"Special" quad albums.

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gvl_guy

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Does anyone know why there were so many "orchestra/remakes" that were released in SQ, often under something like "Capitol Special Products?" (I'm sure there were QS/RM and CD-4 others, too.)

I have a bunch like The Sound of the 70s Orchestra, The San Fernando Brass and Great Songs of the Beatles. Many were only released in quad with no stereo counterpart.

Was there that much interest in something like these?
 
Remembering the era, and when this stuff came out, just a guess, an opinion, but it might have been cheaper to just release covers of “The Sound of the 70s Orchestra,” rather than to try to release the original recordings from the artists of the day. You have to pay some royalties, but nothing like trying to get original recordings when they were new hits at the time. I also wouldn’t call these recordings real popular, but it did allow a record company an easy way to get Quad products out there in the beginning.

Had circumstances been different, a record company would have put out a lot more original recordings of the day in Quad. As it was, Capital records did release two former Beatles solo recordings in Quad, along with Steve Miller. It was a generic, quick way of getting Quad out there to a broad audience. The records felt more like they were meant as Quad demo records for Quad equipment. At least that’s what I thought about these records back in the day when I was a teenager.
 
Yes, I think they were trying to get quad out there to all sectors of the population, including or especially to those who had the most money at the time. This would have included the Greatest Generation (WWII - my parents' generation).

Doug
 
I have "The Full Spectrum of Quadraphonic Sound" and "Bach To Bernstein" I bought at RS back then.

Bernstein should have just stuck to conducting. I haven't listened to his complete "Mass" but the "Credo", from it and included on the latter album is singularly terrible. "I believe in one God but does he believe in me?" sung to a sleazy jazz/Broadway musical beat. Yikes!
 
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I have the "Full Spectrum" album and I did talk a friend into buying this SQ demo album although he listened to music on a Magnavox console stereo and to WLS-AM on a car radio, so Quad wasn't of much interest to him (at least this album has the complete Chase song [a good SQ decoder test]).


Kirk Bayne
 
Had circumstances been different, a record company would have put out a lot more original recordings of the day in Quad. As it was, Capital records did release two former Beatles solo recordings in Quad, along with Steve Miller. It was a generic, quick way of getting Quad out there to a broad audience. The records felt more like they were meant as Quad demo records for Quad equipment. At least that’s what I thought about these records back in the day when I was a teenager.
Really? Wow. I know that Lennon's Imagine was available in SQ overseas, but there were domestic pressings of these? Do tell! Which ones?
 
Really? Wow. I know that Lennon's Imagine was available in SQ overseas, but there were domestic pressings of these? Do tell! Which ones?

I mentioned “recordings” meaning of course two Q8 titles for each of the artists referred to.

I was able to get “Imagine” SQ record from England at a record store in Berkeley in the 70s. I suppose Q8 was more of a universal format that could also be played in the car. It was a mystery at the time why one solo Beatles title would get released, and why not another. Why not RAM in Quad? And why did John Lennon’s “Mind Games” get skipped over between his Quad releases.
 
I mentioned “recordings” meaning of course two Q8 titles for each of the artists referred to.

I was able to get “Imagine” SQ record from England at a record store in Berkeley in the 70s. I suppose Q8 was more of a universal format that could also be played in the car. It was a mystery at the time why one solo Beatles title would get released, and why not another. Why not RAM in Quad? And why did John Lennon’s “Mind Games” get skipped over between his Quad releases. Of course we sort of knew the answer back then, you got what you got when something was released, and had to be happy with whatever you were able to get.
Ah. OK. I was not referring to Q8's in my question but specifically SQ and other matrix albums. (That's why I put it in the
"Matrix LP/CD Formats (SQ, QS/RM, EV, UHJ, etc." forum. :) )

I get why there were some Q8 only releases from various record companies as they decided on what LP quad format to use, but especially Capitol seemed to be clearly in the SQ camp. All their special products were in SQ and overseas related labels went SQ. But not here in the states. :unsure:
 
looking at how they pan out in discrete form i think it might be to do with some of their Quad mixes not being particularly SQ compliant and perhaps they found in testing some didn't perform well enough when put through the SQ encode/decode process? i'm not sure (m)any of the Capitol Q8s have mixes that resemble the CBS style mixes of the time?
 
Bought Imagine on Q8 the day before I bought my Akai CR80-DSS. Green tapered cartridge. Had it first on 2ch LP as a new release. Rebought it as a UK SQ when I went to preamp/amp, MC cart, etc. Bought UK CD, DVD-V of Gimme Some Truth (making of doc in 5.1), another green Q8 from a collection I inherited, BR of Gimme doc, and super-uber-duber Imagine box.

I've never been wild about the SQ/Q8 Imagine Quad mix. It's a 6 at best, mix wise, 9 or 10 musically. It is one of my most played Quads, mostly because of the music. I greatly prefer the mix on Gimme doc DVD-V & BD or in the 5.1 uber.

I don't recall any EMI Quads that were available as US SQ, or any other Quad formats, other than Q8's. Those Special Markets titles are all I recall of US EMI SQ's. Many Angel classical US titles were SQ, however.

Although from Radio Shack, "The Full Spectrum of Quadraphonic Sound" and "Bach To Bernstein" are Columbia (CBS) Special Products SQ titles and compilations culled from Columbia Quads. I have both of those. Again, among my least played Quads. Not because I'm disinterested, but because I have most of the tracks on the artists' own Quads.

Both Chase Quads are among my most played. I've owned 2ch LP's, Q8, SQ, CD and Quad SACD's of these. Ted Piercefield, one of the trumpets, is an old customer of mine. Peterik was a client and friend of a guy I worked with. Met him, talented and great guy.

I like Bernstein's Mass. I listened/saw it on WTTW/PBS long before I bought the Quad. I bought a 3 Q8 set in a slipcase, like Chicago double Q8's. CBS sent me an LP size booklet after I remitted the post card. I rebought it on CD and would gladly rebuy it in Quad SACD. All that being said, it is also one of my least played Quads (and CD's.) I need to be in the mood for it. Although, it got many more plays than all the aforementioned Special Markets/Products Quads.
 
I agree with @Old Quad Guy .

These Capitol SQ quad lps were somewhat of a rush job for the higher or middle income people at that time. (Vets of WW2 and Korean War) for the most part.

I find it Interesting that some of the artists would still be considered popular today . The likes of Bobbie Gentry , Glen Campbell , Peggy Lee and Nancy Wilson come to mind. Why none of these artists had complete quad albums , is a bit of a mystery.
That is apart from Glen Campell (on Q8)







The bigger mystery would be why Capitol Records chose Q8 and not SQ as with these Anthologies. (Or at the very least both formats)


As to their Q8 program they did have 3 Beatles Solos however , Ringo Starr ,Paul McCartney , and John Lennon !
And had they continued in SQ over Q8 , the SQ matrix would have had an undeniable edge .

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looking at how they pan out in discrete form i think it might be to do with some of their Quad mixes not being particularly SQ compliant and perhaps they found in testing some didn't perform well enough when put through the SQ encode/decode process? i'm not sure (m)any of the Capitol Q8s have mixes that resemble the CBS style mixes of the time?


Yes, that's too bad they had one of the top quad mix engineers of the 70's.......none other than Carson Taylor.
 
No doubt in the Quad age, if the Beatles wanted any of their solos albums released in Quad, they would have been. EMI certainly wanted to keep them happy.

I recall these being released during the time of Quad (70's):

Imagine (Q8, import SQ & Japan Q reel, later BR new mix)
Walls & Bridges (Q8)
Band on the Run (Q8, later DTS CD)
Venus & Mars (Q8, later DTS CD)
Goodnight Vienna (Q8)

plus the Lennon produced Pussy Cats by Nilsson (Q8 & CD-4)
 
Yes, that's too bad they had one of the top quad mix engineers of the 70's.......none other than Carson Taylor.

the SQ LP based Quads i have mixed by Carson Taylor decode really well through the Surround Master, so its a shame if he didn't mix or at least oversee Capitol's mixes that ended up on Q8-only.

its understandable the ex-Beatles might opt to use certain engineers for their Quads (if they indeed had any say at the time?) but it is a missed opportunity if someone such as Carson Taylor didn't have at least a hand in some, maybe he did. its all a bit of a mystery!
 
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