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Thread started 10/18/17 8:24am

Bodhitheblackd
og

BOOTLEGS

This is NOT a solicitation, an offer, or even begging ...but I am curious and confused.

How could so many Prince concerts and aftershows be 'out there' without permission? How/why couldn't Prince have shut this down over the years? When something is touted as a 'soundboard' release or quality, does that imply that honest sound engineers were almost impossible to find?

If bootlegging is theft of the artists' work, how can it be so prevelant? Do other artists struggle with the same theft of their music? Why haven't injunctions been issued and bootlegs seized and destroyed?

Can someone help explain this?

[Edited 10/18/17 8:26am]

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Reply #1 posted 10/18/17 8:35am

purplethunder3
121

avatar

Music has been "bootlegged" since the beginning of recorded sound...

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #2 posted 10/18/17 8:47am

djThunderfunk

avatar

Bodhitheblackdog said:

This is NOT a solicitation, an offer, or even begging ...but I am curious and confused.

How could so many Prince concerts and aftershows be 'out there' without permission? How/why couldn't Prince have shut this down over the years? When something is touted as a 'soundboard' release or quality, does that imply that honest sound engineers were almost impossible to find?

If bootlegging is theft of the artists' work, how can it be so prevelant? Do other artists struggle with the same theft of their music? Why haven't injunctions been issued and bootlegs seized and destroyed?

Can someone help explain this?

[Edited 10/18/17 8:26am]


As someone who has collected bootlegs for nearly 30 years, I'll give this a try.

When you say "so many", realize that the vast majority are audience recordings, that do not require anyone within the artist's organization to be dishonest.

As for SBD releases. Some artists, like Prince, record every (or at least most) of their performances. Once the soundman turns over the tape, it can be anyone that has access that could leak it, not just the engineer.

Bootlegging is "prevelant" because there is a demand. Any artist big enough to have obsessive fans struggles with theft of their music. There are many websites dedicated solely to sharing bootlegs of any and all artists.

Injunctions have been issued and bootlegs have been seized. Factories have been raided, stores have been raided, websites have been shut down, people have been sued, etc...

As for how Prince bootlegs have leaked, there are many ways. Some have been leaked by associates and employees, some have been leaked by "friends", some were carelessly left lying around and were snagged by those with opportunity. Search this site and you will find MANY discussions on the subject, but, don't go down the "did Prince leak bootlegs on purpose" rabbithole. Generally speaking, he did not.

Liberty > Authority
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Reply #3 posted 10/18/17 8:50am

Bodhitheblackd
og

djThunderfunk said:

Bodhitheblackdog said:

This is NOT a solicitation, an offer, or even begging ...but I am curious and confused.

How could so many Prince concerts and aftershows be 'out there' without permission? How/why couldn't Prince have shut this down over the years? When something is touted as a 'soundboard' release or quality, does that imply that honest sound engineers were almost impossible to find?

If bootlegging is theft of the artists' work, how can it be so prevelant? Do other artists struggle with the same theft of their music? Why haven't injunctions been issued and bootlegs seized and destroyed?

Can someone help explain this?

[Edited 10/18/17 8:26am]


As someone who has collected bootlegs for nearly 30 years, I'll give this a try.

When you say "so many", realize that the vast majority are audience recordings, that do not require anyone within the artist's organization to be dishonest.

As for SBD releases. Some artists, like Prince, record every (or at least most) of their performances. Once the soundman turns over the tape, it can be anyone that has access that could leak it, not just the engineer.

Bootlegging is "prevelant" because there is a demand. Any artist big enough to have obsessive fans struggles with theft of their music. There are many websites dedicated solely to sharing bootlegs of any and all artists.

Injunctions have been issued and bootlegs have been seized. Factories have been raided, stores have been raided, websites have been shut down, people have been sued, etc...

As for how Prince bootlegs have leaked, there are many ways. Some have been leaked by associates and employees, some have been leaked by "friends", some were carelessly left lying around and were snagged by those with opportunity. Search this site and you will find MANY discussions on the subject, but, don't go down the "did Prince leak bootlegs on purpose" rabbithole. Generally speaking, he did not.

Thank you!

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Reply #4 posted 10/18/17 9:08am

databank

avatar

Bodhitheblackdog said:

This is NOT a solicitation, an offer, or even begging ...but I am curious and confused.

I was too when, at the age of 14 in 1991, I found a record stores full of records that I knew couldn't possibly exist and, yet, were there under my eyes, with the clerk refusing to give me an explaination about it except repeating like a mantra that they were "imports", which of course made no sense. Then, luckily, I saw a documentary about bootlegs on TV and it all made sense.

How could so many Prince concerts and aftershows be 'out there' without permission? How/why couldn't Prince have shut this down over the years? When something is touted as a 'soundboard' release or quality, does that imply that honest sound engineers were almost impossible to find?

It's not uncommon for concert venues to record and keep a copy of the shows played at the venue (see the MusicVault site, who's made exclusively of such recordings and has been subject to several legal battles and yet manage to remain legally in existence). In some cases, the venue's sound engineer knew fans and gave/sold them copies of the soundboard recordings: I know for a fact that it's what's happened for at least one of the soundboard aftershows (I won't say which one for obvious reasons). Many other soundboard shows, particularly from the 80's, came from former bandmembers or people from Prince's camp who could easily obtain copies, and later in the 90's sold them to bootleggers for substantial sums (this is how the whole "City Lights/Studio Nights" collection was released in 1995 for example), or given to fans under the promise they wouldn't share them (but they would eventually leak or sell them, or give them to someone who would eventually do either). Again, certain stories are known among fans but names cannot be shared publicly.

If bootlegging is theft of the artists' work, how can it be so prevelant?

Because when people really want to do/get something, they manage to do/get it.

Do other artists struggle with the same theft of their music?

Of course they do, although there are a few well known artists who openly encouraged their fans to record and/or trade bootlegs of their work.

Why haven't injunctions been issued and bootlegs seized and destroyed?

Of course injuctions have been issued and bootlegs seized and destroyed. For one thing, up until the early 90's several countries, including some European ones, had legal loopholes regarding copyright, that bootleggers exploited well. This was corrected by the GATT treaty in 1994, at a time when bootlegs could be found in every possible record store in Europe. Consequently, the industry snapped and by the end of 1996 it was virtually impossible to find bootlegs in record stores anymore. But then came the internet. Prince himself had quite a number of website shut down ever since, though mostly sites sharing boots for free as opposed to selling them. What you say is just like asking "why aren't all drugs taken off the market?" or "why aren't all prostitues and pimps jailed?": just because something is illegal doesn't mean it's easy to fight. Besides, fighting it is costly, and as long as record stores aren't flooded with bootlegs the way they were in 1994, bootlegs don't represent much of of a threat to artists and labels. Besides, ever since the internet ruined the music industry with P2P's, direct downloads and streaming sites, the industry has had more important fights to fight.

Can someone help explain this?

I hope I have.

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #5 posted 10/18/17 9:09am

databank

avatar

djThunderfunk said:

Bodhitheblackdog said:

This is NOT a solicitation, an offer, or even begging ...but I am curious and confused.

How could so many Prince concerts and aftershows be 'out there' without permission? How/why couldn't Prince have shut this down over the years? When something is touted as a 'soundboard' release or quality, does that imply that honest sound engineers were almost impossible to find?

If bootlegging is theft of the artists' work, how can it be so prevelant? Do other artists struggle with the same theft of their music? Why haven't injunctions been issued and bootlegs seized and destroyed?

Can someone help explain this?

[Edited 10/18/17 8:26am]


As someone who has collected bootlegs for nearly 30 years, I'll give this a try.

When you say "so many", realize that the vast majority are audience recordings, that do not require anyone within the artist's organization to be dishonest.

As for SBD releases. Some artists, like Prince, record every (or at least most) of their performances. Once the soundman turns over the tape, it can be anyone that has access that could leak it, not just the engineer.

Bootlegging is "prevelant" because there is a demand. Any artist big enough to have obsessive fans struggles with theft of their music. There are many websites dedicated solely to sharing bootlegs of any and all artists.

Injunctions have been issued and bootlegs have been seized. Factories have been raided, stores have been raided, websites have been shut down, people have been sued, etc...

As for how Prince bootlegs have leaked, there are many ways. Some have been leaked by associates and employees, some have been leaked by "friends", some were carelessly left lying around and were snagged by those with opportunity. Search this site and you will find MANY discussions on the subject, but, don't go down the "did Prince leak bootlegs on purpose" rabbithole. Generally speaking, he did not.

You beat me to it biggrin

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #6 posted 10/18/17 9:30am

Bodhitheblackd
og

databank said:

Bodhitheblackdog said:

This is NOT a solicitation, an offer, or even begging ...but I am curious and confused.

I was too when, at the age of 14 in 1991, I found a record stores full of records that I knew couldn't possibly exist and, yet, were there under my eyes, with the clerk refusing to give me an explaination about it except repeating like a mantra that they were "imports", which of course made no sense. Then, luckily, I saw a documentary about bootlegs on TV and it all made sense.

How could so many Prince concerts and aftershows be 'out there' without permission? How/why couldn't Prince have shut this down over the years? When something is touted as a 'soundboard' release or quality, does that imply that honest sound engineers were almost impossible to find?

It's not uncommon for concert venues to record and keep a copy of the shows played at the venue (see the MusicVault site, who's made exclusively of such recordings and has been subject to several legal battles and yet manage to remain legally in existence). In some cases, the venue's sound engineer knew fans and gave/sold them copies of the soundboard recordings: I know for a fact that it's what's happened for at least one of the soundboard aftershows (I won't say which one for obvious reasons). Many other soundboard shows, particularly from the 80's, came from former bandmembers or people from Prince's camp who could easily obtain copies, and later in the 90's sold them to bootleggers for substantial sums (this is how the whole "City Lights/Studio Nights" collection was released in 1995 for example), or given to fans under the promise they wouldn't share them (but they would eventually leak or sell them, or give them to someone who would eventually do either). Again, certain stories are known among fans but names cannot be shared publicly.

If bootlegging is theft of the artists' work, how can it be so prevelant?

Because when people really want to do/get something, they manage to do/get it.

Do other artists struggle with the same theft of their music?

Of course they do, although there are a few well known artists who openly encouraged their fans to record and/or trade bootlegs of their work.

Why haven't injunctions been issued and bootlegs seized and destroyed?

Of course injuctions have been issued and bootlegs seized and destroyed. For one thing, up until the early 90's several countries, including some European ones, had legal loopholes regarding copyright, that bootleggers exploited well. This was corrected by the GATT treaty in 1994, at a time when bootlegs could be found in every possible record store in Europe. Consequently, the industry snapped and by the end of 1996 it was virtually impossible to find bootlegs in record stores anymore. But then came the internet. Prince himself had quite a number of website shut down ever since, though mostly sites sharing boots for free as opposed to selling them. What you say is just like asking "why aren't all drugs taken off the market?" or "why aren't all prostitues and pimps jailed?": just because something is illegal doesn't mean it's easy to fight. Besides, fighting it is costly, and as long as record stores aren't flooded with bootlegs the way they were in 1994, bootlegs don't represent much of of a threat to artists and labels. Besides, ever since the internet ruined the music industry with P2P's, direct downloads and streaming sites, the industry has had more important fights to fight.

Can someone help explain this?

I hope I have.

You Have!

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Reply #7 posted 10/18/17 10:02am

purplefam99

Thanks for explaining it so well Databank and Thunderfunk. My knowledge

of bootlegging consisted of The episode of "Whats Happening" when RErun was talked

into bootlegging the Dobie Brothers Concert and the tape recorder fell out of his jacket.

Thanks, now i know why there were records i had never heard of in the Wreka stow back in the

day that i also was told they were "rare imports". i didn't realize bootleggers would go to the

trouble of acutally pressing an ablum.

Thanks for asking the question Bodhi!!

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Reply #8 posted 10/18/17 8:50pm

Asenath0607

purplefam99 said:

Thanks for explaining it so well Databank and Thunderfunk. My knowledge

of bootlegging consisted of The episode of "Whats Happening" when RErun was talked

into bootlegging the Dobie Brothers Concert and the tape recorder fell out of his jacket.

Thanks, now i know why there were records i had never heard of in the Wreka stow back in the

day that i also was told they were "rare imports". i didn't realize bootleggers would go to the

trouble of acutally pressing an ablum.

Thanks for asking the question Bodhi!!

Nice to know I'm not alone and that somebody on here actually remembers that show.

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Reply #9 posted 10/18/17 9:15pm

purplethunder3
121

avatar

Asenath0607 said:

purplefam99 said:

Thanks for explaining it so well Databank and Thunderfunk. My knowledge

of bootlegging consisted of The episode of "Whats Happening" when RErun was talked

into bootlegging the Dobie Brothers Concert and the tape recorder fell out of his jacket.

Thanks, now i know why there were records i had never heard of in the Wreka stow back in the

day that i also was told they were "rare imports". i didn't realize bootleggers would go to the

trouble of acutally pressing an ablum.

Thanks for asking the question Bodhi!!

Nice to know I'm not alone and that somebody on here actually remembers that show.

You're not the only one! razz lol

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #10 posted 10/18/17 9:51pm

djThunderfunk

avatar

databank said:

You beat me to it biggrin


Yeah, but you shared some good info that I left out. wink


[Edited 10/19/17 6:19am]

Liberty > Authority
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Reply #11 posted 10/19/17 3:16am

djdaffy1227

avatar

I used to go to record shows in Buffalo NY in the 90's. I bought many bootlegs there. One time there seemed to be this strange hustle bustle going on with the dealers. Turned out there were police there confiscating bootlegs. The dealers were all hiding their stuff. I overheard one dealer say "If they weren't doing anything illegal they wouldn't have to worry about it". Touche!

Making love and music are the only things worth fighting for.
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Reply #12 posted 10/19/17 5:19am

laurarichardso
n

djdaffy1227 said:

I used to go to record shows in Buffalo NY in the 90's. I bought many bootlegs there. One time there seemed to be this strange hustle bustle going on with the dealers. Turned out there were police there confiscating bootlegs. The dealers were all hiding their stuff. I overheard one dealer say "If they weren't doing anything illegal they wouldn't have to worry about it". Touche!

I use to buy boots at Used Record shops and at record shows. I knew of a Used CD shot that had a wall devoted to Prince Boots but that store got raided quickly.

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Reply #13 posted 10/19/17 10:12am

sonshine

avatar

Thank you for asking these questions because i wondered these very same things.
And huge thanks to those who took the time to answer and educate those of us who didn't "get it" til now!
It's a hurtful place, the world, in and of itself. We don't need to add to it. We all need one another. ~ PRN
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Reply #14 posted 10/19/17 1:51pm

wonderboy

Pretty sure some of those soundboard shows come from people recording off the line to the folks with hearing imparements. Some places require equal access which means a direct to soundboard line is available to them.

Just my $.02 worth.

I remember many years ago that Sabotage nearly shut down due to a raid that got very near them. Several of my long term sources were knocked out of business. I miss the days of sending $30 in the mail and getting CDs about a month later. I can’t tell you how many times I made my way out to the mailbox hoping that a little package arrived.
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Reply #15 posted 10/19/17 4:53pm

luvsexy4all

because there are so many lame threads we need bootlegs to keep us busy

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Reply #16 posted 10/19/17 5:19pm

lemoncrush

I've collected Prince bootlegs (and other bands) since the late 80s.

I went to London in 1989, and we would go into independent record stores searching for a bootleg of the Black Album, and found a few early vinyl bootlegs (one called Sex Machine).

Soon thereafter, a record show would pop up in Minneapolis with loads of bootlegs and you could find dealers in a music collector magazine callled Goldmine that had boot CDs you could order.

But I believe that Bootlegs only enhance the legacy of artists. The bands who have the most bootlegged materlal...Prince, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, etc.. are all legends.

Most of the music that is bootleged (whether it's session recording outtakes or live performances) are things that would NOT be normally released anyway. It's a way for diehard fans to hear extra material that they normally wouldn't.

Casual fans don't buy bootlegs instead of officially licensed recordings. Bootlegs are primarily for hardcore fans who buy everything the artist/band releases, and wants more.

Sure, they artist should be making money off of these, but when they and/or the labels don't want to oversaturate the market with material most of the public wouldn't buy, they get released through other channels.

Luckily Prince had the NPG music club and then eventually, had independent routes to release a lot of extra music. Bob Dylan has a bootleg series and I'm sure a lot of other artists do to.

If it breaks when it bends, you better not put it in.
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Reply #17 posted 10/19/17 6:08pm

djThunderfunk

avatar

lemoncrush said:

I've collected Prince bootlegs (and other bands) since the late 80s.

I went to London in 1989, and we would go into independent record stores searching for a bootleg of the Black Album, and found a few early vinyl bootlegs (one called Sex Machine).

Soon thereafter, a record show would pop up in Minneapolis with loads of bootlegs and you could find dealers in a music collector magazine callled Goldmine that had boot CDs you could order.

But I believe that Bootlegs only enhance the legacy of artists. The bands who have the most bootlegged materlal...Prince, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, etc.. are all legends.

Most of the music that is bootleged (whether it's session recording outtakes or live performances) are things that would NOT be normally released anyway. It's a way for diehard fans to hear extra material that they normally wouldn't.

Casual fans don't buy bootlegs instead of officially licensed recordings. Bootlegs are primarily for hardcore fans who buy everything the artist/band releases, and wants more.

Sure, they artist should be making money off of these, but when they and/or the labels don't want to oversaturate the market with material most of the public wouldn't buy, they get released through other channels.

Luckily Prince had the NPG music club and then eventually, had independent routes to release a lot of extra music. Bob Dylan has a bootleg series and I'm sure a lot of other artists do to.


Frank Zappa had the Beat The Boots series and Parliament Funkadelic released a 4CD live compilation that included some performances straight from bootlegs.

Liberty > Authority
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Reply #18 posted 10/19/17 10:32pm

purplethunder3
121

avatar

djThunderfunk said:

lemoncrush said:

I've collected Prince bootlegs (and other bands) since the late 80s.

I went to London in 1989, and we would go into independent record stores searching for a bootleg of the Black Album, and found a few early vinyl bootlegs (one called Sex Machine).

Soon thereafter, a record show would pop up in Minneapolis with loads of bootlegs and you could find dealers in a music collector magazine callled Goldmine that had boot CDs you could order.

But I believe that Bootlegs only enhance the legacy of artists. The bands who have the most bootlegged materlal...Prince, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, etc.. are all legends.

Most of the music that is bootleged (whether it's session recording outtakes or live performances) are things that would NOT be normally released anyway. It's a way for diehard fans to hear extra material that they normally wouldn't.

Casual fans don't buy bootlegs instead of officially licensed recordings. Bootlegs are primarily for hardcore fans who buy everything the artist/band releases, and wants more.

Sure, they artist should be making money off of these, but when they and/or the labels don't want to oversaturate the market with material most of the public wouldn't buy, they get released through other channels.

Luckily Prince had the NPG music club and then eventually, had independent routes to release a lot of extra music. Bob Dylan has a bootleg series and I'm sure a lot of other artists do to.


Frank Zappa had the Beat The Boots series and Parliament Funkadelic released a 4CD live compilation that included some performances straight from bootlegs.

And I wish there were more. Listening to it now... music headbang

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #19 posted 10/21/17 11:10am

Anotherwontdar
e

avatar

Bootlegs made a lot of us much more intense Prince fans than we would have been otherwise.

There's a book, Bootleg: The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry by Clinton Heylin, which is a good read. A lot about how classical concerts were bootlegged long ago, and the history of Dylan and Stones bootlegs. It also contains somewhere in there a reference to live sound engineer Joel Bernstein, who Prince addresses through the mic during the August 18, 1988 show (Small Club, which is of course one of the most famous and influential bootlegs ever). The reference made me think Bernstein was the one who leaked that soundboard tape.

Every now and then
There comes a time you must defend
Your right to die and live again --
And again, and again...
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Reply #20 posted 10/21/17 11:26am

fortuneandsere
ndipity

Audience recordings sound terrible. Bootlegs are only worth owning if they're soundboard quality.

The world's problems like climate change can only be solved through strategic long-term thinking, not expediency. In other words all the govts. need sacking!

If you can add value to someone's life then why not. Especially if it colors their days...
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Reply #21 posted 10/21/17 1:11pm

djThunderfunk

avatar

Anotherwontdare said:

Bootlegs made a lot of us much more intense Prince fans than we would have been otherwise.

There's a book, Bootleg: The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry by Clinton Heylin, which is a good read. A lot about how classical concerts were bootlegged long ago, and the history of Dylan and Stones bootlegs. It also contains somewhere in there a reference to live sound engineer Joel Bernstein, who Prince addresses through the mic during the August 18, 1988 show (Small Club, which is of course one of the most famous and influential bootlegs ever). The reference made me think Bernstein was the one who leaked that soundboard tape.


I have that book. Great read, highly recommended!!

Liberty > Authority
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Reply #22 posted 10/21/17 1:13pm

djThunderfunk

avatar

fortuneandserendipity said:

Audience recordings sound terrible. Bootlegs are only worth owning if they're soundboard quality.


Usually this is true. However, I've heard quite a few soundboards that sounded like crap and quite a few audience recordings that sounded fantastic. There's always exceptions to rules. wink

Liberty > Authority
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Reply #23 posted 10/21/17 1:43pm

Bodhitheblackd
og

Anotherwontdare said:

Bootlegs made a lot of us much more intense Prince fans than we would have been otherwise.

There's a book, Bootleg: The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry by Clinton Heylin, which is a good read. A lot about how classical concerts were bootlegged long ago, and the history of Dylan and Stones bootlegs. It also contains somewhere in there a reference to live sound engineer Joel Bernstein, who Prince addresses through the mic during the August 18, 1988 show (Small Club, which is of course one of the most famous and influential bootlegs ever). The reference made me think Bernstein was the one who leaked that soundboard tape.

I agree, many times (especially the aftershows) they're so intimate, spontaneous, inspired I can't help but wonder if (contrary to popular thought here) Prince didn't exactly mind that his core fans got to hear some very special performances...after all, he DID record everything, so, for what purpose?

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Reply #24 posted 10/21/17 2:22pm

databank

avatar

Bodhitheblackdog said:



Anotherwontdare said:


Bootlegs made a lot of us much more intense Prince fans than we would have been otherwise.



There's a book, Bootleg: The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry by Clinton Heylin, which is a good read. A lot about how classical concerts were bootlegged long ago, and the history of Dylan and Stones bootlegs. It also contains somewhere in there a reference to live sound engineer Joel Bernstein, who Prince addresses through the mic during the August 18, 1988 show (Small Club, which is of course one of the most famous and influential bootlegs ever). The reference made me think Bernstein was the one who leaked that soundboard tape.



I agree, many times (especially the aftershows) they're so intimate, spontaneous, inspired I can't help but wonder if (contrary to popular thought here) Prince didn't exactly mind that his core fans got to hear some very special performances...after all, he DID record everything, so, for what purpose?


There's no such thing as popular thoughts, there are facts.
A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #25 posted 10/21/17 2:29pm

djThunderfunk

avatar

doh! Oh, Lawd! lol

Liberty > Authority
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Reply #26 posted 10/21/17 2:38pm

jaawwnn

Bodhitheblackdog said:



Anotherwontdare said:


Bootlegs made a lot of us much more intense Prince fans than we would have been otherwise.



There's a book, Bootleg: The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry by Clinton Heylin, which is a good read. A lot about how classical concerts were bootlegged long ago, and the history of Dylan and Stones bootlegs. It also contains somewhere in there a reference to live sound engineer Joel Bernstein, who Prince addresses through the mic during the August 18, 1988 show (Small Club, which is of course one of the most famous and influential bootlegs ever). The reference made me think Bernstein was the one who leaked that soundboard tape.



I agree, many times (especially the aftershows) they're so intimate, spontaneous, inspired I can't help but wonder if (contrary to popular thought here) Prince didn't exactly mind that his core fans got to hear some very special performances...after all, he DID record everything, so, for what purpose?



For what purpose?? The same purpose a song as great as Love and Sex never even made it into a bootleg before Purple Rain deluxe.

Prince STATED he didn't mind fans sharing bootlegs. He also took action against bootleggers many times. He wasn't leaking shows onto the internet.
[Edited 10/21/17 14:40pm]
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Reply #27 posted 10/21/17 2:54pm

djThunderfunk

avatar

djThunderfunk said:

don't go down the "did Prince leak bootlegs on purpose" rabbithole. Generally speaking, he did not.


How did I know the discussion would go there? lol

Liberty > Authority
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Reply #28 posted 10/21/17 3:02pm

databank

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djThunderfunk said:



djThunderfunk said:



don't go down the "did Prince leak bootlegs on purpose" rabbithole. Generally speaking, he did not.


How did I know the discussion would go there? lol


There isn't much to discuss though. It's not like there's evidence in favor of both sides of the story. I don't know why people keep bringing that up, really.
A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #29 posted 10/22/17 4:20am

coldasice

Most concerts are recorded by the venue also. If the artists collects the tapes is up to them. The Fillmore had a vast archive until a fire wiped most of them out. There's a sound guy here in St. Louis that has almost every show played at the Venue he worked at. I'm not sure this is still done, but was done till the 90's.
After bootlegs became more popular (not just prince) it seems there was a stop to it. As with Prince we had a steady flow of vault material till around 99 then nothing. That stuff was most likely stolen or misplaced from PP
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