Audio Fidelity chronology?

[recordchaser]

Steve,

Thank you so much for your quick answer to my Everest question.

I also chase 1 st generation AF l.p.s and 2 trk stereo tapes. I have the same
question concerning who Sidney Frey sold his label to and why?

AF did some very high quality recordings of classical works with some very
respectable orchestras and conductors.

I feel that these recordings are neglected for much the same reason that
Everests recordings have usually been neglected. that is, most buyers bought
2 nd or 3 rd generation reissues that stunk

However, when one hears these recordings via 2 trk stereo tape the sonic
quality often rivals the "audiophile" recordings of RCA, Mercury, English Decca,
EMI, etc. And the performance level of the orchestra/conductor"s are not
"chopped liver" either.

The 1 st generation AF l.p.s are often also quite good.

Perhaps the reason for the good/great sound of these early AF's [and Everest's for that matter] is due to the pressing plant that did them.

Does anyone know who pressed these early generation AF's [and Everest]
discs.

Phil Samuelson
samuelson@coast.net

[Steve Hoffman]

Phil, I can't help you with this one. The company was sold to a "connected" organization and all documentation vanished.

Anyone else know?

[indy mike]

Ahhh, Audio Fidelity - home of train, plane, wacky stereo sound effects recs and The Fabulous Shakers (Uruguay's answer to the Beatles - you gotta hear Ticket to Ride en Espanol - OLE!!!) Can't help with the label history, but AF put out stereo stuff really early; isn't there a Louis Armstrong disc on AF that makes audiophiles go all googly when they find it?

[recordchaser]

Indy Mike,

Yes, there was a week long "thread" on Phonogram about this record about
6 months ago. I believe there is a Classics reissue of it.

Phil Samuelson
samuelson@coast.net

[Sckott]

I used to have Audio Fidelity's sound effects record. Pretty sure, as it had this neat "Russian Roulette" track on the 1st side. One speaker, you would hear a "click" then the gun would slide form left to right (as if sliding on a table), hear the gun mechanically enter the palm, another click, then the gun would go from right to left.

Was spooky. But there finally was a "BANG" but I remember the track, and I think it ended with, "I won." The loser saying "Yes, you did", or something to that effect. Been YEARS since I've heard the lp. An old friend had smuggled it out of his dad's collection. This was when I was 9 or 10, as I remember, and the record was VERY old!

Wish I could have stolen it! Was a neat record. VERY realistic stuff!

Check This? (http://www.acevideoandmusic.com/SoundEffects.htm)

[Holy Zoo]

Sckott - take a look at this (http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1501737912) and this (http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1500571853). :D

[Sckott]

Thanks! Now to find out which one it was... It MAY have had a color label..??

[indy mike]

Sckott - does the punch line go something like "Bang!!! - hah, hah - you lose"??? I think that's on the one with the colorful Audio Fidelity name spelled out in color on the jacket- seems like it had the ever popular ping-pong match, a ride on an elevator in a wacky department store (noisy sounding hoglike customers on one floor), marching music - could this be the missing lp you need to have??? My dad played that lp a lot, along with the railroad sound effects and the jets one - ah, sweet memories! You'd like the stereo he built - Dynaco ST-70 and PAS-2, Garrard changer, one EV Georgian built from EV plans (based on Klipsch folded horn design) and one homebrew speaker (weakest link). He also has another Georgian he built for his brother in his basement, but my mom would smite him if he tried putting it upstairs...

[Sckott]

That's the one. Exactly.

Yes your Dad sounds like my kind of guy.

Oh, the problem with the AF records is, it looks like they made the same cover for several of those records. I wonder what Cat #/Vol number it was... Hmmm...

Well that record brought back great memories, and yes that's the one.

Brings me back to when 8 Tracks and suddenly having a fancy for the girl next door. Yes, that's one of the records I'll remember as a pre pubessant boy. That blonde was HOT for only both of us at 10-11!

Weird tag on a Russian Roulette SFX record, but it brings me back! Most of the music I listened to then, I still listen to now quite regularly, so it doesn't count, you see....!

[indy mike]

Sckott, if you look at the link that was posted to the Ebay offering I think the one you want is Stereo Spectacular - hell, just buy the whole lot and you can relive part of my childhood!

[Sckott]

Shhhh!! I just might?