The Bootleg:

"Swimming With Your Boots On" was released in 1996 from the Czech Republic on Oxygen Records. This bootleg stems from a TV appearance in Munich Germany, and an in-the-studio acoustic performance at WNXX in Atlanta Georgia. The final track is what makes this disc so important. A London radio, in-studio, electric performance of "Medicine".

  1. The Ones That You Love Lead You Nowhere
  2. Just Like A Man
  3. When I Want You
  4. Start With Me
  5. One Thing Left To Do
  6. Hatful Of Rain
  7. Roll To Me
  8. Crashing Down / Come Together
  9. Stone Cold Sober
  10. Always The Last To Know
  11. Food For Songs
  12. Tell Her This
  13. Roll To Me
  14. Driving With The Brakes On
  15. Here and Now
  16. Be My Downfall
  17. Medicine
The sound quality on this bootleg is very good, considering the sources; TV and radio. Oxygen records took some care to clean up the sound, to make this a very listenable disc.

Unfortunately, the performances on this disc are less than stellar. Especially the acoustic set at WNXX. The live set that opens the disc from Munich Germany, is classic Del Amitri. Not too many "moments of confusion", but a couple. Which is not a bad thing. Goofs while playing live are to be expected. It's a very hard thing to have 5 people all on the same page at the same time. When it happens, it's magic. For the well-rehearsed Del Amitri, magic moments happen more often than they do with most bands.

The acoustic set at WNXX in Atlanta Georgia, is a different matter. As spoken by Justin Currie, they were not prepared to perform in front of an audience. Voices are strained, tired, and coarse. "Here and Now" suffers particularly.

The packaging looks great on first examination. But is rife with wrong information, crediting Brian McDermott as playing drums. He's not. Crediting "Medicine" as having been recorded in London on August 5th; while inside there's an itinerary having them in Rochester New York on August 5th. In the track listing, "Stone Cold Sober" is listed as "Stone Cold".

But, this is the only widely distributed Del Amitri bootleg in existance, and as such, is looked upon as a special disc by collectors. "Swimming With Your Boots On" is no longer available, as during the Bootleg crackdown of 1996, Oxygen Records was shut down.