“Devil in Disguise” (Counterfeit and Bootleg Elvis Records)

An introduction to and explanation of Elvis counterfeits, bootlegs, reproductions, and pirates

This drawing of Elvis was based on a photo taken at the International Hotel in Las Vegas during Presley’s stay in February 1970. It was cropped from the front cover of the bootleg LP album Please Release Me, pictured below. (Image: personal collection.)

UNAUTHORIZED ELVIS RECORDS. Counterfeit and repro LPs. What’s the difference? Who uses which term for what kind of record? And when do they use it? Hell, does it matter which term is used?

The record industry intentionally does not differentiate between the various kinds of “unauthorized recordings.” While they tend to lump them all under the heading of “pirates,” record collectors are more discerning.

In this article, I address the definition of the terms as they appear in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary and by the definition used by most record collectors (under the sub-heading “Among record collectors”).

Not surprisingly, both the lexicographers at Merriam-Webster and collectors tend to agree on terms.

I also present at least one example for bootlegs, reproductions, and counterfeits (under the sub-headings titled “Examples”)

This article has two main parts:

• Part 1: Counterfeits and Reproductions
• Part 2: Bootlegs and Pirates

For long-time collectors, this article will be so much old hat but it was written to introduce the terms to new readers. These are things they need to know if they want to make the transition from Elvis fan to Elvis collector.

Part 1: Counterfeits and Reproductions

In Jailhouse Rock (see below), the authors reported that the RIAA had identified five Presley LPs as having been counterfeited: the first four volumes of the Elvis’ Golden Records series and Blue Hawaii. However, the book did not indicate whether the version of the latter album that had been counterfeited was the original version of LSP-2426 released in 1961 (pictured above) or a later pressing. (Image: personal collection.)

The first Elvis counterfeits

To kick things off, here is a passage from Lee Cotten and Howard DeWitt’s book Jailhouse Rock — The Bootleg Records Of Elvis Presley 1970–1983 (Pierian Press, 1983):

“In a recent Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) report, it was brought out that Elvis’ records are among those which were among the most counterfeited. The titles listed were Blue Hawaii and Gold Records Vols. 1–4.”

If this is correct, then there are potentially millions — of counterfeit Presley LPs in the hands of collectors. This surprised the heck out of me when I first read it forty years ago!

Unfortunately, Lee and Howard did not include any information on how to differentiate a real copy from a counterfeit. I could not find any reference to this topic online.

In Jailhouse Rock (see above), it was reported that the RIAA identified five Presley LPs as having been counterfeited, including Blue Hawaii. However, the source did not indicate whether the version of the album that had been counterfeited was the reissue of LSP-2426 from 1977 (pictured above) or an earlier pressing. (Images: personal collection)

Counterfeits

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary definition of counterfeit as an adjective is “made in imitation of something else with intent to deceive.”

A secondary definition is “something likely to be mistaken for something of higher value.”

Both are applicable here as counterfeiters sell their products to customers who believe they are buying the real deal.

Among record collectors

Among record collectors, counterfeit generally refers to a record that is an exact, or nearly exact, duplicate of a real record. By “real,” I mean a record manufactured by a legitimate record company. Records most likely to be counterfeited are those that are popular at the time the counterfeit is made.

A well-made counterfeit may be virtually indistinguishable from the legitimate album because:

• The counterfeit jacket may be identical to the real jacket.
• The counterfeit labels may be identical to the real labels.

Even the information stamped or etched in the trail-off area — such as the matrix number or stamper number (which the average record buyer never pays attention to) — may be identical to the data in the real record!

As to how that was accomplished — obtaining the parts necessary to create effectively exact duplicates— well, that’s another story for another day.

Examples

As an example of a counterfeit, I selected two photos of RCA Victor LSP-2426, Blue Hawaii (both above). I assume they are photos of legitimate copies but if there are thousands of counterfeits, who knows?

Special Plam Sunday Programming (RCA Victor SP-33–461) was a promotional LP that came in a plain white sleeve. It was shipped to approximately 300 radio stations in early 1967 to be broadcast as a radio show on Palm Sunday. As this is a rather rare record, someone made a reproduction of it in 1980, especially for collectors who didn’t have or couldn’t afford a legitimate copy. (Image: personal collection.)

Reproductions

The Merriam-Webster definition of reproduction is “a thing made to closely resemble another.” This is obviously applicable here.

Among record collectors

Among record collectors, reproduction (or repro) generally refers to a record that is almost an exact duplicate of a legitimate record. Repros are usually made by collectors in small batches to be sold to other collectors.

Reproductions usually have some way for collectors to differentiate them from originals and identify them as repros. This includes 45s pressed on vinyl instead of the original being on styrene or a date etched into the trail-off vinyl.

These tell-tale signs exist because, unlike those who foist counterfeits on unsuspecting record buyers, the makers of repros are usually selling their wares to buyers who know they are not buying the genuine article.

Note: As new buyers and new sellers enter the hobby/business of collectible records, many are unaware of reproductions. So dealers can unknowingly sell a repro as a legitimate pressing while new buyers don’t know to look for those tell-tale signs that indicate a repro. That is, an error can be made unwittingly rather than a fraud being perpetrated willfully.

Examples

Reproductions of commercially released Presley LPs from the US are not known to exist. As most Elvis albums sold hundreds of thousands of copies and remained in print for years, there was little need to reproduce anything from his standard catalog.

For example, I selected the Special Palm Sunday Programming record (RCA Victor SP-33–461). This promotional-only long-playing record was shipped to approximately 300 radio stations in early 1967 to be broadcast on Palm Sunday, one week before Easter.

I don’t know how many stations broadcast this special show — Elvis was not a particularly hot artist in early ’67 — but whether it was played or not, many radio stations discarded the record. Many/most copies went from the radio station to the local garbage dump or landfill. Hence, SP-33–461 is a rather rare record.

In 1980, someone reproduced the Special Palm Sunday Programming record for collectors. The easiest way to distinguish the authentic record from the repro is the real record has the matrix numbers machine-set and stamped into the trail-off area; the reproduction has those numbers hand-etched into that area.

Note: SP-33–461 was shipped in a plain white sleeve so there wasn’t a jacket to reproduce.

Part 2: Bootlegs and Pirates

The bootleg LP Please Release Me is a single record issued on the 1st Records imprint. Made in Canada and released in late 1970, it may have been the first bootleg Elvis album. (Image: personal collection.)

The first Elvis bootlegs

Bootleg records have been a part of collecting Elvis for more than fifty years! And while Presley may have been one of the first rock & rollers, he wasn’t one of the first rockers “honored” by being booted.

The first rock & roll bootleg LPs appeared in 1969 and were made by younger fans, so the artists they booted were toward their tastes. Despite Presley being super hot in 1969, the booters concentrated on artists of their generation, such as Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zepellin, the Band, CSN&Y, etc. The first Elvis bootlegs did not appear until late 1970.

This article addresses two terms — bootleg and pirate. Effectively, these two types of “unauthorized recordings” have little to do with each other but are used synonymously by the record industry. While the record company moguls and their lawyers believe this serves their interests, it causes confusion and tends to make bootleggers even more clever.

For long-time collectors, this article will be perfunctory. That’s okay as it was written to introduce the terms to new readers. These are things they need to know if they want to make the transition from Elvis fan to Elvis collector.

The bootleg LP The Hillbilly Cat “Live” is a two-record set issued on the faux Viktorie Records imprint. Made in Holland and released in late 1970, it may have been the first bootleg Elvis album. (Image: personal collection).

Bootlegs

The Merriam-Webster definition of bootleg as a noun is “an unauthorized audio or video recording.”

Among record collectors

Among record collectors, a bootleg generally refers to a record that contains material that has never been made available to the public by a legitimate record company. Unlike counterfeits and repros, bootlegs contain unique material that you cannot buy anywhere else — material that does not conflict with the material available on legitimate records.

Bootlegs were not for everyone! They were priced considerably higher than a legitimate album. In 1969, the manufacturer’s suggested list price for a standard LP was $5.98, meaning most of us were paying $4 or $5 for a new album. A bootleg with a plain white cover and uneven (I am being kind) sound quality could cost between $10 and $20.

In 1980, I started wheeling and dealing bootlegs in a small way. By then, the manufacturers’ suggested list for a standard LP was $7.98 (meaning $5–6 at most stores). At the same time, many bootlegs sported gorgeous color covers and very good to superb sound quality. But a single-record bootleg LP could sell for $20–30.

Few “normal” record buyers ever saw a bootleg let alone bought one. They were simply never given the opportunity to see one for sale.

Note: I am probably not exaggerating if I say at least 95% of bootleg LPs were purchased by collectors who already owned everything by the artists the legitimate record companies had issued.

Examples

As an example, I included photos of what are believed to be the first two Elvis bootleg LPs: Please Release Me and The Hillbilly Cat “Live.” The former is a potpourri of outtakes from movies and television appearances; the latter is a two-record album with an entire live performance from the International Hotel in Las Vegas in August 1970.

Since these two albums were released fifty+ years ago, literally hundreds (thousands?) of Elvis boot 45s, 78s, EPs, LPs, and CDs have been made available to collectors.

When RCA Victor compiled the fourth volume in the “Elvis’ Golden Records” series, they did not collect all of the sides that had been million-sellers in the US that were available to them. Instead, they compiled a collection of A-sides that had sold a million globally along with B-sides of domestic million-sellers they had left off the previous two volumes. Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 4 was a disappointing album for fans and received lukewarm reviews from the emerging class of rock record reviewers/critics. (Image: personal collection.)

Pirates

The Merriam-Webster definition of a pirate as a noun is “to reproduce without authorization, especially in infringement of copyright.” So in the record business, pirate and counterfeit are effectively synonymous.

Among record collectors

Among record collectors, the term pirate has almost no meaning unless discussing counterfeits. On the other hand, the record industry’s promotional and legal branches consider counterfeits, reproductions, and bootlegs to be the same thing — piracy.

The record industry has wasted countless hours and countless dollars hunting and prosecuting bootleggers — who had zero effect on their bottom line and may have actually boosted it (but that’s another story) — while doing almost nothing about counterfeiters, who were stealing sales from them in retail outlets around the country!

“Why?” you might ask. Because bootleg manufacturers are small-time operators that do not have large reserves of cash to fight a prolonged lawsuit. Manufacturers of counterfeits are large-scale operations with lots of money and maybe a few other things that might intimidate an investigator.

Examples

As counterfeits and pirates are two terms meaning the same thing, refer to the “Examples” sub-section in the Counterfeits section above.

Lee Cotten and Howard DeWitt’s Jailhouse Rock was the first book to attempt to list and describe every known Elvis bootleg. (Image: personal collection.)

Devil in Disguise

The article above (“ ‘Devil in Disguise’ — Counterfeit and Bootleg Elvis Records”) is approximately 2,100 words in length (including heading and captions). It is a truncated version of two articles previously published on my Elvis — A Touch Of Gold blog.

These articles are titled:

• “Elvis Counterfeit and Repro LPs”
• “Elvis Bootleg and Pirate LPs”

Combined, these two full-length articles contain more than 1.000 words along with five additional images not found in the “Devil in Disguise” article above.

Jailhouse Rock

Lee Cotten and Howard DeWitt’s Jailhouse Rock — The Bootleg Records Of Elvis Presley 1970–1983 (Pierian Press 1983) was the first book to attempt to list and describe every known Elvis bootleg single (78 and 45) and album (EP and LP). First and second editions of this book can be found for sale on the internet for about $50 each.

Jailhouse Rock was indispensable to collectors until the publication of Bootleg Elvis by Felix Gübeli, Rolf Gilgen, Peter van Bragt, Dick Dekker, and Bruno Pause in 2012. Bootleg Elvis is bigger, more informative, and more accurate, but a used copy will probably set you back hundreds of dollars.

This image is the first thing you will see if you visit the home page of my blog Elvis — A Touch Of Gold. The photo of Elvis was taken at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in February 1970.

Dedication

I don’t normally dedicate an article, but this time I am. This article is dedicated to Victoria Kjos, who found my articles here on Medium and has become a regular reader and constant commenter.

Thank you, Victoria, and I hope you enjoy this one, too.

My other Medium site

If you want to read some things about records and popular music not by Elvis, try my other Medium site:

Tell It Like It Was

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