Chicago Park West
The Jam's Park West gig has had two previous releases (Strange Town In Chicago) but both editions have only been part of the gig. Finally the full gig has been released (Custom Cut) on Red & Blue vinyl but I believe this is the test cut and which one lucky member owns. We do believe a limited number of Black copies are in circulation.
(watch this space, will update once confirmed).
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |
Bootleg Buyers Guide
We often get asked if there is a Bootleg buyers guide/Collectors Bible etc. Obviously there is
The Jam Retrospective book (but that's quite dated now) and of course sites like Discogs & the many magazines that run "special - collector" editions with such info but our opinion, is that a Bootleg is only worth what the buyer is willing to pay for it. One day it may sell for £100, another it could reach £200.
So what we want to do, with "Your" help, is try and create something from a fans point of view.
If you would like to take part please either join our Facebook page and send us a message OR send us an email to the address at the bottom of the page and we'll send you a list, all we want you to do is add your maximum purchase price and or what you have bought and sold for in the passed. We will average them out, to hopefully get a realistic figure.
We are also on the look out for people to write reviews on any bootleg vinyl they own. If you click on the "Vinyl" link and search for the vinyl in question you can then wrote comments etc. (You do have to sign in to do this) but in doing so it would be a great help to others and become a part of our community.
Any thoughts ? Please do get in touch.
.
Holy Grails
Blueberry Rock / Takin My Love
“It was recorded somewhere like Kingston – some little demo place,” Paul Weller 1992. “It was the very first thing we ever recorded as a fourpiece,” the four being Weller, Brookes, Buckler and Dave Waller. Encouraged by local Tom Jones soundalike Vic Black, the band booked a session at Eden Studios, which had been opened in 1967 by Philip Love and Mike Gardner, with help from Piers Ford-Crush. The facilities were originally at 11 Eden Street in Kingston-Upon-Thames (hence the name), before moving to Chiswick in 1975 (playing host to The Jam in summer 1978 during early sessions for All Mod Cons). The studio finally closed in July 2007 – but sadly, no one who worked there at the time recalled The Jam’s modest beginnings.
After a tempestuous midweek evening session, The Jam left with a master tape of Blueberry Rock and Takin’ My Love and had a handful of acetates cut at Fanfare Studios in Guildford, a grand name for what was actually a one-man/backroom operation run by one Len Farley, which centred around a Neumann lathe.
“We went to a tape duplication place and they cut some little acetates,” recalls Rick. “We had four or five of them done with labels. We sent some of them off to record companies but never got a reply.” Today, Weller has only the vaguest memories of those tentative, teenage days: “I just remember the studios being pokey. But it was our first time. No anecdotes or stories apart from the fact we were very nervous. We also used to rehearse at this shitty studio called Michael’s.”
A copy of Blueberry Rock sold at Christie’s Auction House in April 2007 for £4,320. An illustration from Christie’s’ catalogue revealed that Fanfare used Emidisc acetates and had their own printed labels to stick on top. It also confirms that Takin’ My Love was a joint Weller- Brookes composition, a fact conveniently forgotten in the songwriting credits on In The City some four years later (Brookes later revealed its inspiration was The Beatles’ country rock-flavoured One After 909). Soon afterwards, Paul ‘loaned’ Blueberry Rock to another local band, Squire, later to make their mark on the Mod revival. But neither recording has ever surfaced.
Holy Grails
THE JAM LIVE Cassette:
Side 1: Takin’ My Love / Eight Days A Week / Some Kinda Lovin / Little Girl Crying/
World Without Love / Oh Carol / Remember / Jailhouse Rock /I Saw Her Standing There/
Love Has Died / Feels So Good /That Way /Little Queenie /Baby I Don’t Care /Twist And Shout /
Love, Love, Loving /Crazy Old World / Like I Love You /You And The Summer /Say Goodbye
Side 2: Takin’ My Love / Some Kind Of Lovin / She Don’t Need Me /
When I’m Near You / Love’s Surprise / Love Has Died/She’s Coming Home
In his book Keeping The Flame, Steve Brookes revealed details of a C120 cassette of Jam rehearsals. The first side was recorded at Woking Working Men’s Club one Sunday afternoon, late ’73 or early ’74, while the second side, featuring all-original material, was probably recorded a few months later. Takin’ My Love and Some Kinda Lovin’ remain alongside a familiar smattering of 60s and rock’n’roll covers also evident in set lists from the period (one of which included the Everlys’ Let It Be Me, eventually recorded by Weller thirty years later).
Holy Grails
THE JAM LIVE Cassette:
Late summer 1976, recorded at Michael’s Club, Woking
Dancing In The Street/So Sad About Us/Takin’ My Love/Cheque Book/In The City/
Time For Truth/ Sounds From The Street
Although this has never surfaced among collectors, nor is it detailed in Rick’s scrapbook, The Jam were apparently captured on tape during one of their regular rehearsals at Michael’s. The setlist is notable for a cover of Martha & The Vandellas’ Dancing In The Street (one of numerous Motown covers in their set over the years), The Who’s So Sad About Us (later demo’d for Polydor and eventually recorded in the wake of Keith Moon’s death as a B-side), a version of Dr Feelgood’s Cheque Book (off Down By The Jetty) and a new song, Sounds From The Street, later to appear on In The City.
“This local sound buff wanted to experiment on us,” recalls Rick. “We were allowed to rehearse in Michael’s Club on Sunday afternoon and he used to set up mic’s and come and record it. They were early live tapes. We did it three or four times.”
Jam Collectable Bootlegs
The information & costings have been provided by The Record Collector.
The prices do go up and down (more up!) At the end of the day a bootleg is worth what the buyer is willing to pay. Here are some of more sought after vinyls.
Young Man From Woking
2LP, coloured vinyl £1,200
Limited to 50 copies, available as one translucent yellow vinyl and one translucent pink vinyl, or two translucent pink vinyl LPs. Does not come with the 7” the black vinyl original edition had included
LIVE AT THE ROXY CLUB LP, Black vinyl £1000+
A proposed official release in Receiver Records’ Live At The Roxy series, was actually a recording of the 11/09/1977 100 Club gig. The release never got past 25 test pressings and a smaller number of wraparound proof sleeves. There followed numerous pressings, with and without inscriptions, along with colour photocopied sleeves. These still sell for up to £900, so beware!
MUSIC MACHINE 2LP, Gold/Honey-coloured vinyl
£500+
Pressed in 1987 and limited to 50 copies, apparently from Japan. Unknown number of copies re-pressed, which don’t have the groove inscription of the original.
DISTANT ECHOES LP
£400+
Limited to 30 copies for radio station use only, features part of the 12 December 1981 concert at the Michael Sobell Sports Centre, London.
THE BOSTON TEA PARTY LP
£400+
Made for Boston College Campus Radio and limited to 30 copies. This features the full set from the 12 April 1979 concert at the Paradise Theatre, Boston, including intros and outros.
SOUNDS FROM THE STREET LP, £225+
The original pressing of The Paris Theatre gig 10/6/78. Also features bonus Flexi disc tracks. Available on Black, Maroon & Blue
Custom Cut Collectable Bootlegs
There are lots of various JAM, TSC, PW CCs available in all size formats, 7" 10" 12" Some great, some not so. Covers range from Factory produced to paper or card wrap arounds but at the end of the day its what's on the record that counts. The majority are thick heavy weight but we have seen some on thinner vinyl. Although it says vinyl they are actually cut onto a special plastic compound that doesn't crack or snap like a normal vinyl record, which IMHO is good. Prices can start quite cheap considering they are done in limited numbers but these have been know to go high on various auction sites. Again considering what's on them and the quantity done, its not surprising. Below are some of the more sought after ones.
WEMBLEY 3/12/82 2LP
12" White Vinyl
The 12" coloured are quite rare but this is also on Black 10" which is more common.
Not previously available until it surfaced on The Gift Deluxe box set. This is a great sounding LP
GLASTONBURY 2015 2LP
10" Double on Black.
Taken from the Radio broadcast so this is excellent quality. Glasto 94 is also available on 10" BOTH sound great and should be in anyones bootleg collection
LIVE ON THE TUBE 10"
5/11/1982
The bands last TV appearance.
This appears on Red, Blue, White, Green, Clear & Black. The coloured vinyl is harder to come by but the odd black does appear now and again.
A must for any Jam collection.
AMSTERDAM 83 2LP 10"
There wasn't a lot of TSC original bootleg albums, so these custom cuts are great. This is a TSC early gig from Theater de Meervaart, Amsterdam - 31/10/83. Its been widely available on cassette tape and mp3 but not on vinyl. Great sound on this.
FOX WARFIELD 1980
SAN FRANCISCO 2LP
Done on both 10" and 12" Although the 12" is only a one off RED test cut. The 10" is on Black and Clear. Soundboard recording on 15/03/1980.
RADIO SESSIONS 10"
These are just fantastic. So far there are 5 volumes. PW live radio sessions on single 10".Sound quality ranges from good to excellent. There is a similar theme with the Jools Holland shows, that are also on vinyl.
Great to have in the collection
Latest Vinyl Releases
|  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |