Tracks
- The Game [3.25] 1998 studio recording (H)
- For Annette [3.56] 1998 studio recording, alternate to Anthology version (G, H)
- Child [3.48] (D)
- Fort Lauderdale [4.51] (B)
- Blues Vir Louise [5.30] (F)
- Northern Sky [3.26] originally recorded by Nick Drake (H)
- Klein Bietjie Reën [4.30] (E)
- Goeienag Generaal [3.50] (E)
- Liberty [4.01] (G)
- Midnite Angels [5.03] (C)
- Suitcase Vol Winter [4.20] (E)
- Van Tonder [4.40] (E)
- Tangerine [2.50] originally recorded by Led Zeppelin (H)
- Welcome To Azania [4.39] (C)
- Runaway Train [3.27] originally recorded by Soul Asylum (H)
- Donkermaan [4.51] (E)
- Cocaine Blues [2.59] (D)
See the key below for the source of the original versions of the tracks that appear on “Bootleg”.
Recordings
Tracks 1 & 2 were recorded at Red Room Studios in October 1998 by Trip (Francois Scheepers & Niel van der Spuy) and released on their album ‘Is’ in 1999.
Tracks 3, 4, 13 & 17 were recorded live at “Crooked Lum” in Pretoria during the winter of 1998.
Tracks 8, 9, 10 & 14 were recorded at SABC studio 2 during a live broadcast for 5FM.
Tracks 7, 11, 12, 15 & 16 were recorded at the Dorp Street Theatre, Stellenbosch during the winter of 1999.
Tracks 5 & 6 were recorded in Oudtshoorn in April 2000 and were previously released on the Tassenberg All-Stars compilation CD.
Musicians
- Piet Botha: vocals, guitars, piano, harmonica on all tracks
- Johnathan Martin: vocals, guitars, cello on all tracks
- Tertius du Plessis: bass on most tracks
- Paul van de Waal: drums, percussion on some tracks
- Henry Erasmus: electric guitars on 1 & 2
- Francois Scheepers: bass on 2, programming on 1 & 2
- Niel van der Spuy: backing vocals on 2
Release information
1st February 2001, Pofadder Records/ Intervention Arts, INT 011/ POF 001
This album is dedicated to the Frost family, in memory of Frank Frost and specially for Maggie Frost.
Album Discography
This is the key for the source of the original versions of the tracks that appear on “Bootleg”.
A. Jack Of All Trades – Jack Hammer (1987)
B. The Judas Chapter – Jack Hammer (1990)
C. Ghosts On The Wind – Jack Hammer (1994)
D. Death Of A Gypsy – Jack Hammer (1996)
E. ‘n Suitcase Vol Winter – Piet Botha (1997)
F. Jan Skopgraaf – Piet Botha (1999)
G. Anthology – Jack Hammer (2000)
H. Bootleg – Piet Botha & Jack Hammer (2001)
Comments
‘The Game’ was re-recorded in 2014 by The Lyzyrd Kyngs and released on ‘A Few Grains Of Sand‘.
‘For Annette’ was re-recorded in 1999 and released on Anthology.
Reviews
SA Rock Digest, Issue #114, 14th July 2001
by Kurt Shoemaker, Texas
I don’t have an unbiased opinion about this CD, and see no reason to pretend to be objective. Hearing the music of Piet Botha and Jack Hammer, I think, “Here’s one of the reasons I got into South African rock.” Of course, the “South African” part can be dropped so that the statement reads, “Here’s one of the reasons I got into rock.”
‘Bootleg’ is the perfect representative Piet Botha and Jack Hammer CD. It contains live versions of older songs and some songs new to me. Piet Botha displays his strength at rock ballads, his gruff voice gentle and emotive, and it showcases him and Jack Hammer blasting fierce rockers such as ‘Welcome to Azania’. We also get Johnathan Martin stepping forward for a sweet acoustic rendition of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Tangerine’.
On this CD, Jack Hammer is Piet Botha (vocals, guitars), Johnathan Martin (vocals, guitars, cellos), Tertius du Plessis (bass), and Paul de Waal (drums). What a band, talented rockers all.
As much as I do enjoy Piet’s, for lack of a better term, rock ballads, his stand-out tunes are the big electric noise rockers. Nevertheless, I always begin this CD with track #1, ‘The Game’ (one of Bootleg’s two studio-recorded songs {originally released in 1999 on the obscure album ‘Is’ by Trip – ed}).
I prefer loud and fast rock, but have a high tolerance, even an appreciation for, honest, emotive songs such as Piet and Jack Hammer play. Piet’s softer and more personal songs are not to be confused with Barry Manilow’s smarmy music, no pieces of which stick to Jack Hammer’s boot heels even though I think Barry’s songs belong underfoot. Piet’s slower, softer songs are authentic and intelligent songs.
The live version of ‘Welcome to Azania’ rocks more powerfully than the studio cut on ‘Anthology’, which is a wild song there. This song contains the line ‘We are not the chosen people’. I expect some listeners are infuriated by this devastating line. Powerful stuff, lyrically and musically, real music for real people, as Piet and Jack Hammer often are (See: ‘Gypsy Suite’ on the CD Death of a Gypsy).
‘Midnight Angels’ is a wow song. (As I listen to it, all I can say is “Wow”). Great lyrics, and the rock ideas are well-developed throughout its five minutes. The live versions of ‘Fort Lauderdale’, ‘Liberty’, and ‘Goeienag Generaal’ (another “Wow!”), also come across as more powerful and intense live than the studio takes, and those studio takes don’t exactly slouch around, either.
I’m picking up enough Afrikaans to catch the gist of the songs from Piet Botha’s solo CDs on this disc (‘Donkermaan’ and ‘Goeienag Generaal’), but, oddly, can’t find any Afrikaans speakers to practice the language with here in the Hill Country of Texas… Anyway, many lyrics are online at the comprehensive site, www.pietbotha.com.
If they had let me compile this CD it would be a two disc set. A few songs left off: ‘Laat Die Wiele Rol’, ‘The Fisherman’, ‘Death of a Gypsy’, and ‘Street of Love’. Though ‘Bootleg’ represents Piet Botha and Jack Hammer perfectly, ‘Bootleg’ also complements Jack Hammer’s ‘Anthology’ CD as if they were a two-CD set. ‘Anthology’, a collection of studio songs, and ‘Bootleg’, a live set, work well together in my SA rock collection.
In place of popping into Pretoria from Texas this weekend for a set or three of Jack Hammer, this live set satisfies. And that’s my biased opinion.
Bootleg
by Bert Badgrass, January 2001, Pretoria.co.za
The growing number of Jack Hammer fans will be happy to hear that a new Piet Botha & Jack Hammer CD, entitled Bootleg, is now available.
As the title suggests, it is a live album, recorded at various locations up and down the country between May 1998 and April 2000, except for the two opening tracks, The Game and For Annette.
I love their version of Nick Drake’s Northern Sky — which isn’t surprising. There are also some original gems, like Blues Vir Louise, Goeienag Generaal and, of course, Suitcase Vol Winter — and I tell you, the blues never sounded so good in Afrikaans.
Led Zeppelin’s Tangerine (sung by Johnathan) is also there and is superb, as are Jack Hammer showstoppers like Runaway Train and Cocaine Blues. Jackson says the CD is available at live gigs. Good news is that the lads will be going into the studio towards the end of the year to record a brand new CD.
Keep on hammering away guys; we, your fans, are all jacked up! And thanks hey!
The Game
An analysis by Brian Currin, 30 October 2022
This biting commentary song written by Piet Botha has a bit of a convoluted recording history.
“The Game” was originally recorded at Red Room Studios, Pretoria in October 1998 by Trip (Francois Scheepers & Niel van der Spuy) and featured Piet Botha and Johnathan Martin prominently. It was released on the Trip album “Is” in 1999.
Musicians
- Piet Botha: Vocals, acoustic guitar
- Johnathan Martin: acoustic guitar, cello
- Henry Erasmus: electric guitars
- Francois Scheepers: Programming
Extract from CD booklet for Is by Trip
This version of “The Game” was released on the “Bootleg” CD in February 2001, credited to Piet Botha and Jack Hammer.
It was also included on the Jack Hammer retrospective “Road Works 1984-2009” released in July 2009.
Piet Botha gave this song a second lease on life a decade and a half later as his comments on corporate and political greed were still very valid. “The Game” was recorded at The Chateau Lezard in Somerset West during August and September 2014. Released on “A Few Grains Of Sand” by The Lyzyrd Kyngs in 2014.
The Game (2014 recording)
Musicians
- Piet Botha: Vocals, guitars
- Arthur Dennis: guitars, vocals
- Rudi Dennis: drums, guitars, vocals
- AJ Graham: bass
Lyrics
Chorus
Where is the festival
Where is the song
Gone like mist from the sun
Where is the wine that
Was promised to us
Where we were young
The scandal sheets daily
Shout out the news
Of murder, misfortune and, mayhem
The idols that they build for you
Soon they’ll cut down
But that’s all part of the Game
All part of the Game
From cathedrals in Rome
To the kingdoms of sand
The holy war just carries on
But power and greed
Has turned it to shame
The high priest they only players
In the Game
Chorus
The oceans are plundered
The forests are dying
And it’s all just for profit, for gain
Third world keeps burning
But the dollar keeps turning
Dead children they only numbers
In the Game
Chorus
Where is the wine that
Was promised to us
Where we were young
Discography
Piet Botha 