Suggestions for Dutton Vocalion Multichannel SACD Releases

[4-earredwonder]

I just emailed D~V thanking them for releasing this fantastic treaure trove of QUAD titles and also suggested that they consider Maynard Ferguson's Conquistador for a future QUAD release.

I also inquired as to the release date of these titles, as well.

 

[winopener]

I also think it's a great idea to email D-V with your thanks and suggestions. I think when they started doing these quad SACDs last year they didn't realise there was a whole network of us quad supporters so every extra bit of encouragement (both financial and email) gives them more push to carry on. Suggestions are also good as well - the Main Ingredient and Tower Of Power discs that are coming out are actually the result of suggestions I made in a conversation with Michael Dutton.

Nice batch of discs... since it seems DV is looking for suggestions and have opened the Columbia vaults, i can say that ANYTHING issued by Philadelphia International Records in quad is worth not only a look, but has a market.
Don't forget that PIR was a big hit in UK and whole Europe.

An if in a lucky day they are able to open up also some Atlantic vaults... Average White Band.

 

[jwb474]

I am ordering most of them today. Just when we thought things were down...

I was wondering, Who owns the Project 3 titles. Could it be possible for Dutton to get those titles?

 

[bmoura]

Nice batch of discs... since it seems DV is looking for suggestions and have opened the Columbia vaults.

The "Columbia vaults" are the same tape library as the albums on the RCA label - all are from Sony Music - which has been licensing albums for SACD reissue (Mobile Fidelity, Analogue Proiductions, Audio Fidelity, etc.) since the start of the SACD format.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Love Theme From the Godfather has Hugo Montenegro's most immersive Surround Sound mix.
Full of motion effects and panning.

Not to be missed. It's on my Vocalion Multichannel SACD order list!

Not to mention Brian that on the same disc Ennio Morricone's brilliant and iconic scores for Sergio Leone's 'spaghetti westerns" The Good, the Bad & The Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars more should sound equally awesome.

And one other title that you and I agree would be a great candidate was the Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the music of Jimi Hendrix (RCA Quadradisc), an outing in which Hendrix himself was suppose to play but died before he could do so. BTW, Gil Evans was the orchestrator for Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain. https://www.discogs.com/The-Gil-Evans-Orchestra-Plays-The-Music-Of-Jimi-Hendrix/release/1953035

And remember folks....prices go up in January on ALL these D~V QUAD SACDs and when I did the math (I ordered all 11 titles), they came out to $9.10 per disc including s/h if you consider that we are actually getting 19 SACD QUAD titles [8 two~fers and 3 single titles).

 

[winopener]

Not to mention Brian that on the same disc Ennio Morricone's brilliant and iconic scores for Sergio Leone's 'spaghetti westerns" The Good, the Bad & The Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars more should sound equally awesome.

Well, speaking of Morricone, why not going for the original? There's a Morricone quad master tape sitting in some italian vault that was briefly used to do a CD4 and Q8 version.

More info here, with scan for both versions:
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/showthread.php?10271-Another-RCA-Italiana-quad!

 

[Simon A]

Well, speaking of Morricone, why not going for the original? There's a Morricone quad master tape sitting in some italian vault that was briefly used to do a CD4 and Q8 version.

More info here, with scan for both versions:
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/showthread.php?10271-Another-RCA-Italiana-quad!

That would be wicked! I'd be all over that. But don't get me started because then I'll want Quad John Barry, Quad Lalo Schifrin, etc...

 

[4-earredwonder]

Well, speaking of Morricone, why not going for the original? There's a Morricone quad master tape sitting in some italian vault that was briefly used to do a CD4 and Q8 version.

More info here, with scan for both versions:
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/showthread.php?10271-Another-RCA-Italiana-quad!

Very wishful thinking but until that's a reality consider the recent Ennio Morricone Stereo SACD release from Hong Kong (almost 80 minutes of music): http://www.importcds.com/very-best-of-ennio-morricone/600753665466

 

[steelydave]

Mark Anderson's quad discography claims there was a Q8 of Love Will Keep Us Together, but I've never seen one. Having said that I didn't think there would be a Q8 of 'Theme From SWAT' but I've seen a picture of one so it definitely exists. In any event, if there are Q8's of any of the other post-'74 Conniff quads (
Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song ('75), Love Will Keep Us Together ('75), I Write The Songs ('76), or Send In The Clowns ('76)) they're amongst the rarest of the Columbia quads.

I spoke to Michael Dutton today and he said this new batch of discs should ship either in the final week of this month or the first week of December. They're just waiting on their shipment from the replication facility which is apparently very busy at this time of year. When you see the 'pre order' status disappear from the D-V website it means they have stock in hand and shipping will be imminent.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Mark Anderson's quad discography claims there was a Q8 of Love Will Keep Us Together, but I've never seen one. Having said that I didn't think there would be a Q8 of 'Theme From SWAT' but I've seen a picture of one so it definitely exists. In any event, if there are Q8's of any of the other post-'74 Conniff quads (
Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song ('75), Love Will Keep Us Together ('75), I Write The Songs ('76), or Send In The Clowns ('76)) they're amongst the rarest of the Columbia quads.

I spoke to Michael Dutton today and he said this new batch of discs should ship either in the final week of this month or the first week of December. They're just waiting on their shipment from the replication facility which is apparently very busy at this time of year. When you see the 'pre order' status disappear from the D-V website it means they have stock in hand and shipping will be imminent.

Many thanks SD for relaying this info. I must say that D~V should be commended for shipping out these much anticipated discs in such a timely fashion w/o the obligatory 1-3 year wait we have to endure from AP, MoFi and to a much lesser extent AF. In time for Christmas (with mucho time to spare). Now, that's what I call service!

 

[winopener]

Very wishful thinking but until that's a reality consider the recent Ennio Morricone Stereo SACD release from Hong Kong (almost 80 minutes of music): http://www.importcds.com/very-best-of-ennio-morricone/600753665466

Nice disc, but other orchestras and conductors... the real deal is the RCA italian quad!

 

[winopener]

Having said that I didn't think there would be a Q8 of 'Theme From SWAT' but I've seen a picture of one so it definitely exists.

Really????? Rhythm Heritage???? That would be a find.
Sure it wasn't a stereo tape in a quad cart? There are several examples of these "impossible" quads....

 

[winopener]

ANYTHING issued by Philadelphia International Records in quad is worth not only a look, but has a market.
Don't forget that PIR was a big hit in UK and whole Europe.

It's not nice to quote myself, but want to add one thing, since D-V is based in UK:
the first serious digital "retrospective" boxset for the PIR producion was done by Knight (a label by Castle Communication) in 1989. Made in UK.
First as a 2 x 4cd fatboy pack, then as a 8-single-cd boxset:

https://www.discogs.com/Various-Philadelphia-Years-Volume-I-1971-1976/release/1017232

https://www.discogs.com/Various-Philadelphia-Years-Volume-II-1976-1983/release/1004944

If it had a market then, when CD wasn't still mainstream and a 4cd box was a BIG money spender (please double... there were TWO 4cd boxes!) surely it has it still now if you go hi-rez and multichannel!

 

[4-earredwonder]

Nice disc, but other orchestras and conductors... the real deal is the RCA italian quad!

That would be SPECTACULAR. For those who love Yo Yo Ma and Morricone's music this is still available at a bargain price (and with ImportCD's 'current' 10% off...a STEAL): http://www.importcds.com/plays-ennio-morricone/828767622521 with Ennio Morricone conducting!
[Hybrid Multichannel SACD]

 

[Simon A]

Really????? Rhythm Heritage???? That would be a find.
Sure it wasn't a stereo tape in a quad cart? There are several examples of these "impossible" quads....

Unfortunately no. He meant the Ray Conniff album of the same name. See what's it's doing to the girl's head?

 

[steelydave]

Really????? Rhythm Heritage???? That would be a find.
Sure it wasn't a stereo tape in a quad cart? There are several examples of these "impossible" quads....

Sorry, I was referring to The Ray Conniff album Theme From S.W.A.T. And Other TV Themes, didn't mean to get your hopes up!

As for the PIR quads and the Isley Bros. quads, they're on the list I provided to D-V earlier this year, so they're fully aware of them. I highlighted how good they are and how desirable as well. The easiest way to see if stuff like this is even in the realm of possibility is to look and see if any of these albums have been licensed for reissue in the last few years by other labels, because D-V is subject to the same 'quadblocking' problems that AF and other labels are. These albums are amongst my most wanted in quad too, but they seem very desirable for reissue companies, especially the Isley Bros. albums - Go For Your Guns, for example has been out several times on CD: twice from Sony (early 90's and 2008) and then with bonus tracks from Big Break in the UK in 2011 and again from Iconoclassic in the US a few months ago.

My feeling with these kinds of titles is that there's basically a queue of labels that want to reissue them, and some of those CD-only reissue labels have been around for a decade or more. Companies like D-V and AF have only been doing SACD quad reissues for a few years now, so I think what they're trying to do is grab some of the lower hanging fruit now, while they also wait for some of the premium stuff to become available. Licensing periods are expiring all the time, so things that are unavailable due to a previous reissue one year might become available again the next. I've been waiting 10 years or more for some Q8's to show up on eBay so I don't mind waiting a little longer if it means getting them out on SACD.

 

[quicksrt]

Many thanks SD for relaying this info. I must say that D~V should be commended for shipping out these much anticipated discs in such a timely fashion w/o the obligatory 1-3 year wait we have to endure from AP, MoFi and to a much lesser extent AF. In time for Christmas (with mucho time to spare). Now, that's what I call service!

Sounds like D/V have some extra cash on hand, and can press up a bunch of stuff at once. And their costs are reduced being located where they are, and EZ listening is not as hard to license.

Anyway, it is nice to get lots to choose from at once.

 

[quicksrt]

Unfortunately no. He meant the Ray Conniff album of the same name. See what's it's doing to the girl's head?

Oh, the Exorcist theme is not covered on this LP. I thought for a minute.... nevermind.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Sounds like D/V have some extra cash on hand, and can press up a bunch of stuff at once. And their costs are reduced being located where they are, and EZ listening is not as hard to license.

Anyway, it is nice to get lots to choose from at once.

Yes and No. Presently, the UK is going through Brexit which has somewhat devalued the £ but you're correct in assuming that licensing agreements with the Major record companies in Europe are probably much more favorable than in the US but two things come to mind: the first batch of D~V MOR QUAD SACDs had to sell reasonably well for them to release the next batch and secondly, at least D~V is making an 'attempt' to branch out and release pop titles [Tower of Power/Main Ingredient] which may open the floodgate for future Pop/Rock titles [Jefferson Airplane/Starship/Philadelphia International,Harry Nilsson, etc].

And by my count, D~V has accomplished in two short years what AF's QUAD program acheived in three or four......by releasing roughly 31 QUAD SACDs (I'm counting each two~fer as 2 separate discs).

And the price D~V is charging IS miraculous.

But one thing, at least for the present, seems certain: in both the US and Europe, Warner and Universal QUAD/5.1 titles are OFF THE TABLE for surround reissue.

 

[quicksrt]

Yes and No. Presently, the UK is going through Brexit which has somewhat devalued the £ but you're correct in assuming that licensing agreements with the Major record companies in Europe are probably much more favorable than in the US but two things come to mind: the first batch of D~V MOR QUAD SACDs had to sell reasonably well for them to release the next batch and secondly, at least D~V is making an 'attempt' to branch out and release pop titles [Tower of Power/Main Ingredient] which may open the floodgate for future Pop/Rock titles [Jefferson Airplane/Starship/Philadelphia International,Harry Nilsson, etc].

And by my count, D~V has accomplished in two short years what AF's QUAD program acheived in three or four......by releasing roughly 31 QUAD SACDs (I'm counting each two~fer as 2 separate discs).

And the price D~V is charging IS miraculous.

But one thing, at least for the present, seems certain: in both the US and Europe, Warner and Universal QUAD/5.1 titles are OFF THE TABLE for surround reissue.

AF have issued quad masters from Warners. Warner Music is open to licensing. There is a problem with several/many "first choice" titles and that is artist or management has declined, or asking price is way too high. So the better titles are tied up is all. Unless you want another America album, or other fluff, Sony just seems to have more "evergreens" available at the moment.

Well D-V have certainly put their money on building a catalog of high quality and enough titles to get excited about, AF went in and did the impossible and got Warner titles and other A-List Rock albums out there like in some kind of quadraphonic dream-come-true. I don't think D-V has accomplished quite as much just yet. I mean my god... I'm not going to list all of the AF titles that blew my mind, but my mind was totally blown at most of their choices.

So D-V are mostly an easy listening label right, with an eye on band oriented R&B which is very cool. Let's see them grab BOC or Santana, and we can re-evaluate then.

For now, props for doing so many two-fers, and making the "nice price" a reality again. I said a year ago that SACD two-fers were the (surround/quad) way of the future for many artists and titles. It's now proven correct.

Anyway and anyhoo, we find the quad era is still going strong at the end of the year. I thank AF for paving the road and sticking with it for now.