Santana "Welcome" 7-inch Sony Japan MultiCh SACD coming November 29th, 2023

[cjmayer]

Is the title embossed on the
jacket cover, like the first SQ and 2ch pressings?

It definitely is...

 

[Quad Linda]

DHL has moved up my delivery to later today.

 

[Blackwood]

DHL has moved up my delivery to later today.

Hoping for the same. It’s at that point in the journey where it usually looks good to be on the truck later.

It never fails to impress me how quick DHL will get it from Japan to my door here in the U.S.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Looking forward to mine soon and hearing what the members here think of the mix. It will be the first time many have ever heard the Quad (hopefully still a good impression.)

Did this Quad originally ever have a Japanese release?

Flora Purim with some delightful vocals here

 

[reidc]

DHL has moved up my delivery to later today.

Mine was set for Thursday, but it is showing out for delivery today from Boston.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Looking forward to mine soon and hearing what the members here think of the mix. It will be the first time many have ever heard the Quad (hopefully still a good impression.)

Did this Quad originally ever have a Japanese release?

Flora Purim with some delightful vocals here

GREAT track, Pupster and should sound 'incendiary' in QUAD

DHL will deliver WELCOME and other assorted MQA/SHM~SACD goodies later today.

Am still blown away by SONY Japan's recent LOVE DEVOTION SURRENDER. IMO, one of the label's best sounding QUAD remasters to date!

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Here's the Google translation from the CDJapan description in Japanese. I bolded the section about whether it had an original Japanese Quad release (since I didn't know and didn't find a listing in discogs.) Looks like maybe Lotus was the most recent and last Quad release back in the 70's, with a Lotus release as late as 1977. Members, please follow me up with any corrections!

So my next question is: why didn't the Quad have a Japanese release?

"The 5th album ``Welcome'' released in November of the same year, which included four songs performed at the first performance in Japan in the summer of 1973, was the first studio work by the New Santana Band, which appeared at the first performance in Japan. . In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the release of this work, which has shifted to a fantastic and elegant fusion sound, including the use of a female singer for the first time in addition to the vocalist Leon Thomas who came to Japan, this is the world's first SA-CD. The multi-hybrid version is finally here! With the strong impact of the historic live album ``Legend of Lotus'' released the following year, it encapsulates the Santana sound of those days, which is especially familiar to Japanese fans. The original quadraphonic version (4ch mix), which was not released in Japan at the time, was converted to DSD, allowing you to enjoy a high-quality surround mix with a different level of realism from a regular stereo disc. It is also the latest remastered version using SA-CD stereo high-resolution master. The package is a 7-inch paper jacket that is an elaborately resized version of the US version of the Quadraphonic LP, and the overseas announcement poster from that time is also reprinted. A permanent preservation disc coveted by Santana fans around the world! A specially planned disc from Japan."

 

[MikeMonaco]

Mine just arrived….will do first listen later this afternoon

 

[steelydave]

Here's the Google translation from the CDJapan description in Japanese. I bolded the section about whether it had an original Japanese Quad release (since I didn't know and didn't find a listing in discogs.) Looks like maybe Lotus was the most recent and last Quad release back in the 70's, with a Lotus release as late as 1977. Members, please follow me up with any corrections!

So my next question is: why didn't the Quad have a Japanese release?

"The 5th album ``Welcome'' released in November of the same year, which included four songs performed at the first performance in Japan in the summer of 1973, was the first studio work by the New Santana Band, which appeared at the first performance in Japan. . In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the release of this work, which has shifted to a fantastic and elegant fusion sound, including the use of a female singer for the first time in addition to the vocalist Leon Thomas who came to Japan, this is the world's first SA-CD. The multi-hybrid version is finally here! With the strong impact of the historic live album ``Legend of Lotus'' released the following year, it encapsulates the Santana sound of those days, which is especially familiar to Japanese fans. The original quadraphonic version (4ch mix), which was not released in Japan at the time, was converted to DSD, allowing you to enjoy a high-quality surround mix with a different level of realism from a regular stereo disc. It is also the latest remastered version using SA-CD stereo high-resolution master. The package is a 7-inch paper jacket that is an elaborately resized version of the US version of the Quadraphonic LP, and the overseas announcement poster from that time is also reprinted. A permanent preservation disc coveted by Santana fans around the world! A specially planned disc from Japan."

It's one of the more baffling things about Sony Japan's quadraphonic output, given how popular Santana was there (and globally, really) and Sony Japan having quadraphonic skin in the game as the rights owner for the SQ system. Abraxas, Santana III, Caravanserai and Santana & Buddy Miles Live were all issued on quad LP there (no Q8s) as well as a 45rpm single of Black Magic Woman / Everybody's Everything. I think Abraxas and III were issued as part of Sony's first wave of SQ discs in late 1971, followed by Caravanserai and the live album with Buddy Miles in 1972, but no other Santana albums came out in quad in Japan after that except for Lotus in 1974, which almost doesn't even count given it was a single-inventory release.

The reason I say it's baffling is that even though neither Welcome nor Love Devotion Surrender with John McLaughlin (which both came out in 1973) were released in Japan in quad, it wasn't like Sony was out of the quad game by that point. Though they weren't putting out quad albums as often as '71/'72, they continued to issue SQ LPs of Western artists well into early 1974, including Chase's Pure Music and Kris Kristofferson's Spooky Lady's Sideshow, amongst others. The only educated guess I can make is that maybe they felt like the market was already saturated with Santana quad product with the four releases they'd already put out, or that the sales for those albums wasn't what they were hoping for.

It's also possible that customer feedback about the quality of SQ decoding (especially in those early days, when it was pretty abysmal) may have influenced the decision - Japan also embraced CD-4 much more readily than other places, and in that transitional era around 1973 a number of labels switched from matrix to CD-4 LP issues (including Polydor and King, who were the licensee for a number of Western labels including Deram, CTI, A&M and others) so maybe Sony saw the writing on the wall and figured they'd rather just focus on selling Santana's stereo product which probably outsold the quad at 20:1 or more.

 

[wombat63]

Is the title embossed on the
jacket cover, like the first SQ and 2ch pressings?

Yes. It has an embossed title.

 

[JonUrban]

..... It's also possible that customer feedback about the quality of SQ decoding (especially in those early days, when it was pretty abysmal) may have influenced the decision - Japan also embraced CD-4 much more readily than other places, and in that transitional era around 1973 a number of labels switched from matrix to CD-4 LP issues (including Polydor and King, who were the licensee for a number of Western labels including Deram, CTI, A&M and others) so maybe Sony saw the writing on the wall and figured they'd rather just focus on selling Santana's stereo product which probably outsold the quad at 20:1 or more.

I think Dave is right about this. People don't remember that well because we had no "Quad community" other than some newsletters and such, but SQ was trending toward very disappointing status in the mid 70s, despite what some SQ fanboys might tell you, as everything hinged on the Tate coming out. Some of the store bought cheap decoders and "Quad systems with built in decoding" were down right horrible at the time and sounded barely better than a Hafler circuit. While a Q8 could raise eyebrows up with astonishing surround, an SQ playback on a shitty decoder mostly generated yawns. Sadly, the Tate arrived after the party was about over for all formats. I never realized that SQ wasn't that bad until I got a Tate, and later a Surround Master. I had never heard it properly decoded - ever.

I think Japan, especially, was enamored with CD-4 by that time and Sony Japan knew that

 

[Gmat25]

Arrived this afternoon. Loving it!

 

[Quad Linda]

Arrived!

Expecting great things musically and mix-wise, just like the original!

 

[cornwall198]

Mine just arrived this evening from CDJapan! Those guys are quick - love ‘em. First listen now going brilliantly well so far - beautiful stuff!!!

 

[SHB]

Mine arrived this evening. Spinning it now. Wowie! Most excellent. I never heard this album before. I'm really digging it.

 

[MikeMonaco]

Just completed my first listen -- glorious. Drums and all types of percussion everywhere on several of the songs. The vocals are superb, sometimes the singers catch you dreaming but WAKE you up from a different channel. And of course, Carlos expressing his pure joy. Very uplifting, like many Santana albums makes me feel like I've been to church. Thank you cdjapan and DHL for very fast delivery.

 

[JonUrban]

Mine just arrived this evening from CDJapan! Those guys are quick - love ‘em. First listen now going brilliantly well so far - beautiful stuff!!!

CDJapan is outstanding getting this stuff to us/me. I give them so much credit with regard to packing and shipping. Discs are always safe and perfect, and show up faster than many domestic companies. They are well worth whatever they charge, IMHO.

 

[4-earredwonder]

CDJapan is outstanding getting this stuff to us/me. I give them so much credit with regard to packing and shipping. Discs are always safe and perfect, and show up faster than many domestic companies. They are well worth whatever they charge, IMHO.

As I opened my CDJapan package containing 8 discs, 5 of which came in plastic CD Cases I had to marvel, as you say, the care they take. They look like they just came off the presses .......unlike so many companies who could care less how they ship the discs. And I'm certain if they came across a cracked CD case they'd put it aside and substitute it with another.

BRAVO CDJapan .....and your prices are great, as well.

WILL NEVER COMPLAIN AGAIN ABOUT THE COST OF DHL s/h especially after experiencing some of the rip off prices other vendors charge just to ship one or two discs. [$24.80 via DHL to ship 8 discs including Welcome and 5 in CD plastic cases]

 

[JediJoker]

Mine arrived today. Packed in the usual CDJapan cardboard box, padded with paper and wrapped in bubble wrap. I'm about 4 hours flight from Japan, so mine arrived a bit earlier than most.

View attachment 98797

Mine arrived today as well, in Oregon. CDJapan (using DHL) really is the best when it comes to shipping.

 

[beerking]

Just got home from seeing the 2 grandchildren and....

A thing of beauty is there, to greet me!!
The Santana Quad release...