Unofficial Videos

My information about these videos is full of gaps. Please contact me if you can clarify, correct, or add to the information on this page!

PLEASE NOTE:
I DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO GET any bootleg videos,
so PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME.
Thanks.

The rest of this page describes all the videos I've heard of, thanks to reports from fans. They're listed in (I hope) chronological order.

1967: Simon Dupree documentary, "The Ravers"

This is a documentary about groupies, but the featured band is Simon Dupree and the Big Sound. There is some concert footage included and it runs almost 30 minutes. (Thanks to Tom Kleinschmidt.)

[Date Unknown]: Simon Dupree on "Beat Beat Beat"

On this black-and-white video, they play:

• Broken Hearted Pirates
• Kites
• Thinking About My Life

(Thanks to Tom Kleinschmidt.)

[Date Unknown]: Simon Dupree on "Beat Beat Beat"

"I See The Light," recorded in black-and white. Ray plays lead guitar while lying on his back. (Thanks to Joachim Wunschick.)

1968: Simon Dupree on "The Beat Club"

December 31, 1968: A clip from "Thinking About My Life." (Thanks to Tom Kleinschmidt and Joachim Wunschick.)

1969: Simon Dupree on "The Beat Club"

March 29, 1969: Probably played "Broken Hearted Pirates." (Thanks to Joachim Wunschick.)

1972: University de Montreal

A 15-second silent clip on 8mm film, with Phil Shulman. (Thanks to Richard Blouin.)

1972: Jackson, Mississippi

A silent, 3-minute, black-and-white 8mm film, very close-up with Phil Shulman. (Thanks to Richard Blouin.)

1974: Portugual

I know nothing about this video: I've just seen a reference to it. Help?

1974-75: ABC's In Concert

Gentle Giant was on ABC's "In Concert" in 1974. The source audiotape says "1/4/74" so that could mean either January 4 or April 1. The broadcast time was about 15 minutes and included Knots, an acoustic guitar duet (including parts of Boys In The Band), The Advent of Panurge, and a recorder ensemble including "Yankee Doodle." The performance was also simulcast on FM radio, in stereo. (Thanks to Kevin Krell, Larry Babbin, and JD Mack.)

1975: Television Belge (a.k.a, "the ZDF video"), Brussels, Belgium

This has been officially released as Giant On The Box.

I've heard of broadcasts appearing in 1975, 1976, and 1977. Additionally, the audio recording has been bootlegged as Playing For Fools. The show was reportedly broadcast on several TV stations in Europe:

• Germany, August 10 1975: On ZDF's Sonntags Konzert. (This show usually broadcast German and European folk music. Supposedly the regular viewers complained, and never again did the show play modern music.)
• Belgium, January 1976: Probably on RTBF, on a Saturday afternoon.
• Germany, 1976 or 1977: On a Sunday morning, on a program that usually broadcasts classical music. (The words Ohne Filter are displayed: is this the name of a TV show?) [Note: this might be the Sonntags Konzert show, misremembered.]
• The Netherlands, 1976 or 1977: On a Saturday afternoon, possibly on VARA television.

(Thanks to Alexander Kutsche, Marcel Rutten, Kevin Halpin, Patrick Degallaix, R. E. Faust, Fred Rosenkamp, and some anonymous fans.)

1978: BBC Sight and Sound, Great Britain

"Sight and Sound" was a British television show featuring concerts. This video has been released as GG at the GG. It was filmed on the Missing Piece tour around 1978. The video is about an hour long.

• Introduction
• Way Of Life
• Funny Ways
• Nothing At All
• Excerpts From Octopus
• Introduction
• Two Weeks In Spain
• Free Hand
• On Reflection
• I'm Turning Around
• Just The Same
• Playing the Game
• Memories Of Old Days
• Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It
• Special Presentation by John P. Weathers
• Funny Ways
• For Nobody
• Mountain Time

The audio portion of this concert has been released on compact disc as In Concert and Out Of The Fire. The Out Of The Fire recording contains the complete concert in order, matching the video. So does the CD that comes with GG at the GG.

The In Concert CD is missing "a great rendition of Funny Ways with a killer Minnear vibe solo and Ray on trumpet," and has the tracks out of order.

Here is an unauthorized DVD of the concert, seen for sale on eBay:

1976: Interview Live in the Studio

The song Interview was filmed: it is lip-synched, not performed live. Possibly broadcast on French TV. Available in black-and-white and color. Interestingly, the song is listed as "I'm Turning Around." (Thanks to Jim Chamberlain, Richard Blouin, and James Gray.)

1978: Giant For A Day Promotional Video

This video was a promo for the Giant For A Day album. The songs are Giant For A Day and Words From The Wise.

1980: Theatre St-Denis, Montreal

A two-minute amateur video filmed at Theatre St-Denis at Montreal in 1980.

1991: Man, live in Vienna

The band "Man," November 19, 1991, featuring John Weathers on drums.

2001: "Anthology" Video CD

I have seen on eBay a bootleg collection on video CD, with this description:

THE UK PROGRESSIVE ROCK BAND GENTLE GIANT IN A 128 minutes ANTHOLOGY. THIS VCD DISC 1 INCLUDES : A BONUS Documentary from the pre-Gentle Giant band which featured Derek Shulman and Ray Shulman and the following Live tracks : FUNNY WAYS(Gentle Giant 1st Album), KNOTS and THE ADVENT OF PANURGE(Octopus), THE RUNAWAY and EXPERIENCE(In A Glass House), PROCLAMATION, SO SINCERE, COGS IN COGS and PLAYING THE GAME(POWER AND THE GLORY). THIS VCD DISC 2 INCLUDES the following Live tracks : FUNNY WAYS(Gentle Giant 1st Album), KNOTS(Octopus), JUST THE SAME, ON REFLECTION, FREE HAND(Free Hand), INTERVIEW(Interview), TWO WEEKS IN SPAIN, BETCHA TOUGHT WE COULDN’T DO IT, MOUNTAIN TIME, MEMORIES OF OLD DAYS, FOR NOBODY(Missing Piece), WORDS FROM THE WISE, GIANT FOR A DAY(Giant For A Day). Special feature : Tracks selection MENU. Running time is 128 minutes. The Quality is from good to very good. VCD's are Playable on any PC or Mac with VideoCD playback software or Plays on most of consumer DVD/VCD/CDR players.

2001: Gentle Giant Rare Collection, Simon Dupree & The Big Sound

A bootleg on the Highland label (Video Master HVC-006), approximate time 110 minutes. Image quality is reported to be "extremely bad" but the audio quality is "not bad." Tracks include:

1. Knots
2. Interview
3. Giant For A Day
4. Rare Live From Silent Films
5. Thinking About My Life (Simon Dupree)
6. I See The Light (Simon Dupree)
7. Day Time Night Time (Simon Dupree)
8. "Man Alive" Documentary (Simon Dupree)
9. Aspirations
10. Cogs In Cogs
11. Proclamation / Funny Ways
12. The Runaway / Experience
13. Excerpts From Octopus
14. So Sincere

Remember...

I do not know where to get any bootleg videos.