SPOTLIGHT 6 Vocalion Surround SACD Releases - Argent, Blood, Sweat & Tears, BW Stevenson, Guess Who, Buddy Miles & Santana, Don Sebesky (Dec 2019)
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Back in 2006/2007, I wrote to Jack Richardson. In the letter, I specifically asked about the Quad albums. He wrote back to tell me he was aware of their release and recalled signing paperwork to allow RCA to proceed. All previous, existing and future albums were to be mixed as the Guess Who was pretty much RCA's hottest "Pop" property at the time. He recalled issues where Bannatyne & Paramount exceeded the time limit for RCA's Q8 cartridges. So, both were dropped. He could not recall why "Paradise", "Flavours" or "Power in the Music" were fake as, at the time he wrote the letter, the multitracks were still in existence. So, there's no reason why they weren't mixed properly back in the '70s. (*Edit* I suspect they were a contractual obligation and just cranked out as the final two albums' mixes are similar if not identical.)
Some have pointed out that there are RCA albums that exceed 45 minutes, but I'm just the messenger and relaying what I remember from the letter. Sad fact is, I've moved twice since then and seem to have misplaced the letter. Either my mother threw it out when she cleaned my room after I moved out, I may have lost it, or it's still in a few boxes I still have packed up since 2009!
Seeing as how all the tracks from "The Best Of Volume 1" were lifted directly off the Quad masters (with their channel errors still intact I might add!) we can assume the same was done for Volume 2 which contains ONE track from the Live show and THREE tracks from Bannatyne.
But, as our inside man has reported, there have been issues with locating tapes. Did RCA keep reels from aborted releases?? Did they remain in the vaults for the last 50 years? I guess only time will tell. I would probably shit myself stupid if D-V pulled one out of their hat and found these tapes.
I really do hope that D-V can get a hold of anything from Stax/Enterprise and maybe we can get the Soundtrack to SHAFT!
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Same thing happened to me.
Linda's the Queen of Quad if you don't mind!!
Here are a few reasons why I'm the Quad Goddess and the Queen of Quad:
I haven't been this excited about Surround releases in at least a couple weeks. Not since Abbey Road, XTC Dukes, Stormwatch or the Band came.
After trying to resist for 40 seconds, I said "what the hell, let's rebuy these for the umpteenth time." Here's how I've been suckered before:
Canned Wheat CD
Wheatfield Soul LP
In Deep Q8, SQ, CD
Nexus UK SQ, UK CD (US release has black cover)
Mirror Image SQ, CD
New City LP, SQ, CD
My Maria Cass, LP, CD (Always wanted the Quad)
Calabassas LP, CD-4, CD
Booger Bear LP, Q8, SQ, CD
Santana & Buddy Miles Live Q8, SQ, UK CD
Giant Box SQ
Calabassas, Booger Bear, Nexus and New City are oft overlooked gems, both musically & in mix.
YOU NEED ALL 6 SACD'S!!!!
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Ya gotta admit, this is different this time right?
The Giant Box album is nearly 60 mins long. And it's on the SACD twice? (Discrete but non-master and SQ master decoded.) So the one SACD contains nearly 120 mins of 4.0 material? I don't think I've ever known an SACD anywhere near that long. Wow.
Argent 
definitely a UK band that only had one track chart above 100 in the US (most didn't chart) and it isn't on this release "Hold your Head Up" (would've bought it for that one track). 4 tracks charted above 100 in the UK from 1971-1973.
definitely a UK band that only had one track chart above 100 in the US (most didn't chart) and it isn't on this release "Hold your Head Up" (would've bought it for that one track). 4 tracks charted above 100 in the UK from 1971-1973.
It never fails. Good things always come in big bunches. I hesitated to go in on all six Dvs, not knowing most of the music and knowing that as soon as I order all six, some of the 5.1 material I've been waiting to show up on my favourite used site will show up. Sure enough I check this morning and The Bands Basement Tapes Sacd is on my used site. Bingo. Not 5.1 but one I've been wanting for some time. Patience pays off. Now to get serious about the remainder of these DV sacds
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I've not actually got the SACD, hence my question marks. Adam, I take it you can confirm it really is c.120mins? It's amazing if it is. I saw some (old) info on SHF stating that non-hybrids could be really long (because they are basically DVDs) but hybrids, which this one is, are limited to 80mins, which does not seem to be the case here. I know the music is the most important thing but I am fascinated by the technical details too!maybe the longest SACD ever!?
yes! approx 118 mins!!! i'll bet Santa Dutton and his magical elves are super proud of squeezing all that music into one disc!! its a (wait for it) world record!!! haaaaa!!!!!
I’ve just realised, DV give such good value for money that even though they are not packaged as super deluxe editions - with lots of superfluous stuff - you still get Marbles! (On the Santana/ Buddy Miles Live at least. Sorry, couldn’t resist it. )
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As a hybrid SACD [containing a RBCD layer] YES but a few years ago, Classical Label BIS released some long playing single layered STEREO only SACDs* clocking in at between 3~almost 4 hours in 16 bit resolution [NO CD layer, of course].
But Michael Dutton has certainly filled almost all of his QUAD/STEREO SACDs with copious bonus materials and at his asking price, IMO, represent THE best bargains in quality reissues ON THE PLANET!
*http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue41/sacd.htm
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In this case "Marbles" is a real highlight of the set...I’ve just realised, DV give such good value for money that even though they are not packaged as super deluxe editions - with lots of superfluous stuff - you still get Marbles! (On the Santana/ Buddy Miles Live at least. Sorry, couldn’t resist it. )
olgitnorm
701 Club - QQ All-Star
How prominent is audience noise on the live aspect of this one, I can’t stand some oik whistling and shouting in my ear when I’m trying to appreciate the music? For this reason I tend to avoid live recordings but understand that some of this was actually redone in the studio?Buddy Miles & Carlos Santana (2 x SQ LPs & Booger Bear Q8) = £52 (incl shipping)
2 SACDs = £19.99
Ok....I've only ever heard vague rumors and never seen solid evidence of the existence of a quad mix of Nexus. You have this?
1- Santana & Buddy Miles has lots of applause and cheers. No annoying "play Whippin' Floss (sic)" cat calls.
Like most Columbia Quads, it is a very active mix. It is one of my favorite Quads to balance/mix to better focus on particular musicians and parts.
Marbles, Evil Ways and Them Changes are not to be missed. Most of my listening to this title has been on Q8. Side/program 2 is a long jam. THIS ALBUM COOKS!!
Sorry, this is only 2ch, but here's the 45 edited version:
2- Argent Nexus UK LP. Great question. Yes and no. Truth be told, it isn't marked as SQ, but the UK LP decoded reasonably well on my old Marantz front-back SQ and better with the SQA-2 full logic. I assumed that it was SQ encoded, ala my 3 LP Lotus, which decoded like a charm. I later found out why.
No doubt the back cover of the SACD will mention released w/original catalog #('s) or as previously unreleased mix.
Admittedly, I have never owned the US LP of this title. The mix is probably the same. Again, an assumption on my part.
I bought this as a new release import in early '74. It came out in the US many months later, albeit with a different cover.
I would love to hear from any of you who have the US LP and SQ decoding. Curious to know how well that decodes. Anyone???
Hey Fred/Adam, do you have the UK LP? If so, how is it through your surround master?
BTW, since I usually spin my CD's in the car, I never decoded the UK CD, but suspect it would decode just as the UK LP. Both have silver covers, as shown in the Vocalion attachment at the beginning of this thread.
IMHO, this is Argent's best album. I'm anxious to hear it in its' SACD Quad glory. Can't wait to hear Music from the Spheres and Thunder & Lightning on SACD! (no,not the Chicago or Chi Coltrane songs.)
IMHO, Argent never did a bad album. YOU NEED IT!!
Like most Columbia Quads, it is a very active mix. It is one of my favorite Quads to balance/mix to better focus on particular musicians and parts.
Marbles, Evil Ways and Them Changes are not to be missed. Most of my listening to this title has been on Q8. Side/program 2 is a long jam. THIS ALBUM COOKS!!
Sorry, this is only 2ch, but here's the 45 edited version:
2- Argent Nexus UK LP. Great question. Yes and no. Truth be told, it isn't marked as SQ, but the UK LP decoded reasonably well on my old Marantz front-back SQ and better with the SQA-2 full logic. I assumed that it was SQ encoded, ala my 3 LP Lotus, which decoded like a charm. I later found out why.
No doubt the back cover of the SACD will mention released w/original catalog #('s) or as previously unreleased mix.
Admittedly, I have never owned the US LP of this title. The mix is probably the same. Again, an assumption on my part.
I bought this as a new release import in early '74. It came out in the US many months later, albeit with a different cover.
I would love to hear from any of you who have the US LP and SQ decoding. Curious to know how well that decodes. Anyone???
Hey Fred/Adam, do you have the UK LP? If so, how is it through your surround master?
BTW, since I usually spin my CD's in the car, I never decoded the UK CD, but suspect it would decode just as the UK LP. Both have silver covers, as shown in the Vocalion attachment at the beginning of this thread.
IMHO, this is Argent's best album. I'm anxious to hear it in its' SACD Quad glory. Can't wait to hear Music from the Spheres and Thunder & Lightning on SACD! (no,not the Chicago or Chi Coltrane songs.)
IMHO, Argent never did a bad album. YOU NEED IT!!
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This is exactly why you need to have all the versions, so that you can be informed and inform others. A hobbyist at the highest level, thank you.
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