'Best' Wonderful Land

[MikeAB]

My iPod crashed last week and I'm reloading and organising 5000+ tracks into the original playlists etc.

It made me wonder which version of Wonderful Land is considered the 'best' - it sounded so great on Brian Matthew's show this morning.

I've been using the 'Early Years' recording (the original boxed set) but also have the Original Chart Hits CD. It was played 134 times in 7 years!

I seem to recall the 'Platinum' set was considered a very good re-mix- and also which cuts have the dubbed tom-tom on them?

Advice appreciated before the play count gets going again!

[JimN]

The dubbed tom-tom only appears on the mono mix used on the original single and on mock-stereo versions created out of that mono mix.

The mono version was released (of course) as a single in 1962. It was also used on the EP "Wonderful Land Of The Shadows" and on the 1963 mono-only release of "The Shadows' Greatest Hits".

The first mock-stereo version was used on the eventual stereo version of "The Shadows' Greatest Hits", apparently released in 1971.

A separate mock-stereo version (more compressed and perhaps reversed L-R) was used on the "20 Golden Greats" vinyl album in 1977.

So far, every release had featured the tom-tom.

In 1990, the double CD (and vinyl double LP) "The Original Chart Hits 1960-1980" was the first release of the true stereo version - with no tom-tom overdub.

According to my database, the versions can be found as follows:

WONDERFUL LAND (EMI studio version - 45 - full overdub) EMI/Columbia (UK) Single A-side 45-DB 4790 (mono):

1. Single A-side - 45 EMI/Columbia (UK) 45-DB 4790 (mono) 2 copies - green labels]
2. "The Shadows' Greatest Hits" - LP EMI/Columbia (UK) SCX 1522 (mock-stereo)
3. "20 Golden Greats" - LP EMI (UK) EMTV 3 (mock-stereo - the "Bruce Welch" mix)
4. "Another String Of Hot Hits And More" - CD EMI/MfP (UK) CD-MFP 6002 (mock-stereo)
5. "The Wonderful World Of Cliff Richard & The Shadows" - CD Remember (NL) CD-RMB 75610 (mono)
6. "Wonderful Land Of The Shadows" - EP EMI/Columbia (UK) SEG 8171 (mono)
7. "The Best Of The Shadows" - CD Disky (NL) DC 878662 (mock-stereo)
8. "The Shadows' Greatest Hits" - CD EMI/Columbia (UK) CDP 792423 2 (mock-stereo)
9. "The Shadows Greatest Hits" (mono/stereo) - CD EMI (UK) 578198 2 (2004) (mono)
11. "The Shadows Greatest Hits" (mono/stereo) - CD EMI (UK) 578198 2 (2004) (mock-stereo)

WONDERFUL LAND (EMI studio version - string overdub only) EMI (UK) "THE ORIGINAL CHART HITS 1960-1980" LPx2 EM 1354 (stereo):

1. "The Original Chart Hits 1960 - 1980" - LPx2 EMI (UK) EM 1354 (stereo)
2. "The Early Years" - CDx6 EMI (UK) CD SHAD 12 (stereo)
3. "The Original Chart Hits 1960 - 1980" - CDx2 EMI (UK) CDEM 1354 (stereo)
4. "The Shadows' Hits" - CD BR Music (NL) BR 137-2 (stereo)
5. "A Portrait Of The Shadows" - CD Castle Communications (D) CHC 7096 CR (stereo)
6. "The Shadows Collection" - CDx3 EMI/MfP/Trio (UK) 8 52621 2 - 8 52623 2 inc. (stereo)
7. "Good Vibrations" - CDx3 Disky (NL) SA 872782 (stereo)
8. "The Original" - CD Disky (NL) TO 860132 (stereo)
9. "The Shadows Collection" (Australia) - CDx2 EMI (Australia) 8310393 (stereo)
10. "30 All Time Greatest Hits" - CD EMI (Australia) 8 14898 2 (stereo)
11. "The Shadows With Strings Attached" CD EMI (UK) 526092 2 (stereo)
This track has the string part added, but not the drum rinforzato, which is such a feature of the "finished" mono mix in the second half of the recording.

[humdrum]

There is also a version on the "At Abbey rd c/d minus any overdubs at all & I am sure it is a different take than the one we know & love. Am I correct in thinking that?

[MikeAB]

Great knowledge as ever Jim - thanks

Mike

[GoldenStreet]

There is also a version on the "At Abbey rd c/d minus any overdubs at all & I am sure it is a different take than the one we know & love. Am I correct in thinking that?

Quite right! This is described as Take 8 (mono only) on the 1997 At Abbey Road compilation. It's a fascinating, if perhaps more 'plodding', variation of the original hit version.

From 2.53...



Bruce's 1990 true stereo remix has been issued on various subsequent compilations with and without the strings and horn overdub. Must say, I'm not too sure about the tom-tom overdub!

Bill

[drakula63]

An unusual version, which I quite like, performed on John Peel's 'Sounds on Sunday' around March 1974. Strange synth strings, played I suspect by either Brian or John, and other synth parts here and there. Mo Foster on bass and John Farrar on second guitar. A powerful sound, very much of its time, but probably not to everyone's liking!!!

[GoldenStreet]

An unusual version, which I quite like, performed on John Peel's 'Sounds on Sunday' around March 1974. Strange synth strings, played I suspect by either Brian or John, and other synth parts here and there. Mo Foster on bass and John Farrar on second guitar. A powerful sound, very much of its time, but probably not to everyone's liking!!!

According to various sources there was a Radio 1 transcription session for John Peel on 10th December 1973 (transmitted on 25th December), featuring Nivram, Jungle Jam, Turn Around And Touch Me and Wonderful Land.

Bill