Trademark of Quality

TMQ, TMOQ or TradeMark Of Quality was a bootleg record label that originated in the Los Angeles, California area during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The label was responsible for many underground records of Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane, Devo, Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Frank Zappa, The Rolling Stones, The Who and many other popular rock artists of the era. The major record labels were shocked and dismayed that any anonymous person could obtain or make a bootleg recording of one of their artists and press up records and release them for sale.

TradeMark of Quality was established in 1970 by two bootleggers, "Dub" Taylor and Ken Douglas (now an avid sailor and author.) They were quality-conscious perfectionists who pressed all their albums on coloured, virgin vinyl, and perhaps the first bootleggers to start producing real, printed picture covers, and later colour picture covers (printed - not inserts under the shrink-wrap as seen on "head shop" bootlegs). Dub & Ken had released several albums under different names before settling on "TradeMark Of Quality" in 1970, the first being the (in)famous "Great White Wonder" by Bob Dylan. According to Ken, "Dub" recorded several of TMQ's releases himself, including The Rolling Stones' "Live'r Than You'll Ever Be" and Led Zeppelin's "Live On Blueberry Hill". TMOQ also employed the services of William Stout, whose unique artwork graced many of TMOQ's albums.

Releases

References

Clinton Heylin (1996). Bootleg: The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-14289-7.

See also