The Amazing Story of the Columbia
"Underground" Quad Reels
from the "Mike Robin Collection"
Sometime in the late '70s and/or early '80s, after the "Quadraphonic Era" as we know it ended, a quad collector named Mike Robin connected with a source at CBS or Columbia Records and was given access to 52 quadraphonic master tapes, some that never saw an official quad release, some containing early or abandoned mixes of albums that did get released, and others containing the finished mix that was used to create the SQ LPs and Quad 8-track tapes released on the Columbia family of labels.
The marketing of these reels was done very discretely (no pun
intended) and many quad collectors of the time
(myself included) were unaware of this offers existence. While folks who
purchased these tapes may have gone on to make 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation
copies to trade or share, the original first gen copies that Mike sold are
highly collectable, as the sound quality, separation, and material on these
reels is quite remarkable. Imagine a high quality master tape copy of a of a
title that was only commercially released as a matrix LP or a low-fidelity Q8.
Since Columbia did not release commercial quadraphonic reels, these
"underground" tapes were the ultimate way to hear these quadraphonic titles in
the highest fidelity format available at the time.
With many stories spread about lost master tapes and improper storage methods, these "underground" reels quite possibly are all that's left of these 4 Channel Masters. For more information on these reels, to read the forum discussion or add to that discussion, click HERE for the forum thread.
actual reels as sent to original buyers
The the table that follows was created from the data in original photocopies of the Mike Robin listing of reel copies he had for sale. I have included all of the information he provided exactly as he described it within this table. You can easily copy and paste this table into Excel (or your favorite spreadsheet) to get a local list of your own. For you historians, I've included scans of the actual list located further down the page
LISTING OF THE 52 COLUMBIA QUADRAPHONIC REELS
| TAPE NUMBER | ARTIST | TITLE | LP CATALOG NUMBER | MIKE ROBIN'S NOTES | TOTAL TIME | REEL INFO | MIKE'S PRICE |
| 1 | Leonard Bernstein | Haydn: Mass in tempore belli | 32196 | Concert Hall Sound | 43:25 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 |
| 2 | Leonard Bernstein & NY Philharmonic | Haydn: Symphonies Nos.93 & 94 | 32101 | Concert Hall Sound | 53:42 | (1) 2400' | $20.00 |
| 3 | Leonard Bernstein & London Symphony Orch | Stravinsky: Rite of Spring | 31520 | Concert Hall Sound | 35:17 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 |
| 4 | Leonard Bernstein & London Symphony Orch | Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms | 34551 - Side 1 Only | Concert Hall Sound NOT RELEASED IN QUAD | 24:11 | (1) 1200' | $25.00 |
| 5 | Morton Subotnick | Sidewinder | 30683 | 29:36 | (1) 1200' | $20.00 | |
| 6 | Leonard Bernstein & London Symphony Orch | Verdi: Requiem Mass | 30060 | Concert Hall Sound | 91:54 | (1) 2400' /(1) 1800' | $40.00 |
| 7 | E Power Biggs | Music for Organ, Brass & Percussion | 31193 | Surround Sound | 41:13 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 |
| 8 | Various Artists | QUAD DEMO TAPE | n/a | Biggs/Bach: Toccata, Singers/Billings: Consonance, Bernstein/Swan Lake, Partch/Delusion, Singers/Mendelssohn: Heilige, Col Brass/Josquin Des Prez: Royal Fanfare, Bernstein/Also Sprach Zarathustra | 21:42 | (1) 1200' | $25.00 |
| 9 | Various Artists | QUAD DEMO TAPE | n/a | Biggs/Emperor's Fanfare Partch/Daphne of the Dunes, Bernstein/Sqan Lake, Biggs & Singers/Gabriell: Allelujah, Budapest Quartet/Dvorak American Quartet, Sunotnick/Touch, Carlos/Bach: Brandenburg Concerto, Bernstein/Swan Lake | 22:45 | (1) 1200' | $25.00 |
| 10 | Big Brother & Holding Co. featuring Janis Joplin | Cheap Thrills | 9700 | NOT RELEASED IN QUAD | 36:15 | (1) 1800' | $30.00 |
| 11 | Blood, Sweat & Tears | (2nd Album) | 30994 | 1st Mix NOT RELEASED VERSION | 47:03 | (1) 2400' | $20.00 |
| 12 | Blood, Sweat & Tears | (2nd Album) | 30994 | 2nd Mix Released Version | 46:05 | (1) 2400' | $20.00 |
| 13 | Blood, Sweat & Tears | Child is the Father to Man | 9619 | NOT RELEASED IN QUAD Contains 8 cuts from their first album | 35:07 | (1) 1800' | $30.00 |
| 14 | Blood, Sweat & Tears | Greatest Hits | 31170 Side 1 Only | Note: Blurred voice on cut "Go Down Gamblin'" | 24:12 | (1) 1200' | $15.00 |
| 15 | Bloomfield & Kooper | Live Adventures Of | Col PG 6, Sides 1,3 &4 | NOT RELEASED IN QUAD This is a live version of their music made after "Supersession" | 62:47 | (1) 1800' /(1) 1200' | $45.00 |
| 16 | Bloomfield/Kooper/Stills | Supersession | 30991 | 49:58 | (1) 2400' | $20.00 | |
| 17 | The Byrds | Byrdmaniax | 30640 | Note: Front levels lower than rear levels on most of tape | 34:54 | (1) 1800' | $30.00 |
| 18 | The Byrds | Younger Than Yesterday | 9442 | This tape made from an album session. Some pieces are repeated and can hear members of Byrds discussing them between cuts. Contains 5 different songs. | 24:22 | (1) 1200' | $25.00 |
| 19 | Johnny Cash | At San Quentin | 30961 | Note: Vocal level low on first four cuts; Best version of hit Boy Named Sue | 35:04 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 |
| 20 | Chase | Chase | 30472 | 33:03 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 | |
| 21 | Miles Davis | Bitches Brew | 30997 | 91:51 | (1) 2400' /(1) 1800' | $40.00 | |
| 22 | Bob Dylan | Nashville Skyline | 32872 | 27:18 | (1) 1200' | $20.00 | |
| 23 | Don Ellis | Tears of Joy | 30927 | 81:13 | (1) 1800' /(1) 1800' | $40.00 | |
| 24 | Janis Joplin | Pearl | 30322 | Includes 2 versions of Mercedez Benz (*) | 36:41 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 |
| 25 | Peter Matz | Quadraphonic Spectacular | 31247 | 37:55 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 | |
| 26 | Laura Nyro | Eli and the 13th Confession | 9626 | NOT RELEASED IN QUAD | 46:28 | (1) 2400' | $30.00 |
| 27 | Laura Nyro | Eli and the 13th Confession | 9626 | NOT RELEASED IN QUAD 3 songs shorter than tape 26 close to same mix | 35:45 | (1) 1800' | $30.00 |
| 28 | Poco | Deliverin | 30209 | Note: spoken parts are at low level at times | 37:12 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 |
| 29 | Redbone | Message From A Drum | 30815 | 35:00 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 | |
| 30 | Paul Revere & Raiders | Greatest HIts | 9462 | NOT RELEASED IN QUAD Note: contains 8 songs only | 20:44 | (1) 1200' | $25.00 |
| 31 | Paul Revere & Raiders | Hard N'Heavy | 9753 | NOT RELEASED IN QUAD | 33:44 | (1) 1800' | $30.00 |
| 32 | Paul Revere & Raiders | Indian Reservation | 30768 | 34:10 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 | |
| 33 | Santana | Abraxas | 30130 | 37:16 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 | |
| 34 | Santana | (1st album) | 32964 | Note: Contains 2 takes on two of the songs with a total of nine different songs altogether | 43:54 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 |
| 35 | Santana | (3rd album) | 30595 | 40:08 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 | |
| 36 | Simon & Garfunkel | Bridge Over Trouble Water | 30995 | 37:34 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 | |
| 37 | Sly & Family Stone | Greatest Hits | 30325 | 40:21 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 | |
| 38 | Ray Stevens | Greatest Hits | 30770 | 37:50 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 | |
| 39 | Ray Stevens | Turn Your Radio On | 30809 - Side 2 Only | 17:53 | (1) 1200' | $15.00 | |
| 40 | Barbara Streisand | Barbara Joan Streisand | 30792 | 40:49 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 | |
| 41 | Barbara Streisand | Barbara Joan Streisand | 30792 | Slightly Different Mix from Tape #40 | 41:31 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 |
| 42 | Ten Years After | A Space In Time | 30801 | 37:49 | (1) 1800' | $20.00 | |
| 43 | Edgar Winter | White Trash | 30512 | NOT RELEASED IN QUAD - 1st mix done 8/24/71 | 43:04 | (1) 1800' | $30.00 |
| 44 | Edgar Winter | White Trash | 30512 | NOT RELEASED IN QUAD - 2nd mix done 9/27/71 | 43:05 | (1) 1800' | $30.00 |
| 45 | Johnny Winter | Johnny Winter | 9826 | NOT RELEASED IN QUAD | 36:02 | (1) 1800' | $30.00 |
| 46 | Johnny Winter | Johnny Winter | 9826 | NOT RELEASED IN QUAD Slightly differnet mix than tape 45 | 36:04 | (1) 1800' | $30.00 |
| 47 | Various Artists | QUAD DEMO TAPE | n/a | Contents: Pop/Classical Santana/Black Magic Women, Gabrieli: Canzon Septimi No,.2 (Excerpt)/Col Brass Ens. Percy Faith/Wave, Subotnic/Touch (Excerpt), Peter Matz/Bacharach Medley | 20:24 | (1) 1200' | $25.00 |
| 48 | Various Artists | QUAD DEMO TAPE | n/a | Contents Popular Paul Revere & Raiders/Time After Time, Company Orig Cast/Drive A Person Crazy, Laura Nyro/Eli's Coming, Johnny Mathis/Yellow Days, Andre Kostelanetz/Mr. Bojangles, Edgar Winter/Give it Everything | 18:42 | (1) 1200' | $25.00 |
| 49 | Original Cast | Company | 30993 | 57:17 | (1) 2400' | $20.00 | |
| 50 | Soundtrack | Funny Girl | 30992 | Streisand | 47:06 | (1) 2400' | $20.00 |
| 51 | Original Broadway Cast | No No Nanette | 30563 | 53:20 | (1) 2400' | $20.00 | |
| 52 | Various Artists | Quadraphonic Presentation Tape - Appears to have been made to cut a SQ disc to demonstrate their "stereo-quad" system | n/a | Contents: Narration with musical Background and interludes, Bobby/ from Company, Touch/Subotnick, Swan Lake/ Streisand from Funny Girl, Lucretia MacEvil/Blood Sweat & Tears, Why Can't I Touch You/Johnny Mathis, Canton Noni Toni/Col Brass Ens, Mr. Bojangles/Kostelanetz, Bach: Brandenberg Concert/Carlos, Eli's Coming/Laura Nyro | 39:49 | (1) 1800' | $30.00 |
NOTE: If you're using IE8 and the table
looks odd and is right justified, please select "Compatibility Mode" from your
browser's toolbar
Even though I created the table in Excel 2007 and pasted it into MS Expressions
3 (All MS Programs)
it sees the table as "incompatible". Go figure!
SCANS OF THE ORIGINAL LIST - MAILED TO COLLECTORS
A long time quad collector actually saved his copy of the reel list and was kind enough to scan it for QQ.
Free counters provided by Vendio.
This listing is for historical and archival purposes only
These tapes were offered for sale 30 years ago by a person no longer living
This listing does not imply or infer an offer to sell or distribute these tapes
The owners of the site 'QuadraphonicQuad' do not own or have ever owned copies
of these tapes
c 2010 - List compiled by QuadraphonicQuad
from information provided by 'rustyandi', to whom we owe much gratitude
THANK YOU RON
LAST MODIFIED: 9/4/2010