HOT WACKS REFERENCE GUIDES & PERIODICALS
09/14/15
Hot Wacks has been the 'grand daddy' of bootleg reference guides. It has been called 'The Bootleg Bible' by some and was even published under license in the UK under that title. By its own admission, it is/was an alphabetical by artist compendium of bootleg release information with titles, track listings, sources if known, and a description of the media, labels and cover type. The editor was dependent upon either bootleg producers sending them sample copies or collectors forwarding information to be included in an issue. It was acknowledged to not be complete and was intended to be a resource for collectors as they searched for their next boot acquisition. For many of us, it was indispensible.
The publication went through its own evolution over time, starting with a book that was then further updated in an expanded, cumulative edition, and then a short lived companion quarterly magazine with relevant articles and color photos of releases. It then became a final cumulative edition in 1992, followed by 7 supplement books detailing only new releases. Finally, their output changed to first a subscription based and now a free online version that seems to have launched in mid-2003.
Part of the challenge that this series has endured, was to ride out the evolution of the bootleg recording format. As modern collectors know, bootlegs began initially as a vinyl LP format, which was inaugurated by the first Bob Dylan, Great White Wonder LP in 1969, that was acknowledged to have opened the bootleg floodgates for the rock n' roll era. The media format later transitioned into CD and CDR releases in the early 1980's, and was further augmented by the release of bootleg videos and DVDs.
To quote from book issue VII:
"HOT WACKS was first issued in 1975. The first edition, which consisted of two volumes, had only a run of 500 copies. Since then our press runs have steadily increased as has the size of the book. It has become steadily harder to keep up to date with new releases because of the work involved in updating each new edition.
Some critics feel that we only cover 85% of the bootlegs available (see BOMP March, 1979 page 35). Yet even they realize that it is because of the time needed to prepare the next edition. By the time you read this at least 50 new releases will have appeared."
In my opinion, the bootleg collecting community owes a great deal of debt to both Kurt Glemser and subsequently Bob Walker for their pioneering work in producing this reference series.
Historically it is worth noting that Kurt Glemser preceded the publication of the first edition of Hot Wacks, with the publication of two other bootleg discographies - Bootlegs (March, 1973), followed by Underground Sounds (October, 1974).
I am posting the following summary of images, so that collectors will have a visual reference of the Hot Wacks issues that were published for their possible acquisition.
SUMMARY OF ALL KNOWN ISSUES
HOT WACKS BOOK (full editions)
- issue I - two volumes, 60 total pages - only 500 copies printed (11/7/75) published by Cobra, Kurt Glemser editor
- issue II - 168 pages (11/20/76) published by Cobra
- issue III - ~175 pages (5/20/77) published by Cobra
- issue IV - ~180 pages (9/77) published by Cobra
- issue V - ~185 pages (2/10/78) published by Cobra
- issue VI - ~190 pages (1978) published by Cobra
- issue VII - ~195 pages (4/3/79) published by Cobra
- issue VIII - 208 pages (7/80) - 1st issue published by Blue Flake Productions & incl. page numbers
- issue IX - 274 pages (7/5/81) - first full color cover
- issue X - 250 pages (2/83) UK published edition under alternate title
- issue XI - 352 pages (12/85)
- issue XII - 368 (12/87) - 1st issue published by Hot Wacks Press, Bob Walker became editor; final input from Kurt Glemser
- issue XIII - 440 pages (1/89)
- issue XIV- 496 pages (2/90)
- issue XV - The Last Wacks 830 pages (4/16/92)
HOT WACKS BOOK SUPPLIMENTS - Bob Walker editor
- 1 - 224 pages (1993)
- 2 - 228 pages (1994)
- 3 - 271 pages (1995)
- 4 - 255 pages (1996)
- 5 - 248 pages (1997)
- 6 - 424 pages (2001)
- 7 - 336 pages (2003)
HOT WACKS QUARTERLY (1979 - 1984) - Kurt Glemser editor
- issue 1 - 52 pages (Winter 1979)
- issue 2 - 52 pages (Spring 1980)
- issue 3 - 52 pages (Summer 1980)
- issue 4 - 52 pages (Fall 1980)
- issue 5 - 52 pages (Winter 1980)
- issue 6 - 52 pages (Spring 1981)
- issue 7 - 52 pages (Summer 1981)
- issue 8 - 52 pages (Fall 1981)
- issue 9 - 52 pages (Spring 1982)
- issue 10 - 48 pages (Spring 1982)
- issue 11 - 56 pages (Fall 1982)
- issue 12 - 44 pages (Winter 1982)
- issue 13 - 44 pages (Summer 1983)
- issue 14 - 42 pages (Winter 1983) foldout cover
- issue 15 - 38 pages (Winter 1984)
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The current online version of Hot Wacks appears to concentrate on CD and DVD releases only, and forsakes any vinyl releases, whether they were issued before 2003 or after.
http://www.hotwacks.com/database/publish/
It is still a wonderfully illustrated and detailed listing of more current bootleg releases.
Additionally, it is probably worth noting that this Canadian publication is occasionally confused with a Scottish fanzine also called Hot Wacks. This other one occupied a similar terrain to that of the UK Zig Zag magazine, before the advent of punk. It was published in Edinburg, Scotland from February 1974 - May 1983, with a total of only 23 issues.
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Thanks/acknowledgements:
- Book images for issues #1, #4 & #6 courtesy of Paolo from Italy.