Hi Dennis
How did you feel when you saw/heard the first bootleg of the band? Were you flattered or annoyed? Intrigued or uninterested? Do you have any favorites?
I only ask as I’ve been fascinated by them ever since I was a teenager and got into music. My friend took me to Camden Market in London and told me about these weird, underground records that you couldn’t buy in ordinary shops , that were full of live performances and unreleased studio recordings!
This was about 1990 and information aBout these records was always thin on the ground so I had no idea what to expect. If I remember rightly I was hoping to find a studio version of Levity Ball! The only thing I found was an album called “Sick” on Lp. It had later solo Alice songs but the ones I was most excited about the tracks by you guys! Early live versions of love it to death material from 1969!!! (So it said on the jacket lol) . My friends dad had a record player and I got to listen when we got back to his house. I was totally transported and mesmerized, I especially loved the version of Is it My Body with the “my very own” section. Unfortunately I didn’t have a record player of my own so that was the last time I got to hear it for about a year until I acquired one from my Grandad.
Funnily enough your group were my first Vinyl, CD and Bootleg purchases. My first album ever was Trash I’m afraid and that was on cassette!
Bootlegs!!
Moderators: Si, SickThings, Shoesalesman, Dreary
Re: Bootlegs!!
In the analog days of recording, the vast majority of acts did all they could to prevent people from recording at concerts, and to curtail rehearsal tapes and studio outtakes from leaking, although there were bands like the Grateful Dead and Metallica (I think) that encouraged it and it greatly built their followings.
Artists, their managers, and record companies saw it as theft and the complete lack of quality control that the artist could be judged by.
Joe and Shep were vigilant about preventing cassette players into our shows, which was ironic since they did the Great White Wonder (including music by Bob Dylan), which was the very first bootleg album. The band didn't know about it until decades later, but that bootleg kept Alice Cooper afloat during some lean years.
Further irony is that we are now officially releasing some of our concert recordings. At least the band gets paid and we have advanced technology to help with the quality.
Artists, their managers, and record companies saw it as theft and the complete lack of quality control that the artist could be judged by.
Joe and Shep were vigilant about preventing cassette players into our shows, which was ironic since they did the Great White Wonder (including music by Bob Dylan), which was the very first bootleg album. The band didn't know about it until decades later, but that bootleg kept Alice Cooper afloat during some lean years.
Further irony is that we are now officially releasing some of our concert recordings. At least the band gets paid and we have advanced technology to help with the quality.