Counterfeit Vinyl

I wanted to start a thread on this because i'm pretty clueless on what to look for as far as fake vinyl. I received a few Can LP's over the past few months and i'm questioning whether they are legit or not.

I want to post photos of them but i'm not sure if the admin would allow that. I just thought it would be a good idea so that other folks don't purchase something bogus down the road.

Thanks.

 

Can you provide some titles and why you think they are counterfeit? I believe posting photos would be okay as long as it is to allow others to judge whether something is real vs. counterfeit. We just can't talk about where you bought them or places where they might be obtained.

 

i'll post some photos in a bit, but here's the titles:

Can-Monster Movie: It's on a black United Artists label. No stamp in the deadwax...it's handwritten.
Can-Soon Over Babaluma: It's on a white United Artists label. Again, no stamp in the deadwax...only handwritten.
Can-Soundtracks: 180 gram Orange colored vinyl. I posted a pic in the 'what vinyl are you listening to' thread yesterday. Apparently colored vinyl is a red flag.
Can-Ege Bamyasi: It's on a black Spoon label. Apparently spoon labels are white? Correct?

Anyway, if admin agrees i'll post some pics.

 

You will probably need to PM one of the gorts to ask about posting pics. No guarantee one of them will see your question in this thread.

 

I recently bought a couple colored Smiths lp's. I think they are counterfeit.

 

If an LP is on coloured vinyl it is likely a bootleg unless you know otherwise. There are lots of titles on coloured vinyl doing the rounds at the moment. With the suspect labels on black vinyl you need to find genuine examples on the internet for comparison. Also look at the sleeves for copyright data and print quality. This is usualy a give away. Just post the photos so we can see. Can't see why Gorts should object as I've seen other bootleg titles put up. Are these titles new and where did you get them?

 

you need to check www.discogs.com

this site has become very reliable for determining release versions.

many of these "EU Reissue Colored Vinyl" LPs on OOP albums are bootlegs. i like to e-mail eBay sellers requesting UPC/Catalogue numbers. they never respond.

 

Here's the photos...let me know if anybody has any issues with me posting them. I'll take them back down:

Can-Soon Over Babaluma
Front:

Back:

Label:


Can-Soundtracks
Front:

Back:

Label:


Can-Ege Bamyasi
Front:

Back:

Label:


Can-Monster Movie
Front:

Back:

Label:

 

Ege Bamyasi is legit, the rest are not.

 

Agreed. I was unsure of the black Spoon label since I only have white ones. It was pointed out that the black label was used in the '90s.

I spotted a lot of these Can (and Amon Duul II) LPs at a couple of record fairs in the UK a couple years back. They seem to have made their way into the shops in the US and Canada now. Very frustrating.

Cheers,
Chris

 

The Ege Bamyasi he's got is the 2007 UK cut. You could formerly get it through legit sellers like InSound (before it went OOP) and it's a very good sounding version.

 

My fake copies of Monster Movie and Soundtracks state on the back liner that they are Prom Productions. Probably another good way to tell.

Later, Chris

MONSTER MOVIE



SOUNDTRACKS

 

i have a copy of Neu! 75 on clear vinyl and a UA label. Pretty sure this isn't legit either. Especially after seeing these.

 

If it's on UA, and it's not vintage, it's a bootleg.
Also, stay away from Japan Brian Eno LPs, those are also boots.
And also basically anything that is a reissue with colored vinyl or an "import" sticker.

I might actually be wrong on this one. I just noticed that my copy has a handwritten deadwax and came in the same sort of plastic wrap as the boots. Maybe it's an identical copy of the official reissue? Who knows, but it still sounds okay.

 

I find it annoying that some retailers sell bootlegs

 

Some? Try almost all. Even Amoeba does.

 

Yes on the Can and Smiths LPs. I have some of those as well.

Not terrible sounding, but I wouldn't recommend them - aside from the ethics of it, you may as well just buy the CDs they were cut from.

 

at this point i couldn't return these as most were bought a few months ago and i don't have receipts. they don't sound bad.

 

Interesting, looking at the pics now... My 'questionable' Soundtracks uses the old Liberty label.

If legit versions of those Can LPs ever see reissue, I promise to buy them all.

 

The dodgy stuff is right next to the audiophile vinyl in the racks too. This is going to be basketball cards all over again.

 

They have announced a vinyl boxset will be coming out this year. I can't afford that (and it's not like I would want any of the stuff after '75 anyway) but hopefully they will be out individually as well.

 

Do you mean the ones with the OBI, de MoFi inner sleeve and all? like this one: http://www.discogs.com/Brian-Eno-Here-Come-The-Warm-Jets/release/2714284

I have this one and while I can't compare to any other source it sounds good to me and the vinyl pressing, cover, etc looks awesome, like a good 180gr audiophile reissue.

Regarding Can albums, I have 4 of the ones that are available here in Europe at mid price (say $18) they seem exact repros, with the UA logo, the pressing seems good too, I'm listening to it right now and they sound quite good (given that Can are always on the "trebly"-thin side), nice stereo separation and all, I suppose they are from digital source, but I've listened to a lot of crappy cd-sourced reissues and these ones are definately not like those. I have more UA "phantom" reissues that do sound quite good, Space Ritual of Hawkwind for example...

 

Yes. I believe that there is a dedicated thread about these "reissues" here, too.

 

Just another reason why i stay away from nu-vinyl. YMMV.

 

Thanks Chris, I have read that thread now... truth is I haven't listened a lot to Here Comes The Warm Jets since I bought it, I'm more into the ambient side of Eno these days. But now I'm comparing against a German original of Taking Tiger Mountain and the japanese "reissue" sure sounds digital. Not bad at all at the price I got it but no comparison to the warmth of the original.