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How is the quality of a bootleg so good. A lot of them are better than "unplugged". Do the artistes themselves commission somebody to record the concerts and then somewhere along the line the recordings get hijacked into bootlegs or do people actually turn up for concerts with all the equipment needed to get such high quality recordings.

That sort of equipment cannot be concealed under your jumper and I don't think it is recorded on a little hand held recorders. I was just listening to RAH 1988 and the quality is so good if you shut your eyes you could be there. I struggle to get my answerphone to get a decent recording so I just wanted to know - HOW DO THEY DO IT?

paula, i am hardly an expert, but from reading on the files they record them from the sound desk of the concert, so they are basically a professional recording, however it is illegal.

p.

Many bootlegs have been recorded from FM broadcasts,
like Cohen's 1993 Zurich gig on several 2CD-boots,
his BBC concert (1968) plus Paris and Montreux gigs (1976).

And at least two Cohen-bootlegs have been copied
from the soundtrack of TV concerts/documents - I mean
Last of the Bohemians & L.C. in New York 1979 (actually in
the studios of German TV).

In some other cases the bootleggers have found the
way to plug-in into the sound system of the venue.

Some older boots have been recorded from the first
rows -- Wiesbaden 1985 is a good example of that.

Jarkko

Well fair play to the bootleggers. Without them we would have lost a lot of quality concerts. Which begs another question. Why do the artistes themselves not commission a recording and release it. And why is the quality on "unplugged" CD's generally poor.

Anyway thanks to Partisan and Jarkko.

Paula: the artists do not have free hands to do this.
They have contracts with record companies, and in
many cases those companies own the rights. So the artists
cannot release any live albums on their own initiative.
Of course they may put some pressure on the companies.
Jarkko

Well fair play to the bootleggers. Without them we would have lost a lot of quality concerts.

Hi Paula, the availibility of concerts recordings is not due to the bootleggers but to the tapers who recorded the show from the audience. Tapers can also ask to the soundman to plug-in their recorder into the sound system of the venue.The sound control staff can also make a copy of the soundboard tape. Usually the quality of a bootleg is not the best you can have, because the bootleggers didn't always have access to the master tapes.

About London may 30 concert, it has been recording by the BBC but never released officially: homever someone at the BBC kept a tape and then has distributed it (for free).

That was realy interesting I am indebted to everyones input.

It doesn't surprise me that the RAH boot was a professional recording the clarity was so good.

Just a little aside for British people - at least we are getting something for our licence money