Polydor Japan RM/QS & CD-4 LPs (info/history)

[steelydave]

I was browsing through quad auction listings a little while back, and a couple of Japanese albums in quad from Polydor caught my eye, because Polydor didn't really do any quad aside from (I believe) a handful of James Last and Roberto Delgado Q8s that were released only in Canada for some reason.

I had a look through @Mark Anderson 's Japanese quad discography and some of the Polydor Japan releases were there, but there seemed to be few missing (sequentially) if you put them all in numerical order. So thanks to my inquisitive nature and some spare time to do some Googling, I believe I was able to find all the missing/previously unknown titles, so I thought I'd do a catch-all thread for all things Polydor Japan like some of the other various label threads I've done so that all the info is in one place for reference.

Just a disclaimer - all the Polydor Japan releases were Japanese domestic artists, so if that's not your thing you can stop reading now and back out. It's not particularly interesting to me musically either (with a couple of the jazzier ones an exception) but I think by putting all this info together you get a fuller historical picture of how each label approached quad.

There are a few different prefixes and numbers in the series, but I've put them in what I think are roughly chronological order. Interesting that they started out with a couple of CD-4 releases in 1971 (which would have been some of the format's earliest, alongside JVC/RCA's earliest ones, then switched to RM for a bit, and then back to CD-4.

All the RM ones are marked 'CM-4' on the obi and inside the album, but it also denotes that it conforms to the RM spec. Definitive information is tough to find, but I believe that what happened is the Japanese record associations standardised RM as a kind of "open source" version of QS, and then different companies just made up their own "brand names" for it - Polydor's was CM-4, whereas Nippon-Columbia's was QX, etc.

I've hyperlinked the catalog numbers of the albums that have discogs entries - for the others where I have photos, I'll include them in some subsequent posts.

CATALOG NUMBER	RELEASE DATE	ARTIST	TITLE	NOTES
GR-1001	--/--/71​	Toshiyuki Miyama & New Herd Orchestra	Eternity? ・Epos	CD-4
GR-1002	--/--/71​	Film Symphonic Orchestra	Four Infinities 'Spectacular In Sound' 華麗なる空間 スペクタクル・スクリーン・アルバム	CD-4
AR-2001	--/--/72​	Goro Noguchi 野口五郎	Goro On Stage	RM
AR-2002	25/06/72​	Tokiko Kato 加藤登纪子	Tokiko Kato '72 - April 11 Shibuya Public Hall 加藤登纪子 '72　4月11日 渋谷公会堂	RM
AR-2003	21/11/72​	Tokiko Kato 加藤登纪子	Midsummer Night Concert '72.7.25 Hibiya Amphitheater' 真夏の夜のコンサート '72.7.25 日比谷野外音楽堂	RM
AR-9001 / 2	10/03/72​	Kenji Sawada 沢田研二	Julie III Sawada Kenji Recital ジュリー III リサイタル	RM
MR-9096 / 7	--/--/72​	PYG	Free With PYG 'PYG Live Album In Colosseum	RM
GR-2001	--/--/73​	Takeshi Inomata & Sound Limited 猪俣猛とサウンドリミテッド	Yesterday イエスタデイ	CD-4
GR-2002	--/--/73​	Film Symphonic Orchestra フィルム・シンフォニック・オーケストラ	Enchanting Movie Music (Music from The Godfather & Jeux Interdits) 魅惑の映画音楽「禁じられた遊び」から「ゴッドファーザー」	CD-4
GR-2003	--/--/74​	Soundtrack	<A Story Presented by Ultra's Parents> Shine!! Ultra Six Brothers <ウルトラの父母が贈る物語> 輝け!! ウルトラ六兄弟	CD-4
GR-2004	--/--/74​	Harumi Ibe 伊部晴美	A Melody of Old-Fashioned Nostalgia "Sighing For Lover" 心にしみる懐かしのメロディ一 "影を慕いて"	CD-4
GR-2005	--/--/74​	Kanji Harada / Osamu Shoji & Sound Creation 原田寛治 / 東海林修とサウンド・クリエーション	Drum, Drum, Drum ドラム,ドラム, ドラム	CD-4
GR-2006	--/--/75​	Yoichi Sugawara 菅原洋一	Live (UNABLE TO CONFIRM EXISTENCE)	CD-4
GR-7001	--/--/75​	Yoichi Sugawara 菅原洋一	Yoichi Sugawara Recital - Special Seat 菅原洋一 リサイタル 特別席	CD-4

 

[steelydave]

GR-1002: Film Symphonic Orchestra 'Four Infinities - Spectacular In Sound' (1971)


Side 1:
1. Ben Hur
2. Tara's Theme
3. Theme From Love Story
4. Peter Gunn
5. Born Free

Side 2:
1. Theme From "Lawrence of Arabia"
2. Baby Elephant Walk
3. El Cid
4. Exodus
5. Giant


AR-2001: Goro Noguchi 'Goro On Stage'


Side 1:
1. オープニング～ゴロー・ヒット・メドレー
2. 悲しみの日曜日
3. 愛のレッスン
4. ゴー・アウェイ・リトル・ガール　(Go Away Little Girl)
5. マイ・ワールド　 (My World)
6. クレイジー・ラブ　 (Crazy Love)

Side 2:
1. 君の手紙
2. 初恋の季節
3. 傷ついた小鳥たち
4. スィート・キャロラ　(Sweet Calorine [sic])
5. マミー・ブルー　 (Mamy Blue [sic])
6. 悲しみの日曜日
7. 青いリンゴ

 

[steelydave]

AR-2002: Tokiko Kato 'Tokiko Kato '72 - April 11 Shibuya Public Hall'


Side 1:
1. 人はいつしか年老いて
2. 色即是空
3. インカの娘
4. 夜のバラ
5. 逃匪行より「無題」
6. あんたのいない部屋
7. 五右衛門節

Side 2:
1. マリー・マリー
2. 黒い鷲
3. さくらんぼの実る頃
4. 美しき五月のパリ
5. 日暮れにうたう唄
6. 風に吹かれていたら


AR-2003: Tokiko Kato 'Midsummer Night Concert - 72.7.25 Hibiya Amphitheater'

(Note the gatefold has a full page about CM-4 / RM 4 Channel sound)

Side 1:
1. 色即是空
2. けだるいワルツ
3. 首吊り男
4. 阳気なブルース
5. 夕べ酒场で闻いた歌
6. ペペという男

Side 2:
1. 谷间のカルナバリート
2. 花祭り
3. 伤心
4. 美しき五月のパリ
5. 知床旅情
6. ゲバラ?アーミオ

 

[steelydave]

GR-2001: Takeshi Inomata & Sound Limited 'Yesterday'

(Note the second cover with English writing, apparently it was released in the Philippines)

Despite the nekkid lady cover, this is actual an album of Beatles covers (!)

Side 1:
1. 恋を抱きしめよう ("We Can Work It Out")
2. イエスタデイ ("Yesterday")
3. ペニー・レーン～ガール ("Penny Lane / Girl")
4. ヘイ・ジュード ("Hey Jude")
5. レット・イット・ビー ("Let It Be")
6. カム・トゥゲザー ("Come Together")

Side 2:
1. 涙の乗車券 ("Ticket to Ride")
2. ミシェル ("Michelle")
3. シー・ラヴズ・ユー～デイ・トリッパー ("She Loves You / Day Tripper")
4. 抱きしめたい ("I Want to Hold Your Hand")
5. サムシング ("Something")
6. ハロー・グッドバイ ("Hello Goodbye")


GR-2002: Music from 'The Godfather' & 'Jeux Interdits'
(No photos yet)

Side 1:
1. メロディ･フェア(小さな恋のメロディ) ("Melody Fair" from the film 'Melody')
2. ゴッドファーザー/愛のテーマ ("Speak Softly Love (Love Theme from The Godfather)")
3. ある愛の詩 ("Love Story")
4. 雨の訪問者/ワルツ ("La Valse Du Mariage")
5. ガラスの部屋 ("Che Vuole Questa Musica Stasera")
6. 愛のレッスン(個人教授) ("La Lecon Particuliere")
7. 白い恋人たち ("White Lovers")

Side 2:
1. ロミオとジュリエット ("Romeo & Juliet")
2. サウンド･オブ･サイレンス(卒業) ("Sound of Silence from 'The Graduate'")
3. 死ぬほど愛して(刑事) ("Sinnò Me Moro")
4. 太陽がいっぱい ("Plein Soleil")
5. 鉄道員 ("Railroad Workers")
6. エデンの東 ("East of Eden")
7. 禁じられた遊び ("Jeux Interdits")


GR-2003: Soundtrack - 'Shine!! Ultra Six Brothers <A Story Presented by Ultra's Parents>'

(This appears to be part of the long-running 'Ultraman' anime cartoon series.)


GR-2004: Harumi Ibe 'A Melody of Old-Fashioned Nostalgia "Sighing For Lover"'

 

[steelydave]

GR-2005: Kanji Harada / Osamu Shoji & Sound Creation 'Drum, Drum, Drum'


Side 1:
1. One Way Ticket
2. Oh! Carol
3. Lipstick on Your Collar
4. You Are My Destiny
5. The Diary
6. Jailhouse Rock

Side 2:
1. Diana
2. Runnaway
3. Kissing on the Phone
4. Love Me Tender
5. Crazy Love
6. Rock Around the Clock


GR-7001: Yoichi Sugawara 'Recital - Special Seat'


Side 1:
1. 誰もいない海
2. バラ色の人生
3. 私の心はヴァイオリン
4. 愛の嵐
5. 枯葉

Side 2:
1. Let Me Try Again
2. 行かないで
3. 海と空
4. 忘れな草をあなたに
5. 別れの讃歌

 

[willothewisp]

All the RM ones are marked 'CM-4' on the obi and inside the album, but it also denotes that it conforms to the RM spec. Definitive information is tough to find, but I believe that what happened is the Japanese record associations standardised RM as a kind of "open source" version of QS, and then different companies just made up their own "brand names" for it - Polydor's was CM-4, whereas Nippon-Columbia's was QX, etc.

an interesting article but there is proof that there were three different matrix systems in japan and they were not just renamed versions of qs. these were qs, qx and qm

 

[boojidad]

Polydor Japan also released the Tommy soundtrack in QS. Have a look.

 

[fredblue]

Polydor Japan also released the Tommy soundtrack in QS. Have a look.


View attachment 33889View attachment 33890

great pics, thank you!

I notice it says "Quintaphonic Sound" on the obi., does this decode (via QS?) as the same Quintaphonic mix as the movie itself on DVD & Blu-ray?

 

[boojidad]

True it says "Quintaphonic", but it's got the QS logo. Hmm.......

 

[fredblue]

True it says "Quintaphonic", but it's got the QS logo. Hmm.......

indeed.. it is very interesting..!!
i will try and find a copy of this one (hope its not super rare and pricey!) thanks so much for the photos, its very useful.

 

[steelydave]

Fascinating pictures indeed. My feeling is that the LP itself probably isn't quad encoded, but who knows. The articles I read about the 'Quintaphonic' presentation of Tommy suggested that cinemas were delivered some kind of 3-track mix, and basically the way it was set up was that the front left and right were QS-encoded and those were run through a QS decoder to produce the rear left and right channels, and then the 3rd track would produced a discrete center channel.

 

[fredblue]

Fascinating pictures indeed. My feeling is that the LP itself probably isn't quad encoded, but who knows. The articles I read about the 'Quintaphonic' presentation of Tommy suggested that cinemas were delivered some kind of 3-track mix, and basically the way it was set up was that the front left and right were QS-encoded and those were run through a QS decoder to produce the rear left and right channels, and then the 3rd track would produced a discrete center channel.

ooh.. the plot thickens like gravy!
in which case this LP set might decode with "vocal-less" versions of some of the tracks (pretty sure this is how Pinball Wizard on one of the DVDs was mixed with EJ vocal hard in the Centre!?).. ooh I could just murder a karaoke version of Tina's "Acid Queen".. "i'm a gypsyyyyyy, the acid queen! pay me before i'm done!!" rock n f***in' roll, maaaaaannn..!!!

 

[atrocity]

Fascinating pictures indeed. My feeling is that the LP itself probably isn't quad encoded, but who knows. The articles I read about the 'Quintaphonic' presentation of Tommy suggested that cinemas were delivered some kind of 3-track mix, and basically the way it was set up was that the front left and right were QS-encoded and those were run through a QS decoder to produce the rear left and right channels, and then the 3rd track would produced a discrete center channel.

My understanding is that theaters were shipped standard 35mm magnetic prints. Houses that didn't upgrade used all four tracks in the traditional way, with three screen channels and mono surround. Quintophonic houses discarded the mono surround channel, used the center channel normally and QS decoded the left and right to give split surround.

It makes a certain amount of technical sense, but I don't know if it's true. For one thing, standard 4-track houses would have sound intended for both front and rear combined into the left-right fronts, which makes me wonder what would actually be on the hypothetical mono surround track. The answer may be "very little"--that mono surround track used to be referred to as the "effects channel" and usually (always?) was controlled by a tone that turned the volume up and down so the audience wouldn't be subjected to constant hiss when (as would normally be the case) nothing was supposed to be coming from there.

 

[Circular Vibes]

I bought that Tommy set from Japan and it did not seem to decode. I don't know where the thread is, but I was informed that only the US Ode pressing is actually quad. It is a shame as I prefer the sound of Japanese vinyl when I can afford it. If my memory serves, and it frequently doesn't, I think Mark Anderson was the one who informed me it wasn't really quad. Now, if you want a Polydor QS LP that sounds good, Pyg is a decent live rock album that was single inventory. Much of it is in english and there is competent guitar work on it. I wish my copy was in better shape.

 

[Circular Vibes]

Original discussion

After some sleuthing, I found the original discussion on the Japanese Tommy.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

I was browsing through quad auction listings a little while back, and a couple of Japanese albums in quad from Polydor caught my eye, because Polydor didn't really do any quad aside from (I believe) a handful of James Last and Roberto Delgado Q8s that were released only in Canada for some reason.

Not to sure if your aware of two other quad eight tracks released by Polydor Canada .
Both Eric Clapton 's Q8 'S were released on the Polydor/RSO label here . It's rather strange actually , as Atlantic Warner Canada had the two CD-4 discs imported in from the U.S. I found it a little unusual to see Clapton's quad album "There's One In Every Crowd " in the dark blue Polygram Quad slip cover .
They must of had some sort of labels agreement perhaps , because at that time Polydor/RSO issued Clapton's stereo albums . And both here and Great Britain , Polydor handled Clapton's catalogue .
Don't know if there was also a Q8 from Polydor released in Great Britian though ?

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I find this inside cover info fascinating for that Polydor ‎– GR 1001 title.

It shows artist's respective position, mic's and their setup locations, and other recording info!


Unfortunately, prices for this one are in the Stratosphere, and since it's CD-4, I wouldn't want any less than NM at the very least.

 

[par4ken]

True it says "Quintaphonic", but it's got the QS logo. Hmm.......

Quintaphonic is recognition of the use of a front centre channel, otherwise it's just QS.

Strange how this "Tommy" was said to be QS, reported in multiple sources and even shown with the QS logo on the record cover (or OBI at least). Now days every ones believes that it is not encoded!

My suspicion is that it may be QS but with the music mixed into the front channels the same way as modern 5.1 Dolby soundtracks are usually done. The recording is a narrow stereo mix for sure. When I was making my digital copy of the LP I noticed the music was mainly up front but the non musical parts especially on side 3 seemed to be very submersive.


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