Wasn't it a 5.1 mix made for the Pink Floyd Exhibit?
Pink Floyd - "Animals" 5.1 Surround Sound Mix (Blu-Ray & SACD editions out in September 2022!)
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harync
Senior Member
According to this old QQ post (Quad version of Pink Floyd Meddle), the Echoes Quad Mix was produced for a press demonstration on 17 October 1971.
A 5.1 Mix of Meddle was created by Andy Jackson for the Early Years box set, but not included. It's speculated it was not included because Roger Waters rejected it and/or James Guthrie did not mix it.
You're talking about "Echoes"? A quad mix of just that one track (presumably done as an experiment/proof-of-concept?) was made and played for a press junket in October 1971. It was officially released as part of the Reverber/ation Blu-Ray set in 2017.
I'm having a senior moment here, which mix is that your referring to?
Just got an email from Amazon, an update on my delivery of the Animals BD.
New estimated delivery date is Wed Sept 21 or Thurs Sept 22.
Another 4+ weeks.
I may have to play that bootleg one again tonight for my Animals surround fix.
New estimated delivery date is Wed Sept 21 or Thurs Sept 22.
Another 4+ weeks.
I may have to play that bootleg one again tonight for my Animals surround fix.
I just got my Amazon email notice for the 16th!
Woo hoo!
Woo hoo!
I tell you, I will not believe this Animals release is going to happen until it's in my hand. It seems like it's a mirage in the desert, forever a month away. So far I have not received the same notice but at least I am prepared now so I won't have an inclination to walk off a ledge.Just got an email from Amazon, an update on my delivery of the Animals BD.
New estimated delivery date is Wed Sept 21 or Thurs Sept 22.
Another 4+ weeks.
I may have to play that bootleg one again tonight for my Animals surround fix.
Well aren't you special.
LOL
No update for me as yet, still listed as -Friday, September 16, 2022.
The waiting in last few weeks for something like this is just a Killer!
The waiting in last few weeks for something like this is just a Killer!
I don't think there's any definitive proof, but my educated guess is that the mooted Animals quad mix was simply a victim of bad timing.
Maybe one of the Pink Floyd experts can chime in, but it's my understanding that the stereo mixing of the album was done at the very tail end of 1976 (or even the very beginning of January 1977 if you believe Wikipedia) and the album was released that month. The band embarked on a 6 month tour almost simultaneously, so you'd imagine preparations and rehearsals for the tour probably started almost as soon as the album was in the can.
From what I can gather, the band's new (at the time) Brittania Row Studios was quad equipped, and I'm sure Columbia would've been more than happy to foot the bill for the quad mix, as they released more than two-dozen pop albums in quad between the beginning of 1976 and the end of April 1977, when their final batch of quad releases (RTF Musicmagic, Isley Bros. Go For Your Guns, and Wild Cherry Electrified Funk). So, Animals is well within that window having been released in January 1977.
I think if Floyd had been a smaller band with less artistic control (or had a less hands-on approach) you probably would've seen them hand the master tapes over to either their engineer (Brian Humphries, who did WYWH) or CBS's in-house guys (Larry Keyes or Don Young) to do a quad mix while they were on tour, but being as they were they probably wanted to have a say in how it was done, and there was no way that could happen until the tour was over. The problem was that by the time the tour was over and Roger Waters had spit on the kid in Montreal, it was July 1977 and CBS's quad program had been dead for 3 months already (not to mention EMI's which I'm pretty sure hadn't had a pop quad release since WYWH in 1975) so the moment of opportunity had passed.
As others have already said upthread, the band didn't seem to have a problem with including the rough-around-the-edges (to say the least) test quad mix of Echoes on the box set, so I'm sure if there was an extant quad mix of Animals they would've included it on this new Blu-Ray, and so you can pretty safely infer that it doesn't exist as a result.
Maybe one of the Pink Floyd experts can chime in, but it's my understanding that the stereo mixing of the album was done at the very tail end of 1976 (or even the very beginning of January 1977 if you believe Wikipedia) and the album was released that month. The band embarked on a 6 month tour almost simultaneously, so you'd imagine preparations and rehearsals for the tour probably started almost as soon as the album was in the can.
From what I can gather, the band's new (at the time) Brittania Row Studios was quad equipped, and I'm sure Columbia would've been more than happy to foot the bill for the quad mix, as they released more than two-dozen pop albums in quad between the beginning of 1976 and the end of April 1977, when their final batch of quad releases (RTF Musicmagic, Isley Bros. Go For Your Guns, and Wild Cherry Electrified Funk). So, Animals is well within that window having been released in January 1977.
I think if Floyd had been a smaller band with less artistic control (or had a less hands-on approach) you probably would've seen them hand the master tapes over to either their engineer (Brian Humphries, who did WYWH) or CBS's in-house guys (Larry Keyes or Don Young) to do a quad mix while they were on tour, but being as they were they probably wanted to have a say in how it was done, and there was no way that could happen until the tour was over. The problem was that by the time the tour was over and Roger Waters had spit on the kid in Montreal, it was July 1977 and CBS's quad program had been dead for 3 months already (not to mention EMI's which I'm pretty sure hadn't had a pop quad release since WYWH in 1975) so the moment of opportunity had passed.
As others have already said upthread, the band didn't seem to have a problem with including the rough-around-the-edges (to say the least) test quad mix of Echoes on the box set, so I'm sure if there was an extant quad mix of Animals they would've included it on this new Blu-Ray, and so you can pretty safely infer that it doesn't exist as a result.
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And let's not overlook the very fact that by the time ANIMALS was released, Quadraphonic sound was declared moribund by the audio rags [critics], owners of audio salons, both large and small and the public in general.
If ONLY what the creators of SQ, QS and CD~4 could've translated what they heard in their studios from those QUAD master tapes could've reached the ears of those critics and QUAD naysayers, we might've and probably could've had a different scenario altogether.
TODAY, we have that luxury which is why QQ Forum exists .... but back then the technology was just not viable NOR reliable. And those recording artists knew it which is why we didn't get a whole lot more Quadraphonic recordings from that golden age of music!
And quite frankly what we did get was HARDLY indicative of the creme de la creme of what that splendiferous era of music had to offer!
If ONLY what the creators of SQ, QS and CD~4 could've translated what they heard in their studios from those QUAD master tapes could've reached the ears of those critics and QUAD naysayers, we might've and probably could've had a different scenario altogether.
TODAY, we have that luxury which is why QQ Forum exists .... but back then the technology was just not viable NOR reliable. And those recording artists knew it which is why we didn't get a whole lot more Quadraphonic recordings from that golden age of music!
And quite frankly what we did get was HARDLY indicative of the creme de la creme of what that splendiferous era of music had to offer!
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CarlosFandango
New member
steelydave - many thanks for your comprehensive reply. Sadly, I have to agree...
I do recall reading somewhere that Pink Floyd were still finalizing Animals close to the deadline. On Wed 19 Jan 1977 a press preview was held at Battersea Power Station*. On Fri 21 Jan Animals was released in the UK and Sun 23 Jan was the first date of the In the Flesh tour in Dortmund. So that left no time for the Floyd to work on a quad mix and, as you say, they would have wanted to be involved - especially after having gone to the trouble of setting up their own studio at Britannia Row. So the intended quad mix was likely put on the back burner and, by the time the tour was over, the moment had passed.
And yes, the non-appearance of the mythical quad mix in these new releases pretty much confirms it was exactly that - mythical.
* Miles: "Animals was played for the press at Battersea Power Station. The tape wasn't put on until late in the reception and was only played once, consequently few people were able to hear it properly because of the noise of the party."
"Ooh, look - free booze and nibbles! Album? What album?"
Reminds me of the party at the end of Welcome to the Machine which I've always interpreted as the Floyd having a dig at recording industry junkets. Ironic foreshadowing?
I do recall reading somewhere that Pink Floyd were still finalizing Animals close to the deadline. On Wed 19 Jan 1977 a press preview was held at Battersea Power Station*. On Fri 21 Jan Animals was released in the UK and Sun 23 Jan was the first date of the In the Flesh tour in Dortmund. So that left no time for the Floyd to work on a quad mix and, as you say, they would have wanted to be involved - especially after having gone to the trouble of setting up their own studio at Britannia Row. So the intended quad mix was likely put on the back burner and, by the time the tour was over, the moment had passed.
And yes, the non-appearance of the mythical quad mix in these new releases pretty much confirms it was exactly that - mythical.
* Miles: "Animals was played for the press at Battersea Power Station. The tape wasn't put on until late in the reception and was only played once, consequently few people were able to hear it properly because of the noise of the party."
"Ooh, look - free booze and nibbles! Album? What album?"
Reminds me of the party at the end of Welcome to the Machine which I've always interpreted as the Floyd having a dig at recording industry junkets. Ironic foreshadowing?
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CarlosFandango
New member
Right, in Jan '77, the writing was certainly on the wall for quadraphonic - but, as steelydave said (post #1,832 above) - it was not yet completely dead:
So, it seems highly likely, if Floyd would have had the time to produce a quad mix of Animals in Jan '77 then EMI/Harvest and Columbia would have released it. Although it is plausible that - because quadraphonic was already on the way out - this may have been a factor in them deciding not to make time for a quad mix.
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mutant_matt
Active Member
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- Jan 9, 2017
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- 75
Damn it! I just double checked my Amazon UK pre-order and it now says release (and therefore delivery) date of 7th October!!!
The Deluxe box-set shows a Friday 07 October release date on Amazon UK. The stand-alone Blu-ray audio disc still shows a Friday 16 September release date...Damn it! I just double checked my Amazon UK pre-order and it now says release (and therefore delivery) date of 7th October!!!
If you ordered the box set, then the October 7th release date is accurate. Sept. 16 is just for the standalone blu ray (SACD as well?)Damn it! I just double checked my Amazon UK pre-order and it now says release (and therefore delivery) date of 7th October!!!
JulesRules
600 Club - QQ All-Star
The only surround mix done for the exhibition was for the Live 8 performance of "Comfortably Numb".
JPC is now offering the Blu-ray again but the price has increased to match the other vendors.
mutant_matt
Active Member
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- Jan 9, 2017
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I did indeed order the box set, but seemed to have "remembered" the 16th as the date....
At least I'll be able to listen to the whole thing in stereo via Qobuz from the 16th in the mean time...
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