5 More Vocalion Surround SACD Releases - Earth, Wind & Fire, O'Jays, Harold Melvin & Blue Notes, Miracles, Helen Reddy (Jan 2020)

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i can't understand why those Kleiner & Young mixes (or rather those i surmised were and turned out to be) didn't get credited on the sleeves and i've wondered why none of those "Bass Rear Left/Drums Rear Right" mixes post Minnie Riperton's "Perfect Angel" in '74 (which i did indeed suspect were all by Vincent & Bogert and now this latest revelation pretty much clinches it for me) had Quad credits on the sleeves at all! 🤔

now i think i know why, maybe.. they were A&M guys! so rather than someone like CBS' in-house engineer Larry Keyes, who always got a credit, even on his last Pop mixes in 1977 (Electrified Funk, Go For Your Guns).. so perhaps there wasn't the same obligation on CBS' part to have the Quad Engineer Remix Credit on the final release? 🧐

I think that's probably exactly the case, that the CBS guys like Keyes and Young seem to always get credited - it's my understanding that the union that the CBS engineers were part of was really powerful at the time, maybe credits were a mandated stipulation. As for Bogert, I think him and Vincent did get credits in '76/'77 on some easy listening titles like Ray Conniff, so I wonder if maybe the label felt like their association with easy listening acts meant they weren't "cool" enough to appear on pop and rock releases.

Interestingly, the two Kleiner/Young credits we dug up for Blood, Sweat & Tears Mirror Image and Earth Wind & Fire's That's the Way of the World were actually supposed to be on the album sleeves! The quad remix credits were on a sheet of paper called "label copy", which goes from the label to (amongst other places) the graphic designer doing the album cover - it has all the track names/times, songwriting credits, production, credits etc. and sure enough the Quadraphonic Remix Engineer/Quadraphonic Sound and Remix Supervision credits for Kleiner and Young are on there. My edumacated guess is that because the label copy sheet for the quad version was almost identical to the stereo one, whoever was preparing the album sleeve for the quad release probably didn't notice the two quad credits at the very bottom, as they were the only thing that was different on a sheet that was in all other regards the same as the stereo version.

I'm in for EW&F. Not sure about any of the other newest ones. Maybe the O'Jays?

If you like Billy Paul's War of the Gods (which I'm pretty sure you praised in one of your Life in Surround episodes) I think it's almost a lock that you'll enjoy the O'Jays (and most likely the Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes too) twofer - same songwriters, same producers, same musicians, and the same studio and engineers responsible for War of the Gods and 360 Degrees of Billy Paul.

I also wanted to add, and I think I posted this picture elsewhere some years back, that I'm such a big fan of the O'Jays Survival album that I own an original NYC subway advertising poster of the album that's nearly 7 feet tall - I thought this might be a nice occasion to show it off again:

ojays_survival_NYC_subway_poster2.jpg
 
We’re seeing Capitol label quads which is a Universal owned and controlled label. This is very nice to see again. One Warner / Rhino quad title and I’ll pee my pants in excitement about future potentials.

I’ll even take a chance on a Smokyless Miracles album if it’s really as great as said, and rare in quad as hens teeth.
 
The two Blood, Sweat & Tears albums ("Mirror Image" and "New CIty" both on one disc) are noteworthy because even if they aren't the BEST of the latter records (New Blood and No Sweat are from a musical standpoint), the Horn Section is brought significantly forward in the Quad Mix. I'd echo getting the E,W&F sets, but I'll probably wait a while for those. Mirror Image and New City do have some good songs and good arrangements. There are also a couple of underinspired DCT ballads with not all that great (or missing outright) arrangements on "City". Still, I recommend them for what can be found on them. "Are You Satisfied?", "Maglomania" and segments of a "Return To Forever" inspired suite are pretty good on "Mirror". Most of the songs on "City" are pretty good, with only one or two sort of "tacked on as an afterthought" tracks. I like "No Show" (written by Jazz Bassist Ron McClure), "Life" (Allen Toussaint) and a cover of "Naked Man" (Randy Newman). There are also the two minor hits, a reimagining (an improvement from my pov) of Blues Image's "Ride, Captain Ride" and the Beatles" (one of the better covers done of) "Got To Get You Into My Life". I have a post-modern decoded Blu-Ray of the vinyl and the SACD twofer. The SACD is DEFINITELY worth the ask.
 
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I just completed my order and got the 5 discs, Helen Reddy is a real stretch for me. Listening now to the two Helen Reddy albums in stereo with my Tidal account. I can see there might be some good surround, lots of horns, etc.
The other 4 are a solid listening experience as I like all those soul albums.
 
I just completed my order and got the 5 discs, Helen Reddy is a real stretch for me. Listening now to the two Helen Reddy albums in stereo with my Tidal account. I can see there might be some good surround, lots of horns, etc.
The other 4 are a solid listening experience as I like all those soul albums.

When you turn 75, Markie, you'll be playing Helen Reddy in HEAVY ROTATION!
 
Well, Dutton can't fault you for being a disloyal customer, Pup. Until a year or so ago, I would've given Helen Reddy the same cold shoulder--I figured endless choruses of "Delta Dawn" sung by the neighbor girls on my school bus in 1973 were enough to last me a lifetime. And then I had occasion to do some research about her and rediscovered what a class act she was--and how funny and professional and uncompromising--and what an interesting life she's led, and how she made a point of promoting other young songwriters...and I came around!
So what happened to her? After her hit years in the 70's, she has completely disappeared. Don't even hear her on "oldies" or "70's channels/stations.
 
So what happened to her? After her hit years in the 70's, she has completely disappeared. Don't even hear her on "oldies" or "70's channels/stations.

I ran across a video of her on YouTube making a guest appearance on an Australian TV show a couple of years back, and I wouldn’t have recognized her to see her, but well into her 70s and her voice sounded EXACTLY the same.

Was never really a fan. I owned the Delta Dawn single as a kid; that was it for me. I didn’t jump on this release as I don’t think I could listen to her voice for two full albums, but I’ll probably pick it up at some point as now it’s becoming a matter of owning the DV Quad catalog!
 
I’m in for all! And on a side note - I saw Helen Reddy in concert about 7 years ago. She came to Newberry, South Carolina to a small Opera House venue and it has become one of my all-time favorite concerts! She sounded the same as she did in the 70s and it was just a wonderful experience. Taught me to never discount these older folks, and besides, they are from my favorite music era. I hope Diana Ross will be great next month and EWF, though not all original members, was another fabulous experience in the recent past few years. I digress. . . But remain so thoroughly thrilled with all these DV releases! Thank y’all for bringing the new stuff to my attention. I need to check in more regularly and now have to read backwards to find out what’s been happening. I love Jon and am feeling sorely out of the loop. But, I will catch back up! My first retirement (last year) didn’t take, but I am re-retiring next school year and will have more time for my favorite hobby - all things quad! I am so excited about these new releases! 2020 is looking great.
 
So what happened to her? After her hit years in the 70's, she has completely disappeared. Don't even hear her on "oldies" or "70's channels/stations.
You'll have to read the liner notes! Actually, Google or Wikipedia can probably give you a fairly good answer. But the short answer is: she retired from performing in the early aughts, sort of came back a decade later, then faded into the woodwork again. But she's still kicking.
 
You'll have to read the liner notes! Actually, Google or Wikipedia can probably give you a fairly good answer. But the short answer is: she retired from performing in the early aughts, sort of came back a decade later, then faded into the woodwork again. But she's still kicking.
It was announced a couple of years ago the she's been diagnosed with dementia and would not be making public appearances.
 
It was announced a couple of years ago the she's been diagnosed with dementia and would not be making public appearances.

The dementia diagnosis was actually rumored--and disputed--more than a couple of years ago. And then she made a few surprise appearances, seeming sharp each time. Possible that the condition has been confirmed by now; I'm not sure. (I suspect, though, that many of us have enough experience with friends, relatives, and loved ones to say that there are different kinds of dementia, and that its symptoms "present" differently in each case.)
 
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Helen Reddy also had a house on Nofolk island, before moving back to melbourne...she may still own it there...search google "Helen Reddy Garden tour Norfolk island" and you'll see what I mean ...also...this piece of relatively unknown information about Helen Reddy
"Australian author Colleen McCullough, who died in 2015, called the island her “little slice of paradise”. On a tour with Bounti Escapes you can visit her home.
While many may be familiar with McCullough’s works, such as The Thorn Birds, few may realise her husband Richard Morgan, who still lives in the house, is a cousin of Australian singer Helen Reddy, who also has a home on the island."
 
Helen Reddy also had a house on Nofolk island, before moving back to melbourne...she may still own it there...search google "Helen Reddy Garden tour Norfolk island" and you'll see what I mean ...also...this piece of relatively unknown information about Helen Reddy
"Australian author Colleen McCullough, who died in 2015, called the island her “little slice of paradise”. On a tour with Bounti Escapes you can visit her home.
While many may be familiar with McCullough’s works, such as The Thorn Birds, few may realise her husband Richard Morgan, who still lives in the house, is a cousin of Australian singer Helen Reddy, who also has a home on the island."
Wow. You and @humprof definitely know your s**t when it comes to all things about Helen Reddy!
 
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