Essential (Non-Classic) Bernie Grundman LP Masterings

This should be a nice, informative thread.

We have a list of essential Allen Zentz masterings started (thanks Keith!). Plus we have threads dedicated to the great Bob Ludwig and Wally Traugott.

Let's not forget the essential work of Bernie Grundman. Bernie doesn't usually sign his work (a la Wally, RL, or AZ), but it's really easy to identify his unique handwriting. Look for the loops on certain letters. Good exapmles of Bernie's handwriting can be seen in the dead wax on early pressings of Blue and Aja.

Now let's get started. I'm trying to stay focused on his non-Classic work. If the Gorts care to change that, please feel free to do so.

Steely Dan-Aja, Early ABC pressings with Concentric Rings label
Joe Cocker-With a Little Help From My Friends, Brown Label A&M
Al Jarreau-Breakin' Away
Joni Mitchell-Ladies of the Canyon (Two-Tone Reprise), For the Roses (White Asylum Label), Hissing of Summer Lawns, Hejira, Shadows & Light

 

Thanks for starting this thread, Doo!

Just about any Prince record between 1983 and 1988. There are exceptions, of course...

 

Those Prince records do sound great. My copy of the s/t is also a BG cut.

Green label WB pressings of Van Morrison's Saint Dominic's Preview are BG mastered.

 

No problem.

 

Great thread idea!

 

Did he sign his initials with BG or is there anything in particular to look for?

 

Cause I did'nt notice any "BG" but the deadwax matrix is handwritten. Hoping it's a Bernie...

 

Branden explained this in the first post:

 

1999 was also cut by Bernie Grundman.

I'd like to add the original A&M David & David Boomtown LP to the list.

 

Not sure if they're essential to everyone but they are to me.

Tarney Spencer Band - Run For Your Life
Tarney Spencer Band - Three's a Crowd

 

Jackson Browne - Running on Empty

 

I have that. Great sounding album!

Herb Alpert's Magic Man was cut by Bernie. I'm going to check my brown label A&M TJB albums. I think I remember a few of them having Bernie's signature in the dead wax.

Linda Ronstadt's Hasten Down the Wind and Retrospective are both BG mastered and sound excellent. Retrospective also has a few unique mixes unavailable elsewhere.

 

Herb Alpert's Rise is classic.

 

I remember you mentioning these a while back. Now I'll really have to check them out. Thanks for the tip Danny.

 

I bought an absolutely spotless copy of this album on vinyl today...nice and clean. My previous copy was a little worn.

 

I have a Bernie-mastered early pressing of Heart Like a Wheel that sounds very good. Lots of bad sounding copies of this LP floating around, but the BG-mastered one I have sounds just fine, good enough that I'm not tempted to get the new Cisco reissue.

 

Carpenters - Carpenters
Carpenters - The Singles 1969-1973
Supertramp - Breakfast In America
Grease - Original Soundtrack
Captain & Tennille - Love Will Keep Us Together
Michael Jackson - Off The Wall
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Michael Jackson - Bad


-Aaron

 

Lee Ritenour: Rit - featuring "Is It You?"

 

Hi,

Carpenters/ The Singles 1969-1973 is one of the best audiophile records out there and cheap!
Herb Alpert/ Rise is superb
Michael Jackson/ Off The Wall and Thriller are superb

 

To each his own but IMO you don't know what you're missing.

 

Here's a few more.

Fame OST on RSO
The Crusaders-Free As the Wind-ABC/Blue Thumb

 

How can I tell if my Canadian pressing of Grease is mastered by Bernie?

 

Bernie Grundman was mastering a ton of stuff at A&M for many years, so chances are a lot of the 70s and 80s albums have his mastering on them. In fact, for most of the A&M I bought back then, it was an oddity if Bernie didn't master it.

 

Exactly- as Bernie was A&M's house mastering engineer until he started his own studio in 1984.

I believe Arnie Acosta replaced him at A&M.

-Aaron

 

Look at the writing in the dead wax:

Bernie's handwriting style is unmistakable. He puts little curlies on many letters and numbers (especially his S's and 3's), and his 2's look like upside down 5's.

-Aaron