The Byrds "Preflyte Sessions"

[RetroSmith]

Picked this up at the Home Theatre show yesterday, handled personally by Bob Irwin at the Sundazed booth.

This is a really fun set of early Byrds material. There are some real gems here, among the not so great stuff. I'm very happy that most of this stuff is true stereo, and the fidelity is fantastic. 40 tracks, well worth the purchase price of 25$


Also something I did not know......when Electra issued the first Bryds 45 (as The Beefeaters) in 1964 it was only Mcguin, Crosby and Clarke on the vocals with studio guys doing the Backing.

These were all recorded at World Pacific Jazz Studios in LA. Even tho they had some modest equipment, it must have been well maintained and calibrated correctly, because both this set and the "Surfbeat" LP by The Challengers sound fabulous.


Mikey

[Gary]

Mikey5967

".........handled personally by Bob Irwin at the Sundazed booth......."


Oh, man, I would have loved to get his autograph on that box - even if he thought I was weird! Which would pretty close to the.... ummmm, nevermind!

;)

[lukpac]

Originally posted by mikey5967
I'm very happy that most of this stuff is true stereo, and the fidelity is fantastic.

Yeah, every song except one (The Only Girl I Adore). Why the rest wasn't in stereo on previous releases is beyond me (some was wide stereo, some was some strange processed (true) stereo, and some was simulated stereo).

Also something I did not know......when Electra issued the first Bryds 45 (as The Beefeaters) in 1964 it was only Mcguin, Crosby and Clarke on the vocals with studio guys doing the Backing.
Does anyone know if Please Let Me Love You and Don't Be Long were any different on the Elektra single? There's a collector's choice package out there with both tracks which I was able to briefly audition, and other than being taken from a noisy 45 (rather than 3-track stereo as on PS), I thought they sounded like the PS versions. I was under the impression that the versions on PS (and the Rhino disc) were NOT the original single versions. Does anyone know if they are the same or not? If they are not, they're damn close...

[RetroSmith]

Hey Luke.

Its a bit confusing but I *think* I know the story on those 2 tracks:

New 2CD Set: The whole band playing and singing.

The Electra 45 : redone version using studio musicians

Collectors Choice "Buried Treasures" Cd : same as above (45 masters)

Previous "Preflyte" releases : same masters as new 2 Cd set

I'm not 100% sure, but I think I may be right.

Mikey

[njwiv]

Luke and Mikey,

Mikey's statements are consistent with my understanding. I have the Buried Treasures set and agree that the versions sound very similar (and I was extremely disappointed to learn, only after opening the set and reading the liners, that the Beefeaters songs were sourced from a noisy 45!).

Jay

[lukpac]

Originally posted by mikey5967
New 2CD Set: The whole band playing and singing.

The Electra 45 : redone version using studio musicians

Are you sure? When I took a listen to the 45 versions, they sounded just like the Preflyte versions, just from a poorer source. This was *especially* the case with Please Let Me Love You.

Does anyone have both sets, so they could do an A/B?

[RetroSmith]

Tell you what, let me go home tonite and compare everything I have.

I have the new 2 Cd set, the Buried Treasure Cds and the Rhino "In The Beginning"
Cd.

The only thing I DONT have is the original Electra 45. I *may* have a tape dub of it tho. I'll see and post later.

Mikey

[njwiv]

Luke,

Why don't I lend you a copy of all 3 CD sources and let you confirm? I'll compare them tonight, but doubt that I have the critical ear that you do.

Jay

[lukpac]

Originally posted by njwiv
Why don't I lend you a copy of all 3 CD sources and let you confirm? I'll compare them tonight, but doubt that I have the critical ear that you do.

I've got Preflyte Sessions, so that's not an issue. I just don't have the "45" versions/mixes.

MP3s would be fine if anyone could make them.

[RetroSmith]

Remember that one of the problems here is that I dont think that the tracks used to press the 45 on Electra are the EXACT SAME tracks as used on the various Cds.

I think there are two sets of recordings of these songs, one using studio guys and one not.

I can also see, if the masters to the 45 got lost,, how easy it would be for anyone looking later to use the earlier (non studio guy) masters thinking those WERE the 45 masters. Same titles, same band name, same studio, same producer (Jim Dickson)

But, I'm not sure, so please no one yell at me!!

I'll see if I can d/l mp3s of the Electra 45 tonight, then I would have everything to compare.

Mikey

[RetroSmith]

>>.Well, tonite I did some pretty exhaustive listening tests on "Dont Be Long"

I compared the three versions I have on

1) The Rhino "In The Beginning" CD

2) The "Buried Treasures" set, which used (supposedly) the 45 version on Electra

3) The new "Preflyte Sessions" on Sundazed.

Upon careful listening, it is my conclusion that ALL THREE ARE THE SAME MASTER!!!!
I listen to certain sections of the song on all three, and they all came out exactly the same. The *very* slight differences I heard were most likely only the differences in tape quality.......the Rhino being crappy high generation, the Buried Treasure being a disc dub, and the Preflyte being a stereo mix from 3 track multi.

Specifically, I listened to the drums, and they are IDENTICAL, down to a slight hestitaion before the last bridge. Even the snare roll inflection at the end is the same. The tom tom accents

Also, on the very last vocal note of the song, someones voice is *slightly* off note, and that note is there on all three versions. I've got to conclude that they used the same TAKE, just different tape copies on all three CDs.

Of course, I would like to have an original Electra 45 to hear, but I'm 99% convinced at this point.

One thing tho....in breaking out the Rhino Cd, you realize what a CRAP source they used....those tracks sound UNDERWATER on that CD. The New Sundazed is not only stereo, but 10,000X better sounding.

Mikey

[lukpac]

Originally posted by mikey5967
Upon careful listening, it is my conclusion that ALL THREE ARE THE SAME MASTER!!!!

That's what I suspected.

I wonder if there's some type of contractual issue that prevents Sundazed from saying they used the single versions.