Beatles "Beat Series" CD Question For Steve?

[Michael]

Steve,
Have you ever heard the Beatles Beat Cd's 2 For 1 "The Capital Versions", Early Beatles/Meet The Beatles Vol 1-Beat-001? If you did. Do you think they are from a tape source (Rumor has them from Ampex commercial 7.5 ips reel to reel's)? They really sound great!

[Steve Hoffman]

In my pile of things to play.

[Michael]

OK Steve, If you ever get the time to listen, please let me know.

[Steve Hoffman]

This weekend....;)

[Michael]

Great!

[RetroSmith]

Well, I have two of the Beat Records 'Capitol Series" Cds, thats 4 lps, and they do sound Great.

They are most definetly from 7 ips reel to reels. Capitol or EMi must have issued some really high quality reels of the Beatles at some point, because these dont have that typical 1960s reel to reel sound.


My only problem with this set is that they reproduced the Capitol LPs down to the wire.....even the BAD stuff.

For instance, I Want to Hold Your Hand is mono, This Boy is mono, and some of the other tracks are that wretched Capitol fake stereo that Makes me CRAZY. I would much rather them replace the junk versions with some of the super sounding things out there.

Still, its very nice to have these, I do listen them them alot. If you can get past the 50 tons of Capitol reverb on them, they are pretty OK.


PS.....Beat Records also put out a 2 Cd set of the ENGLISH EMI versions, in stereo without all the added reverb. If you get both sets, you really have pretty much everything on the Early Beatles thats worth having....and for a reasonable price as well.

I think I paid 20 bucks for each CD, which is reasonable.

[Michael]

Hi Mikey,
I have the whole Beat Cd Series . I think they are the best.I heard from a reliable source even Dr. Ebbett used the "Capital Versions" for his Stereo American CDs. Did you notice they were pushed to the limit way before it became a popular habit? Fortunately with great results. Just love those American LPs, worts and all! They just turn on the memory machine. A time that changed my life forever!

[czeskleba]

Originally posted by mikey5967
They are most definetly from 7 ips reel to reels. Capitol or EMi must have issued some really high quality reels of the Beatles at some point, because these dont have that typical 1960s reel to reel sound.
The story I've heard is that these discs were made from DAT copies of the Capitol master tapes, rather than from commercially released reel-to-reels. I seem to remember Sckott saying something along those lines, and I've heard it elsewhere too.


PS.....Beat Records also put out a 2 Cd set of the ENGLISH EMI versions, in stereo without all the added reverb.
That two-cd set definitely comes from needle drops of the Mofi LPs. Supposedly there are better-sounding needle drops out there, but I don't have them.

[Andrew]

My copy of the Beat "First Four in Stereo" has digital glitches on the opening tracks of both discs! :mad:

[jligon]

Originally posted by mikey5967
I would much rather them replace the junk versions with some of the super sounding things out there.


No! ;)
To me, that's the whole appeal of this series. It rehashes those memories of growing up with those rediculous albums.

[Andrew]

Originally posted by jligon


No! ;)
To me, that's the whole appeal of this series. It rehashes those memories of growing up with those rediculous albums.

Agreed, they gotta be like the originals.

[Uncle Al]

I have the Beat first 4 in stereo (with phony MFSL like covers...), and while they have faults, and are more than likley needle drops, they sound better than the commercially availble mono versions.

I also have the Beat Mono White album - not bad, but most of these cuts sound better on a CD called "The Beatles" on the Planet boot label. The Planet disc is more of a bootleg that gives alternate versions of white album titles. Where alternates were not available - or differences are major, they offer mono mixes. These mono mixes sound better than the Beat versions.

[Vivaldinization]

Keep in mind, everyone, that the Beat OMR set had some very, very bad knockoffs over the years. Most of the sets floating around ARE those bad knockoffs....one good way to tell is that WTB has phasing in the left channel throughout the entire album on "bad" versions.

I've never heard the Beat CAPITOL SERIES, though, and I'd very much like copies...can someone help me out there?
Ksg1-2@yifan.net 's the addy.

-D

[Sckott]

Originally posted by Uncle Al

I also have the Beat Mono White album - not bad, but most of these cuts sound better on a CD called "The Beatles" on the Planet boot label. The Planet disc is more of a bootleg that gives alternate versions of white album titles. Where alternates were not available - or differences are major, they offer mono mixes. These mono mixes sound better than the Beat versions.

Al,

I have that boot, and I gave it to my friends, since it didn't have a title, and called it "The Whiter Album". Funny, but now most CDBBI/CD data bases now have that notation as being the proper title for it.

Just got the BEAT Whitey couple O' weeks ago. I don't agree with you on the Planet boot. I really thought the BEAT Whitey sounded a lot better. I think I had a copy of the OMR version, which was better, but not great.

Ya know, it could all come from the same source. :rolleyes: but I doubt it from listening.

[Michael]

Hi Steve,
Did you ever get the chance to listen?

Michael

[Steve Hoffman]

I did, but I'm not sure what I have since they were sent to me unmarked by a kindly friend. But what I heard with the exception of two of the albums, seemed to come from the real deal, if you can call fourth generation copies real...;)

[jkerr]

So, Steve, which 2?

Interesting to hear that most of these "Beats" may actually came from Capitol's masters. Haven't listened to them in a long time (I'm no big fan of the Capitol versions).

[Michael]

If you were there in Feb 1964, The Beat "Capital Versions" will bring those joyful memories back! The British are cleaner, but the Beats just do it for me.

[Steve Hoffman]

On one of 'em there is that amazing stereo mix of "I'm Only Sleeping" that I haven't heard since I had the Open Reel 3 3/4 ips version of "Yesterday And Today". Neat-o.

[jkerr]

Actually my 1st was Beatles '65. Beat that to death. But out of them all, I'm really only nostalgic for the US Rubber Soul, because of the track line up and the false starts to I'm Looking Through You. I'll admit tho, 2nd Album is fun in a wacky way, with all that massive echo!

[FabFourFan]

Originally posted by jkerr
Interesting to hear that most of these "Beats" may actually came from Capitol's masters.Whoa!!! Is that what Steve is actually saying, here?

That some of those cds did NOT come from standard commercial releases, but from copied master tapes?

I am holding my breath!

[jkerr]

Well, Steve mentions 4th gen copies for all but 2 (which 2?). So I'm assuming that's referring to master tapes. I figure after Dave Dexter, Jr, 4th gen would be about right. I always wondered because some of these sound very good. So maybe that rumor about DAT copies of the masters might be true?