Q to Steve Re: Beach Boys 40 Greatest Hits

[Matt]

Steve,

Someone mentioned that you mastered a Beach Boys collection for Razor & Tie. Is this the same 40 Greatest Hits collection that was advertised in newspaper magazines (like Parade) and on TV?

[Steve Hoffman]

Yes. It used clones of the DCC masters.

[Angel]

Ah, this explains a lot. My mom bought a copy from the TV commercial. I told her she was crazy, until I heard it....Now I want one!

Amazing sounding stereo "Little Saint Nick".

Someone at Razor & Tie must have been pretty hip to put that title on there. Christmas hits almost never appear on Greatest Hits albums...

[lukpac]

Question - does it use the stereo versions of the early tracks (where available), or does it use the mono mixes?

[Matt]

No kidding. I remember seeing those on TV and in newspaper ads and thinking "they probably sound like crap."

Considering that DCC hasn't pressed any new copies of Endless Summer yet (though I was told they were going to in August), this may be a more viable alternative, assuming they haven't messed with Steve's work.

[ October 17, 2001: Message edited by: Camarillo ]

[Steve Hoffman]

Mike Ragogna, my buddy who works at MCA/Universal compiled that one. I think the shirts gave him much grief about including "Little Saint Nick" on there, but he made them see the light. Good thing, eh? I THINK it's the only place where one can hear the "correct" original stereo version of "Saint Nick"....

I used the original stereo LP version without the mono overdubs...My call totally, but Mike backed me up.

FYI, just like on the DCC "Endless Summer" and "Spirit Of America", I used the correct stereo mixes in all places that a stereo mix existed. The "mono only" mixes, of course I used on songs like "California Girls". I also used the correct hit single versions of "Be True To Your School" and "Help Me Rhonda", etc.

[ October 17, 2001: Message edited by: Steve Hoffman ]

[lukpac]

Sounds good...

Next question - anyone know where to actually find a copy?

[JohnnyK]

About three weeks ago I ordered Endless Summer from the DCC store. Yesterday, DCC sent me an e-mail saying that Endless Summer will be available in January.

[Steve Hoffman]

www.musicspace.com (http://www.musicspace.com) has the Razor & tie Beach Boys Greatest Hits.

As I mentioned in another thread, We can't just assume they are still using the master tapes I sent them to manufacture these discs.

They could be, though...

[Angel]

Good news. I'm there!

Even if they used a copy of a copy of Steve's work to manufacture, it will still sound a million times better than anything else out there.

And if by some chance they are still using the original glass mastering to manufacture, even better!

Whoopee!!! ;)

[Steve Hoffman]

In response to several emails....

Yes, on the Razor & Tie Beach Boys TV disc I did, the tracks from Pet Sounds are from the DCC 24 Karat Gold Disc mastering. And, yes, they are the original mono Brian Wilson/Chuck Britz mixes. I wouldn't have done it any other way!

:)