The "Laurel" bootlegs

[Bilbobaggins]

The most exiting releases in the 80's came from bootleg labels. One of those labels was the "Laurel" label. In this thread I like to focus on this good ol' label.

First in line, this beauty... The Blue Hawaii Box.

Packed in a nice LP sized box containing 3 LP's and a nice booklet. For those days, 1987, it was a very luxury set, with a lot of unreleased takes. Not all takes of the session were included (as you can see on the 4th image). Apparently the producers did not have the complete session tapes. Going by the soundquality I think these were first or second generation copies of the original tapes.

The beatiful front of the box

1000014008.jpg (5.33 MiB) Viewed 446 times

1000014007.jpg (4.1 MiB) Viewed 446 times

The labels are identical on all 6 sides. Except ofcourse for A, B, C, D, E and F

1000014006.jpg (2.15 MiB) Viewed 446 times

The front and back of the booklet

1000014004.jpg (6.19 MiB) Viewed 446 times

[Bilbobaggins]

And the pages of the booklet...

1000014003.jpg (5.96 MiB) Viewed 444 times

1000014002.jpg (7.01 MiB) Viewed 444 times

1000014001.jpg (6.39 MiB) Viewed 444 times

1000014000.jpg (8.45 MiB) Viewed 444 times

1000013999.jpg (5.78 MiB) Viewed 444 times

[AfoolSuchAsI.]

Thats a great lp boxset you have a great taste , great old days i saw it on a vinyl shop for more than 200 euro s .
How will sound it the lp s ?

[Bilbobaggins]

Thats a great lp boxset you have a great taste , great old days i saw it on a vinyl shop for more than 200 euro s .
How will sound it the lp s ?

Sound is very good overall. Almost zero tape hiss, clear sound, mono. Of course by now all takes are released in (mostly) perfect sound and in stereo by FTD, but I still enjoy this set every now and then. I love the look of it, the sound of it and the feel of it!

[Bilbobaggins]

I forgot to mention that the article in the booklet was written by Elvis's no1 fan, fanclubpresident Gary Pepper. (As you can see in the booklet).

a78a5cc7d57b2e848d73c70961c71d8d.jpg (11.24 KiB) Viewed 386 times

1960-gary-pepper-elvis-presley.jpg (42.64 KiB) Viewed 386 times

[Mike C]

Thats a great lp boxset you have a great taste , great old days i saw it on a vinyl shop for more than 200 euro s .
How will sound it the lp s ?

Sound is very good overall. Almost zero tape hiss, clear sound, mono. Of course by now all takes are released in (mostly) perfect sound and in stereo by FTD, but I still enjoy this set every now and then. I love the look of it, the sound of it and the feel of it!

I think it is mentioned in the Elvis bootleg book that the tapes used by Laurel for the set were cassette copies dubbed from the mono sessions reels Vic Colonna had acquired from a former Radio Recorders engineer. Vic sent the tapes to Ger just before the FBI picked him up.

[JohnnyByeBye]

I think it is mentioned in the Elvis bootleg book that the tapes used by Laurel for the set were cassette copies dubbed from the mono sessions reels Vic Colonna had acquired from a former Radio Recorders engineer. Vic sent the tapes to Ger just before the FBI picked him up.

Was it so that the original source of these were some kind of backup tapes from the sessions, purchased from the engineer? There was the great transcript of a "book" that never was by Vic Colonna in the old forum and I seem to recollect something like being writyen in that text.

[Bilbobaggins]

I don't have the bootleg book, but if I am not mistaken I have a digital file of the book somewhere. I will try to look it up in the next days.

[Jomies]

Very nice from Ger.
We also have it in our collection.
Buy it original from a friend from Ger.
Love those old bootlegs!

[AfoolSuchAsI.]

Very nice from Ger.
We also have it in our collection.
Buy it original from a friend from Ger.
Love those old bootlegs!

In the Raii Amsterdam i spoke Gerr Rijff back in the days a great guy man a really nice man . About 25 years ago ?
I haved two books with his handwriting from Andylon L.

[Bilbobaggins]

Another release was "Songs Behind Bars", aka "The Jailhouse Rock Sessions" from 1983. Great cover design... must be from mr. Tallhair!

[Mike C]

Yes, that is a Ger design. That is a great LP, by the way.

[Bilbobaggins]

This is what "Bootleg Elvis" (a great book btw) says about "The Blue Hawaii Box ".

For some reason the "attachment" function on this site doesn't work, so I uploaded them via imgBB...

[Bilbobaggins]

And this about "The Jailhouse Rock Sessions"...

[LSP-4445]

Some amazing bootlegs from Laurel in the 80s...my first was most likely "Steppin' Out Of Line" LP.

[Bilbobaggins]

Yes, absolutely. They were a joy to the ears and eyes.

[JohanD]

The Laurel label (and all the other labels Ger Riiff 'invented' for his products) where a true labor of love and dediction.
My favorite from that area must be "Standing room only", soundwise still a hard to beat vinyl!

[NinaFromCanadaEh]

I saw that box set in the 1990s, but it was priced at 150 bucks so too expensive for me then

it was gorgeous and set a new standard for bootlegs

[Bilbobaggins]

And then there was "Play It Hot", with another hot cover design...

Side 1 gave us, in those days unrealesed, live recordings from the 50's. Side 2 had the june 24th 1968 dressing room rehearsal. Also unreleased then. Once more the unsurpassed coverdesign was made by Dutchman Ger Rijff.

And this is what "Bootleg Elvis" has to say about it...

[Alexander72]

Thanks, those were the days. Boy those Ger Rijff bootlegs were so beautiful. Back in 1983 I was 11 years old so I never owned these bootlegs and growing older the urgency was gone, but always great to see these.