Dutton Vocalion: What's Next?

[J. PUPSTER]

Also, the Charles Gerhardt (plus David Raksin) releases from the RCA classic film music series are some of the best orchestral -- and arguably best film music -- albums ever released in quad. The players actually sat around the centrally placed microphones for recording, so the sound is discrete and enveloping. And the performances are universally praised. They were produced by George Korngold, son of influential composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

If you're into film music at all, these are essential purchases and highly recommended. They're all part of the sale.

I wish modern-day "multichannel" orchestral recordings sounded as good as these.

Also for you Quad collectors out there-

I just noticed that -Track number:
7. The Thing from Another World – Suite (Tiomkin)*
Prelude – The Flying Saucer under the Ice – Melting Sequence – The Hand – Plasma I – Plasma II – The Growing Plants – The Thing on the Walkway – Electrocution

Is:
*Previously unreleased in quadraphonic sound

 

[Uncle Obscure]

Is it possible that the 1973 self titled The Three Degrees album got a quad mix back in the day? Now, that would be something! Gamble & Huff, MFSB and Sigma Sound all cooking at maximum overdrive!

 

[Blackwood]

Damn, looks like the mountain will be growing again.

 

[esimms86]

You just put the fear of God into @DuncanS!

 

[steelydave]

Also, the Charles Gerhardt (plus David Raksin) releases from the RCA classic film music series are some of the best orchestral -- and arguably best film music -- albums ever released in quad. The players actually sat around the centrally placed microphones for recording, so the sound is discrete and enveloping. And the performances are universally praised. They were produced by George Korngold, son of influential composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

If you're into film music at all, these are essential purchases and highly recommended. They're all part of the sale.

I wish modern-day "multichannel" orchestral recordings sounded as good as these.

I agree - the only reason I didn't mention any of these is that it's sort of outside of my area of expertise and I wanted to focus on the handful that I could authoritatively vouch for. I'm glad to see other people talking about them. It's a really neat experience to hear music you've only ever heard previously in (extremely frequency response limited) mono in glorious high fidelity surround. I also really love the Star Wars/Close Encounters disc that Mike himself mixed a year or so ago; it blows away any of the actual surround mixes of this music that you'll find in the digital releases of these films or the recent Atmos streaming mixes of the Star Wars soundtracks.

Also for you Quad collectors out there-

I just noticed that -Track number:
7. The Thing from Another World – Suite (Tiomkin)*
Prelude – The Flying Saucer under the Ice – Melting Sequence – The Hand – Plasma I – Plasma II – The Growing Plants – The Thing on the Walkway – Electrocution

Is:
*Previously unreleased in quadraphonic sound

These bonus tracks come from a compilation album called The Spectacular World of Classic Film Scores (RL 42005) released in 1977. The first side of the album was a kind of "greatest hits" of all the Gehardt/NPO soundtrack albums (all done by D-V) but side 2 is all previously unreleased music that I guess was left off of these albums because of time constraints. Of the five tracks on side 2, only one hasn't appeared as a bonus track in surround on a D-V release (George Dunning 'Salome - Dance of the Seven Veils) and that's only because there's no quad 'parent album' to attach it to. The other four tracks are on the Rosza, Waxman, Tiomkin and Herrman D-V SACDs, all of which are available as part of this sale along with the other Gerhardt/NPO quad SACDs which don't have bonus tracks.

Is it possible that the 1973 self titled The Three Degrees album got a quad mix back in the day? Now, that would be something! Gamble & Huff, MFSB and Sigma Sound all cooking at maximum overdrive!

I interrogated Sigma Sound's chief quad engineer Arthur Stoppe about the possibility of any unreleased PIR quad mixes and sadly the answer is 99.9% likelihood that no other unreleased mixes exist. Because Sigma was an independent studio not owned by PIR (or their distributor, CBS) any mixes they did would've been billed at the usual (expensive) hourly rate. As a result, they were somewhat conservative in terms of which artists had their albums remixed in quad, and if they did commission a mix, they definitely released it to recoup their costs. As a result, while the O'Jays (their biggest act) had all their quad era albums done, other acts had some done but not others (Billy Paul, MFSB, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes) and then a lot of their lesser-selling acts had no quad mixes at all, including The Three Degrees, The Intruders, Archie Bell & The Drells, and others.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

@steelydave, please refresh my memory as to why we haven't gotten this one yet?

https://www.discogs.com/master/114829-MFSB-Love-Is-The-Message?format=Quadraphonic

... we did get this other MFSB from DV

https://www.discogs.com/release/13759773-MFSB-Philadelphia-Freedom-Summertime

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Just picked up another 6 Quad SACD titles from this sale (P.S.- hope I haven't GOS'd any of 'em!)

 

[steelydave]

@steelydave, please refresh my memory as to why we haven't gotten this one yet?

https://www.discogs.com/master/114829-MFSB-Love-Is-The-Message?format=Quadraphonic

... we did get this other MFSB from DV

https://www.discogs.com/release/13759773-MFSB-Philadelphia-Freedom-Summertime

Because Cherry Red (UK) issued an expanded edition in 2017 and they've continued to re-up their license by doing re-pressings, as is their prerogative. Due in part to having the Soul Train theme on it his album is kind of an R&B evergreen in terms of reissue popularity so there's wider interest in it beyond just the quad mix. Maybe one of these days the license will lapse and D-V can swoop in.

I know it doesn't have the same 'hit single' quotient but I can't recommend the quad mix of Philadelphia Freedom highly enough - phenomenal playing and production, and you get a couple of Dexter Wansel penned/produced tracks that are effectively solo endeavours that precede his 1976 debut LP Life on Mars and the usual array of Gamble/Huff (and co-conspirators) originals as well as stellar covers of Elton John's Philadelphia Freedom and WAR's Smile Happy on top of that.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Because Cherry Red (UK) issued an expanded edition in 2017 and they've continued to re-up their license by doing re-pressings, as is their prerogative. Due in part to having the Soul Train theme on it his album is kind of an R&B evergreen in terms of reissue popularity so there's wider interest in it beyond just the quad mix. Maybe one of these days the license will lapse and D-V can swoop in.

This is making me even more cantankerous than I already am!!!!

 

[DuncanS]

You just put the fear of God into @DuncanS!

I had palpitations ................. until I realised that the cranes were nowhere near big enough to reach the giddy heights of the to-listen-to mountain

 

[4-earredwonder]

I had palpitations ................. until I realised that the cranes were nowhere near big enough to reach the giddy heights of the to-listen-to mountain

Dunc, heard rumors that you're constructing a ski lift to propel you to the heights of your Mount ATMOS pile of unplayed physical media and here's your first client

 

[esimms86]

I had palpitations ................. until I realised that the cranes were nowhere near big enough to reach the giddy heights of the to-listen-to mountain

No worries Dunc; Heimdall in Asgard is standing guard over the top of your pile.

 

[DuncanS]

No worries Dunc; Heimdall in Asgard is standing guard over the top of your pile.

That should keep Smaug away

 

[DuncanS]

Dunc, heard rumors that you're constructing a ski lift to propel you to the heights of your Mount ATMOS pile of unplayed physical media and here's your first client

which one of ZZ Top is that?

 

[Fourplay]

which one of ZZ Top is that?

Looks like Dusty. RIP.

 

[esimms86]

Also, the Charles Gerhardt (plus David Raksin) releases from the RCA classic film music series are some of the best orchestral -- and arguably best film music -- albums ever released in quad. The players actually sat around the centrally placed microphones for recording, so the sound is discrete and enveloping. And the performances are universally praised. They were produced by George Korngold, son of influential composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

If you're into film music at all, these are essential purchases and highly recommended. They're all part of the sale.

I wish modern-day "multichannel" orchestral recordings sounded as good as these.

I just placed an order for all 7 Charles Gerhardt film soundtrack SACDs. Thanks for helping me spend my money! (In truth, I spent 2 1/2 times as much on the "Who's Next" box set!)

 

[4-earredwonder]

I just placed an order for all 7 Charles Gerhardt film soundtrack SACDs. Thanks for helping me spend my money! (In truth, I spent 2 1/2 times as much on the "Who's Next" box set!)

Mr E, may I commend you on a very wise 'investment!' IMO, they're all treasures to behold and Michael J. Dutton has done a superb remastering job!

See you at the MOVIES!

 

[wvsteveo]

Just ordered 6 based on this thread...thank you to posters for the information.

 

[Uncle Obscure]

I interrogated Sigma Sound's chief quad engineer Arthur Stoppe about the possibility of any unreleased PIR quad mixes and sadly the answer is 99.9% likelihood that no other unreleased mixes exist. Because Sigma was an independent studio not owned by PIR (or their distributor, CBS) any mixes they did would've been billed at the usual (expensive) hourly rate. As a result, they were somewhat conservative in terms of which artists had their albums remixed in quad, and if they did commission a mix, they definitely released it to recoup their costs. As a result, while the O'Jays (their biggest act) had all their quad era albums done, other acts had some done but not others (Billy Paul, MFSB, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes) and then a lot of their lesser-selling acts had no quad mixes at all, including The Three Degrees, The Intruders, Archie Bell & The Drells, and others.

Thanks, sir. The Intruders classic, Save The Children, is another one of those albums that would sound fantastic in quad. Both The Intruders and The Three Degrees came out in 1973. What a year for Gamble, Huff and Sigma Sound!

 

[ar surround]

Just ordered 6 based on this thread...thank you to posters for the information.
View attachment 111075

It's great to see that a number of discs (5) that I ordered quite some time ago are sill in print. Also, you ordered an even number of discs, which complies with GOS's Law.