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Volume #0056 03/25/98
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Rockin' On Bandstand
Subject: Klein/ABKCO
Sent: 3/24/98 11:40 PM
Received: 3/25/98 2:22 AM
From: ELRON BEE, ELRONXXX@XXXXXXm
In a message dated 3/23/98 11:46:54 AM, you wrote:
<<Anyone have an opinion on the quality of the ABKCO CDs in
terms of overall sound, care in remastering and re-release
research?>>
I think it was our friend Allen Klein that said that he
didn't care about quality of reissues, cause if you redo
them every so many years, "they'll have to re-buy em".
---[ archived by Spectropop - 03 /25/98 - 10:48:55 AM ]---
Subject: stones on CD
Sent: 3/24/98 9:37 AM
Received: 3/24/98 10:00 AM
From: dave prokopy, prokXXX@XXXXXX.net
le_page_XXX@XXXXXXies.com writes:
>I did notice I couldn't find the version of Time is on My
>Side that I remember preferring: the version that has no
>lead guitar on the intro. Is that version unavailable on
>CD?
it's available - along with some other rarities (to CD, at
least) on the _singles collection_ box set.
>What about 2120 South Michigan Ave from the French
>Around & Around?
that should be on the (US) _12x5_ CD.
>Wasn't there a different take of Everybody Needs Somebody
>To Love too?
there were. one was released on the american _now_ album,
the other on the british _no. 2_. the british albums were
all available on CD initially (in europe), but they've
subsequently been replaced worldwide by the american
counterparts, which is totally inane, since the stones'
american albums were routinely butchered in the same way the
beatles' albums were. (i.e., truncated from 14 to 12 songs,
with the singles added, all to make more albums out of the
same number of songs.) why abkco stuck with the inferior
american line-ups rather than the vastly superior british
versions is beyond me.
>Also, why isn't Metamorphosis available on CD?
probably because no one involved with it really wants to see
its release. it was a terrible album, with lots of
attrocious overdubs and terrible mixes. it was basically a
bootleg at the time, released after the stones changed
labels.
>I bet a very good rarities release could be put together
>(in addition to all the Hot Rocks releases) from
>Metamorphosis and several bonus tracks...
[...]
>Anyone have an opinion on the quality of the ABKCO CDs
>in terms of overall sound, care in remastering and re-
>release research?
they're TERRIBLE. possibly the worst catalog out there by a
major sixties artist. aside from the aforementioned problem
of using the american mixes, the sound quality is atrocious.
these discs were all mastered around 1985, at the dawn of
the CD revolution, and no attempt has ever been made to
overhaul the discs in the past decade, and there don't
appear to be any plans in the forseeable future to do so,
either. they appear to have used source tapes several
generations removed from the masters, and the choice of
mixes is terribly inconsistant. within an album, it will
switch from mono to stereo mixes. and some albums feature
mono mixes while other albums with the same song will
feature the stereo. (for example, _hot rocks_ features lots
of stereo mixes that aren't in stereo on their respective
albums.)
in some cases, the mixes appear to be some freak stereo/mono
hybrid. it's not mono, but it's not the "wide" stereo of
the sixties. it's almost as if the engineer took a stereo
mix and panned the left and right in about half way!
very frustrating.
---[ archived by Spectropop - 03 /25/98 - 10:48:55 AM ]---
Subject: Re: Ragamuffins
Sent: 3/24/98 5:09 AM
Received: 3/24/98 7:55 AM
From: BashPop, BashXXX@XXXXXXm
In a message dated 98-03-23 12:01:18 EST, you write:
<< Subject: Ragamuffins ??
From: Javed Jafri, javedjaXXX@XXXXXX.ca
A friend sent me a cassette...
One of the songs on the collection is called "The Fun We
Had" by the Ragamuffins. This group sounds like a cross
between Jan and Dean and the Fantastic Baggies. Actually the
song sounds a like a re-write of "Summer Means Fun". Does
anyone know anything about this group?>>
Hi Javed,
"The Fun We Had" was on the Pebbles series previous to The
Melody Goes On. Here is the section on The Ragamuffins, from
the liner notes of the Pebbles Volume 4 CD Reissue, which
were compiled by Greg Shaw:
"Another studio group, this was a Dunhill production,
written and produced by Gary Zekley, a vastly underrated
talent whose name crops up on more than a few outstanding
California records. For nostaltic (sic) slant and pure
spirit this is a real standout".
In other words, I guess there isn't too much information out
there.
--
Spectropop Rules!!!!!
Take Care,
David
---[ archived by Spectropop - 03 /25/98 - 10:48:55 AM ]---
Subject: Re: Ragamuffins
Sent: 3/24/98 9:42 AM
Received: 3/24/98 10:00 AM
From: Jamie LePage, le_page_XXX@XXXXXXies.com
Javed,
Your Summer Means Fun comparison is interesting, because I
always guessed the inspiration for this track was Farmer's
Daughter! This is the A-side of Tollie 9027 and was written
(and I assume produced) by Gary Zekley for Dunhill
Productions. If memory serves, Jay Lasker headed Tollie
before moving (or evolving) to Dunhill, so the connection
isn't all that strange. Anyway, it sounds like Gary Z on
lead vocal on "The Fun We Had." The B-Side, "Don't Be Gone
Long," is credited as being co-written by Zekley and
Altfeld (the latter whom we know through his J&D work). One
very peculiar thing about this "Summer Place-ish" B-side:
Apparently sometime later the rhythm track to "Don't Be
Gone Long" was released on Dean's "Brer Bird Records &
Other Things" label under the title "The Theme From Leon's
Garage," only this time credited as co-written by Torrance
and Zekley! I assume "Leon's Garage" refers to Russell
Bridges' home studio, can anyone concur?
Of interest to fans of Lou Adler; "Theme" was the only one
of the three tracks credited as being published by Trousdale
Music, in spite of the fact that "Theme" is the identical
track used on "Don't Be Gone Long!" Lasker-Adler-Zekley-
Altfeld-Torrance-Russell-Blaine. Quite a thread there, and
somehow it must all loop back to Waronker and friends over
at Liberty... Hmmm.......
--
le_page_XXX@XXXXXXies.com
RodeoDrive/5030
---[ archived by Spectropop - 03 /25/98 - 10:48:55 AM ]---
Subject: It's Like A Yellow Balloon
Sent: 3/24/98 2:56 PM
Received: 3/25/98 2:22 AM
From: Javed Jafri, javedjaXXX@XXXXXX.ca
Page,
The Japanese compilation I mentioned in my original post has
the Ragamuffins B-side and also "The Theme From Leon's
Garage". The latter BTW is credited to Our Gang who I guess
were Dean Torrance and Gary Zekley. This collection has some
real "Wilsonian" treats. Other highlights include a
previously unreleased version of "Here Comes The Rain" by
Gary Zekley which is more Beach Boys influenced than the Jan
& Dean version. If BW had evolved in a sunshiny pop as
opposed to the more experimental style he took with Smile,
he might have made music like this in 1967. That's not to
say that this music is not experimental in it own right.
Take the early 60's surf/vocal harmony sound, factor in a
little substance indulgence and you end with "Yellow
Balloon". Factor in a lot of substance abuse and you don't
get "Smile"
Javed
---[ archived by Spectropop - 03 /25/98 - 10:48:55 AM ]---
END
