Help me! Pull out your Van Morrison MOONDANCE LP, give a listen to "Into The Mystic"

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Jan 15, 2007.

  1. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    If you have an original WB LP of MOONDANCE (from the 1970's) can you play INTO THE MYSTIC for me right now? Please tell me if the version of the song has a tambourine in it and the "fog horn" is UP during it's appearance. The WB CD seems to have an alternate mix of the song (as mentioned in an earlier thread) WITHOUT the tambourine and with the fog horn fading up in each apperance and I need to know which is the ORIGINAL mix used on the LP (which I do not have here at the studio right now). I'm curious!

    Thank you very much, gang!
     
  2. Reader0505

    Reader0505 New Member

    Location:
    Perl-Sinz, Germany
    Hi Steve,

    after playing my WLP of Moondance I can confirm that there is a tambourine playing in the right channel. Also while the tambourine makes it's appearance the fog horn goes up in tone. My copy has the following stamper for side 1:

    39621WS1835A RE-1 - 1A

    Best Regards
    Dieter
     
  3. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan

    Location:
    Atlanta
    I'm not sure if this is useful but...On my palm tree Warners LP I don't hear as much foghorn if any...On my Too Late to Stop Now CD from the live version, there is a pronounced foghorn effect.
     
  4. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Tambourine? That's the issue mainly..
     
  5. -Ben

    -Ben Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington DC Area
    W7 green label HAS Tambourine right channel
    German CD does NOT have Tambourine
     
  6. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Does the German CD have a pinched, thin sound like the domestic WB CD? Midrangey and low fi sounding?
     
  7. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan

    Location:
    Atlanta
    If I remember correctly I do believe there is a tambourine in the R channel.
     
  8. -Ben

    -Ben Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington DC Area
    Sorry Steve, no domestic CD here, only German and West German Target which are clones of each other.
     
  9. JeffN727

    JeffN727 Forum Resident

    I don't have this one on vinyl, but listening to my WB cd (3103-2), I can confirm that there is NO tambourine on that mix that I can hear.
    It also sounds a little fluttery.
     
  10. ashlee5

    ashlee5 Senior Member

    Everyone's thinking the same thing so I'll think out loud. Hmm, is someone doing a prep work for a reissue of Moondance? :) ;)
     
  11. portisphish

    portisphish Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pasadena, CA
    :shh:


















    :goodie:

    Sorry....only 80's reissue LP here.
     
  12. jmrife

    jmrife Wife. Kids. Grandkids. Dog. Music.

    Location:
    Wheat Ridge, CO
    What? Again?

    Great Album. And "Into the Mystic" is the music that will be played at my wake. But is there enough to justify yet another? SACD? I heard the rumors about a 5.1 mix that Van didn't care for? What's Next?
     
  13. Damián

    Damián Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Spain now
    Ugh...don't remind me. My copy of the disc (CDN, I believe) fits that description to a tee--and it's bothered me from the start. Not that I wouldn't listen to it because of that, though :D.
     
  14. andyinstal

    andyinstal Runner for Others

    Location:
    Allen, Texas
    "But is there enough to justify yet another? SACD?" Who cares? If Steve is involved in any format, that's enough for me. And we do not even know that is for certain. He said he was curious. I have never heard the tambourine on that song until the posting of the clip from the superdisc lp version.
     
  15. JeffN727

    JeffN727 Forum Resident

    Maybe a new vinyl version?
    :shh:
     
  16. Dalziel53

    Dalziel53 Senior Member

    I have a WB Gold label LP and it has the fog horn in the middle and the tambourine in the right channel. I have a later WB LP and it has the fog horn in the right channel and no tambourine. I have a WG CD that sounds pretty much like the later WB LP.

    On my WB Gold LP the fog horn actually sounds quite different than the fog horn on the other two. It has a lot of depth the CD and later WB LP pressing sounds like a very thin brass instrument.

    Colin
     
    uzn007 likes this.
  17. Dalziel53

    Dalziel53 Senior Member

    With regard to the fog horn being UP, if I understand you correctly.

    When Van sings "and when that fog horn blows" the first time, the fog horn blows, he sings "you know I'll be coming home" and then the tambourine comes in. The second time he sings "and when that fog horn blows", the fog horn blows and the tambourine starts just after the fog horn starts.

    Hope this is clear.

    Colin
     
  18. onlyconnect

    onlyconnect The prose and the passion

    Location:
    Winchester, UK
    My LP has the tambourine. My CD does not.

    The LP is seventies but not very early - old enough to be a UK pressing though (before WB switched to German manufacture).

    Tim
     
  19. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    I'm not hearing a tambourine on my US green & burbank/palm tree labels (both -1D stampers) nor on two later W/B small logo/burbank labels (both Capitol pressings). The verse and rise for 'fog horn' is accompanied by an acoustic guitar.
     
  20. bangsezmax

    bangsezmax Forum Resident

    Location:
    Durham, NC, USA
    No green WB here of this one, unfortunately.

    The beige label pressing is definitely missing the tambo.
     
  21. casinoboogie

    casinoboogie New Member

    What? Again? Not sure what that means. I've never seen a cd reissue of this fantastic release. Sure would be nice to have one. Of course where I live, we miss out on lots of neat stuff.:)
     
  22. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle

    I found a beige/off-white label W/B (has the barcode on verso of cover) and this does not have the tambourine either.
     
  23. paul cbc

    paul cbc Senior Member

    Location:
    Oregon
    YES!:love: :angel:

    Paul:cool:
     
  24. ivan_wemple

    ivan_wemple Senior Member

    I feel spurned and rejected when Steve spends all of his cycles working on vinyl-only releases.

    Where is the love?
     
  25. sungshinla

    sungshinla Vinyl and Forum Addict

    Hi Steve,

    I have three copies of this:

    1. The ORIGINAL FIRST PRESSING (white label promo on the "WB" greenie label style label) with the dead wax matrix (lacquer code?) ending with 1A on both sides and A2 and A1 (with the 1 going through what looks like a 0) mother (?) codes on each side, respectively. The vinyl is thick (like the Warner's gold and W7 greenie labels from the 60's). On this original, when Morrison sings "when that fog horns blows", the fog horn sounds in the center (sounds like an organ or something that is imitating the fog horn, actually) and then shortly thereafter, the tambourine sounds in the right channel. Around that time, the "fog horn" pitch goes up to match the key change. This repeats during the second refrain. Then the tambourine continues to play throughout the rest of the song with the song ending with the shaking of the tambourine. By the way, the bass is very prominent and well-defined and the acoustic guitar on the left channel sounds very real throughout the song. This version is very "audiophiley" and very pleasing and sounds "right". The label indicates that the song is 3:25 in length.

    2. A "WB" greenie stock copy with the same dead wax matrix (ending 1A on each side) but with D4, C3 (with a 1 going through a 0 in between the C and the 3) mother (?) codes on each side, respectively. The vinyl is much thinner, typical of the "WB" greenie pressings of the early 70's. This pressing has the same fog horn/tambourine sounds. That should not be surprising since it was apparently cut from the same lacquer (the original mastering). The overall sound is ever-so-slightly not as fresh sounding as my white label promo copy (almost negligible difference).

    3. A Direct Disk Lab's Super Disk copy (on the Palm Tree label). This one has the mastering engineer's etching "JH/2" on both sides. This one also has the similar fog horn/tambourine sounds but the cymbals are more centered throughout the song compared to the right-channel placement on the original pressings. Also, the high frequencies appear to be a bit more jacked up. The bass has less clarity and 3-dimensionality, and the acoustic guitar on the left channel sounds less liquid. I think this pressing was EQ'd somewhat. The label indicates that the song length is 3:25 also. Visually, the song appears thinner on the vinyl (i.e., the grooves more crunched together) than my other two copies, on which the grooves appear more spaced out.

    If you would like to listen for yourself, just let me know, since I am the Greater Los Angeles area.

    I hope this helps. I would love a SH-mastered vinyl reissue of this great album.
     
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