"Barbara Joan Streisand" in SQ - anybody heard this?

[DaneelOlivaw]

Found this album today at a thrift store. I wasn't even going to look at their collection this time, since pretty much all they ever have @: is stacks & stacks of 70s easy listening LPs, Jane Fonda jazzercise records and '60s Christmas albums sponsored by oil companies. But this time it looked they had just received a fresh shipment and I have found some cool stuff there, so I wandered over there to give them a look-see. The 3rd LP I flipped to was Barbara Joan Streisand along with the word "QUADRAPHONIC" in large font at the top of the cover:

Check it out here.

My first quadraphonic recording! Only cost me 50 cents.

Anyone know what kind of mix style was employed on this album? I did a search here and saw no mention at all of this album (it looks like it's all covers btw). Any opinions of the music would be welcome also. Thanks!

 

[ChristopherLees]

Yes it has a great version of John Lennon's love ...

a track that makes even the tate misbehave by pumping in and out in the back left channel when a solo instrument comes in with her voice.

and a track written for her by "Becker and Fagen" before Steely Dan started..

 

[John Svensson]

Oil company Christmas albums, that must be a regional thing and perhaps quite rare? haven't got, but I know of 2 stores with copies sitting in them...please give it a listen and give me a reason to buy a Streisand record,
which I have stubbornly refused to do to date.
I picked up Rick Wakeman's "King Arthur" and Herbie Mann's "Reggae" CD4s, and the Mike Oldfield "Boxed" set yesterday, all from one store. Not a bad haul. John S.

 

[DaneelOlivaw]

please give it a listen and give me a reason to buy a Streisand record,
which I have stubbornly refused to do to date.

Unfortunately I don't have a quad processor of any kind so cannot check out the mix style; and I'm probably moving soon, so have my HT system which includes my turntable all packed up.

I admit to having had a bit of a crush on Babs when I was a kid, mostly because I thought she was great (I still do!) in the comedy movie What's Up Doc?. You have to admit though, she does have a pretty decent singing voice.

 

[DaneelOlivaw]

Yes it has a great version of John Lennon's love ...

a track that makes even the tate misbehave by pumping in and out in the back left channel when a solo instrument comes in with her voice.

and a track written for her by "Becker and Fagen" before Steely Dan started..

Thanks Christopher.

Do you think that "misbehavior" is a sign the mix was done improperly? Or just a limitation of the SQ format?

 

[ChristopherLees]

Thanks Christopher.

Do you think that "misbehavior" is a sign the mix was done improperly? Or just a limitation of the SQ format?

I think the it's more the limitation of the tate decoder..other decoders won't pump in and out as much but they're not as discreet..I'd like to hear it decoded by the sq script for computer ...I have a feeling it would be better...
the q8 version is fine..

 

[ndiamone]

It might say SQ, but really it's a hybrid. The ``mistake'' you hear that causes the Tate to pump and breathe is a LOT less noticeable on DPL II. Her voice moves to the center front and the solo from the right rear moves to a holophonic position, a MUCH nicer listen, and as I said a lot less pumping and breathing.

You might be thinking of TIRE company Christmas LP's.
As far as Columbia Special Products Firestone Christmas LP's and RCA Victor BF Goodrich versions they are not regional.
Running across those is like running across Reader's Digest, Time Life and Longines Symphonette box sets.
These were pressed by the millions in both mono and stereo all throughout the 60's and early 70's.
The stereo versions were indeed the rarer of the two in the early 60's when the series started, by by the early 70's
when virtually all other labels major releases had switched over to stereo by 1968, the mono editions are the rare ones.

By the early 70's, the mono record cutter heads had been de-commssioned from cutting mono versions of say fine
classical and jazz pieces, to cutting 45's, which until 1972 were all still mono with very very few exceptions.

 

[DaneelOlivaw]

You might be thinking of TIRE company Christmas LP's.

Yes I was, thanks for the correction!

........Running across those is like running across Reader's Digest, Time Life and Longines Symphonette box sets.
These were pressed by the millions in both mono and stereo all throughout the 60's and early 70's.

Yep I see these all the time. I have a feeling many of them are taking up lots of space in our landfills....for years and years and years. But being an earth science teacher and being into clocks, I have to offer this recycling suggestion: covert those unwanted LPs and other disc-based formats into something you can use by screwing one of these onto them. Attach some hands - or not, for that minimalist look - and ta da!, instant conversation piece. LP covers could also make for an attractive time piece.

 

[sculptorD5]

I have a DVDA conversion from the SQ lp of this title, it's not bad. However I have all but one of her quad albums on Q8, very discrete and well mixed. If you have the ability to play or convert Q8's, definately go for the tapes with Babs. "One Less Bell" on the Q8 is amazing, half the vocals coming out the fronts and the response vocal from the back.

 

[Quad Linda]

A great album! Wonderful tunes, dynamite performances, tasteful wide surround mix, but light on the bass in SQ. My first copy was SQ which was replaced by a Q8 in early '73. I still have the Q8. Several years ago, I acquired the CD and another SQ. Some of the greatest songwriters are represented here: Lennon, King (3), Bacharach/David and Legrand. One of the highlights is from a then unknown (not for long) team of Becker/Fagen. I Mean to Shine is a great song and Babs certainly does it justice. I believe it's the only recorded version, except for a demo that Becker/Fagen did. A few months later, I walked into a hi-fi store (imagine me in a hi-fi store) which I later managed. They were playing Can't Buy a Thrill which I immediately fell in love with. When I took it home and read the credits, I found Becker/Fagen were the brains behind it.

This isn't Blue Oyster Cult or Pink Floyd. I guess it's the musical equivalent of a chick flick. Sure, the Q8 has a more discrete mix and a bit more bass. These days, I'd much rather listen to a Quad LP, even with it's decoding limitations. Less hiss, wider dynami range and wider frequency response win out for me. So, put on the SQ and boost the bass.

Linda