King Crimson

Epitaph Volumes III & IV consists of restored bootleg recordings of the first line-up of King Crimson. Recorded as Plumpton Festival Festival & Chesterfield Jazz Club in August/September 1969, mere weeks before “In the Court of the Crimson King” would be released to near unanimous acclaim. This is the sound of a young, confident band, eager to confirm its position as the best new band in the UK at the time.

The sound quality may be far from perfect, but the performances are powerful – focusing mainly on material from the classic debut album.

Designed as a companion volume to the 2CD Epitaph I & II, this 2CD set is accompanied by a 24 page booklet containing extensive sleeve notes, photos and other archive material.

Originally only available as limited edition mail order items, the set is being made available for a limited period only as a full retail release.

In 1996 when first released it was felt that Epitaph Vol. I & II, consisting of BBC sessions & material recorded on the first US tour with fine sound quality for the era would be the main interest items for fans – leaving the restored bootlegs Volumes III & IV for the completist Crimson collectors. However, consistent demand for the additional volumes & high Internet prices for the now unavailable mail order titles has persuaded us to make the set officially available at retail outlets for the first time as part of the “Collectable King Crimson” series.