Sono Radio Cuadrafonico QS Recordings from Peru

[Mark Anderson]

Sono Radio in Peru issued some quadraphonic records in the QS format. The discographies currently list 7 LP's. Their are 9 gaps between the catalog numbers that are known and am hoping someone can fill in the wholes.
It appears that all the Quad recordings where also issued in Stereo. A few of the Quad titles have made it to CD but it is unknown at this time if any of the Quad recordings have surfaced in the Digital age.

CHABUCA GRANDA With DON LUIS GONZALEZ -Paso De Vencedores. Sono Radio QS 1001 (QS) [Peru]
BLACK SUGAR -Black Sugar II. Sono Radio QS 1002 (QS) [Peru]
QS 1003
QS 1004
Santana - Greatest Hits. Sono Radio QS 1005 (QS) [Peru] {Could be SQ}
Azteca - Pyramid of the Moon. Sono Radio QS 1006 (QS) [Peru] {Could be SQ or a misprint}
Earth Wind and Fire - Open Your Eyes. Sono Radio QS 1007 (QS) [Peru] {Could be SQ}
QS 1008
LUIS ALVA -Paraiso Instrumental II. Sono Radio QS 1009 (QS) [Peru]
LUIS ALVA -Peru Instrumental. Sono Radio QS 1010 (QS) [Peru]
LUIS ALVA -Paraiso Instrumental III. Sono Radio QS 1011 (QS) [Peru]
QS 1012
QS 1013
QS 1014
LUIS ALVA -Algeria. Sono Radio QS 1015 (QS) [Peru]
JULIO MORI -Vamos A Seguirla. Sono Radio QS 1016 (QS) [Peru]

 

[vinylguy4]

I know about 3 of these, I have 2 of them.
QS-1005 - Santana - Greatest Hits
QS-1006 - Azteca - Pyramid of the Moon
QS-1007 - Earth Wind and Fire - Open Your Eyes
Has the gold columbia label but with QS instead of SQ.

 

[sjcorne]

I know about 3 of these, I have 2 of them.
QS-1005 - Santana - Greatest Hits
QS-1006 - Azteca - Pyramid of the Moon
QS-1007 - Earth Wind and Fire - Open Your Eyes
Has the gold columbia label but with QS instead of SQ.

Wow! Can you post pics? I was only aware of the self-titled Azteca album being released in quad. Are the Santana and EWF titles the same mixes as the US SQ/Q8 versions?

 

[vinylguy4]

When the new surround master arrives, I can listen to see if they are sq or qs or stereo. I haven't listened in a long time, don't remember.
I saw the Santana GH on ebay, but I don't have it.

 

[rustyandi]

Sono Radio in Peru issued some quadraphonic records in the QS format. The discographies currently list 7 LP's. Their are 9 gaps between the catalog numbers that are known and am hoping someone can fill in the wholes.
It appears that all the Quad recordings where also issued in Stereo. A few of the Quad titles have made it to CD but it is unknown at this time if any of the Quad recordings have surfaced in the Digital age.

CHABUCA GRANDA With DON LUIS GONZALEZ -Paso De Vencedores. Sono Radio QS 1001 (QS) [Peru]
BLACK SUGAR -Black Sugar II. Sono Radio QS 1002 (QS) [Peru]
QS 1003
QS 1004
QS 1005
QS 1006
QS 1007
QS 1008
LUIS ALVA -Paraiso Instrumental II. Sono Radio QS 1009 (QS) [Peru]
LUIS ALVA -Peru Instrumental. Sono Radio QS 1010 (QS) [Peru]
LUIS ALVA -Paraiso Instrumental III. Sono Radio QS 1011 (QS) [Peru]
QS 1012
QS 1013
QS 1014
LUIS ALVA -Algeria. Sono Radio QS 1015 (QS) [Peru]
JULIO MORI -Vamos A Seguirla. Sono Radio QS 1016 (QS) [Peru]

Mark
I have the LP and CD of BLACK SUGAR -Black Sugar II. Sono Radio QS 1002 (QS) [Peru]
They are only Half QS Quad.1 Side of the LP and half of the CD Why?
Billquad also checked it and found the same thing
Ron

 

[Mark Anderson]

Mark
I have the LP and CD of BLACK SUGAR -Black Sugar II. Sono Radio QS 1002 (QS) [Peru]
They are only Half QS Quad.1 Side of the LP and half of the CD Why?
Billquad also checked it and found the same thing
Ron

So only side 1 is in quad encoded. I have never heard that and would not know why. That is just strange.

 

[Mark Anderson]

When the new surround master arrives, I can listen to see if they are sq or qs or stereo. I haven't listened in a long time, don't remember.
I saw the Santana GH on ebay, but I don't have it.

Wow, the Azteca-Pyramid of the Moon has me perplexed. I would default that it is a misprint at this point as it was never released in quad in any other country. What is more perplexing is that I thought CBS Acquired Sono Radio at some point and after that acquisition Sono still released CBS titles on the Sono label.
What does the run out groove have printed in it? I would love to hear your review when you get a chance, any way to compare to the standard stereo version?

 

[vinylguy4]

Nothing on the front or back covers indicate quadraphonic. They use the sansui QS font but never say QS encoded.
CBS but never say anything about SQ.
Azteca runout QS 1006 A PS / QS 1006 B PS
E W & F - QS 1007 A PS / QS 1007 B PS
That's it, nothing else in the runout area.
So, not just a repress of US stampers.

 

[Mark Anderson]

I have amended the Discography with the following additions. Any help to determine if they are quad would be appreciated by comparing theses to stereo or quad versions from other countries.

AZTECA -Pyramid of the Moon. CBS QS-1006 (QS) [Peru]
{Pyramid of the Moon was issued in Peru with labels that state Columbia Quadraphonic
QS. The cover uses the sansui QS font but but does not list anything about QS
encoding. The matrix runout is QS 1006 A PS / QS 1006 B PS. It is most likely
a misprint as it was never released in quad in any other country. Status has
not yet been determined}

EARTH, WIND & FIRE -Open Our Eyes. CBS QS-1007 (SQ) [Peru]
{The Peru versions label state Columbia Quadraphonic QS. The cover uses the
sansui QS font but but does not list anything about QS encoding. The matrix
runout is QS 1007 A PS / QS 1007 B PS. If it is the Quadraphonic Version it
is probably SQ but could also be the stereo version with a misprint label.
Status has not yet been determined}

SANTANA -Greatest Hits. CBS QS-1005 (QS) [Peru]
{Greatest Hits was issued in Peru, the cover uses the sansui QS font but but does not
list anything about QS encoding. If it is the Quadraphonic Version it is probably SQ
but could also be the stereo version. Status has not yet been determined}

 

[Mark Anderson]

Ron, I have amended the discography with the following note on Black Sugar II based on your's and bigbillquad's past posts.

BLACK SUGAR -
Black Sugar II. Sono Radio QS 1002 (QS) [Peru]
{Two quad collectors have come to the determination that only side 1 is QS encoded
and that side 2 is Mono Stereo}

 

[rustyandi]

Mark I should have said that side 2 is Stereo
Sorry

 

[Mark Anderson]

Thanks for the clarification Ron, I will get that changed

 

[vinylguy4]

Nothing on the front or back covers indicate quadraphonic. They use the sansui QS font but never say QS encoded.
CBS but never say anything about SQ.
Azteca runout QS 1006 A PS / QS 1006 B PS
E W & F - QS 1007 A PS / QS 1007 B PS
That's it, nothing else in the runout area.
So, not just a repress of US stampers.

Ok, so I got my Surround Master v2 hooked up and gave these two a good listen.
I think they are both SQ encoded.
Earth Wind And Fire - Open Our Eyes, I have the US SQ LP to compare.
Mighty Mighty - the keyboards in left rear and guitar in right rear match for the US SQ and Peru pressings
Tee Nine Chee Bit - guitar in right rear match for the US SQ and Peru pressings.
Playing the Peru pressing in QS does not match the US SQ pressing.

Azteca - Pyramid Of The Moon
I have no other LP or CD to compare so cannot say for sure either way.
But this sounds like SQ to me, the SQ decode sounds better, instruments and voices don't seem to 'wander around' for SQ decode.
Just does not sound like a QS encode to me, instruments/voices just don't seem to come from a distinct place as often.
Plenty going on in the rears for both QS and SQ decode.
So if I had to guess, I would say SQ on this one.

 

[Mark Anderson]

Thanks for taking the time to give us a review. I sure wish we had someone who is familiar with Earth Wind and Fire and could point out the differences between the stereo and quad mix, that would cinch it.
I could immediately identify the differences on Columbia recordings I was really familiar with like Pink Floyd-Wish You Were Here and Ten Years After-A Space in Time. I checked the timings on the stereo and quad LP but they are identical so that does not help.

The SANTANA -Greatest Hits should be a no brainer as both stereo and quad versions are easily accessed and some of the quad mixes are different enough to notice.

AZTECA -Pyramid of the Moon I have never heard but it being a Columbia recording and how the Quad versions were mixed I would suspect that there are differences between the stereo and quad version. if it is indeed quad.
Now we just need someone that has access to both. Since this title was not released in Quad to our knowledge we need some more testing besides a listen through the Surround Master that can make almost anything sound good.

I have always thought that Columbia Quad recordings sounded "muddy" compared to the stereo counterpart in say the 300hz to 1khz region on my favorite recordings that I know so well. That was always a indicator for me but the best is a downright comparison to the stereo.

 

[sjcorne]

Earth Wind And Fire - Open Our Eyes, I have the US SQ LP to compare.
Mighty Mighty - the keyboards in left rear and guitar in right rear match for the US SQ and Peru pressings
Tee Nine Chee Bit - guitar in right rear match for the US SQ and Peru pressings.
Playing the Peru pressing in QS does not match the US SQ pressing.

An easy indication that you're getting a proper decode of the EWF album is on the 2nd track "Devotion", the group vocals should be entirely isolated in the rears (or at least as well as a matrix decode can do that). Also, "Drum Song" should be panning in circles all around the room.

I'd be surprised if these are actually QS-encoded - it seems far-fetched to me than an unknown label in Peru would get access to CBS quad masters and encode them to a different matrix.

 

[boojidad]

Mark: here's info on QS 1012:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Luis-Alva-Vibraciones-Latin-Funk-Soul-Bump-Groove-Quadraphonic-Peru-/192911663268?hash=item2cea6e60a4:g:HvgAAOSwaHlc09Jr&nma=true&si=L83%2FEa7srvxzttSvqd5xK5nBRQI%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557



And I found QS 1013 on Discogs:
https://www.discogs.com/Luis-Alva-Peru-Instrumental-II/release/5696758

 

[Mark Anderson]

I'd be surprised if these are actually QS-encoded - it seems far-fetched to me than an unknown label in Peru would get access to CBS quad masters and encode them to a different matrix.

I agree

 

[Mark Anderson]

Mark: here's info on QS 1012:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Luis-Alva-Vibraciones-Latin-Funk-Soul-Bump-Groove-Quadraphonic-Peru-/192911663268?hash=item2cea6e60a4:g:HvgAAOSwaHlc09Jr&nma=true&si=L83%2FEa7srvxzttSvqd5xK5nBRQI%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

And I found QS 1013 on Discogs:
https://www.discogs.com/Luis-Alva-Peru-Instrumental-II/release/5696758

Thanks so much boojidad, I appreciate you checking and then come to find out QS-1012 is already in the discography and I have photos of QS-1013. This is why I need a second set of eyes! otherwise I would have missed one.
Thanks again. I'll get the Discography updated

 

[steelydave]

Q.S. 1003 is Julio Mori – La Nueva Dimension de Julio Mori (Discogs link here)


Q.S. 1014 is Julio Mori - Musica Criolla Por Sus Cuatro Costados (Full album YouTube stream here)




I think that now accounts for everything between 1001-1016 except for Q.S. 1008, I did multiple searches and couldn't turn up anything. Numerically it follows three fake or mislabelled quads from US artists (Santana - 1005, Azteca - 1006, Earth, Wind & Fire - 1007) so it's possible that whatever was earmarked for this catalog number was never released.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Another one recently acquired from Peru - Luis Alva su Saxo y Orquesta / PERU INSTRUMENTAL QS 1010

If you're a collector, I wouldn't spend too much on these, the Quad mix leaves a lot to be desired IMO. The shipping cost is usually what really jacks up the final price, as most of these seem to come from Peru.

https://www.discogs.com/release/5370515-Luis-Alva-Su-Saxo-Y-Orquesta-Peru-Instrumental