Esoteric sign "much of the Rick Wakeman catalogue"

[Neil Palfreyman]

This makes me very happy. I've known that Esoteric have been after these for many years and am really looking forward to seeing/hearing what they do with them! No details yet, just a brief announcement on the Esoteric Facebook page.

 

[DuncanS]

I e-mailed them a couple of days ago to ask if they were going to release the Quad version of "The Six Wives" (which is one of my favourite albums), and any other quad recordings. No reply yet.....but who knows!

 

[user 1679]

Good news - Rick's stuff is due for a good reissue. I suspect there may be a little more detail in the coming days when Rick posts the "Grumpy Old Rick's Ramblings" September update.

 

[0tto]

holy shit, i believe he has over 100 albums. if all would be remixed into 5.1 - how many of Steven Wilson(s)
need one for such task.
on serious note, indeed that's very good news. even being quite indifferent to YES, always liked Rick's solo
stuff for most parts.
in fact he was one, who opened for me door into world of classical music and i should be thankful to him for this.
i hope at least few other beside 4 quad albums, will be re-done for surround version. his music pretty rich and
deserves such treatment.

 

[Neil Palfreyman]

For em the '70s albums are the holy grail (pun intended)

 

[Ranasakawa]

Six Wives is one of my fav prog albums. 5.1 would sound amazing

 

[winopener]

4 quad album? i'm aware of three. Which is the fourth?

 

[0tto]

"No Earthly Connection"
i haven't heard it but have seen some talks in regards of this album was mixed into quad.

 

[winopener]

Mixed into quad? Possible.
Released? Never seen one...

 

[DuncanS]

I e-mailed them a couple of days ago to ask if they were going to release the Quad version of "The Six Wives" (which is one of my favourite albums), and any other quad recordings. No reply yet.....but who knows!

I have this reply, about releasing any Quadraphonic versions of Rick Wakeman's albums.

Many thanks for your project suggestion to Cherry Red. I'm sorry I've not responded sooner but I've been away on holiday.

I've forwarded your suggestion on to my colleagues at Esoteric for them to consider.

With best wishes

Tim @ Cherry Red

Regardless of whether any of the Quad releases actually happen, its great to find a record company (Cherry Red/Esoteric) that listens to its target audience/customers! It would be fantastic if the quad mix of "Six Wives" got released.

 

[DennisMoore Jr.]

This makes me very happy. I've known that Esoteric have been after these for many years and am really looking forward to seeing/hearing what they do with them! No details yet, just a brief announcement on the Esoteric Facebook page.

oops, I "liked" you twice in error, so take away one like...:yikes


Great news indeed. I doubt there will be too much 5.1 but some reference 2.0 versions or remixes from multi-track masters wold be nice. Example, one of his Best Of 2CD sets has some real nice work done on half of his Criminal Record(far superior to the original Japanese CD release). So it would be great to have that and No Earthly Connection, White Rock... from the original multi-tracks, plus the obligatory, Arthur, Henry 8 & Journey.... Done right. Yes, 5.1 would be a welcome surprise however.

Chris Squire's Fish Out Of Water is coming in 5.1, Squire said, month's ago...

The Wakeman news is absolutly fabulous though, since he has been fighting to get his classic stuff out properly for years. Funny, I spoke with Rick backstage after the 1996, YES, San Louis Obisbo show and he said that White Rock & No Earthly Connection and such are finally coming out with proper masterings, etc.... Looks like we are still waiting. Obvioulsy, Esotereric wouldn't be acquiring the rights just to squat on them for more years...

 

[DennisMoore Jr.]

WTF??? Wakey-E-Mon sez:

"I have also signed a deal with Esoteric records for the repackaging and release of much of many of the recordings I had ownership off and these will be available world-wide early next year."

Rick sold off the rights to all his "classic" stuff years ago to pay of the Queen's tax collector.. Rick sez "recordings I had ownership off". That is not the stuff from 6 Wives to White Rock... He sold those off decades ago :howl :howl :howl
Maybe the rights have reverted back to him, does Brittian have the 25 year IP rule?

Can somebody clarify?

I'm sorry, Rick's: Rock N'Roll Prophet & Aspirant Sunshadows aren't worth reissuing even on 8-track tape... I bought the former on LP record and the latter on CD.
I still think Rick owes me for that load of rubbish...

You lot got me overly excited at the thought at his classic stuff being released in tru HiFi.

Next thing I know you are gonna be telling me my beloved Three Dog Night is coming out in a Steven Wilson discrete 5.1 remix.:banana:

 

[Neil Palfreyman]

WTF??? Wakey-E-Mon sez:

"I have also signed a deal with Esoteric records for the repackaging and release of much of many of the recordings I had ownership off and these will be available world-wide early next year."

Rick sold off the rights to all his "classic" stuff years ago to pay of the Queen's tax collector.. Rick sez "recordings I had ownership off". That is not the stuff from 6 Wives to White Rock... He sold those off decades ago :howl :howl :howl
Maybe the rights have reverted back to him, does Brittian have the 25 year IP rule?

Can somebody clarify?

I'm sorry, Rick's: Rock N'Roll Prophet & Aspirant Sunshadows aren't worth reissuing even on 8-track tape... I bought the former on LP record and the latter on CD.
I still think Rick owes me for that load of rubbish...

You lot got me overly excited at the thought at his classic stuff being released in tru HiFi.

Next thing I know you are gonna be telling me my beloved Three Dog Night is coming out in a Steven Wilson discrete 5.1 remix.:banana:

...sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but I heard recently from a very reliable source that at the moment this excludes the first six albums. As my source put it "so Esoteric have bought all the crap." Negotiations may be ongoing but this doesn't sound like the good news it did when first announced.

 

[DuncanS]

...sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but I heard recently from a very reliable source that at the moment this excludes the first six albums. As my source put it "so Esoteric have bought all the crap." Negotiations may be ongoing but this doesn't sound like the good news it did when first announced.

Thats a blow :howl

 

[0tto]

I'm sorry, Rick's: Rock N'Roll Prophet & Aspirant Sunshadows aren't worth reissuing even on 8-track tape... I bought the former on LP record and the latter on CD.
I still think Rick owes me for that load of rubbish...

that's true. many of the 80th perhaps can be considered as some sort of exercises and experiments
with electronic and new wave. but i would love to have his "A Suite of Gods" from 1988. even without
usual for Rick very rich polyphonic structure of the music, this one can do nice and elegant surround.
recording wasn't bad, at least on CD it has quite decent sound.
wondering do he still own this recording?

 

[DennisMoore Jr.]

...sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but I heard recently from a very reliable source that at the moment this excludes the first six albums. As my source put it "so Esoteric have bought all the crap." Negotiations may be ongoing but this doesn't sound like the good news it did when first announced.

That at least makes sense. I guess the entity Rick sold those rights to has them for 25 years??? And will likely sit on them for that time. Seems like record companies put no thought at all to a release unless it happens to be a 25, 30 or 40 year anniversary....

Whoever has the rights to his prime stuff(6 Wives through White Rock), what harm is there in letting Esoteric do a deal with them? The current owner certainly is doing nothing with the stuff...

I love Wake-Ee-Mon but his prime 6 is where it is at. I think I bought 10 others of his over the years and I can't see buying them ever again. Journey II doesn't count since that is brand new and wouldn't need a reissue.

 

[Drabs]

This is all a bit confusing. I know a few years back Esoteric were after his prime A&M catalogue and were just about to get it when Rick decided to do it himself. If you look back over his past blogs (from around April to September 2011) on his web site you can read he was just about to release those as a box set, all it needed was the final paperwork to sort out. Everythng had been remastered and bonus tracks were mentioned too. Then all of a sudden nothing. So I assumed when this announcement came Esoteric had got back in. Seems not. I wish someone could ask Rick what happened.