Thanks for the responses to my Why glam meant next to nothing in the US query.

Some further thoughts:

The UK has a tradition of camp theatricality from the music hall and the pantomime.  It's often said that the average Englishman can't wait to drag up.  This is reflected in The Kinks, Madness, the Smiths and many others who are quintessentially English in their approach (I know the Kinks enjoyed American success but not in their 'English' period of 1965-71 approx.)  Perhaps this doesn't translate across the Atlantic beyond cult status.  When I think of mainstream US rock of the early 70s names like Lynryd Sknyrnd and the Doobie Brothers spring to mind - music (I use the term loosely) and image as far away from The Sweet and Roxy Music as it's possible to get.  Perhaps good old fashioned prejudice played a part whereby glam was seen as limey faggot music and not rawk.

Like punk a few years after, glam was reaction music - reaction against the grey and dreary 70s that was life in England, and also a reaction against the grey and dreary music of Pink Floyd, Yes etc.  A generation gap was opening up in popular music in the UK where your big brother listened to prog rock and wore an ex-army greatcoat while your kid sister had pictures of Bolan on her bedroom wall and wore glittery make-up.

To ask another question:  Glam rock was teenage music.  If glam meant next to nothing in the US what was a 13 year old listening to in Montana or Massachusetts in 1973?  Did a specific teenage music still exist?

That's right. I read there were even groups of Football Hooligans in the Early 70's , who'd go to matches , either dressed as Alice Cooper or David Bowie , depending on which team they supported. There were strong divisions in music , here , too.
 
Chris Henniker said:

I love the VU, as they started it all. Glam, goth, punk, indie rock, heavy metal, industrial, etc, all come from these guys. I have a lot to thank Lou Reed and John Cale for, even influence on my writing. I've even written short stories that could've featured on their albums (Think of The Gift, which shows Reed's storytelling talent)

Here in England, it all fell into whether you were into Slade or T-Rex. The arty kids likes Bowie, Bolan, Roxy Music etc and the more "Proleish" (for want of a better word) were into Slade.  It's amazing what divisions in British youth culture there were expressed through music from the late 50's onwards.

MikeL said:

Watching the movie "Velvet Goldmine" turned me on to the New York Dolls and Iggy and the Stooges, and reading Barney Hoskyns' book, which was published in conjunction with the movie, got me into the Velvet Underground.  These are all bands that I had heard of many times before, but I just never got around to checking them out before.  I love your use of the word "gateway," because that happened to me too.

Aldyth Beltane said:

Oh absolutely a 70's Glam Rock fan!  Ziggy kind of saved my life, and was a gateway to Iggy, The Velvet Underground, the New York Dolls, and so on.  Also dig some of the bands that were pretty obscure in America like Mudd, so on.  I like the sweeter, teenybopper stuff when you get me in the right mood, and even though they were Glam as such, Be Bop Deluxe's Axe Victim is one of my all time fave albums.  For that matter, Marc Bolan and T.Tex were pretty damn inspirational for me too!

I could'nt tell you WHY this stuff did'nt take off in The U.S.   I know you are'nt exaggerating , either , when you mention compare Bolan's fame , and , for that matter , Slade , too , to The Beatles. Britain needed something like that to happen , when it did. Even McCartney claimed he did'nt want Wings to become a big superstar Rock act , noting "T-Rex and Slade can have that.".  I have to stress , I'm not knocking the lesser known (Still) stuff that others have mentioned , like Mud , Alvin Stardust , Zolar -X , Chicory Tip , Vodka Collins ,etc. , and the sides most of us are just finding out about via comps like Boobs and Velvet Tinmine (Tho' Fancy's too freakin' sexy "Wild Thing" was a hit , here...) . But , somehow , when I've DJ'ed Glam Night , I get "x" amount of time , and there's certain tracks I HAVE to play , and am glad to , but , it leaves little room for the (Even) more - obscure stuff.      I actually thought Slade were big , here , though , when I was a kid. My Brother had most of their records , and "Cum On Feel Th' Noize" and "Gudbuy T'Jane" got nominal airplay , as both made the top 100. People keep saying it was just a British thing.

It's just possible that England was ready for something akin to Bubblegum , keen songwriting , something catchy , stylistically , but with an image attatched to it, something that grabbed the eye as well as the ears. We (Well , I was a wee small lad, but I followed this shit.) were going through Nixon , Watergate , The Energy Crisis , and still dealing with  Vietnam , plus ,  a bankrupt NYC was right around the corner. It was a time for ludes , reds , cheap wine and Boogie -Rock , I guess , but only the few , the proud "Got it " with Glam .  It all goes back to Chuck Berry , Little Richard , Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent , so WHY it was'nt a hit , here , I could'nt tell ya. I read that it crushed Bolan's spirits , and , he was playing out here as far back as with Tyrannosaurus Rex.....
 
matthew rosedon said:

It's fascinating reading all these comments about the obscurity of glam in the US.  If you're my age (53) and from the UK these bands were the soundtrack to your teenage years.  Glam was absolutely massive here - Slade had 6 number 1 singles when a number 1 single in the UK really meant something and Bolan was the biggest star since The Beatles (trust me, that is not an exaggeration).  And yet, as has been pointed out they all meant next to nothing in the States.  It's not as if the US has been totally resistant to UK music over the years so why didn't you Americans go for glam?  Your theories please...   

MikeL , Man ! I remember it well....I even have a little 8mm FOOTAGE REMAINING FROM IT , THAT I SHOT OFF THE TV ! I had a chance to buy a bootleg copy for $20, about 20 years ago...I took a pass. I was just getting out of my Kiss coma, around that time , but , even when I was younger , and a huge fan , I kinda thought , they , too looked like Gay space aliens , particularly Paul and Ace (Nothing contrary about Gays OR space aliens meant.). I remember the Bowie footage , my older Brothers had his records and posters , so , it was'nt that shocking or offensive ....I did'nt become a fan , in earnest , for some time , tho'. The special had great footage of Muddy Waters , Little Richard , and , of course , The Stones , too.
 
MikeL said:

BTW, here's a personal memory I would like to share...Does anyone here remember a TV special that was aired sometime in 1978 titled "Heroes of Rock'n'Roll"?  It was narrated by Jeff Bridges, and it documented the history of rock'n'roll.  I watched it mainly to see if KISS would be mentioned (To my 10-year-old mind at the time, they were the only band that mattered).  Anyway, David Bowie was mentioned, and some footage from the "Ziggy Stardust" movie was shown.  Quite honestly, I was totally repulsed by Bowie, not only because of the androgyny but also because he came across as just so creepy to me.  To my mind, it was OK to like KISS, because they had a cool and macho super hero image, but Bowie's gay space creature image was too much for me to handle.  

I think this helps to explain why glam never really caught on here in America, because quite honestly, I also thought this way at the time.

BTW, a short clip of KISS was shown, to the sound "Rocking in the USA," one of the studio tracks that appeared on "ALIVE II."  I felt a little miffed at the time, because I thought they deserved more attention than that, but hey, this was back in the days when I thought KISS was the greatest band of all time, and "Star Wars" was the greatest movie of all time.  *sigh* The stuff you think is sooo cool when you're 10-years-old...

I have to kick in with MikeL , there. If anyone gives you grief for liking T-Rex , ask 'em what THEY would prefer to listen to. It's one thing if Marc's not their bag , but to put someone DOWN for it? Some people knock this stuff until they hear a good cross section of it , tho' not by force.
 
Joanie Lindstrom said:

I'm surprised no one's mentioning bands like Mud, Jook and other things that got overlooked amongst all the Bowie, Mott, etc. Those comps I mentioned above are a treasure trove of interesting (and not so interesting) stuff. Worth it just for finding out about Iron Virgin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzyps1zyAUQ


MikeL said:

How can anyone not like T-Rex? Marc Bolan was as cool as it gets.

Clemens Stubbe said:

I personally get some shit for liking T-rex, but Marc Bolan is all worth it :D I really couldn't hate 80s hair more, but like every other rock genre, glam has had its ups and down. Roxy music kicks some serious ass as well, and with a somewhat cooler attitude, but I haven't had a chance to listen to that much of it, sadly.

Oh yeah, absolutely!  No disagreement there.  Just noting that they came from the same places in terms of spirit/psychology/personality/sociologically/what have you as well as musically. Bowie wore (quite literally sometimes!) his influences on his sleeve, be they musical or otherwise. How he combined the bits and pieces was part of what made it so interesting.

But anyway, yeah, I think we're coming from similar viewpoints here.

Chris Henniker said:

Glam, punk and psychedelia all came from garage. Even Bowie ripped off the Shadows Of Knight's "Oh Yeah" for "Jean Genie", as did The Sweet.

Aldyth Beltane said:

Velvet Goldmine!  I was in HEAVEN when that movie came out!  It was the film my 13 year old self craved back in the day!  I first saw Bowie on The Midnight Special, and for me it was exactly like when Arthur watched Brian Slade and screamed "That's me! That's me!!"  It was glorious!

It's interesting, based at least on my somewhat cursory reads of the responses here, how people are mentioning how different the public reception to Glam Rock was in America as compared to Britain (except for at Rodney's English Disco and a few other spots,) where it was beloved and produced many hits.  And yet, one of the things I dug about it was one of the aspects that drew me to garage rock as well, which was the emphasis on individuality, self-expression, rejection of the status quo, and yet was also a response against the kind of blandness that eclipsed garage when the more noodlely "hippie" sounds edged out the angry noisey rebellion of garage. (much in the same way that punk came along a few years later for the same reasons.)

Wow, I'm really digressing here.  This is the kind of stuff I could, and have talked about for hours.

MikeL said:

Watching the movie "Velvet Goldmine" turned me on to the New York Dolls and Iggy and the Stooges, and reading Barney Hoskyns' book, which was published in conjunction with the movie, got me into the Velvet Underground.  These are all bands that I had heard of many times before, but I just never got around to checking them out before.  I love your use of the word "gateway," because that happened to me too.

Aldyth Beltane said:

Oh absolutely a 70's Glam Rock fan!  Ziggy kind of saved my life, and was a gateway to Iggy, The Velvet Underground, the New York Dolls, and so on.  Also dig some of the bands that were pretty obscure in America like Mudd, so on.  I like the sweeter, teenybopper stuff when you get me in the right mood, and even though they were Glam as such, Be Bop Deluxe's Axe Victim is one of my all time fave albums.  For that matter, Marc Bolan and T.Tex were pretty damn inspirational for me too!

Glam, punk and psychedelia all came from garage. Even Bowie ripped off the Shadows Of Knight's "Oh Yeah" for "Jean Genie", as did The Sweet.

Aldyth Beltane said:

Velvet Goldmine!  I was in HEAVEN when that movie came out!  It was the film my 13 year old self craved back in the day!  I first saw Bowie on The Midnight Special, and for me it was exactly like when Arthur watched Brian Slade and screamed "That's me! That's me!!"  It was glorious!

It's interesting, based at least on my somewhat cursory reads of the responses here, how people are mentioning how different the public reception to Glam Rock was in America as compared to Britain (except for at Rodney's English Disco and a few other spots,) where it was beloved and produced many hits.  And yet, one of the things I dug about it was one of the aspects that drew me to garage rock as well, which was the emphasis on individuality, self-expression, rejection of the status quo, and yet was also a response against the kind of blandness that eclipsed garage when the more noodlely "hippie" sounds edged out the angry noisey rebellion of garage. (much in the same way that punk came along a few years later for the same reasons.)

Wow, I'm really digressing here.  This is the kind of stuff I could, and have talked about for hours.

MikeL said:

Watching the movie "Velvet Goldmine" turned me on to the New York Dolls and Iggy and the Stooges, and reading Barney Hoskyns' book, which was published in conjunction with the movie, got me into the Velvet Underground.  These are all bands that I had heard of many times before, but I just never got around to checking them out before.  I love your use of the word "gateway," because that happened to me too.

Aldyth Beltane said:

Oh absolutely a 70's Glam Rock fan!  Ziggy kind of saved my life, and was a gateway to Iggy, The Velvet Underground, the New York Dolls, and so on.  Also dig some of the bands that were pretty obscure in America like Mudd, so on.  I like the sweeter, teenybopper stuff when you get me in the right mood, and even though they were Glam as such, Be Bop Deluxe's Axe Victim is one of my all time fave albums.  For that matter, Marc Bolan and T.Tex were pretty damn inspirational for me too!

Velvet Goldmine!  I was in HEAVEN when that movie came out!  It was the film my 13 year old self craved back in the day!  I first saw Bowie on The Midnight Special, and for me it was exactly like when Arthur watched Brian Slade and screamed "That's me! That's me!!"  It was glorious!

It's interesting, based at least on my somewhat cursory reads of the responses here, how people are mentioning how different the public reception to Glam Rock was in America as compared to Britain (except for at Rodney's English Disco and a few other spots,) where it was beloved and produced many hits.  And yet, one of the things I dug about it was one of the aspects that drew me to garage rock as well, which was the emphasis on individuality, self-expression, rejection of the status quo, and yet was also a response against the kind of blandness that eclipsed garage when the more noodlely "hippie" sounds edged out the angry noisey rebellion of garage. (much in the same way that punk came along a few years later for the same reasons.)

Wow, I'm really digressing here.  This is the kind of stuff I could, and have talked about for hours.

MikeL said:

Watching the movie "Velvet Goldmine" turned me on to the New York Dolls and Iggy and the Stooges, and reading Barney Hoskyns' book, which was published in conjunction with the movie, got me into the Velvet Underground.  These are all bands that I had heard of many times before, but I just never got around to checking them out before.  I love your use of the word "gateway," because that happened to me too.

Aldyth Beltane said:

Oh absolutely a 70's Glam Rock fan!  Ziggy kind of saved my life, and was a gateway to Iggy, The Velvet Underground, the New York Dolls, and so on.  Also dig some of the bands that were pretty obscure in America like Mudd, so on.  I like the sweeter, teenybopper stuff when you get me in the right mood, and even though they were Glam as such, Be Bop Deluxe's Axe Victim is one of my all time fave albums.  For that matter, Marc Bolan and T.Tex were pretty damn inspirational for me too!

I love the VU, as they started it all. Glam, goth, punk, indie rock, heavy metal, industrial, etc, all come from these guys. I have a lot to thank Lou Reed and John Cale for, even influence on my writing. I've even written short stories that could've featured on their albums (Think of The Gift, which shows Reed's storytelling talent)

Here in England, it all fell into whether you were into Slade or T-Rex. The arty kids likes Bowie, Bolan, Roxy Music etc and the more "Proleish" (for want of a better word) were into Slade.  It's amazing what divisions in British youth culture there were expressed through music from the late 50's onwards.

MikeL said:

Watching the movie "Velvet Goldmine" turned me on to the New York Dolls and Iggy and the Stooges, and reading Barney Hoskyns' book, which was published in conjunction with the movie, got me into the Velvet Underground.  These are all bands that I had heard of many times before, but I just never got around to checking them out before.  I love your use of the word "gateway," because that happened to me too.

Aldyth Beltane said:

Oh absolutely a 70's Glam Rock fan!  Ziggy kind of saved my life, and was a gateway to Iggy, The Velvet Underground, the New York Dolls, and so on.  Also dig some of the bands that were pretty obscure in America like Mudd, so on.  I like the sweeter, teenybopper stuff when you get me in the right mood, and even though they were Glam as such, Be Bop Deluxe's Axe Victim is one of my all time fave albums.  For that matter, Marc Bolan and T.Tex were pretty damn inspirational for me too!

Watching the movie "Velvet Goldmine" turned me on to the New York Dolls and Iggy and the Stooges, and reading Barney Hoskyns' book, which was published in conjunction with the movie, got me into the Velvet Underground.  These are all bands that I had heard of many times before, but I just never got around to checking them out before.  I love your use of the word "gateway," because that happened to me too.

Aldyth Beltane said:

Oh absolutely a 70's Glam Rock fan!  Ziggy kind of saved my life, and was a gateway to Iggy, The Velvet Underground, the New York Dolls, and so on.  Also dig some of the bands that were pretty obscure in America like Mudd, so on.  I like the sweeter, teenybopper stuff when you get me in the right mood, and even though they were Glam as such, Be Bop Deluxe's Axe Victim is one of my all time fave albums.  For that matter, Marc Bolan and T.Tex were pretty damn inspirational for me too!

BTW, here's a personal memory I would like to share...Does anyone here remember a TV special that was aired sometime in 1978 titled "Heroes of Rock'n'Roll"?  It was narrated by Jeff Bridges, and it documented the history of rock'n'roll.  I watched it mainly to see if KISS would be mentioned (To my 10-year-old mind at the time, they were the only band that mattered).  Anyway, David Bowie was mentioned, and some footage from the "Ziggy Stardust" movie was shown.  Quite honestly, I was totally repulsed by Bowie, not only because of the androgyny but also because he came across as just so creepy to me.  To my mind, it was OK to like KISS, because they had a cool and macho super hero image, but Bowie's gay space creature image was too much for me to handle.  

I think this helps to explain why glam never really caught on here in America, because quite honestly, I also thought this way at the time.

BTW, a short clip of KISS was shown, to the sound "Rocking in the USA," one of the studio tracks that appeared on "ALIVE II."  I felt a little miffed at the time, because I thought they deserved more attention than that, but hey, this was back in the days when I thought KISS was the greatest band of all time, and "Star Wars" was the greatest movie of all time.  *sigh* The stuff you think is sooo cool when you're 10-years-old...

I just finished Dave Thompson's book on glam rock, titled "Children of the Revolution," and a prominent British glam rock musician is quoted as saying that Americans hate fun after his band toured the states.  Maybe glam was just too frivolous for American audiences.

I also read Barney Hoskyn's book on glam rock, titled "Glam:  Bowie, Bolan, and the Glitter Rock Revolution."  According to Hoskyns and several people that he interviewed for his research, most Americans were also turned off to glam because of the androgyny and the homoerotic overtones.  Alice Cooper hit it big because he downplayed the androgyny and went for more of a Hammer horror image; KISS sprung from the NYC glam scene and hit it big because they went for a more macho image with a harder rocking sound.  However, the New York Dolls failed because American audiences were repulsed by their androgynous image.  

Anyway, I'm paraphrasing those books because I'm too young to remember the original glam era.

matthew rosedon said:

It's fascinating reading all these comments about the obscurity of glam in the US.  If you're my age (53) and from the UK these bands were the soundtrack to your teenage years.  Glam was absolutely massive here - Slade had 6 number 1 singles when a number 1 single in the UK really meant something and Bolan was the biggest star since The Beatles (trust me, that is not an exaggeration).  And yet, as has been pointed out they all meant next to nothing in the States.  It's not as if the US has been totally resistant to UK music over the years so why didn't you Americans go for glam?  Your theories please...   

Oh absolutely a 70's Glam Rock fan!  Ziggy kind of saved my life, and was a gateway to Iggy, The Velvet Underground, the New York Dolls, and so on.  Also dig some of the bands that were pretty obscure in America like Mudd, so on.  I like the sweeter, teenybopper stuff when you get me in the right mood, and even though they were Glam as such, Be Bop Deluxe's Axe Victim is one of my all time fave albums.  For that matter, Marc Bolan and T.Tex were pretty damn inspirational for me too!

It's fascinating reading all these comments about the obscurity of glam in the US.  If you're my age (53) and from the UK these bands were the soundtrack to your teenage years.  Glam was absolutely massive here - Slade had 6 number 1 singles when a number 1 single in the UK really meant something and Bolan was the biggest star since The Beatles (trust me, that is not an exaggeration).  And yet, as has been pointed out they all meant next to nothing in the States.  It's not as if the US has been totally resistant to UK music over the years so why didn't you Americans go for glam?  Your theories please...   

 It's pretty funny , there's a club in Chicago called Club Foot (If you're in town , come on by. You will be amazed by the toy collection and the world's only known remaining Roy Wood air - freshener. You think I'm kidding , don't you?). Twice a year , they do Glam Night , and I usually spin , with some other folks....It cracks me up , sometimes , people ask me , "John Battles , why don't you play the more OBSCURE Glam Rock music?"

UHHHHHHHH.....BECAUSE IT'S ALL OBSCURE ? AND BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE DANCING ....

LOOK AT THE FIGURES. AS MANY GREAT RECORDS AS THESE PEOPLE MADE -

T -Rex - One US hit.  

Mott The Hoople - same.

Gary Glitter - same .

Slade - Two minor US hits , much lower down the charts , then , one major US hit , almost 10 years after Glam breathed it's last. 

Sweet - Several US hits , but I don't remember hearing "Ballroom Blitz" on the radio until it later became an FM staple. "Fox on The Run " , I never heard on the radio. Does'nt mean it did'nt get played. But , between "Little Willy" and "Love is Like Oxygen" , it was , as Brian Connolly said , "If you're asking me , do we have a plan for conquering America , forget it.".

Suzi Quatro - No US hits , barring "Stumblin' In" , but , we're talking the Glam era....

Roy Wood/Wizzard - You guessed it , none.

New York Dolls - No hits for the wicked. 

They were known , yes. But , still obscure. Regarded as losers where Alice Cooper and David Bowie were the winners (Certainly not putting them down.)

T-Rex and Slade toured their BALLS off , trying to make it in America , but their massive fame in The UK did'nt translate , over here. Sweet did'nt even do their first US gig until 1975. Gary Glitter NEVER toured The US . He performed two songs at the "Soccer Rocks The Globe" show in Chicago , when the World Cup was held here (In 1994?). The bill otherwise consisted of Yes , James , Scorpions and Fleetwood Mac (Who were down to Fleetwood and Mac.) and probably some other , equally odious , acts. I was'nt paying $40 to see THAT , when I knew the far - lesser known Glitter was only going to get two songs in. I was right.

Plus , I did'nt know how the Hell to get to the venue. 

What happened to the Tex-Reys?

Another louis jordan one:

Lazy Cowgirls - Goddamn Bottle

Not a lady here, but I'm loving St. Vincent's guitar playing right now -- and I'm seeing other guys liking it too.

It's getting better, but there's still a ways to go.

Sad news.  They were the first '80s revival band I got into way back when their first LP came out.  I was fortunate enough to see them in London in the mid-'80s and they were amazing.  I hung with them before and after that show and they were truly wonderful guys.  I owe my love of 60s garage/punk to them.  Time to go and spin "Hey Little Bird" xoxo

That is horrible news!!!! The Chesterfield Kings were one of the most amazing garage rock bands ever.  I remember buying that first 45of the cover tune, I Ain't No Miracle Worker back in 81, and I never looked back.  The only thing was I was never able to see them live. 

John,

  You are talking about..

I loved Hot Wacks, and bought every issue of the book (and it was later a magazine). Today its Bootlegzone and Collector's Music.

Yeah , you have to go back and re-live the fun , from when you first scored those records....Knowing you were taking a chance , and , sometimes , even less than terrific sound was no deterrent from playing 'em over and over again. A lot of times , a good bootleg will put you there , because you'll hear things you would'nt hear on an official release. I just taped my friend's copy of the Whitman's Punk Sampler....except for Tom Petty. I know he got lumped in with the New Wave before he was very well known , but , even he had to proclaim "We're not Punks !" , because his band was getting confused with Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers , who'd already been around the block. And , I DO mean , been around the block. My friend's copy of that record was just as you described , but , it did list the artists and titles.....I don't know if it's been "Re - booted".    Ever read "Hot Wacks" , friends? It was a magazine and book form guide to boots that were current , each release described in detail.....Plus , there were concert and girlie pictures of Bebe Buell and whatshername , the one who bought her own billboard on the Sunset Strip. Not Morganna , but.......and others.
  
Mike said:

Love this thread, making me revisit some stuff I haven't listened to in many years. I assume the Whitman's Punk Sampler had been rebooted by many different bootleggers just as many other boots had been. Mine has a 11 1/2" square piece of paper with artwork and no tracklisting. A previous owner must of written the tracklisting that is on the plain white labels. I can't remember the last time I played this one, maybe a decade or more ago. What a shame as the live recordings here are good. Here's a tracklisting:

Side 1: Patti Smith - 'Space Monkey' Tom Petty - 'Jaguar & Thunderbird', 'American Girl' Talking Heads - 'Psycho Killer' Runaways - 'Wasted'

Side 2: Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The U.K. Damned - 'Help', 'Stab your Back', 'So Messed Up' Ramones - 'Rockaway Beach', Sheena Is A Punk Rocker', 'Surfin' Bird' Iggy Pop - 'Neighborhood Threat' Patti Smith - 'Mafia'

John Battles said:

Wow. How did they get away with only selling Bootlegs? Were they Mob - owned or something?

My ex - GF got arrested for selling Boots on the East Coast , and we're not even talking enough reords to fill the "X" section at your local , AFTER removing ( L.A. ) X , (Aussie) X, and X-Ray Spex....we're talking maybe a half - dozen records....

That's pretty cool, that story about The Ramones. A friend of mine loaned me that "Whitman's Punk Sampler" , was'nt Tom Petty on that , too , though? ha ha ha ha ha.
 
Tony Jonaitis said:

Who remember "Back Room Records" in Amherst, Ma?  They only sold bootlegs (vinyl, of course).  I remember walking in there in 1980 and finding all four Ramones buying Ramones bootlegs!!!  Bliss!  Anyway, my first "punk" bootleg was "Whitman's Punk Sampler."  A great comp of live stuff by Patti Smith, Pistols, etc.

Interesting. I don't think they're as hardcore today , against Bootlegs. So many of them are produced in limited quantities , at best.
 
Tony Jonaitis said:

Back Room Records was in business for at least five years.  I don't know how they were able to survive in those bootleg-hating days.  There was also Second Coming Records in Cambridge, Ma...they had tons of boots. Most dealers/stores bought their stock from wholesaler "Still Rare Records" in South Carolina.  Still Rare was a mail-order company that exploited some Carolina loophole and could not be shut down.  They even advertised in Rolling Stone's back pages!  I can remember getting flyers about bootleg cut-out sales...unpopular or unsold boots selling for as low as $1.37! 

Koffin Kats LIVE on a special Wrekking Hours edition of MOTOR LIVE DRIVE!!!  -  podcast available at WHFR.FM:   motor-2012-01-26.mp3