Barney Kessel "to Swing or not to Swing" Comtemporary Records' stereo/mono history...

Could anyone tell me when this particular version that I have was manufactured. Yellow label with black lettering. Second pressing? It is MONO and sounds quite good. I know the original release came out in 1955. More than anything I'm curious as to how long they released the mono sides, or was this one NEVER released in Stereo??

Thanks in advance.......

 

Not in real stereo AFAIK. I don't think Orin Keepknews was set up for mult-track recording back then. He mentioned in his thread when he began using multi-tracks, but I highly doubt it would be as early as 1955. The CD, BTW, is in mono, if there were a stereo mix it surely would have been released on CD bypassing the mono mix.

 

I think you are confusing the Riverside label which Orrin was involved with. Lester Koenig producer and Roy Dunann supervising engineer on these sides.

 

Ooops

You are correct. Nevertheless, I don't think there is a stereo issue.

 

So this is probably not a fifties pressing, but a sixties or early seventies pressing?

 

Definitely not a 70's pressing. The label was different. The yellow label with the black lettering was the original label for LP's (AFAIK). This is an original LP with the yellow label:



I see that the LP looks like it's laminated. Is yours laminated?

 

Its a light lamination. So where does the Black Label with the yellow lettering fall?

 

You mean yellow label with black lettering right?

I have never seen any original Contemporary LP's without the yellow label. But I know they issued 10" and EP's before, and those may have had a different label. I don't know when they switched to the later label. You could check the matrix numbers.

BTW, I checked and there was no Contemporary issue of "To Swing or Not to Swing" in stereo.

 

Ther are also Black labels which i think are earlier. I have a Shelly Manne & his men "Swinging Sounds in Stereo" which has a black label, too bad it is NOT in playable condition.

 

Now that you mention it, I do remember those. I don't know the answer, though. I know that when their stereo records came out, they often had different titles and covers, I wonder if they had different labels also.

 

Where's Tom Port when you need him!

 

Hi,

As SH suggests, your LP is an original Mono pressing of this title. Sound is by Roy Dunance and Lester Koenig. It was recorded in Contemporary's Studios-Mailroom. It is a very nice find in good shape and a sonic delight. Treasure it!

 

Well that was essentially what I was saying: the yellow label with black writing was the original label. It was a mono only issue. Contemporary did not start recording in stereo until after 1955. I don't see where the misinformation is Steve (other than my goof confusing Contemporary with Riverside ).

 

No problem, Steve.

While trying to answer the stereo part of the question, I read that Contemporary was the first jazz label to record in stereo. First of all is that true, as far as you know? I assume that they didn't start releasing records in stereo until later. What was the recording process like for them. I mean did they just start using two-track when they got their own studio?

 

I saw that in the Orin Keepnews thread you asked him why they started this practice of "double tapings". Why do YOU think they would have started to essentially record twice (albeit at the same time). Did they think stereo was around the corner?

 

That's fascinating! I never realized that it had nothing to do with LP's. Were there many releases in stereo tape in the fifties?

 

Steve, thanks for all the info! I guess $10 for a good clean mono was a steal!!!This Lp sounds great.