Unusual drum placement in old quad mixes

[sjcorne]

Thanks to the findings of @fredblue and @steelydave, it appears that a later batch of Columbia quad mixes with no known remix credt, such as two released by D-V (RTF's Musicmagic and ToP's Ain't Nothin' Stoppin Us Now), appear to have this same curious channel assignment of the entire drum kit in right rear, and bass in left rear. Come to think of it, many Columbia (and other labels') quads use this panning assignment that appears to be getting a polarizing reception from the membership here. Let's list 'em!

Here's what I've got so far:
Return To Forever- Musicmagic
Tower Of Power- Ain't Nothin' Stoppin Us Now
Sly & The Family Stone- Greatest Hits
Billy Preston- Music Is My Life
Bloomfield, Kooper, Stills- Super Session (I think only certain songs- definitely "Season Of The Witch')
Electric Light Orchestra- No Answer

Your turn!

 

[sjcorne]

Also sort of related to the main thread, there's also a few Columbia mixes than have the drum kit components (kick, snare, cymbal, etc) spread around the room in an extremely similar fashion:
Janis Joplin- Pearl
Loggins & Messina- Loggins & Messina

 

[fredblue]

great thread jdea, sjc..!!!

edit; i should add, another couple of Epic Quads with Bass Rear Left/Drums Rear Right include..

Manhattans : It Feels So Good,
Minnie Riperton : Adventures In Paradise,
Miracles : Love Crazy

 

[sjcorne]

great thread jdea, sjc..!!!

hmm I can't think of where I got the idea from

 

[fredblue]

hmm I can't think of where I got the idea from

all my best ideas are nicked!

 

[fredblue]

Also sort of related to the main thread, there's also a few Columbia mixes than have the drum kit components (kick, snare, cymbal, etc) spread around the room in an extremely similar fashion:
Janis Joplin- Pearl
Loggins & Messina- Loggins & Messina

you can add to this subset one that straddles both the mixing style in the subject of this thread and the style of the Pearl Quad, etc..

Minnie Riperton : Perfect Angel

..has bass Rear Left and some drum parts Rear Right but also soms drum parts up front.

that particular mix was by Dick Bogert.

 

[sjcorne]

I'm actually tempted to rename this thread "quad mixes with wacky drum placement" because I'm looking at a few old Columbia faves and some have drum placement switch front or rear from song to song, almost like a different engineer took over.

• Mahavishnu Orchestra's Birds Of Fire has the drum kit in wide stereo completely isolated in the rears for every song except "Thousand Island Park"
• Jeff Beck Group's S/T is really interesting: tracks 4-6 and 9 have the drums in stereo isolated in the rears, while tracks 1-3 and 7-8 have them discrete in stereo across the fronts.
• BS&T's self titled also wacky: "And When I Die" has the right rear drums left rear bass, while "Blues Part II" has the entire kit in the stereo rears not unlike Mahavishnu

...more to come

 

[sjcorne]

Ok folks, seems that with a few exceptions I've identified four distinct drum placement styles in old quad mixes that most would consider "unusual":

Style #1: Drums in Right Rear, Bass In Left Rear
Style #2: Drums around the room- Individual components (kick, snare, cymbals, congas, etc) each assigned to a corner
Style #3: Drums in stereo across the rears only
Style #4: Diagonal drums

I'm in the process of putting together a table or some sort of diagram to list which mixes fit into one, or several, of these styles.

 

[fredblue]

pretty sure these are diagonal drums mixes..

Introducing Larry Coryell & The Eleventh House,
MFSB : Love Is The Message

 

[MrSmithers]

Just a quick question? On the ojays ‘For The Of Money’ that’s supposed to be Z? It came through as Z on the collection?

 

[MrSmithers]

Le

Ok folks, seems that with a few exceptions I've identified four distinct drum placement styles in old quad mixes that most would consider "unusual":

Style #1: Drums in Right Rear, Bass In Left Rear
Style #2: Drums around the room- Individual components (kick, snare, cymbals, congas, etc) each assigned to a corner
Style #3: Drums in stereo across the rears only
Style #4: Diagonal drums

I'm in the process of putting together a table or some sort of diagram to list which mixes fit into one, or several, of these styles.

Let’s get graphical...

 

[fredblue]

Just a quick question? On the ojays ‘For The Of Money’ that’s supposed to be Z? It came through as Z on the collection?

yes, its supposed to be a "Z"
(i've gone on and on and on and on and on about it at QQ over the years so much I had to stop going on and on and on and on about it, I was starting to piss myself off! )

 

[DuncanS]

What freaks me is when the drums are in a single rear channel, and I can't explain why it does! Spread across any pairs (not diagonals) I'm ok with, same as 'odd' panning schemes so Z panning. The only thing I can think of is some weird instinctive defence mechanism, where if something is pounding in one speaker I feel I'm 'at risk', I'm being 'hunted'...................just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get.............

 

[kap'n krunch]

oh, ALL OVER!!!
first , let's go for the seminal "crazy" QUAD mix
Miles
Bitches Brew!

 

[sjcorne]

Style #1: Drums in Right Rear, Bass In Left Rear
Style #2: Drums around the room- Individual components (kick, snare, cymbals, congas, etc) each assigned to a corner
Style #3: Drums in stereo across the rears only
Style #4: Diagonal drums

I'm in the process of putting together a table or some sort of diagram to list which mixes fit into one, or several, of these styles.

Here's what I've got so far. Still working on sorting out the release dates...

 

[sjcorne]

oh, ALL OVER!!!
first , let's go for the seminal "crazy" QUAD mix
Miles
Bitches Brew!

I think that one has the diagonal style- Drums are mostly in rear left with some in front rear

 

[fredblue]

View attachment 35987

Here's what I've got so far. Still working on sorting out the release dates...

Billy Preston : 1972
MFSB : 1974
Minnie Riperton : 1975
Manhttans, Miracles : 1977

 

[JonUrban]

Maybe their thinking (the quad mixer) was like the listener is on the stage, looking out into the crowd. The drums are generally in the back of the stage.
Who knows?

Actually, I hate any reference to a "stage" when talking quad/surround, mostly because there will always be some stereo-head saying "I can't listen to quad/5.1, because at a concert, all of the music is in front of you like it's supposed to be". UGH. Who made that rule?

Me? I want that French Horn solo in my back seat!

 

[MrSmithers]

There are no rules when it comes to these Columbia quads... They’re freekin’ Brilliant!

 

[sjcorne]

Latest Update:

Interesting sidenote- I took a quick look at the four Doobies quads and interestingly a lot of them feature the drums shoved into one of the FRONT speakers only. Maybe that's a new category.