Bootleg

Description

A double disc entitled Bootleg, later re-issued featuring the sub-title (A Documentary) Jesus Rock 1968 – 1972, is the third solo album by the American singer and songwriter Larry Norman, independently released on One-Way Records in 1972, distributed by Sonrise Mercantile.

Bootleg was one of two albums self-released by Larry Norman on his custom label One-Way Records while between contracts to major labels (Capitol Records and MGM Records). The album was number four in a series of fourteen albums, mentioned on the inner sleeve of Something New Under The Son.

«Taking My Time» – This little vignette was not finished when I made a short demo of it. I enjoyed the inner rhyme and playful quality of it. Like many songs which ended up being released on ‘Bootleg’, they weren’t really finished but I had to release the album immediately so it wouldn’t violate the terms of my MGM contract which was soon going to be in effect. I always felt bad that ‘Bootleg’ didn’t get to be the album it could have been. I just didn’t have time to finish it – so I spread out the songs in kind of a documentary layout and filled in side two with a news clip and some concert excerpts. Still, people liked it, so maybe it had a spiritual quality unintended by me. I didn’t have the budget to make it a real album. I just used songs laying around to fill it up, which I regretted. [Excerpt from Larry Norman’s liner notes of ‘Where The Woodbine Twineth (The Cottage Tapes – Book One)‘, a compilation released on CD by Solid Rock Records in 1999]

Another underground winner for Larry, this one a double album compiled from private tapes and sub-titled “(A Documentary) Jesus Rock 1968 – 1972”. Similar to Street Level with its mix of solo acoustic material, solo with piano, and electric studio tracks. Side one (1968: The Early tapes) includes sturdy acoustic renderings of Upon This Rock titles «Walking Backwards», «Ha Ha World» and «I Don’t Believe In Miracles», the latter accompanied by mandolin and percussion, preceded by the brief instrumental «Classic Mandolin». Other songs include «I Think I Love You» and the slow piano-bar blues number «The Day That A Child Appeared». Side two (1969: The One Way Sessions) includes «What Goes Through Your Mind», «No Change Can Attend», the country-edged «A Song Won’t Stop The World», «Taking My Time», and a live acoustic performance of «Blue Shoes White», along with pre-In Another Land versions of «One Way», «666 (The Anti-Christ)» and «I’ve Searched All Around». Side three (1970 – 1971: Mixed Media) is for the most part more of historical interest than repeated listening. ‘Television Interview’ discusses the “Jesus Rock” phenomenon, while ‘Jesus At The Movies’ has Larry speculating how John Wayne might have sounded proclaiming “surely this was the Son Of God”, as well as Walter Brennan at the Last Supper. Also appearing is the more serious-toned talk ‘Let The Lions Come’ (a speech to Russia for Christ) and ‘Addressing The National Youth Workers Convention’ which is actually a lengthly live sometimes ad-libbed cover of «Sweet Sweet Song of Salvation», frequently interrupted by Larry’s zany quips and attempts to get the audience to sing and clap. Side four (1971-1972: Maranatha) has more pre-In Another Land songs like «UFO», «Song For A Small Circle Of Friends», and very electric covers of «Without Love You Are Nothing» and «Why Don’t You Look Into Jesus». Also «When I First Met You», «A Love Like Ours», the piano ballad «Even If You Don’t Believe», and the live acoustic-twanging bluesy «You Can Save Me» with the classic line “God I Love You… and just got your book”. For the die-hard collector there are numerous label and cover variations: gatefold, single slip, white title, red title, no title, block letters, outlined letters, and on and on. Re-issued on blank-label vinyl by Phydeaux in 1990 with the bonus track «He’s Got The Whole World». [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th Edition]

2LP tracklist:

Side One – 1968: The early tapes
A1. “I Think I Love You”
A2. “Walking Backwards”
A3. “Ha Ha World”
A4. “Classical Mandolin”
A5. “I Don’t Believe In Miracles”
A6. “The Day That A Child Appeared”

Side Two – 1969: The One Way sessions
B1. “When I First Met You”
B2. “Without Love You Are Nothing”
B3. “A Love Like Yours”
B4. “You Can Save Me”
B5. “Even If You Don’t Believe”
B6. “U.F.O.”
B7. “Why Don’t You Look Into Jesus”
B8. “Song For A Small Circle Of Friends”

Side Three – 1970 -1971: Mixed media
C1. Television Interview
C2. Let The Lions (Speech To Russia For Christ)
C3. Jesus And The Movies
C4. Addressing The National Youth Workers Convention

Side Four – 1971 -1972: Maranatha
D1. “What Goes Through Your Mind”
D2. “No Change Can Attend”
D3. “One Way”
D4. “A Song Won’t Stop The World”
D5. “Blue Shoes White”
D6. “666 (The Anti-Christ)”
D7. “Taking My Time”
D8. “I’ve Searched All Around”

Note: Some of the original Bootleg releases came with an insert (the UK version has one too). Like Street Level many variations exist (gatefold cover vs. single slip cover, labels, lettering on cover, etc.) The first release (baby blue labels) had no title on the front cover, no addresses on the back cover and there is no year of release either. On later releases 1971 is given as the year of release. Because of side four (“1971-1972: Maranatha”) and the text on the photo on the back cover (not on the first release), 1972 is probably more accurate. Later re-issued on cassette and CD by Solid Rock Records. Available at Bandcamp: https://larrynorman.bandcamp.com/album/bootleg

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