A classic example where the original bootlegger was removed from the loop by the Majors, is 'Toca's Miracle'. Someone created a monster in their bedroom when they spliced two middle of the road dance tunes, Coco's I Need Miracle and Fragma's Toca Me. The bootleg caused devastation on the dancefloor and had the potential to make a mint, there was only so far the original tune-splicer could go though, without sample clearance. Both of the original records were on Positiva Records label, so when they were approached for clearance they thought let's just put it out our self, they did, and they cleaned up!

Many classic bootlegs from the nineties were stopped by music lawyers and record company executives, which have made many original bootlegs very collectable. The mid to late nineties though, contained a large number of bootlegs using the same tried and tested acapellas and base tracks and after a while it all got very silly.

Bootleg remixes are something else altogether, actually incorporating a high degree of creativity and talent, many bootleg remixers have made great names for themselves. Dave Angel's Nightmare mix of Eurhythmic's Sweet Dreams catapulted his career up the ladder in the early nineties and unearthed an amazing talent,(This is one of the most prized records in my collection). Another example of bootleg remixing boosting careers, is the Dex and Jonesy's illegal mix of Josh Wink's Higher State Of Consciousness. After the huge underground stir the mix caused, Manifesto Records actually licensed their mix for full release and it went top ten, (still not as good as the original though).

If you want to find out more about what's available try www.htfr.com and look at their DJ Mash Up's selection