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Bootlegs are not legitimate commercial releases and are illegal but some collectors want them. It is true that all illegal items - not just records - are hard to advertise, buy or sell. So most bootlegs have little value.
In the 1960's they were called, pirated records.
They come in several categories though. Some bootleg LPs often feature tracks that have not been commercially released because the recordings are stolen ones. Some are illegal recordings of live concerts.
EPs include re-releases of rare or valuable 45s. Some bootleg 45s are exact copies of rare records with the original label graphics and numbers - these are known in the industry as counterfeits. In Singapore 60s, a record does not need to be rare. As long as it sells well, a bootleg copy is available.
During blogger's search for vinyl, he comes across many bootleg copies. Some of them are so common that they are worthless today, but some of these fakes are being sold in the market for a higher price. At the end of the day it depends on how much a buyer is willing to pay and how badly the seller is willing to part with the bootleg for the amount involved. 
A cheap bootleg vinyl EP from Sungei Road,
a famous but defunct flea market.
The above vinyl, from a flea market, costs S$2.00 but may cost more today. It has a unique cover with our former Singapore sweetheart Heather's most popular song, Love Is Blue.
But what makes it special is Cliff Richard's pasted photograph below with the song Congratulations. Together with Green Tambourine, Heather (who was with The Thunderbirds and Diamonds Four), sings Kiss Me Goodbye. And the label is Hi Fi Record without a serial number. They could have been more imaginative.
Comment anyone? 
Is this another counterfeit, this time of the Monkees.
It has a record trade mark or company, but
no song titles and no photographs, only sketches.
Click link to read:
Image/original article: Andy Lim.
This posting was originally dated 30.3.2010.
17 comments:
thanks for the info.
Very useful information. Thanks Andy.
When I went hunting for LPs, I came across some of our favourite singers' albums that had different labels from their recording companies. I didn't know whether the companies were produced under license or not. I bought a few of these records too.
It's worthwhile to keep them because they become priceless (only to ourselves) through the years.
Bootleg copies are not appreciated by many people because many are cheap imitation of the real vinyls.
I am totally agree with you. I treasure almost every LP that I own(whether it is bootleg copy or original) because I may not be able find the same one again.
And these vinyls get out of circulation very quickly. Ten years down the road and you don't know what's left behind.
But I have met people who say that vinyls are not worth a dime.
I have a copy of this Heather and Cliff bootleg too. I also have quite a few records I think is bootleg or pirate releases from the Singapore/Malaysia area. These are labels like National (Maria Dan Jasni Iringan The Addend Boys), Sharikat Ocean (Salim I Iringan The Commandos), Pilana (Nancy Sit, A. Romzi Dan The Hooks) and probably some others. There seems to have been a LOT of pirate labels in Singapore and Malaysia back in those days. I wonder if anyone ever got caught and if so, what happened to them?
Oh, I love 60's and 70's bootlegs!!! I have quite a few, specially love the ones from Taiwan, they were made specially for American soldiers stationed there (and elsewhere in South East Asia) often they would copy the official covers and change them, sometimes a bit, sometimes a lot, often with badly spelled English. Even the legit Taiwanese record company Haishan Records put out many.... And on a related subject, I don't think any artist or record company ever paid royalties to the many, many songs that were being covered from Western artists back then :)
Thanks Henk,
You're the man to consult.
Love your blog too.
I really don't have those Taiwan bootleg.
Andy Young
Author
Thanks Larry and Jimalifnur, for being the earliest birds to visit...
Jimalifnur Mohamed
Andy Young You most welcome Sir🙏
Kuo Tung Pang
Tis tune ' Love is Blue' is one of the hits songs during the 60's.
Andy Young
Author
Kuo Tung Pang yes it is. Thanks for visiting.
Andy Young
Author
Ian Jansen, thanks for the immediate response. Appreciate.
Ian Jansen
Andy Young not so much records, but I did go to a store in S'pore in the 60's. Chose my music, and they copied it onto a blank cassette
Andy Young
Author
Ian Jansen yes, I think it was part of the scene then. I did too, borrowed from friends and copied. 🙂 Or we buy and share...
Kenneth Vaithilingam
Ian Jansen
Andy Young
Author
Hey, thanks to all great FB friends who like this post, Irene, Rose, Teng Teng and others.
Foo Jong Fook
Andy Young
Reminds me that I had thrown away all the vinyls during shifting to another home. Such vinyls if still around will be priceless especially when they are all originals. Sigh...
Andy Young
Author
Foo Jong Fook yes, but unless they are SG records or those produced in small quantities, they are not worth much. But the pirate once described actually are worthy.
Nadarajan Somasundram
I have this record. I have my collection of vinyls.
Andy Young
Author
Nadarajan Somasundram, that's interesting actually. Definitely more than $2. Cheers. Singapore vinyl costs a lot now.
Nadarajan Somasundram
Andy Young Besides my own, I took my dad’s collection of vinyls. They are in mint condition. Music from the 60s, 70s, 80s. Indian & English.
Author
Nadarajan Somasundram don't sell. Keep them as a hobby, a collection.
Best. Thanks for writing in.
🤣 jus whisper to the record shop owner, and Viola❗ He push away *a display cabinet wall* and beckon you in, to His *private inner display stock* And there behold, every record collection is available 🤦🏻♂️
Don't be shy, just ask around.Your prayers answered.
Thanks ANON whoever you are. But I doubt it's happening today. Might have happened those years. Now nearly every song's available anywhere.
Copyright laws weren’t enacted in the 60s in SG. Our records were pirated with the Beatles on the flip side. And the pirates were the distributors of EMI !!
Here's a breakdown of the differences between pirated copies, bootleg, counterfeit, and fake vinyl records:
*Pirated Copies*: Unauthorized reproductions of legitimate records, often made from a genuine copy. They may lack original packaging, inserts, or artwork. Pirated copies are made without permission from the copyright holder.
*Bootleg*: Unauthorized recordings of live performances, unreleased material, or rare tracks, often made by fans. Bootlegs can be of varying quality and may not be officially sanctioned by the artist or label.
*Counterfeit*: Fake records made to deceive buyers into thinking they're genuine. Counterfeits often replicate the original packaging, artwork, and labels, making them difficult to distinguish from authentic copies.
*Fake*: Records that are intentionally mislabeled or misrepresented, such as incorrect artist, title, or genre. Fakes may be novelty items or attempts to deceive collectors.
In summary:
- Pirated copies are unauthorized reproductions of legitimate records.
- Bootlegs are unauthorized recordings, often of live or rare material.
- Counterfeits are fake records made to deceive buyers into thinking they're genuine.
- Fakes are intentionally mislabeled or misrepresented records.
When purchasing vinyl, it's essential to buy from reputable sources to avoid these issues!
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