New Shadows Release due September

[Arpeggio]

As Jim says...certainly EMI continued to release LPs in both mono and stereo up until 1969. Then of course there was the old 'stereophonic - suitable for reproduction on monaural players' etc., etc! Plus....with the changeover to stereo LPs - the dreaded 'monaural recordings - processed to give a stereophonic effect' etc., etc. Some of those 'mock stereo' efforts and systems like Capitol's 'Duophonic' reprocessing were truly ghastly!

Rob

[iefje]

EMI in the UK were issuing in both mono and stereo as late as 1969. Hank's first solo album was released under the SX and the SCX series.

In France, the last Shadows' album issued with both mono and stereo releases was "The sound of the Shadows", everything later was isued on a single "gravure universelle" release.

Didier

That's interesting. It might mean that the stereo mixes used for French releases, because it featured the bass in the centre (not universal for Shadows releases in the UK), is different from the UK stereo...

Is that indeed the case? Are the stereo mixes of the French issues of the primary albums different to the UK issues? I know of one example, namely "Perfidia", which on the French 10" issue has a narrower stereo soundstage than the UK stereo mix. Are there any others?

[Fenderman]

I'm curious as to why this new CD is being issued on Parlophone, as they have just been sold to Warner Music (part of the EMI sell off was to sell Parlophone). I thought it would appear on the EMI label.
Does this mean Parlophone would have to spend money on getting a license to release the material?

[iefje]

I'm curious as to why this new CD is being issued on Parlophone, as they have just been sold to Warner Music (part of the EMI sell off was to sell Parlophone). I thought it would appear on the EMI label.
Does this mean Parlophone would have to spend money on getting a license to release the material?

Not all material I think. The material of fifty years and older can still be issued without paying for copyright, or am I wrong?

[Graham S]

Much as I hesitate to contradict, Rob, I believe that technical time constraints were not the reason for the "Sound Of The Shadows" 1997 DigiPak containing only the stereo version of the album.

I've just loaded that CD into my player, and the total playing time is returned as 36:47. That is comfortably under half the maximum playing time for a CD. The original 1983 Red Book specs for CD-DA were for 74 minutes in total*, though improvements since then mean that up to 80 minutes can be achieved. Even on the original specs (which had been superseded by 1997), "The Sound Of The Shadows" could have been issued with both the mono and stereo versions on one disc, with a total running time of about 73:40. Other discs from the time were advertising running times of 77 minutes and up.

Playing times (totals) for the mono/stereo DigiPaks were:

(a) "The Shadows": 73:07
(b) "Out Of The Shadows": 71:39
(c) "Dance With the Shadows": 69:37
(d) "Shadow Music": 68:25
(e) "Jigsaw": 76:01 (!)
(f) "From Hank, Bruce, Brian and John": 68:21.

In the period since the DigiPaks were released (and deleted), the jewel-cased mono/stereo version of "The Shadows' Greatest Hits" ran out at 76:29 and the equivalent version of "More Hits!" contained a whopping 78:01 of audio.

My feeling is that at first, there was simply no plan to include the mono versions on the DigiPaks. The decision was made after the release of the "Sound Of The Shadows" and because that was such a recent reissue, it was felt that a further, revised, version would not be commercially successful...

JN[/quote]

I think the 1990s remastered digipak albums are superb, the thickness of sound on the "From Hank, Bruce, Brian and John" album compared to the BGO version is chalk and cheese, the sound is so thin, even the disc label colour of the first 2 albums, that green colour is correct of the original stereo vinyl, superb detail.

Graham.

[iefje]

I have always found it strange that the series of digi-paks ended after "Rockin' With Curly Leads". I think EMI should have also remastered and re-released as digi-paks "Specs Appeal", "Live At The Paris Olympia" (the original 14-track album), "Tasty" and "String Of Hits".

[Arpeggio]

Roy....when EMI was sold off..the Parlophone part (esp the Beatles back catalogue) was sold separately - bizarrely it also includes all of the Cliff / Shadows material (even though they were on Columbia!). As I understand from Tim Chacksfield (who is overseeing this project) - all of the 'is' are not quite dotted nor the 'ts' quite crossed just yet. Viz - the Warners 'buy out' is going ahead...but legally..it's not quite 100% completed just yet. What (if any) implications for back catalogue releases the takeover may or many not have I just don't know. All I do know is that EMI/Parlophone were keen to get this set out before the takeover is finalised.....just in case of any 'hiccups'.

Rob

[UlrichS]

In France, the last Shadows' album issued with both mono and stereo releases was "The sound of the Shadows", everything later was isued on a single "gravure universelle" release.

Didier

Hi Didier,

I am sorry, but I have to object. In France "Shadow Music" was also originally released as separate mono (CTX 40.370) and stereo (SCTX 140.370) pressings. Later re-pressings (SCTX 340.370) were made in the 'gravure universelle' format.

FRA-CTX40370-LA.jpg

FRA-SCTX140370-LA.jpg

FRA-SCTX340370-LA.jpg

Best wishes,

Ulrich

[iefje]

In France, the last Shadows' album issued with both mono and stereo releases was "The sound of the Shadows", everything later was isued on a single "gravure universelle" release.

Didier

Hi Didier,

I am sorry, but I have to object. In France "Shadow Music" was also originally released as separate mono (CTX 40.370) and stereo (SCTX 140.370) pressings. Later re-pressings (SCTX 340.370) were made in the 'gravure universelle' format.

FRA-CTX40370-LA.jpg

FRA-SCTX140370-LA.jpg

FRA-SCTX340370-LA.jpg

Best wishes,

Ulrich

Are the mono and stereo mixes the same as found on the UK issues?

[UlrichS]

Are the mono and stereo mixes the same as found on the UK issues?

I presume so as the matrix number is the same, but I am not sure. I cannot check it at the moment as the records are stored.

Ulrich