3 Surround Sound SACDs from Vocalion - Paul Mauriat, Ray Davies & Swingle Singers

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First FIVE albums from BTO were in the 4dx series.
BTO
II
Head on
4 wheels drive
Not fragile.

But i don't thin it suits the Vocalion style, along with Ohio Players Fire and Honey, and the lonely left Mercury Q8 that wasn't a 4dx lp: Kraftwerk Autobahn.

I've never seen 4DX series Lp's of Head On or 4 Wheel Drive, do you know what the catalog numbers are? I thought it was only the first three.
 
Sorry Dave, I wasn't a "poo poo", I was for "blue, blue" (Muriat version) I have no knowledge of the "Swingles", but I'll get the other two as I have all the other Vocalion releases. I haven't seen Enter The Dragon in ages, will be fun to hear the theme song a la moog.:yikes
 
Sorry Dave, I wasn't a "poo poo", I was for "blue, blue" (Muriat version) I have no knowledge of the "Swingles", but I'll get the other two as I have all the other Vocalion releases. I haven't seen Enter The Dragon in ages, will be fun to hear the theme song a la moog.:yikes

Here's a taste of the Swingle Singers doing Johann Pachebel's famous Canon in D minor: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...993299A35D5F30405CB4993299A35D5F3&FORM=VRDGAR

Another sampling from the original Swingle Singers circa 1964 (Bach Fugue): https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...05B96FD8FCF7260E217505B96FD8FCF7&&FORM=VDRVRV
 
Whilst these aren't my taste (I might get the Button Down Brass disc anyway), I'm happy this series is continuing and that material is being made available in this way.
 
Whilst these aren't my taste (I might get the Button Down Brass disc anyway), I'm happy this series is continuing and that material is being made available in this way.

I must admit that I just don't get it. I can't imagine listening to this stuff, even if it is the best quad ever. Seeing these releases reminds me of fingering through stacks of used LPs, finding a sealed one with the iconic gold 'QUADRAPHONIC' framing, and pulling it out 'Buford Janovski and His Quad Accordion Orchestra Plays the Hits of the 70s'. Maybe someone could explain this to me ... without telling me that everyone's musical taste is different.
 
I must admit that I just don't get it. I can't imagine listening to this stuff, even if it is the best quad ever. Seeing these releases reminds me of fingering through stacks of used LPs, finding a sealed one with the iconic gold 'QUADRAPHONIC' framing, and pulling it out 'Buford Janovski and His Quad Accordion Orchestra Plays the Hits of the 70s'. Maybe someone could explain this to me ... without telling me that everyone's musical taste is different.

The key is that Vocalion is a record label that specializes in reissues of what most people would call Easy Listening and Classical music.

These three albums are right in their power zone. Given the other reissue labels interest in pop, jazz and blues titles, Vocalion is the best hope for listeners wanting to see the many Easy Listening albums mixed to Quad in the '70s to be reissued in a better sounding edition then the original '70s releases.

As Vocalion noted a year ago in their blog about another batch of Paul Mauriat CD reissues:

"Our May 2016 release includes several artists from the golden age of easy listening whom, we’re proud to say, are now as synonymous with Vocalion as the labels for which they originally recorded. And there’s another entry in our long-running series devoted to the KPM library.

Inimitable Gallic maestro Paul Mauriat is featured on six albums across three separate CDs, each showcasing his elegant orchestral arrangements. Each Paul Mauriat CD also includes one or more rare bonus tracks."

https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/m-is-for-may-releases-and-mancini-mauriat-mathis-monkman-and-more/
https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/vocalion-sacd-new-releases-june-2017/
 
Maybe its nostalgia, its the kind of music my mother would have playing as radio background stuff back in the 70's (and it was considered 'light' by her also, she sang opera...), maybe it reminds us of great elevator trips we took once? Anyway, some of the poppy hits of the 60s-70's were great ear candy and though these aren't the originals, most are of very high performance level and just plain fun in quad. I don't look for the meaning of life in them, but I find them fun listening when in the mood. You might just find your toes tapping to Floyd Cramer's rendition of Eric Carmen's "Let's Pretend". ;)
 
But Fredddypoooooo will still buy the CD-4s later :banana: lol

haha.. you know me so well Snoodypops! ;) even if I do find any of the Philips Japanese CD-4s someday they're likely to a.) be more expensive and b.) sound no better than the upcoming DV SACDs, which will, I guess, be a.) like a tenner or so apiece and b.) most probably be nicely remastered fresh from the Quad master tapes!
 
The key is that Vocalion is a record label that specializes in reissues of what most people would call Easy Listening and Classical music.

These three albums are right in their power zone. Given the other reissue labels interest in pop, jazz and blues titles, Vocalion is the best hope for listeners wanting to see the many Easy Listening albums mixed to Quad in the '70s to be reissued in a better sounding edition then the original '70s releases.

As Vocalion noted a year ago in their blog about another batch of Paul Mauriat CD reissues:



https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/m-is-for-may-releases-and-mancini-mauriat-mathis-monkman-and-more/
https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/vocalion-sacd-new-releases-june-2017/

well said.. clearly these types of easy listening light stuff aren't going to be everyone's thing (or too many peoples' thing maybe?) and while I'm more interested in Rock/Pop/Jazz/Soul Quad rereleases than any other genres, it is a bit weird we get a similar kind of response to DV's MC SACD announcements.. this is the kind of music this label does in Stereo so they're sticking to what they're good at with their surround stuff I guess?

ah I dunno, I see an old Quad reissued in top quality on a more modern surround format freed from the shackles of its 8 track or vinyl chains nowadays as a pretty cool thing.. where there are Quad reel conversions out there I'm a bit less bothered (unless you're talking top tier titles like the Doobies, etc) but for so much of this stuff you put up with SQ/QS/CD-4 or 8-track and all their quirks/deficiencies or you hope some label rereleases the Quads from the 4-ch masters like DV are doing now.. hats off to them!
 
I must admit that I just don't get it. I can't imagine listening to this stuff, even if it is the best quad ever. Seeing these releases reminds me of fingering through stacks of used LPs, finding a sealed one with the iconic gold 'QUADRAPHONIC' framing, and pulling it out 'Buford Janovski and His Quad Accordion Orchestra Plays the Hits of the 70s'. Maybe someone could explain this to me ... without telling me that everyone's musical taste is different.

I think some of it is simply the fact that with the quad-digital pipeline being so limited these days, people are grateful for whatever they can get, even stuff like this. And it really is cool that material is being released, and it does seem like there's a real market for it - Vocalion has made a business out of this genre long before they started with quad.

I personally picked up the Hugo Montenegro Godfather album and thought is was equal parts bland and tasteless. The fidelity and mix were both great, but that doesn't get you that far honestly if the underlying content doesn't do it for you. But...everyone's musical taste is different. And I'm so over the moon over their classical stuff that I'll pick up some things of even remote interest so the program keeps going for the stuff I want.
 
It seems the entire hi res 'reissue' business is in a state of flux. MoFi has a bunch of discs [about 15 SACD Stereo titles] being blown out at the various discount venues for under $13, AF has ceased their QUAD/5.1 production, AP is mainly interested in reissuing older jazz/classical titles and our newest 'best' friends over at Dutton Vocalion are back to reissuing Easy Listening and Classical QUAD titles after dipping their toe in two rock QUAD titles [Tower of Power/Main Ingredient].

Additionally, MoFi is now limiting some of their newer SACD Stereo titles in VERY limited runs of 2000 copies, which, IMO, doesn't bode well for the future of that format.

And since NONE of those reissue companies publish sales reports, we have NO idea what sells and what doesn't.

I would love to know if D~V's two pop/rock QUAD titles sold in any appreciable quantities. My guess, probably not or else they might've included a rock title with their upcoming SACD QUAD releases.

I will probably purchase the new D~V QUAD titles, just to support the format, and I do look forward to the Swingle Singers release (and the Paul Mauriat) but like other posters on this thread will only give them an occasional spin in deference to newer, more pop oriented releases and I will still proclaim loud and clear that my VERY favorite music, both past and present, will probably NEVER be available in hi res surround formats.

Sigh!:(

Fingers crossed, that SONY Japan will release more Santana QUADs because, unfortunately, it looks as though NONE of the reissue companies ever will! :)

Addenda: Just placed an order with D~V for the three upcoming SACD QUAD titles and a Stereo SACD [for £.99]. With s/h applied, about $13.69 per disc and lest we forget, two of the QUAD SACDs are TWO~FERS!:banana:
 
Additionally, MoFi is now limiting some of their newer SACD Stereo titles in VERY limited runs of 2000 copies, which, IMO, doesn't bode well for the future of that format.

The reissue business is all about limited edition releases.

2,000 - 3,000 copies are what we see today for LP and SACD reissues.
About 800 to 1,000 copies for Analog Tape reissues.

The market for people who pay for music on physical media continues to shrink.
 
Way way back in the '70s, I used to get really annoyed at many of the choices of titles released in quad. For every five star must have release, there were always stacks of stuff that I would never even notice had they not been quad. The same thing happened at the dawn of SACD and DVD-A. And the labels' choices, comon. It seems they'd always pick the album AFTER or BEFORE the big seller from an artist that everyone would want to be the surround release. I don't have to list examples, you've all lived it. :)

Anyway, what we have here is this. D-V is a reissue label and they have a very targeted market. They sell what their customers want. If they released these 3 titles in stereo only, some would be sure to say "Hey! There were quad releases of these discs, why not put the quad on the disc!". Well, maybe that's just what they did. They got the rights to the titles and went ahead and bagged the quad as well. What's wrong with that?

We have to stop looking at releases like this as "must buys" because they're surround, but more like "If I want this title I'll buy it, if not, great - someone else is going to want it so let's be happy for them". Everyone has different tastes. We bend our taste at times to get some decent surround and as a byproduct we sometimes find stuff we end up liking. How many people, including myself, never heard of Porcupine Tree or Steven Wilson until we got surround product by them? :phones Of course, these D-V releases are not Steven Wilson, but the example holds true.

Even Marshall from AF told me that he did not want to do a quad subscription plan because he wanted people to buy the music because they liked the material, not just because it was surround.

Buy what you want, don't buy stuff you're not interested in, but don't complain about stuff that actually gets out because some folks will like this and just because you or I can't get what we really want doesn't mean others should be in the same boat.

"Cheers" to D-V for stepping up to the plate with the goods.
 
Way way back in the '70s, I used to get really annoyed at many of the choices of titles released in quad. For every five star must have release, there were always stacks of stuff that I would never even notice had they not been quad. The same thing happened at the dawn of SACD and DVD-A. And the labels' choices, comon. It seems they'd always pick the album AFTER or BEFORE the big seller from an artist that everyone would want to be the surround release. I don't have to list examples, you've all lived it. :)

Anyway, what we have here is this. D-V is a reissue label and they have a very targeted market. They sell what their customers want. If they released these 3 titles in stereo only, some would be sure to say "Hey! There were quad releases of these discs, why not put the quad on the disc!". Well, maybe that's just what they did. They got the rights to the titles and went ahead and bagged the quad as well. What's wrong with that?

We have to stop looking at releases like this as "must buys" because they're surround, but more like "If I want this title I'll buy it, if not, great - someone else is going to want it so let's be happy for them". Everyone has different tastes. We bend our taste at times to get some decent surround and as a byproduct we sometimes find stuff we end up liking. How many people, including myself, never heard of Porcupine Tree or Steven Wilson until we got surround product by them? :phones Of course, these D-V releases are not Steven Wilson, but the example holds true.

Even Marshall from AF told me that he did not want to do a quad subscription plan because he wanted people to buy the music because they liked the material, not just because it was surround.

Buy what you want, don't buy stuff you're not interested in, but don't complain about stuff that actually gets out because some folks will like this and just because you or I can't get what we really want doesn't mean others should be in the same boat.

"Cheers" to D-V for stepping up to the plate with the goods.

When Warners published their upcoming list of DVD~A titles back in the very early 00's, except for a few actually released stellar DVD~As, the BEST of the upcoming titles never saw a release and boy was I pissed. But you're right......even the 70's QUAD launch saw a whole bunch of "Why bother releasing this in QUAD" titles foisted on an unsuspecting public.

The 2000 DVD~A SACD/DVD~A launch could've worked, IMO, if they had actually released titles people wanted.

Hi Res Physical releases, especially surround, was NEVER handled correctly by the majors [or the artists, themselves]. It was always MORE Miss than HIT.

But the REAL shame remains those lists of A titles, already mixed into surround, that lie dormant in their musty repositories.

As bmoura pointed out, it's too late because no matter what they CURRENTLY release in 5.1 or 4.0, there is really NO market other than we QQ zealots, who really give a rat's ass anymore.

Even Sgt Pepper which we thought might've turned the tides was in actuality, a very tepid 5.1 remix....and not the head turner it might've been.:(
 
There are two points here.

I find the posts sneering at the music offensive and more than a bit arrogant. We each have our own taste in music (and everything for that matter).

Secondly, I cannot abide Strawberry Fields Forever. Back in 1967 I was horrified when I turned over the Penny Lane 45. I cannot abide Smoke On The Water. I would NEVER listen to either in mono or stereo. They're just not my scene. But in quadraphonic and surround it's a very different story. I actually use the UK quadraphonic Smoke On The Water as a demonstration track. In quadraphonic it comes alive for me. Likewise, in Dolby True HD 5.1, SFF becomes quite enjoyable.

Many of the new releases being enthused over leave me cold. They're like stale cat food to me but I don't put up posts dismissing them as rubbish.
 
They're out and shipping. Mine are on the way!

From what I recall Mike Dutton told me the last time new discs were released, the way it works on their website is things are in-stock and shipping unless the listing specifically says PRE-ORDER on it.
 
They're out and shipping. Mine are on the way!

From what I recall Mike Dutton told me the last time new discs were released, the way it works on their website is things are in-stock and shipping unless the listing specifically says PRE-ORDER on it.

excellent! thanks for the info.

just ordered the 3 Philips 4DXers, plus that 99p SACD and one of the Floyd Catfood, sorry I mean Cramer, SACDs i meant to order last time.
 
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