1967 - 1969
(27444 A/B)
S1: VEGETABLE MAN* /POW R TOC H* /SCREAM THY LAST SCREAM* /JUGBAND BLUES* /JULIA DREAM** /LET THERE BE MORE LIGHT**
S2:
CYMBALINE*** /A SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS***
SQ: VERY GOOD MONO
COMMENTS: ENGLISH BOOTLEG (PRESSED IN FRANCE) IN A PLAIN COVER WITH A PHOTOCOPY INSERT, SOME OF WHICH SEEM TO BROWN WITH AGE. SAME AS RECORD ONE FROM 'BARRETT'S REVENGE'. RARE. SOME COPIES RUBBER STAMPED ON BACK COVER WHILST SOME COPIES SOLD IN FRANCE HAD AN ALTERNATE 'PINK FLOYD ET SYD BARETT' INSERT AND CAME IN A DIE CUT SLEEVE. SCROLL DOWN FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH THE MAKER.
RARITY RATING: 
YEAR OF RELEASE: 1976
SOURCE: * BBC MAIDA VALE STUDIOS LONDON ENGLAND 20-12-1967 ** BBC 210 PICCADILLY STUDIOS LONDON ENGLAND 25-06-1968 *** BBC PARIS CINEMA LONDON ENGLAND 12-05-1969.
Interview With The Maker of 1967-1969
First of all, I'd like to say thank you for agreeing to the interview.... Information on vintage European bootlegs is hard to come by, and so it's always a pleasure to speak with someone who was involved with bootlegs back in the Seventies... When I was young, and first got hooked on bootlegs, I would wander around London looking for places to get them from. One place I kept being told about was this shop just off Carnaby Street.... Your shop.. So could you tell us a bit about how you came to be in the record retail business in the first place, and your first discovery of bootlegs?
I worked nearby and used to visit the shop at lunchtimes, after I saw a bootleg of Pink Floyd in the racks. When the owner wanted out for £2k I took the opportunity to work for myself and borrowed the money. He introduced me to his bootleg supplier who later became my partner in a merchandise business I started when boots got too hot. He is still a close friend now.
As it was a small shop I quickly found out that I could not do the discounts on official stuff like HMV and Virgin... I needed another angle. So it was mainly bootlegs that I expanded. I was customer of a major importer of US stuff like TMQ and Kornyphone, some with great Stout Covers. I also got some Dylan stuff from an ex UK producer.
I took precaution and didn't put any out in the racks. They were mainly sold by word of mouth.
After the NME did that silly article on Pink Floyd's 'British Winter Tour' boot, claiming that my friend had made 2 batches of 100,000. NME reported 200,000 I think. In actual fact, there was only 2000 copies pressed. I was then the number 1 target for the BPI so I had to be extra cautious. They would send in office staff, like one girl with a fake sounding Swedish accent, who came in pleading to buy anything by David Bowie for her brother in Sweden. I smelt a rat and said 'Sorry, I can't get it', that got them pissed off. One of the BPI head investigators was actually named James Bond!.. Being cautious saved my ass. I was their main target being close to their office. Based on incorrect information given to the BPI they tried to do me for making 'Genesis at Earls Court' and said I had 2000 in my office. They had a shock to find none at all, as they were not stored there, and I had not made it. Had they not found a second hand Hendrix I could have sued them. With the stuff they had to present for the writ I saw all the names of investigators that had previously, with no joy, tried to get me. They were so frustrated that I never had them on display... they were hidden on a shelf under the record rack.
In the end, all this heat led me to sell the shop to Luigi and go into unofficial punk T-Shirts. After that I did official deals with licence holders like Winterland and became very big for a number of years, selling official shirts into HMV, Virgin etc.
OK, so at this point you never 'Produced' any bootlegs as such?
Not really just did the selling. I had a few obscure PF boots made, just very small stuff like PF 67/69. I made about 50 which were pressed in France.
So how did your 67-69 boot come about? How did you find the contacts to get it pressed?
So long ago.... '67-69' was from a cassette tape I gave to a French chap who came to my shop and was able to get small runs pressed. So he did around 50 I think but can't quite remember, it could have been 100. I must have paid him to press them. They arrived in plain white sleeves with the rear (Captain Crochet) stamp I think, although I'm not 100% sure. I made up a photo copy cover for the contents. If he run a few more for himself? I have no idea.
Can you remember where you got the tape from? Bernard White maybe?
Some possibly, the Syd stuff.
Cool, so it was your own compilation really?
Yes.
Did you have a hand in any other of those French pressed releases like the Stones (Radio Caroline) or Black Sabbath (A L'Olympia)?
Possibly the Stones but I don't recall Sabbath.
'Waters Gate' was presumably arranged the same way then?
A French chap came into my shop with copies of 'Waters Gate' to wholesale, and I took them, and that is how I met him. Then he pressed 67-69 for me. Don't ask too much detail as it's so long ago. 'Waters Gate', at the time, was looked upon as poor quality. I'm puzzled it's ended up in demand now, maybe as so few were made, makes me wish I'd kept mine.
OK, so Waters Gate was a French only release?
Yes
Can you remember if it was the deluxe silkscreened cover he sold you? or the one with front and back inserts mentioning 'Blow your mind until you die'?
I only remember the silkscreened cover. I can't remember if it had a rear insert also. I'm amazed what this stuff sells for now. Most of what I had went to Rolf or Raymond when I was having a hard time and needed cash. I didn't make any other boots but I became friends with a chap that made several, some in collaboration with a German chap - Pink Floyd live in Germany (M-502), Tour 72, Tour 73 - and then British Winter Tour 74, which was solely his release. Plus Led Zeppelin and Genesis at Earl's Court.
Was the German guy you spoke of one of the Nitz brothers, Ralph or Robert?
It was Robbie Nitz I think, and he died many years ago. I never heard him called Robert... Only Robbie.
Do you know to what extent your friend was involved in the making of those boots? I'm guessing he may have recorded Tour 72?
I think he just did the selling/distribution around the UK. He did not record Tour 72. That could have been Robbie but I'm not sure. British Winter Tour 74 was entirely his.
So he recorded 'British Winter Tour 74'? I'm asking because it's a nice recording but only the music from the vinyl boot saw the light of day. The same applies for Tour 72?
Yes he did, but I'm not sure if he'd like to be reminded of this, as he now lives abroad and he's a bit funny about his bootleg past. He became my business partner for several years. British Winter Tour was recorded on cassette. The whole gig may have been recorded but I'm not sure. I may be able to find out and what happened to the tapes.
Do you know where British Winter Tour was pressed?
I don't know where it was pressed, it may have been Germany.
Thank you.
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