Backscratcher

[JimN]

As most fans know, these [Italian Fremus] releases were legal under Italian law at the time, but illegal elsewhere. Not long after, Italian law changed and now these two CD's, as well as The Shadows' "Apache - The Classic Collection" and "Atlantis - The Classic Collection" and Cliff Richard's "Wonderful Cliff - The Classic Collection" and "Live In Holland '64-'65" (12 tracks by The Shadows and 12 tracks by Cliff Richard & The Shadows) have now been placed under the banner 'illegal' and 'bootleg'.

The 1994 pressings of these releases are just as lawful today as they were in 1994. There is nothing illegal about them and they conformed - when released - to the copyright law of the territory where they were released. Their status has not been changed by subsequent legislative changes. Only a new pressing would fall foul of that. It was also perfectly lawful to import individual copies of those CDs, with the different and differing copyright requirements of other territories having no effect.

I also have in my collection a 4xCD box set of Beatles recordings. It is essentially the full contents of the LPs "Please Please Me", "With The Beatles", "A Hard Day's Night" and "Beatles For Sale", as well as about half of the "Help" album. It cost me about 12 Dm in 1991, at Kaufhaus in Trier, Rheinland-Pfalz.

It was a lawful release in Germany, where copyright law - at the time - applied differently as between German and foreign recordings (with foreign recordings having shorter copyright periods).

Both Germany and Italy have now aligned their copyright law with those in other EU countries, but I suggest that there was nothing inherently unreasonable in the former German and Italian copyright positions, and that neither was there anything the slightest bit unreasonable in the EU-wide fifty-year cut-off, which has now been extended to seventy years, presumably on the basis that the recording artistes are living longer than the artistes of previous generations.

[drakula63]

I had the double album 'Cliff Goes East' many years ago and have since got the M&F set on CD. I agree that this is truly outstanding.

[iefje]

As most fans know, these [Italian Fremus] releases were legal under Italian law at the time, but illegal elsewhere. Not long after, Italian law changed and now these two CD's, as well as The Shadows' "Apache - The Classic Collection" and "Atlantis - The Classic Collection" and Cliff Richard's "Wonderful Cliff - The Classic Collection" and "Live In Holland '64-'65" (12 tracks by The Shadows and 12 tracks by Cliff Richard & The Shadows) have now been placed under the banner 'illegal' and 'bootleg'.

The 1994 pressings of these releases are just as lawful today as they were in 1994. There is nothing illegal about them and they conformed - when released - to the copyright law of the territory where they were released. Their status has not been changed by subsequent legislative changes. Only a new pressing would fall foul of that. It was also perfectly lawful to import individual copies of those CDs, with the different and differing copyright requirements of other territories having no effect.

I also have in my collection a 4xCD box set of Beatles recordings. It is essentially the full contents of the LPs "Please Please Me", "With The Beatles", "A Hard Day's Night" and "Beatles For Sale", as well as about half of the "Help" album. It cost me about 12 Dm in 1991, at Kaufhaus in Trier, Rheinland-Pfalz.

It was a lawful release in Germany, where copyright law - at the time - applied differently as between German and foreign recordings (with foreign recordings having shorter copyright periods).

Both Germany and Italy have now aligned their copyright law with those in other EU countries, but I suggest that there was nothing inherently unreasonable in the former German and Italian copyright positions, and that neither was there anything the slightest bit unreasonable in the EU-wide fifty-year cut-off, which has now been extended to seventy years, presumably on the basis that the recording artistes are living longer than the artistes of previous generations.

Jim, thank you for your detailed information. I must have misunderstood information about these CD's which I read years ago.

[UlrichS]

Hi all,

If there is still someone who is looking for the Japanese double LP "Cliff 'Live' in Japan '72", it is currently on auction on eBay with a starting bid of US$ 15 and yet no bids. It is offered with insert and OBI and the condition seems to be near perfect,too.
http://www.ebay.de/itm/281746257255?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Good luck,
Ulrich

[StuartD]

It made its first début in December 1969 at Stockton Fiesta Club when it was billed as Little B 69

Regards

Stuart

[negninegaw]

I think that Backscratcher is an ugly song. The sound too.

[iefje]

I think that Backscratcher is an ugly song. The sound too.

I must admit, it's a far cry from for instance "Apache" or "Wonderful Land", but I like the progressive nature of the track, very much Hank's style from the early 1970's.

[Uncle Fiesta]

I just listened to it. I don't like it either.

[drakula63]

I had no idea that the track was played live prior to '72. Odd that they should be rewriting the tune aspect to Little B in 1969, as they were playing the more traditional Little B intro and outro on the Live in Japan album recorded on October of that year.

Personally, I think it's a great piece - very exciting in its '72 form, with solos all round. I think this probably influenced the direction the band would take when they reformed in '73. It's a thumbs up from me...

[JimN]

StuartD wrote on Mon Jul 13, 2015:

It [Backscratcher - ed.] made its first début in December 1969 at Stockton Fiesta Club when it was billed as Little B 69.
Regards
Stuart

Hmmm... Backscratcher is credited to "Copyright Control" (and no composer) on "Cliff Goes East".

It is also credited to "Marvin / Farrer" [sic] and "Copyright Control" instead of a publisher, on the EMI CD "Cliff 'Live' In Japan '72".

For the Italian Fremus "Oriental Gems" CD (1994), it is correctly credited (in spelling terms at least) to "Marvin and Farrar", though there are no publication details (for any of the contents of the CD) and it is the same credit and spelling on the Shadows Fremus CD "Dakota" (also 1994).

But... of course... if debuted in 1969, it is unlikely that John Farrar had had a hand in writing it!