Bee Gees CDs

[Vivaldinization]

If queries can be issued about Supertramp discs, I feel that I'm personally justified in making a stride into *this* subject...

Anyway, firstly, I'm talking about the 60's period Bee Gees...not the later stuff. 1st, Horizontal, Idea, and Odessa (which are the four I'm chiefly interested) seem to have two issues, one on RSO and one on Rebound/Polydor. Then there're the hits comps, the "BIrth of Brilliance" material, et cetera. Now, I own Horizontal (the CD of which isn't very impressive, but the album could just sound like that) and 1st on Rebound (which sounds OK, but not stellar). Is there anything better out there, and/or is an overhaul planned for the future? How're the other discs? Do certain Best Ofs have these tracks in better quality?

Thanks,

-D

[Sckott]

Your best bet is to hunt down the orignal Polydor UK or US Cds. I think Drake did em. You're looking for stuff like "Massachusetts" and "I Started A Joke" early stuff? I think the Bee Gees had a box, and now it's OOP I believe.....

[peterC]

Yes, I also highly recommend the 4 CD box set "Tales From the Brothers Gibb". The first 2 CDs are chock-a-block with the earlier pre-SNF material and all in excellent sound quality.

I see it regularly on the shelves here in Sydney. US import I believe, so you should be able to find it.

I haven't heard the individual album releases so I don't know how they compare with the box set soundwise.

[Michael]

Originally posted by peter castanos
Yes, I also highly recommend the 4 CD box set "Tales From the Brothers Gibb". The first 2 CDs are chock-a-block with the earlier pre-SNF material and all in excellent sound quality.

I see it regularly on the shelves here in Sydney. US import I believe, so you should be able to find it.

I haven't heard the individual album releases so I don't know how they compare with the box set soundwise.

I have that set also. There's a buzz about the new 2 CD set "For The Record". haven't heard it yet.

[Vivaldinization]

The thing is, my Bee Gees interest runs relatively narrow...anything after, well, maybe Tralfagar just doesn't interest me. Thus, both the boxed-set and the "Record" comp are pretty useless to me.

That said, I'm unsure of which discs are "original" (there seem to be at least two variants), and if I have an original of Horizontal, it still sounds pretty awful. This again could be just the album, though.

-D

[peterC]

Originally posted by David Goodwin
The thing is, my Bee Gees interest runs relatively narrow...anything after, well, maybe Tralfagar just doesn't interest me. Thus, both the boxed-set and the "Record" comp are pretty useless to me.

That said, I'm unsure of which discs are "original" (there seem to be at least two variants), and if I have an original of Horizontal, it still sounds pretty awful. This again could be just the album, though.

-D


David, my interest is similarly narrow, however the first 2 discs of the box run to over 40 tracks (I think) of prime early Bee Gees in very good sound quality. I think it's well worth the extra cost.

The new 2 disc set contains far fewer early tracks but it has the bonus of the original Spicks and Specks which the box doesn't.

[HeavyDistortion]

The Bee Gees box also includes a stereo version of their great non-LP track, "Jumbo", which I believe cannot be found elsewhere. By the way, I have the original Polydor CD version of Bee Gees 1rst, and think that it sounds fine.




HeavyDistortion

[joelee]

Bee Gee fans of Tralfagar should seek out the MFSL disc. You can still pick this one up at a decent price and the sound is rich and woderful.
MFSL alo pressed this to vinyl.

[John B]

Originally posted by David Goodwin
If queries can be issued about Supertramp discs, I feel that I'm personally justified in making a stride into *this* subject...

-D

David,

Keep these questions coming. I believe there are many of us who want to hear what people have to say about many groups but we're all a little concerned about rehashing what's been said on earlier threads. Rehash away!

I think the 60's songs on Their Greatest Hits - The Record sound very good (especially with HDCD) - easily the best I have heard. I also own the 4 CD box and the same songs sound significantly better on this new set.
Of note, the "Record" uses original stereo mixes where some of the songs on the Box are remixed by Bill Inglot (Gotta Get A Message To You for one).
I like the remixes as the drums take on new life but the originals sound good too.
On an earlier thread, there were two distinct camps about this new BG CD - some said it was terrible, others like me think it's great. Apparantly, there have been two different pressings.

[tim_neely]

As a major Bee Gees fan from all eras (the oldest of their songs I really dig is 1964's "Claustrophobia" and the most recent is 2001's "This Is Where I Came In")... for the Australia material I recommend the 2-CD set "Brilliant from Birth" (not to be confused with "Birth of Brilliance"). It's an Australian import with 63 (!!) songs, with practically every known still existing master from Leedon and Spin records (Festival labels) Down Under, plus at least four tracks (from TV appearances) never before released anywhere in the world. Everything is in mono (no "fake stereo" here), so it sounds better than the various Rare Precious and Beautiful LPs and late-1970s Pickwick LPs. And "Spicks and Specks" even has some studio chatter before the song starts. Most of the early stuff was recorded on full track mono; not until 1966 did the Gibbs get to record using a 4-track machine. Those recordings were made at Ossie Byrne's studio, and evidently all Festival records ever got from Ossie were mono mixdown masters. Now, if Ossie's original tapes could be found somewhere...

I'd love to see one of our American tape detectives searching out the Bee Gees' Australian masters down there. Even as good as "Brilliant from Birth" is in its comprehensiveness, many of the original tapes have gone missing, and a bunch of tracks had to be dubbed from "lacquers." I get the impression from at least one US label that is interested in doing first-class reissues of the Bee Gees' Australian material that Festival wants too much money for a US license.

A quick note on the "Tales" box set: the remix of "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" is a successful stereo mix of the mono single version, which is why it's so necessary. Bee Gees fans know that the original stereo (LP) version of "Message" is slower than the single version, is mixed differently and fades earlier. I've always preferred the 45 version, so when I do my own comps, I use the stereo version from "Tales" rather than the LP version, which was used on "The Record."

[John B]

Originally posted by tim_neely


A quick note on the "Tales" box set: the remix of "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" is a successful stereo mix of the mono single version, which is why it's so necessary. Bee Gees fans know that the original stereo (LP) version of "Message" is slower than the single version, is mixed differently and fades earlier. I've always preferred the 45 version, so when I do my own comps, I use the stereo version from "Tales" rather than the LP version, which was used on "The Record."

Thanks Tim,

Great info - that explains why the Box mix of "Message" sounds so different.

[Highway Star]

The Polydor "Best Of... Vol.II" sounds fine. It covers their early 70s works. As to their first album, try to avoid the CD version on 'Rebound Records' label, IMO it sounds a bit thin and bright.

On a side note, Status Quo did a song on their 1972 Piledriver album called "A Year" which sounds very Bee Gee-ish, in a 'heavy ballad' kind of way.

[Vivaldinization]

Originally posted by telefunken
The Polydor "Best Of... Vol.II" sounds fine. It covers their early 70s works. As to their first album, try to avoid the CD version on 'Rebound Records' label, IMO it sounds a bit thin and bright.

On a side note, Status Quo did a song on their 1972 Piledriver album called "A Year" which sounds very Bee Gee-ish, in a 'heavy ballad' kind of way.

I just ended up with a version of Odessa that's *missing* a track..:-(

-D

[Cousin It]

Originally posted by tim_neely
As a major Bee Gees fan from all eras (the oldest of their songs I really dig is 1964's "Claustrophobia" and the most recent is 2001's "This Is Where I Came In")... for the Australia material I recommend the 2-CD set "Brilliant from Birth" (not to be confused with "Birth of Brilliance"). It's an Australian import with 63 (!!) songs, with practically every known still existing master from Leedon and Spin records (Festival labels) Down Under, plus at least four tracks (from TV appearances) never before released anywhere in the world. Everything is in mono (no "fake stereo" here), so it sounds better than the various Rare Precious and Beautiful LPs and late-1970s Pickwick LPs. And "Spicks and Specks" even has some studio chatter before the song starts. Most of the early stuff was recorded on full track mono; not until 1966 did the Gibbs get to record using a 4-track machine. Those recordings were made at Ossie Byrne's studio, and evidently all Festival records ever got from Ossie were mono mixdown masters. Now, if Ossie's original tapes could be found somewhere...

I'd love to see one of our American tape detectives searching out the Bee Gees' Australian masters down there. Even as good as "Brilliant from Birth" is in its comprehensiveness, many of the original tapes have gone missing, and a bunch of tracks had to be dubbed from "lacquers." I get the impression from at least one US label that is interested in doing first-class reissues of the Bee Gees' Australian material that Festival wants too much money for a US license.

A quick note on the "Tales" box set: the remix of "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" is a successful stereo mix of the mono single version, which is why it's so necessary. Bee Gees fans know that the original stereo (LP) version of "Message" is slower than the single version, is mixed differently and fades earlier. I've always preferred the 45 version, so when I do my own comps, I use the stereo version from "Tales" rather than the LP version, which was used on "The Record."

The Bee Gees Australian stuff would have a more professional job done on them if an American label did the job.I find the Festival reissue a nice thing to have but the packaging very cheap,in-house style that Festival have going for their reissue series here.The only thing I can say about it is that it is very cheap($20AU).The 4 track machine belonged to Festival,it was in their studio not Ossie Byrne's.He had a 2 mono machines which he bounced to which explains the considerable hiss on Spicks And Specks and tracks he recorded.They started their career recording at Festival Studios but studio time was even tighter than it was in the States.Ossie was a great help to them because he had a butcher shop in the Sydney suburb of Hurstville and he had a recording set-up out back with no time restrictions.I'm told that the building still stands and some local Bee Gees fans have been trying to get it turned into a museum.I also would like some American/Brit researcher go through the Festival tape library and find something as we don't have such people here but I doubt they'll find anything.A guy I know whose band recorded for Festival back in the late 60's asked if his band's multitrack masters survive and he was told by the librarian "nil stock!!"(but the mono single masters survive) I'd assume the Bee Gees stuff is in the same boat.Another problem with Festival I've since heard is that the guy who was in charge of their library has subsequently been fired(he was told and escorted out of the office within a hour) I'm told he was a very good and helpful person so who knows what the hell is going on there.The T.V. stuff from laquers is interesting because the group used to be regulars on TV and I wouldn't be surprised if those tracks were cut direct to acetate as they were only ever for TV and not commercial release and Festival may not have even bothered to thread up a reel of tape.The thing that surprises me about the Bee Gees is the amount of recording they did in Australia.There were a lot bigger acts here who would have only cut 2 or 3 singles and they had about 10 flop singles or something like that and they cut 2 albums,it's obvious someone high up at Festival believed in them. The only single they ever had chart here was one their father bought onto the charts(ala Brian Epstein/Love Me Do) but unfortunately their subsequent ones flopped until Spicks And Specks but by then they were on the boat to England.

[peterC]

Cousin It

Yes, I remember that one early hit they had. Wine and Women wasn’t it? I have vivid memories of seeing them perform it on TV, Barry about 6 feet tall (well he looked that big to me at the time!) and Maurice and Robin about a foot shorter! Great stuff.

I also have a story that I bore my family with of seeing the 3 of them waiting at a bus stop in Bunnerong Road, Pagewood sometime in the mid 60s. I must have been about 8 years old at the time so I guess they were in their early to mid teens. Barry was carrying his guitar.

While we’re on the subject of “Australian” bands, what about the dreadful state of the Easybeats catalogue? All we have here is the 2CD Anthology in rotten sound quality and some other budget priced single CDs. Repertoire Records in Germany has released some better sounding versions but I think they are heavily noise reduced. Presumably the master tapes are lying around somewhere. Surely this is a group prolific and important enough to warrant the full box set treatment.

Unfortunately we can’t rely on Raven Records to do it properly. Their product is very variable quality wise and I suspect they rarely get their hands on the first generation masters. It’s also quite possible that the masters of their post Friday On My Mind material are not in Australia anyway.

[Michael]

Originally posted by peter castanos
Cousin It

Yes, I remember that one early hit they had. Wine and Women wasn’t it? I have vivid memories of seeing them perform it on TV, Barry about 6 feet tall (well he looked that big to me at the time!) and Maurice and Robin about a foot shorter! Great stuff.

I also have a story that I bore my family with of seeing the 3 of them waiting at a bus stop in Bunnerong Road, Pagewood sometime in the mid 60s. I must have been about 8 years old at the time so I guess they were in their early to mid teens. Barry was carrying his guitar.

While we’re on the subject of “Australian” bands, what about the dreadful state of the Easybeats catalogue? All we have here is the 2CD Anthology in rotten sound quality and some other budget priced single CDs. Repertoire Records in Germany has released some better sounding versions but I think they are heavily noise reduced. Presumably the master tapes are lying around somewhere. Surely this is a group prolific and important enough to warrant the full box set treatment.

Unfortunately we can’t rely on Raven Records to do it properly. Their product is very variable quality wise and I suspect they rarely get their hands on the first generation masters. It’s also quite possible that the masters of their post Friday On My Mind material are not in Australia anyway.


Peter,
Raven Records-New Riders Of The Purple Sage-"Wasted Tasters"CD is fantastic! I believe it is from the Masters. Nothing comes close Imported or Domestic.

[Vivaldinization]

Originally posted by peter castanos

While we’re on the subject of “Australian” bands, what about the dreadful state of the Easybeats catalogue? All we have here is the 2CD Anthology in rotten sound quality and some other budget priced single CDs. Repertoire Records in Germany has released some better sounding versions but I think they are heavily noise reduced. Presumably the master tapes are lying around somewhere. Surely this is a group prolific and important enough to warrant the full box set treatment.

Unfortunately we can’t rely on Raven Records to do it properly. Their product is very variable quality wise and I suspect they rarely get their hands on the first generation masters. It’s also quite possible that the masters of their post Friday On My Mind material are not in Australia anyway.

Dreadful? Well, the EMI Absolute Anthology is absolute ****, but the Repertoire releases are grand...very little NR used (if any at all), and they sound quite smooth and pleasing. The Albert label reissued (IIRC) the first three albums on CD, but the Repertoires beat 'em hands down, and the bonus tracks (while making no chronological sense whatsoever, much like a few of the Turtles CDs) are a delight. I've heard that Aussie Beat That Shook the World is even better, but I've never actually heard said release.

Once one has the Repertoire's, the only other Easybeats CD that holds interest is the old EMI "The Best + Pretty Girl" CD, as it has a few otherwise-unavailible mono versions of a few tracks.

-D

[peterC]

David, we'll just have to agree to disagree on the Repertoires.

Also, there's one other CD you'll need if you really want your Easybeats collection to be complete:

Rhino's 1986 "Nuggets" single CD. It has the best sounding Friday On My Mind I have heard, by a long shot.

[Vivaldinization]

Originally posted by peter castanos
David, we'll just have to agree to disagree on the Repertoires.

Also, there's one other CD you'll need if you really want your Easybeats collection to be complete:

Rhino's 1986 "Nuggets" single CD. It has the best sounding Friday On My Mind I have heard, by a long shot.

Really? I always thought that one sounded amazingly thin. For me, the Repertoire CD wins out for both FOMM and the Smoke's "My Friend Jack"...

-D

[peterC]

Originally posted by David Goodwin


Really? I always thought that one sounded amazingly thin. For me, the Repertoire CD wins out for both FOMM and the Smoke's "My Friend Jack"...

-D

We must be talking about different CDs. There's no Smoke track on my Nuggets CD.

[Michael]

Originally posted by peter castanos


We must be talking about different CDs. There's no Smoke track on my Nuggets CD.

Mine neither:D

[peterC]

Originally posted by Michael


Mine neither:D

oops....ya got me!

[Vivaldinization]

Originally posted by Michael


Mine neither:D

Apologies...it was just a random connection of mine. I happen to think the Repertoire CD version of My Friend Jack by The Smoke beats out all other CD versions I've heard, as I similarly feel about Friday.

-D

[Michael]

Originally posted by David Goodwin


Apologies...it was just a random connection of mine. I happen to think the Repertoire CD version of My Friend Jack by The Smoke beats out all other CD versions I've heard, as I similarly feel about Friday.

-D

Ditto! :)

[N25060s]

Originally posted by tim_neely ... for the Australia material I recommend the 2-CD set "Brilliant from Birth" (not to be confused with "Birth of Brilliance"). It's an Australian import with 63 (!!) songs, with practically every known still existing master from Leedon and Spin records (Festival labels) Down Under, plus at least four tracks (from TV appearances) never before released anywhere in the world. Everything is in mono (no "fake stereo" here)...

Thanks!!, Tim and Cousin It for the inside info. Now, Tim, have you ever done a sound quality comparison between "Brilliant From Birth" (BFB) and "Birth Of Brilliance" (BOB)? The BOB 32-track, 2-CD set I own, doesn't have the best sound (would give it an overall C– ). I would also like to have the •extra• 31 tracks on BFB. Any help here on BFB's sound quality?

Also, what's the reissue label's NAME (Festival did BOB) and NUMBER and WHEN was it released? Is it still in print? I might want to try to find it.

Bill