REALLY OLD BOOTLEGS! PART ONE
As if the all caps title doesn't give it away, here are some very old bootlegs. Unlike most of what I've posted so far, most of these mp3s are transfers from bootleg vinyl pressed in the eighties, the exception being a track from an early nineties bootleg compilation that Ninja Tune released on the Bond St. imprint.
Let's Do It: More of the 80s Medley (Short Version)
Let's Do It: More of the 80s Medley (Long Version)
Are you familiar with Stars on 45? If not, their initial release, also named Stars on 45, was a wonderful abomination focused on making a medley of mostly unrelated hits with a side of Beatles classics. It's kind of awful and wonderful all at the same time with a group of studio-based mimics doing miniature covers of songs the whole world sang, or at least danced to in some cases. What's less known about that first record is it was based off a successful bootleg mix created for club DJs, which in turn was also based off yet another bootleg mix! If that sounds a little complicated, please let me direct you to this article at Stereogum discussing the origins of Stars on 45, and this article at DJ and remix producer Ben Liebrand's site discussing the bootleg of Bits & Pieces III and it's creator, Michel Gendreau.
Bits & Pieces III, aka Let's Do It - More of the Eighties Medley, dates back to 1980 and comes in both a short and long version. The shorter edit is fine, but the longer version is a bit of an epic, covering just about everything from the aforementioned Beatles to Madness, The Buggles, The Archies, Shocking Blue, The Spinners, and an eventual surprise visit from James Brown and The J.B.'s among many, many others. The tempo is quite static, which may bore some, but the song selection and excellent production really keep it all together and could act as an excellent excuse for the DJ to take a well-needed trip to the bathroom.
The Bits & Pieces records were part of a long-running series of bootlegs dedicated to mixes like the one featured here. Sadly, we really don't get mixes like these anymore. Legalities are to blame for most of that, but it's also that DJs often do longer mixes that are less snippet based than ones like this are, though that kind of misses the fun of trainspotting your favorite songs or tiny bits of others that would set your mind reeling. Which brings us to...
Old Night at Studio 54, Part 1
Old Night at Studio 54, Part 2
The Old Night at Studio 54 records were another series of bootleg mixes, and this is the first volume of them, dating from 1989. Sadly, I don't know the first thing about who is responsible for these. Bootlegs of these sorts are really fascinating, as someone clearly put a lot of time and attention into their creations, only to send them into the world like orphans who don't know anything about their origins. I suppose the closest modern comparison would be Girl Talk's mixes.
Not all bootlegs deserve to remembered, but there is something to be said about those that carry unique works and aren't merely copies of someone else's efforts. The history of labels like Trademark of Quality, The Amazing Kornyphone Record Label, and Vigotone have been well documented, but not much is known about bootleggers dedicated to keeping people moving on the dance floor. Which brings me to the final track featured today...
Ser & Duff - (Orig.) Big Apple Production Vol. II: Genius at Work
As I understand it, Ser & Duff are actually Albert Cabrera and Tony Moran, aka The Latin Rascals, but the Discogs reference for Ser & Duff makes it clear it's not that clear. Regardless, whomever did this mix (which dates back to 1984) was definitely a prime example of genius at work. The cuts are perfect and the vibe flows perfectly for almost nine minutes.
The history of mixes like Genius at Work is a bit confusing, as it seems bootleg vinyl was pressed for them but they were also played on radio station mix shows frequently. It makes sense then that some of the better known bootlegs of the eighties, like the semi-official Lessons by Double Dee & Steinski would be influenced by mixes like those released by Big Apple Productions as they got radio play alongside officially sanctioned remixes and versions.
A little more information these Big Apple Productions releases is available here via an interview with Mikey D'Merola who is responsible for the first release in the series. Well, maybe responsible isn't the right word, but he certainly made the mix contained therein. It definitely tells you about the scene and how these mixes made the rounds.
And if you noticed this post is titled part one, just wait until you get to part two! It'll be less about text and more about music, and lots of it. That one will be coming in a few days. Until then...
Let's Do It: More of the 80s Medley (Short Version)
Let's Do It: More of the 80s Medley (Long Version)
Are you familiar with Stars on 45? If not, their initial release, also named Stars on 45, was a wonderful abomination focused on making a medley of mostly unrelated hits with a side of Beatles classics. It's kind of awful and wonderful all at the same time with a group of studio-based mimics doing miniature covers of songs the whole world sang, or at least danced to in some cases. What's less known about that first record is it was based off a successful bootleg mix created for club DJs, which in turn was also based off yet another bootleg mix! If that sounds a little complicated, please let me direct you to this article at Stereogum discussing the origins of Stars on 45, and this article at DJ and remix producer Ben Liebrand's site discussing the bootleg of Bits & Pieces III and it's creator, Michel Gendreau.
Bits & Pieces III, aka Let's Do It - More of the Eighties Medley, dates back to 1980 and comes in both a short and long version. The shorter edit is fine, but the longer version is a bit of an epic, covering just about everything from the aforementioned Beatles to Madness, The Buggles, The Archies, Shocking Blue, The Spinners, and an eventual surprise visit from James Brown and The J.B.'s among many, many others. The tempo is quite static, which may bore some, but the song selection and excellent production really keep it all together and could act as an excellent excuse for the DJ to take a well-needed trip to the bathroom.
The Bits & Pieces records were part of a long-running series of bootlegs dedicated to mixes like the one featured here. Sadly, we really don't get mixes like these anymore. Legalities are to blame for most of that, but it's also that DJs often do longer mixes that are less snippet based than ones like this are, though that kind of misses the fun of trainspotting your favorite songs or tiny bits of others that would set your mind reeling. Which brings us to...
Old Night at Studio 54, Part 1
Old Night at Studio 54, Part 2
The Old Night at Studio 54 records were another series of bootleg mixes, and this is the first volume of them, dating from 1989. Sadly, I don't know the first thing about who is responsible for these. Bootlegs of these sorts are really fascinating, as someone clearly put a lot of time and attention into their creations, only to send them into the world like orphans who don't know anything about their origins. I suppose the closest modern comparison would be Girl Talk's mixes.
Not all bootlegs deserve to remembered, but there is something to be said about those that carry unique works and aren't merely copies of someone else's efforts. The history of labels like Trademark of Quality, The Amazing Kornyphone Record Label, and Vigotone have been well documented, but not much is known about bootleggers dedicated to keeping people moving on the dance floor. Which brings me to the final track featured today...
Ser & Duff - (Orig.) Big Apple Production Vol. II: Genius at Work
As I understand it, Ser & Duff are actually Albert Cabrera and Tony Moran, aka The Latin Rascals, but the Discogs reference for Ser & Duff makes it clear it's not that clear. Regardless, whomever did this mix (which dates back to 1984) was definitely a prime example of genius at work. The cuts are perfect and the vibe flows perfectly for almost nine minutes.
The history of mixes like Genius at Work is a bit confusing, as it seems bootleg vinyl was pressed for them but they were also played on radio station mix shows frequently. It makes sense then that some of the better known bootlegs of the eighties, like the semi-official Lessons by Double Dee & Steinski would be influenced by mixes like those released by Big Apple Productions as they got radio play alongside officially sanctioned remixes and versions.
A little more information these Big Apple Productions releases is available here via an interview with Mikey D'Merola who is responsible for the first release in the series. Well, maybe responsible isn't the right word, but he certainly made the mix contained therein. It definitely tells you about the scene and how these mixes made the rounds.
And if you noticed this post is titled part one, just wait until you get to part two! It'll be less about text and more about music, and lots of it. That one will be coming in a few days. Until then...
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