Quad LP/Tape Poll ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST: Fiddler On The Roof [Q8/QR]

[EMB]

The big 1964 hit starring Zero Mostel in his career-defining role, released on Q8 as RCA OQ8-1005.

Program 1:

1. Tradition
2. Matchmaker, Matchmaker
3. If I Were A Rich Man
4. To Life
5. Do You Love me?

Program 2:

1. Miracle of Miracles
2. Sabbath Prayer
3. Tevye's Dream
4. Sunrise, Sunset
5. Now I Have Everything
6. Far from the Home I Love
7. Anatevka



ED

 

[EMB]

Making a quad mix of this 1964 album must have been tough, for it seems it was a 3-track recording, and that means the mixing engineer didn't have a lot to work with. The solution was to either a) put vocals predominantly in the front channels and the orchestra/accompaniment in the rears, or b)put the orchestra more up front and vocals in back, depending on the song. That's pretty much what you get, so while there is plenty of separation, the mix is limited and not really very well balanced. Not bad, exactly, which is why I rated it a '5,' but only the popularity of the album--which stayed on the charts for four straight years--justified a Q8 release.


ED

 

[Q-Eight]

RCA certainly had a talent for digging through their archives for Quad releases.

 

[EMB]

That they did...but like THE SOUND OF MUSIC soundtrack album, the FIDDLER o.c. was logical to issue in quad simply because it was such a huge seller not only on monaural and stereo vinyl, but on stereo tapes--8-track, cassette, reels, etc. The pair were, simply put, the best-selling RCA Victor titles of the 1960's, stayed on the charts for upwards of four years, and sold well as catalog titles after they were off the album charts. That said, neither title was anything great in quad, and remixed solely because they were so popular (also the reason for Van Cliburn's 1958 Tchaikovsky album to find Q8 issue as well--millions sold, so why not?)

ED

 

[Larry Geller]

That they did...but like THE SOUND OF MUSIC soundtrack album, the FIDDLER o.c. was logical to issue in quad simply because it was such a huge seller not only on monaural and stereo vinyl, but on stereo tapes--8-track, cassette, reels, etc. The pair were, simply put, the best-selling RCA Victor titles of the 1960's, stayed on the charts for upwards of four years, and sold well as catalog titles after they were off the album charts. That said, neither title was anything great in quad, and remixed solely because they were so popular (also the reason for Van Cliburn's 1958 Tchaikovsky album to find Q8 issue as well--millions sold, so why not?)

ED

These 2 are my holy grails for quad conversions. I have been waiting for like forever for DVD-A coversions to show up on The 'Noid. Romano? Army Of Quad? Beuller?

 

[winopener]

Does these two (fiddler/sound) do exist also as quad reels? I can't remember ever seeing one of these in more than 10 years on ebay.

 

[EMB]

Note to anyone interested: I know where the Q8's can be found (cough, hint, cough)....

ED

 

[sjcorne]

Going with an 8 on this one. Not exactly my first choice for a quad release, but the music is classic and I think the mix is really impressive considering the age and limitations of the source material. It sounds to me like the master tape must've had more than three tracks as the orchestra appears to be stereo and there are sections with different vocal parts split front/rear. You usually get the orchestra across the rears, the main vocal part upfront, and the various other vocal parts all over the room.

For example, "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" has Yenta upfront and the two daughters split between the rears. In "If I Were A Rich Man", Zero Mostel's voice audibly walks across the front channels as if he was onstage.

"Matchmaker, Matchmaker":

 

[4-earredwonder]

Going with an 8 on this one. Not exactly my first choice for a quad release, but the music is classic and I think the mix is really impressive considering the age and limitations of the source material. It sounds to me like the master tape must've had more than three tracks as the orchestra appears to be stereo and there are sections with different vocal parts split front/rear. You usually get the orchestra across the rears, the main vocal part upfront, and the various other vocal parts all over the room.

For example, "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" has Yenta upfront and the two daughters split between the rears. In "If I Were A Rich Man", Zero Mostel's voice audibly walks across the front channels as if he was onstage.

"Matchmaker, Matchmaker":
View attachment 51433

Would seem to be a natural for the D~V treatment along with Sondheim's wonderful "Company!"

 

[JonUrban]

Not to be confused with the Motion Picture Soundtrack, that poll is located here:

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...dler-on-the-roof-q8-2-tapes.28322/post-489335

[NOTE: I moved the info and conversation out of this thread concerning the motion picture soundtrack because it should be discussed in its own thread, not this one]

 

[humprof]

Not to be confused with the Motion Picture Soundtrack, that poll is located here:

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...dler-on-the-roof-q8-2-tapes.28322/post-489335

Whoa! Now I want to hear this one, too! (Plus...somebody needs to do a Discogs entry?)

 

[bigbillquad]

Hi. Jon

I have the Quad Reel of the Original Soundtrack - Fiddler on the Roof.

 

[Larry Geller]

Hi. Jon

I have the Quad Reel of the Original Soundtrack - Fiddler on the Roof.

View attachment 51456View attachment 51457
View attachment 51458

The UA Q8 is the soundtrack, this is the Original Broadway Cast LP. I would kill for either one to come out on DV.

 

[humprof]

Partly for sentimental reasons, I’m prejudiced towards this one. But also: the music and lyrics are by turns just so smart and funny and touching that it’s hard not to give it top marks.

@sjcorne accurately described the mix: lead vocal parts are almost always spread across the fronts (usually close-mic’d but often with a fair amount of stage-like reverb), with supporting parts spread all around and chorus in the rears. (One thing I noted: on “Tradition,” the women’s chorus is right-rear and the male chorus, left-rear. You’d think they would’ve done that on “Sunrise, Sunset,” too, but no.) The orchestra, also across the rears, sometimes has strings shading right and brass, left.

10 for content, 8 for mix, 9 for sound (on a mint QR conversion).

P.S.: here are Harnick & Bock on Fresh Air:
'Fiddler' Songwriters Discuss Putting Themselves In The 'Soul Of The Characters'

 

[jaybird100]

The UA Q8 is the soundtrack, this is the Original Broadway Cast LP. I would kill for either one to come out on DV.

Suggest it. They listen to what people want, so it's worth a shot.