Suggestions for Dutton Vocalion Multichannel SACD Releases

[van1]

My wet dream DV release is the unreleased Quad of Mahavishnu Orchestra's "Apocalypse". It would fit their bill quite nicely - semi-obscure but still a potential seller, it's got orchestra, it needs an audiophile treatment, and the unreleased Quad would be a great selling point. It has also been licensed to another reissue label previously (can't remember which), but that was just a plain CD.

A George Martin production too.

 

[sjcorne]

Would love any and all of these. Which albums of these acts are available in quad and who controls them now?

Three War albums (The World Is A Ghetto, Deliver The Word, War Live) were issued on Q8 by United Artists. I have the Ghetto Q8, and though I haven't spun it in a while, I recall it being a really nice quad mix. Only thing I didn’t like about it is that it has the vocals in all four channels. Haven't heard the other two.

Seven (!!) Stylistics albums (Heavy, Let's Put It All Together, Rock 'n' Roll Baby, Round 2, Thank You Baby, The Stylistics, You Are Beautiful) were issued as Japan-only CD-4 LPs. It was assumed that these were only issued in the CD-4 vinyl format, but early last year several Japanese Stylistics Q8s were discovered in a large lot, along with a Motown title.

I don't know the specifics of who owns what, but I noticed that the 40th Anniversary CD Edition of The World Is A Ghetto was on a reissue label distributed by Universal.

 

[quicksrt]

Seven (!!) Stylistics albums (Heavy, Let's Put It All Together, Rock 'n' Roll Baby, Round 2, Thank You Baby, The Stylistics, You Are Beautiful) were issued as Japan-only CD-4 LPs. It was assumed that these were only issued in the CD-4 vinyl format, but early last year several Japanese Stylistics Q8s were discovered in a large lot, along with a Motown title.

There are enough Stylistics quad mixed albums to assemble a really strong “Best of” in quad.

Not sure about the quad mix quality - but recordings are all first rate.

 

[4-earredwonder]

There are enough Stylistics quad mixed albums to assemble a really strong “Best of” in quad.

Not sure about the quad mix quality - but recordings are all first rate.

Actually enough for a BD~A box set .... but doubtful Rhino/Warner would budge as in 2019 the Sylistics are not exactly a hot commodity!

 

[quicksrt]

Actually enough for a BD~A box set .... but doubtful Rhino/Warner would budge as in 2019 the Sylistics are not exactly a hot commodity!

Does Rhino handle their catalogue now???

 

[bmoura]

Does Rhino handle their catalogue now???

Amherst Records in New York bought the Avco Embassy catalog when the label went bankrupt in 1984.
DV could talk to them about licensing these for release on Surround SACDs. (Warner/Rhino could too if they had an interest in starting reissues of artists on other labels.)

 

[quicksrt]

Amherst Records in New York bought the Avco Embassy catalog when the label went bankrupt in 1984.
DV could talk to them about licensing these for release on Surround SACDs. (Warner/Rhino could too if they had an interest in starting reissues of artists on other labels.)

I wonder if the Avco quad mixdown tapes are still in Japan? If Japan was sent originals? If Avco even saved them and Embassy received them?

I would guess this search would not be as hopeless as some of them prove to be.

Anyway - the artist is IMO a perfect match for D/V. War too, and I’d think the quad mixes are still in the vaults. Avenue records handled or owned the War catalog for a very long time. The owner’s bankruptcy might have changed the ownership.

These are hit filled albums and have aged gracefully. Someone needs to do an inquiry to see if there is anything there if for nothing else.

 

[bmoura]

I wonder if the Avco quad mixdown tapes are still in Japan? If Japan was sent originals? If Avco even saved them and Embassy received them?

DV would check with Amherst Records about what they do and don't have from the Avco Embassy purchase if they have an interest in the Stylistic reissues.
I'd vote for those on Surround SACD to be sure!

 

[key_wiz]

There are enough Stylistics quad mixed albums to assemble a really strong “Best of” in quad.

Not sure about the quad mix quality - but recordings are all first rate.

Odd that out of all of those quad releases, none of them was their 1975 “Best is The Stylistics” which was all killer, no filler!

 

[shakti]

I'd be all over any War release!

 

[bmoura]

Odd that out of all of those quad releases, none of them was their 1975 “Best is The Stylistics” which was all killer, no filler!

The only issue there would be once a Best of album was released, it would reduce the sales of the individual albums.
That's why the reissue labels usually market the individual albums by a group or artist before making the Best of remaster available.

 

[quicksrt]

Odd that out of all of those quad releases, none of them was their 1975 “Best is The Stylistics” which was all killer, no filler!

I own a CD of the 1985 Amherst Records issue. 10 tracks, and all killer alright. There is a small claim notation about using "original analog tapes" and it sure sounds like it. Sounds like they took care in the mastering and their tapes are cared for. Maybe their quad tapes are also cared for.

 

[key_wiz]

The only issue there would be once a Best of album was released, it would reduce the sales of the individual albums.
That's why the reissue labels usually market the individual albums by a group or artist before making the Best of remaster available.

Ahhh. I thought the quads were contemporaneous releases. When did they get mixed/issued as quads?

 

[fredblue]

Ahhh. I thought the quads were contemporaneous releases. When did they get mixed/issued as quads?

the discs i have are dated 1974 & 1975

 

[key_wiz]

the discs i have are dated 1974 & 1975

So they aren’t reissues then.

Now I’m just confused. Lol.

 

[bmoura]

the discs i have are dated 1974 & 1975

Yes, those are the Stylistics CD-4 Quad releases from Japan.

 

[fredblue]

So they aren’t reissues then.

Now I’m just confused. Lol.

i don't know, afaik the albums saw dual inventory in Japan, i'm guessing the S/T album from '73 may have been a subsequent reissue in Quad circa '74 but the rest would've been done in a similar timeframe to the Stereo ('74-'75).

that said, the Motown CD-4 Quads were mostly '74-'75 but the first couple were '73.. so it maybe the Stylistics S/T Quad was indeed done in '73 after all?

as with the Motown CD-4 Quads of studio albums, the Stylistics CD-4's unfortunately give no specific Quad remix engineer credits.

 

[fredblue]

Yes, those are the Stylistics CD-4 Quad releases from Japan.

that's the ones!
interestingly Motown did Best Of Jackson 5 & Supremes hit Quad comps rather than individual albums for those artists.. yet they opted to do original albums for Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & The Temptations. as with so much of this Quad stuff its fun trying to second guess why what got chosen when for Quad treatment!

 

[key_wiz]

i don't know, afaik the albums saw dual inventory in Japan, i'm guessing the S/T album from '73 may have been a subsequent reissue in Quad circa '74 but the rest would've been done in a similar timeframe to the Stereo ('74-'75).

that said, the Motown CD-4 Quads were mostly '74-'75 but the first couple were '73.. so it maybe the Stylistics S/T Quad was indeed done in '73 after all?

as with the Motown CD-4 Quads of studio albums, the Stylistics CD-4's unfortunately give no specific Quad remix engineer credits.

Yeah I didn’t think they would be reissues. That’s why I thought it odd the 75 “Best of” didnt get the same treatment at the time.

Then again, far be it from me to figure out Japanese logic.

 

[key_wiz]

I own a CD of the 1985 Amherst Records issue. 10 tracks, and all killer alright. There is a small claim notation about using "original analog tapes" and it sure sounds like it. Sounds like they took care in the mastering and their tapes are cared for. Maybe their quad tapes are also cared for.

I have that same CD It does sound pretty good.

I also have the original LP issue with a different cover that I bought back in the day. Well, it’s somewhere in my mom’s spare room anyway with a couple hundred other LPs I had as a kid. I need to go through all those one of these days...