As we begin the new month of April 2007, 'tis a good thing to be a BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN collector and/or fan.  I mentioned in the column last week that this new fan-produced video from Paris '85 was getting "holy grail" type of descriptions and I'm here to confirm that it is all of that.  It was posted for download at a couple of the more frequented outlets on the net about 10 days ago and it lives up to its' billing.  As you might expect, labels geared towards The Boss secured their copies for subsequent release and the first formal pressing of the show will arrive from Apocalypse Sound on April 10th...it's titled "Dancing In The Parc" and is a 3 hour delight for in both video and audio.  It features a late afternoon performance from BRUCE & THE E STREET BAND at Parc De La Courneuve in Paris on June 29th, 1985 and is captured in beautiful proshot quality and taken right from the master tape from the way it looks, very crisp and clear with stereo soundboard audio to enhance the whole thing.  This is so very close to an official release which makes it that much more of a treat!  The fans behind the production really did a nice job and Apocalypse Sound presents the original 3DVD download on a single, Dual Layer DVD-9 disc and wraps it up in their superbly crafted 3-panel DVD Digipack...the audio presented is Linear PCM Stereo and it is surely the absolute complete deal.  Apocalypse Sound will also issue another supreme show to recently be shared from SPRINGSTEEN's 1993 production for a scrapped TV special...the 3-and-a-half hour "Lost TV Show" DVD-9 disc also arrives to distribution in just over a week and brings a full production blend of two 1993 performances from Stockholm Stadion in Sweden on May 29th, and from Milton Keynes Bowl, UK on May 22nd....

...The Japanese Vintage Masters Label has announced its' April line-up for collectors...many of these are CDR releases but the label does cherry-pick titles for silver disc treatement too.  They also like to issue a cross-section variety of artists and is another reason I will make mention here this week...BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND "Tunnel Of Love Express Tour" 2CDR provides another version of the stellar Stockholm FM Broadcast from July 3, 1988...Two titles from THE BAND - "L.A. Two Days" is a single disc sounboard from the L.A. Forum on February 13 & 14, 1974 during their tour with BOB DYLAN, "Musical Legacy" is also a single CDR of a Washington D.C. soundboard from The Carter Barron Amphitheater on August 16, 1976...AVERAGE WHITE BAND "Work  To Do White Band" is a soundboard from the Phillie Spectrum on August 18, 1976...BILLY COBHAM "Power Of The Music" is a soundboard from the Bottom Line in New York on February 20, 1978...THE BYRDS "Prior To The Closing" captures their Fillmore East show on June 9, 1971 from the soundboard...DURAN DURAN "Another Arena" 2CDR is a sounboard from Madison Square Garden on March 19, 1984...two DR. JOHN titles: "Period On Horizon" from The Bottom Line on November 7, 1978 in soundboard quality, and "Ladies And Gentlemen" which is recorded the next night on November 8th and is also a soundboard tape...JAMES TAYLOR "Smooth And Smoothing" is recorded live at the Berkeley Community Center from the soundboard on October 22, 1971...LITTLE FEAT "One More Fillmore" is taped at The Fillmore West in San Francisco during the late show on September 1, 1988 in soundboard quality...are you catching on yet?...see what this label is doing?...THE RASCALS "A Peaceful World In Fillmore" is a soundboard from The Fillmore West on May 20, 1971...STEVE MILLER "This Historic Bay Area Concert" is a March 17, 1973 soundboard from Winterland...TRAFFIC "Out Of Road" is a double-disc from Winterland on January 26, 1973..and TOWER OF POWER "All Followers Of Funk" is a March 6, 1971 soundboard from The  Fillmore West. 

Ok, yes..the Vintage Masters Label is capturing streaming audio from WolfgangsVault.com...but it won't be the thing to do for very long I suspect, as WV is launching downloadable concerts for about $9.99 each starting this month and they expect to have over 100 shows available with the initial offerings.  This is a huge deal and I'm pleased that perhaps an agreement was reached between the site and the artists so that it's a win-win-win all the way around.  I would urge us all to support the cause in whatever capacity so that all the parties involved see the success of making these historical recordings available to the public.  It might not feel as adventuresome to most of us but the rewards are many, if you need a reminder of what this means just go to www.wolfgangsvault.com and look at the list of shows from The King Biscuit Flower Hour, etc....it's ALL good.

New PINK FLOYD coming soon from the Devil's Breath Label, it's that newly surfaced upgrade from Sheffield City Hall in Yorkshire, UK on December 22, 1970 and is titled "The Ultimate Breakfast" 2CD set - a really great audience tape for sure.  We shared with you over the weekend that Tarantura will issue a couple of new sets this month...JEFF BECK w/JAN HAMMER "Wireless" 2CD, featuring a tape from the Boston Music Hall on October 10, 1976 in Limited Edition Cardboard foldout sleeve of 100 copies...and YES "Tales From Two Frankfurt Shows" 4CD provides two different audience tapes from their April 11, 1974 concert in Frankfurt, Germany - also Limited to just 100 copies and comes in a mini-LP cardboard foldout sleeve.  Rising Arrow will release a couple of new RAINBOW titles..."Definitive Stafford" 2CD is a nice audience tape from Bingley Hall in Stafford, UK on November 18, 1977...RITCHIE BLACKMORE'S RAINBOW "Final Chapter" boasts another nice audie tape on 2CD's, recorded live at Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio on February 28, 1997.   Seymour Records has announced the MIKE BLOOMFIELD title..."Just Was The Best Guitar Player" 1CD is a studio anthology 1967-1977...the set will also be available in limited quantities with a bonus CDR of the "Super Session" recording with STEPHEN STILLS and AL KOOPER.  Finally, a couple of new OASIS releases to share..."Baglim Bayswater" 2CD is a soundboard recording from the G-Mex in Manchester, UK on December 14, 1997..."Destroyer 10th Anniversary Edition - Remastered" 2CD on Flashbulb Records features the FM Broadcast from Den Bosch, Holland at Brabanthallen on November 27, 1997.

That concludes this weeks' installment of the Bootleg News...thanks for taking it all in with me and thanks also for your support of the cause.  I would like to share that we will start emailing site updates to the membership starting in a couple of weeks.  We used to do this on a regular basis but ceased for a couple of reasons when we migrated the site to upgraded servers several years ago.  I've been receiving emails to please start this up again over the last 10 months or so and it seems like a good time to resume.  If you do not wish to recieve the email blast on new reviews added and site announcements once a week, you can email me directly at sb@hotwacks.com and we'll take you off the list.

Have a great week and I'll meet you back here next Monday.

Svengi, April 2, 2007