The Ultimate Collection - The Bootleg Years

“Australian music came rushing out of the end of the 60s (perhaps the most inventive musical period worldwide in pop and rock music till that point), looking to challenge all the previous creative norms and to consolidate the business end of our Industry. State of the Art studios were springing up around Australia with great young engineers, producers and arrangers, all hell-bent on showing Australia (and hopefully the world) just how unique and accomplished they were becoming.

And our Industry turned in on itself, largely abandoning the previous practice of imitating the music scenes happening in the U.S. and U.K. I stumbled into this exciting moment after some time in Europe, and discovered that the new Australian music was not like anywhere else. We were not able to compete directly with overseas markets, so we looked at making our own; creating the early days of what has become the innovative, brave and singular music scene Australia has today.

Listening through this album again takes me right back to those times. Not just the studios, musicians, writers and performers who all worked together but also the wonderful audiences and gigs we played. The supportive radio networks, the TV shows and the bringing together of the separate record companies, publishers and promotors into an organized professional Music Industry.
This compilation springs from the three Bootleg albums I made between 1972 and 1974. Right in the middle of when all this was happening!
How fortunate was I?”

- Brian Cadd