Old News Footage Of Bootleggers

[Guest Nick Harrison]

I am sure a very large percentage on here will remember the Nationwide News, which was always on after the main tea time news during the seventies. It was only on during week day nites and featured regional news from across the country during its 30 minutes duration.

I do recall some news about a bootlegging ring, being uncovered that supplied the Northern scene with counterfit records, footage would be dated from around 1978/79 ? Midlands Police ?

Included in this footage was a pressing plant, vast copies of red labelled Strider 0004 booties and the usual traditional dress coded fashion's connected to this scene back then.

Anyone recall it - has this footage been unearthed on SS before. If so - well I sure would like to view it again if possible.

Should this topic be misplaced in "All About" then "Yesterdays" would be better suited ?

Also should this topic involve any members currently on this site then please feel free to delete this topic.

It would be great to see this article/footage posted from the past news vaults of Nationwide TV.

Thanks.

[Pete S]

I am sure a very large percentage on here will remember the Nationwide News, which was always on after the main tea time news during the seventies. It was only on during week day nites and featured regional news from across the country during its 30 minutes duration.

I do recall some news about a bootlegging ring, being uncovered that supplied the Northern scene with counterfit records, footage would be dated from around 1978/79 ? Midlands Police ?

Included in this footage was a pressing plant, vast copies of red labelled Strider 0004 booties and the usual traditional dress coded fashion's connected to this scene back then.

Anyone recall it - has this footage been unearthed on SS before. If so - well I sure would like to view it again if possible.

Should this topic be misplaced in "All About" then "Yesterdays" would be better suited ?

Also should this topic involve any members currently on this site then please feel free to delete this topic.

It would be great to see this article/footage posted from the past news vaults of Nationwide TV.

Thanks.

I don't remember that, but I do remember a bootleg operation being on the news, same sort of era, they pressed their own copies of David Bowie and Led Zepplin lp's and infiltrated the bootleggers circles. Operation Moonbeam or similar.

[Guest theoriginator56]

I am sure a very large percentage on here will remember the Nationwide News, which was always on after the main tea time news during the seventies. It was only on during week day nites and featured regional news from across the country during its 30 minutes duration.

I do recall some news about a bootlegging ring, being uncovered that supplied the Northern scene with counterfit records, footage would be dated from around 1978/79 ? Midlands Police ?

Included in this footage was a pressing plant, vast copies of red labelled Strider 0004 booties and the usual traditional dress coded fashion's connected to this scene back then.

Anyone recall it - has this footage been unearthed on SS before. If so - well I sure would like to view it again if possible.

Should this topic be misplaced in "All About" then "Yesterdays" would be better suited ?

Also should this topic involve any members currently on this site then please feel free to delete this topic.

It would be great to see this article/footage posted from the past news vaults of Nationwide TV.

Thanks.

A similar thing was shown on our news SCENE SOUTH EAST in the 7ts.

[Guest Dave Turner]

Just a bit about "Operation Moonbeam" here from Clinton Heylin's Bootleg: The Rise & Fall of the Secret Recording Industry.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=saWBw9ZG2cgC&pg=PA164&lpg=PA164&dq=operation+moonbeam+bootlegs&source=bl&ots=wRCY4l-LTj&sig=Vb-cX29meBDqdABhEMAJID3wLc4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=cW5GT4lewpnyA8yfoMIO&sqi=2&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=operation%20moonbeam%20bootlegs&f=false

[Rupert]

didn't selecta disc (notts) get raided , ? for bootlegging

[boba]

I don't remember that, but I do remember a bootleg operation being on the news, same sort of era, they pressed their own copies of David Bowie and Led Zepplin lp's and infiltrated the bootleggers circles. Operation Moonbeam or similar.

I don't have a problem with the current meaning of the word (I use it), but back then a "bootleg" was an unauthorized live concert recording. A bigger problem was "pirated" copies, which was when you pressed a current hit up and sold it as a legitimate copy. There's clearly a much bigger potential for money there. I can't imagine the government caring about bootlegging / piracy of a bunch of obscure US singles that had a (relatively) small market.

[Dave Rimmer]

. I can't imagine the government caring about bootlegging / piracy of a bunch of obscure US singles that had a (relatively) small market.

There were several prosecutions, and people served time for specifically bootlegging those obscure US Soul singles back in the Seventies Bob. So somebody showed enough interest.

[boba]

There were several prosecutions, and people served time for specifically bootlegging those obscure US Soul singles back in the Seventies Bob. So somebody showed enough interest.

I'm impressed. I still think it had to have been obscure major label singles where they pushed for prosecution. Do you have more details? Thanks.

[Mick Sway]

There were several prosecutions, and people served time for specifically bootlegging those obscure US Soul singles back in the Seventies Bob. So somebody showed enough interest.

Did this not all kick off around 1970 with the "Soul Sounds" label scam?

Soul Sounds were sold in quantity at the Wheel, Torch and I think the Cat's.

I seem to recall that perpetrator was a guy from Leicestershire, who may have been prosecuted at the time.

Although I remember his name, I would be reluctant to post it for obvious reasons.

The advent of the Torch all nighters prompted the birth of the Out of the Past (O.O.T.P) bootleg label.

There was trouble over these products being advertised in Blues &Soul during the very early 70's and

I believe that there was some connection with the short lived International Soul Club.

If someone knows and can recall better than me the history of these early boot-ers, I would be interested

to see their recollections on these pages.

Interesting thread.

Thanks

Mick

Edited February 27, 2012 by Mick Sway

[Guest allnightandy]

Did this not all kick off around 1970 with the "Soul Sounds" label scam?

Soul Sounds were sold in quantity at the Wheel, Torch and I think the Cat's.

I seem to recall that perpetrator was a guy from Leicestershire, who may have been prosecuted at the time.

Although I remember his name, I would be reluctant to post it for obvious reasons.

The advent of the Torch all nighters prompted the birth of the Out of the Past (O.O.T.P) bootleg label.

There was trouble over these products being advertised in Blues &Soul during the very early 70's and

I believe that there was some connection with the short lived International Soul Club.

If someone knows and recall better than me the history of these early boot-ers, I would be interested

to see their recollections on these pages.

Interesting thread.

Thanks

Mick

Pretty much the story i heard RE the SS label way back then !

[Goldsoul]

Buy Chris Burton's Heart and Soul of Stoke On Trent due in September. The full warts n all story about Out of the Past and much, much more.

[Soulcarp]

Did this not all kick off around 1970 with the "Soul Sounds" label scam?

Soul Sounds were sold in quantity at the Wheel, Torch and I think the Cat's.

I seem to recall that perpetrator was a guy from Leicestershire, who may have been prosecuted at the time.

Although I remember his name, I would be reluctant to post it for obvious reasons.

The advent of the Torch all nighters prompted the birth of the Out of the Past (O.O.T.P) bootleg label.

There was trouble over these products being advertised in Blues &Soul during the very early 70's and

I believe that there was some connection with the short lived International Soul Club.

If someone knows and can recall better than me the history of these early boot-ers, I would be interested

to see their recollections on these pages.

Interesting thread.

Thanks

Mick

yes i recall the persons name but like you will put it in writing regards johno

[Pete S]

yes i recall the persons name but like you will put it in writing regards johno

There's another thread running about Soul Sounds at the moment which does name names...also one about OOTP which names Major lance and Otis Leaville as co-conspirators (they got the records mastered and pressed up)

[Guest JIM BARRY]

yes i recall the persons name but like you will put it in writing regards johno

it cant be a problem if he was convicted....and he was...mr jeffrey king of leicester....i hate bootleggers!!!!

[Soulcarp]

it cant be a problem if he was convicted....and he was...mr jeffrey king of leicester....i hate bootleggers!!!!

[Smudger]

here

https://martinsbox.tripod.com/id60.htm

[Mike]

I'm impressed. I still think it had to have been obscure major label singles where they pushed for prosecution. Do you have more details? Thanks.

when was looking at the back issues of billboard noticed that the uk soul bootlegging side does get a few mentions

which may give an idea of the scale etc

has the actual amount of issues that the major boot released individually got ever come up yet ?

i know tainted love has had some high figure mentioned

be interesting looking back at just what was the actual scale... maybe?

[boba]

when was looking at the back issues of billboard noticed that the uk soul bootlegging side does get a few mentions

which may give an idea of the scale etc

has the actual amount of issues that the major boot released individually got ever come up yet ?

i know tainted love has had some high figure mentioned

be interesting looking back at just what was the actual scale... maybe?

sure, but were they focused on counterfeit northern records or counterfeit "hit" records that were on the charts? I'd imagine that a company that did a lot of northern ones would also do a lot of non-obscure hit soul and non-soul records, as there was probably more money to be made there?

[Mike]

sure, but were they focused on counterfeit northern records or counterfeit "hit" records that were on the charts? I'd imagine that a company that did a lot of northern ones would also do a lot of non-obscure hit soul and non-soul records, as there was probably more money to be made there?

maybe the actual selling mechanics would be better answered by someone else

but i would guess the focus would be on "northern" as it may have been "too hard" to sell boots of "hit" records due to outlets etc

as said guess the actual scale as in the number of boots for each run would give a better idea

[Pete S]

maybe the actual selling mechanics would be better answered by someone else

but i would guess the focus would be on "northern" as it may have been "too hard" to sell boots of "hit" records due to outlets etc

as said guess the actual scale as in the number of boots for each run would give a better idea

I think it depends on the title. Experience tells us (me) that something like Rufus Wood was pressed in a small quantity maybe 200, 300. Tainted Love must have sold at least 20,000 copies on Champion bootleg. I would have thought most bootlegs were pressed in quantities of either 1000 or 2000 at the height of Northern's popularity 74-77. Obviously I only base this on what I see.

Edited March 1, 2012 by Pete S

[Soul Stu]

Soul Sounds was run by Jeff King; it came and went during 1970 and issued around thirty singles, in small pressings. The first pressing was Leon Haywood - Baby Reconsider a massive sound at the time first played at the Catacomb's. I got a copy from Jeff at the Wheel and still have it but I did eventually get it on Fat Fish.

Edited March 1, 2012 by soul stu

[Guest Nick Harrison]

Been having a scout round for some footage, but it would appear that all the tapes of the Nationwide programmes from 1969 to 1981 of this now dated current affairs and culture show do still exist, although in poor condition. Some footage is held also in the National Film Archive.

The BBC has no funds currently available to save the contents of these tapes, so a valuable record of British life in the 70's including this topic footage are as good as lost. Shame really as its presenters over those years included Frank Bough, David Dimbleby, Sue Lawley, Hugh Scully, Valerie Singleton, John Stapleton and Ester Rantzen. Some may disagree but hey ho.

Or maybe one of the current Newsnight presenters who recently featured on this site, could do some favourable research whilst at the BBC.