collectors, who have VERY interesting Elvis items (for example Elvis's personal copy of the "Elvis What Happened" book, complete with Elvis's comments written on the page margins). He was especially concerned about the pool cue incident. The collector has the book but keeps it in his collection. The same goes for concert tapes. Loads of fantastic audio tapes are in private collections and remain there. With the limited financial backing FTD have, they can't pay a fortune to justify their release.
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on February 06, 2008
No its no crime,but some would question there release methods,they seem to sleep walk there way through many projects!
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on February 06, 2008
By the way with Ftd's going for about 30 each(if your lucky)just how much support do they need? there not making them for charity!