OPEN LETTER TO GREG BROOKS Re:1974 URIS THEATER PLAYBILL

Hi Greg -

I didn't want to have to post on here about this, but as there is no e-mail contact for you and my couple of queries on the Q & A section of the official site have gone unanswered, I figured I'd write here.

In 1994/95 you wrote to me (and many other Queen collectors around the world) requesting any info we might have on Queen...lists of live shows, articles, etc, for your at the time in the works book 'Queen Live'. I sent to you a bunch of lists and articles and stuff as well as a photocopy of my own original copy of the 1974 Playbill when Queen opened for Mott The Hoople on Broadway. This was a gift given to me by a former co-worker who had actually been at that gig and knew I was a big Queen fan. It was one of the prized items in my collection.

After receiving the photocopy of the cover and one-page article inside, you wrote to ask if I could send along the actual issue, for better reproduction in the book. I dutifully sent along the actual Playbill and when the book came out I saw that it was reproduced in it.

Unfortuantely, I never received this Playbill back.

I do thank you for crediting me in the 'special thanks' at the beginning of the book. Still, I was (and am) a bit sad that I never received this piece of Queen history back for my collection. I know it's many years later, but I'm hoping that this item is still in your possession.

You can contact me privately, or via this message group. I've since moved from the last address I gave you, though my parents still live there.

I can verify any other info you need to prove that the Playbill was mine.

Thanks, Greg and I hope to hear back from you on this matter.

Yours -

Justin Leiter

I hope you manage to get it back.

Thanks, Pieter. I know I probably waited too long to try and contact Greg about it. Should have written to his home address years ago. Crossing my fingers!

Kamenliter: I am really sorry to hear about this loss - especially as this is something which clearly means a lot to you.

Strange, but personally treasured and valuable material I contributed to Queen Productions for the 'Freddie Mercury Box Set' also 'mysteriously vanished', and was later confirmed to have 'been stolen'.

Unfortunately, this material has now been bootlegged to death since, and I have never made a single penny (or trade) from this material, so as you can guess, this has always been a bug-bear for me.

Unfortunately, I was never compensated for this loss, nor (other than Greg) recieved an 'official apology' from anyone, at any stage.

As they say 'Once bitten - twice shy', and I would never consider lending Queen Productions anything again - certainly without some sort of pre-conditions being in place first.

I always thought that it was only me which was affected by this casual and careless behaviour - but are there any others out there who have been treated in this 'couldn't care less' fashion?

Sad story.

Would anyone in this forum buy a used car from Queen Productions????

Hey John -

At the time I sent the stuff to Greg, I don't think he was really affliated with Queen Productions, yet. Maybe the Playbill somehow got absorbed into their archives, or more than likely, 'lost' somewhere along the way.

Since it was over 13 years ago, it was still pre-e-mail days for me. Looking back, I should have found a way to get a hi-res scan of the images and sent a disc instead, but I was the trusting sort.

Maybe this will all be resolved happily; otherwise, I'll just have to chalk it up.

Very sorry to hear of your losses through Queen Productions, though.

btw, not sure if you remember, but you sent me a tape of some relatively rare (at least for the time)Queen tracks...this is in the mid 1990's. I still have the tape! I believe it had the TOTP ver. of Good Old Fashioned Lover-Boy on it, amongst some other bits.

Just out of curiosity, guys, was there ever an official police reporting of these thefts, or a resolution from the police's end? I would think they'd either deem it a break and enter or an inside job, and report back to the parties affected.

or at least a "Hush" fee. This is bad, Greg, if all he got was a "credit". I doubt that your story is one of thousands, so I would think he would remember your letter.

C'mon, Greg, how "losing" one of those archived bootlegs, just for a while....

Let's not pre-judge anything - nobody should respond to this until the original poster hears from Greg, either here or privately.

Yeah, Justin, you oughta give Greg your email address or something. I don't think Greg has it hanging on his wall or anything, I just think he could probably get you something cool and would probably remember you.

Agreed, PG, and I'm certainly not trying to stir things up. I'd legitimately expect a theft of any magnitude to be part of the public record, and if so then restitution should have been made by someone as a valuable item was lost or stolen.

PG is obviously correct - and I guess it shows that I am bitter still over my own experience - and I know I need to let it go.

It's not the fact that it was lost, stolen or not returned which bothered me, it was more the laxed attitude afterwards, as if once 'screwed over' nothing was taken seriously. So obviously I assume a vested interest in whether others have had similar experiences.

I know it's sad - but it's the way things are!

Microwave - I believe I have my profile set so that anyone who wishes can e-mail me, so if Greg wants to, he can. Or, I'll wait for a reply here on the board.

It's something I should have addressed years ago, so in that sense, it's my fault for not following through in the late 90's, when several months had gone by and I never received the Playbill back in the mail (and still had Greg's address.) It is something, though, that's bothered me the last few years, but without a way to directly contact Greg, other than the Q & A on the official site, I felt posting here was my next best shot.

Yes, JSS and Kamenliter got royally screwed.

Queen Productions might still be totally evil, but maybe Greg is getting a little better and a little less evil:

http://queenzone.com/queenzone/forumnew/forum_topic_view.aspx?Q=1027435

LOL

Hi Justin

I remember you very well, and I do still have your Mott item. Sorry for this massive delay. Please email me at my old address with your address and I will return it.
gb.queen_archive@btinternet.com

Apologies for the delay. As you can imagine, because of the I WANT IT ALL! memorabilia book, Queen bootlegs, other books, and so many other Queen related projects I've worked on over the years, i do have MASSES of items here in the TO BE RETURNED pile.

Please send me your address and I'll get it back to you safely.

Regards