BOOTLEG RECORDS

Category: Australian independent label Date: 1973-78 Location: Melbourne, Vic. Ownership: Subsidiary of Fable Records Distribution: Tempo / Phonogram

History

Bootleg Records was the subsidary label of Ron Tudor's Fable Records, which was established in 1969. After its launch in April 1970, Fable quickly became the leading Australian independent label of the period, thanks to a series of hit singles, EPs and albums between 1970 and 1973. Ron established Bootleg in late 1971 in collaboration with musician Brian Cadd, who became the label's house producer and A&R manager, and who also put together a house band for the label, The Bootleg Family Band (which later became Avalanche).

The Bootleg label was launched in January 1972 and enjoyed an extraordinary run of success from the outset, notching up a string of national Top 20 singles and albums. Its first two singles were back-to-back hits -- "Kings of the World" by Mississippi made the national Top 10 in early 1972 and in the latter half of the year Brian Cadd's solo debut "Ginger Man" made the national Top 20, peaking at #16; then, in early 1973, The Bootleg Family Band's debut single "Your mama don't dance" went to #5, giving Bootleg three national Top 20 hits out of its first six single releases. Brian Cadd scored three consecutive Top 20 albums -- his self-titled debut reached #2 and charted for 20 weeks, his second LP Parabrahm reached #5 and his third LP Moonshine reached #16, making  unequalled three Top 20 albums. 

Cadd scored three more hits in 1973-74 with his popular theme songs from the movie Alvin Purple and the TV series Class of '74 and "Let Go", which made #14 in late 1974, while the Bootleg family Band scored a second hit Top 10 hit with "The Shoop Shoop Song". Other notable Bootleg releases included the superb self-titled debut LP by Kerrie Biddell, which was a Top 10 album, an album and singles by Stephen Foster (whose LP was also produced by Brian Cadd), the first recording by renowned bluesman Dutch Tilders, Phil Manning's Band of Tabalene, Bluestone, , a one-off single by Lobby Loyde, and singles by Fat Daddy, Taste and Avalanche. Among Bootleg's last releases were two singles by The Steve Groves Band, on which all four songs were co-written by Groves and Brian Dawe (of Clarke and Dawe fame), who was at the time a promotions manager with Astor Records.

With Brian Cadd's departure for the USA in 1976, Bootleg lost its driving creative force and the label soon went into decline. Only two singles were released in 1977, and the last Bootleg single (by Bluestone) was issued in 1978. Fable struggled on bravely into the 1980s, scoring one last monster hit with Mike Brady's "Up There Cazaly" in 1981.

Discography

All singles and EPs on both Fable and Bootleg were catalogued in the same numerical series, which started at "001", so the numbering for Bootleg releases is therefore not consecutive. Fable singles were prefixed "FB", EP's were prefixed "FBEP", while Bootleg singles and EPs were prefixed "BL" and "BLEP". Fable and Bootleg LPs (which were all issued in stereo) were likewise catalogued in their own series, also starting at "001" -- Fable titles were prefixed "FBSA" and Bootleg titles were prefixed "BLA", except for the last two released, which were preficed "BLAB-". The Milesago page on Fable lists all known releases on that label.

Singles

EPs

Albums

References / Links

Hank B. Facer
"Fable-Bootleg labels"
Discography No. 12, Jan. 1980 (MIRL, Auburn NSW)

Globaldog Productions - Fable/Bootleg 45 discography
http://www.globaldogproductions.info/f/fable-oz.html

Rate Your Music: Bootleg Records
http://rateyourmusic.com/label/bootleg/

Stephen Foster official website
http://www.stevefostermusic.com.au/

Please email webmaster@milesago.com if you have extra information or corrections, or to report any broken links.