A report of the Salvo label reissue of "Procol Harum"(debut)

Well, the "Salvo" label expanded/remaster of Procol Harum's self-titled debut album has arrived, and here's the scoop. The quality is a mixed bag, but there's a few gems that will make it essential for completists, but there are significant questions over tape speed and sources. Again, we're not getting the definitive edition.

When the Westside label issued the album as part of the 3-CD set "Procol Harum-30th Anniversary Anthology", they were working from a copy tape, but then later found the first generation mono master(in Abbey Road Studios' vaults) and used it on their CD "First Album...Plus". Whether that tape went back to Abbey Road Studios after use, or remained with Westside is unknown, but clearly, Salvo has had to use an alternate source.

Whatever Salvo's source tape is, you audiophiles will be pleased that the hiss has been left intact, but it's a source tape that is audibly muddier than the tape that Westside used. And there are legitimate questions over tape speed/running time on the Salvo release. And it immediately glares at you that the opening track "Conquistador" is not the correct take as on the group's debut album(and as on previous Cube,Repertoire & Westside CD's of the album). The alternate version that Salvo uses is a mono mix featuring the alternate organ solo,as heard on the 1971 stereo remix(and that stereo mix is heard amongst the bonus track). But even given that the mono mix Salvo presents is from that alternate take, it seems to be running fast. In fact many of the 10 album tracks seem to have slightly different(faster or slower) tape speed versus the Westside CD. Specifically(and I list the Westside running time in parentheses):
Conquistador 2:38(2:42)
She Wandered Through The Garden Fence 3:26(3:29)
Something Following Me 3:37(3:40)
Mabel 1:56 (1:55)
Cerdes 5:08 (5:07)
A Christmas Camel 4:48 (4:54)
Kaleidoscope 2:53 (2:57)
Salad Days 3:38 (3:44)
Good Captain Clack 1:30 (1:32)
Repent Walpurgis 5:05 (5:05)

As for the bonus tracks, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" sounds O.K, but as on any UK CD, "Lime Street Blues" is a dub from vinyl. My friend, music historian Greg Russo once told me that the only tape-derived CD releases of "Lime Street Blues" are on American A&M CD's(such as "The Best of Procol Harum"). This is true. I listened closely through headphones and confirmed this.

The single mix of "Homburg" is freer from drop-outs than the Westside releases, but not as clean overall.

You also get the single mix of "Good Captain Clack"(very slightly different to the album mix. It lacks one gong crash heard on the album mix). The Italian language version of "Shine On Brightly"(as presented here) is preceded and followed by a brief Italian language monologue by an employee of the Italian label that originally released the track. As for that Italian language version, it sounds slightly better than on Westside CD's.

Next, you get "Understandably Blue", a Gary Brooker solo demo intended to be offered to Dusty Springfield. This mix combines Brooker's best piano/vocal take with Tony Visconti orchestral overdubs that were originally part of a different take. The two elements are synchronized perfectly. The song is quite un-Procol Harum-like.

Also, you get a different, previously unreleased 1967 backing track attempt at "Pandora's box". This take has more agressive drumming and a slightly faster tempo versus the take heard on Westside's CD "Pandora's Box".

The Salvo disc contains a new remix of "Alpha". Unlike Westside's fake stereo release, the new remix is true stereo, though it omits Ray Royer's (out of tune)lead guitar.

The disc concludes with the three 1971 stereo remixes which debuted on the 1971 UK compilation L.P. "Flyback:The Best of Procol Harum".These three stereo remixes("Homburg", "She Wandered Through The Garden Fence" & "Conquistador") are presented from a better sounding source than what was heard previously. "Conquistador" is free from the nasty one side drop-out during the keyboard solo which plagued previous CD & L.P. releases of that mix.

The liner notes attempt to explain how those 1971 stereo mixes came to be, but unfortunately, an error during the graphics design stage causes the loss of one page of the liner notes, right in the middle of the explanation about the origins of those 1971 stereo mixes. Otherwise, the booklet has some excellent photos and memorabilia, and the liner notes are well written(by Procol Harum historian Henry Scott Irvine)

In closing, there are numerous reasons to buy this disc, but hold onto your Westside CD "First Album...Plus"

 

I got the self titled and the Shine-On Brightly Salvo remasters today and I love them. I can't compare the sound to the Westside remasters because I never owned them (though I like Westside's Salty Dog very much). I do have the BGO twofer and these remasters sound better by far (particularly Shine on Brightly). The packaging and notes are first rate. The BGO had an inferior tape source for Quite Rightly So, whereas Salvo's source sounds fine. These remasters are not particularly loud and they do not cause fatigue when listening at moderate volume through head phones. The bonus tracks are intersting with the standouts being the single version of In The Wee Small Hours of Sixpence (which appears to be a different take than the mono version on the A+M best-of comp I am use to), the stereo version of Homburg is a revelation, it is a very well done mix that completely blows away the single mono mix IMO. Pandora's box is a faster tempo than the version on "Pandora's Box" (Westside). I have not finished listening to these disks but from what I have heard so far, I can recommend these disks.

These can be found cheap on Amazon.uk, I paid less than $20.00 for both of them, including shipping.

 

The version of "In The Wee Small Hours of Sixpence" heard on the Salvo Cd is the original Uk single version. After the tape for this version was misplaced, an alternate take(as on the A&M "Best of") replaced the original version on most subsequent L.P. & CD releases.

 

That explains it, thanks. The single mix sounds better to me.

 

Phil, thanks for the heads up on all things procol, it is appreciated by some of us lurkers. Have you heard any news on when A Salty Dog will be released and what bonuses will be included?

 

What I don't understand is: if we know that West Side got the master why wouldn't Salvo just use that CD for their issue? Also, if its known that Lime Street Blues was from tape on an American CD why revert to vinyl for the reissue?

I may get this for the alternate takes and it is pretty cheap but still...

Thanks for the review Phil!!

 

The two completed studio versions(*) of "In The Wee Small Hours of Sixpence" aren't just different mixes. They're different takes, done at different studios, and with different personel.(the first version has Bobby Harrison on drums. The second one has B.J. Wilson on drums). *an unfinished backing track for a 3rd version is added to Salvo's new CD of "Shine On Brightly".

 

Salvo may be using a tape, but it's a tape derived from vinyl, and that's what's always been used for CD releases of "Lime Street Blues" in the Uk. Actually, Fly Records has the multitrack for the song and could create a stereo mix, but apparently Gary Brooker said "No". He appears to not want already released recordings being released in anything other than their original mixes.

 

Update:Fly/Salvo's liner notes claim that the version of "Conquistador" which opens this new CD IS the version heard on the original UK L.P., and that it's previous CD editions(and some previous L.P. releases) that use the wrong version.

Perhaps some of you that have an original UK Regal Zonophone or U.S.A. DERAM L.P. could answer that question.

 

According to play.com, it's coming May 18:

http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/9651893/A-Salty-Dog/Product.html

Bonus tracks:

Long Gone Geek (Bonus Track)
Goin Down Slow (Bonus Track)
Juicy John Pink (Live In The USA, April 69) (Bonus Track)
Crucifiction Lane (Live In The USA, April 69) (Bonus Track)
Skip Softly (My Moonbeams) (Bonus Track)
Sprach Zarathustra (Live In The USA, April 69) (Bonus Track)
The Milk Of Human Kindness (Take 1; Raw Track) (Bonus Track)

 

I just don't understand how on the one hand they allow 3 stereo remixes from 1971 (4 years after the origianl mix releases) but say "no" to a new stereo remix of Lime Street Blues. Is this an inconsistent position or am I way off?

 

But back then, the stereo mixes could be done on equipment reasonably similar to the original studio. Also, these mixes have been on the market for long enough that Gary Brooker accepted them as being part of the complete works. It should be remembered that when "Seems to Have The Blue Most of The Time" & the 1967 version of Monsieur Armand" were first released(on an L.P. called "Rock Roots") that Brooker was displeased, but over the years, his position softened.

 

O.K., I can respect that point of view (I just don't agree with it )

Between Westside's Pandora's Box and this release, you can assemble 2/3rds of the debut album with alternate stereo mixes and takes which I think is pretty cool.

 

I'm underwhelmed by the bonus tracks for "Home"(two backing tracks). I'm starting to question how many Procol Harum tapes that Fly Records has, and how many are held by the Westside label or by Abbey Road Studios.....tapes that aren't(presently) available to Fly Records.

 

has it been very compressed???...........how does the first LP compares to the westside???

 

IMO (but not others, judging from previous threads), based on a listening session at a friend's house, the Westside sounds a lot like the UK LP. Your mileage will vary.

 

Comparing the mono mix of "She Wandered Through The Garden Fence", the Westside disc has lower distortion.

 

Sorry to report, that for avid fans, there will be no reason whatsoever to buy the Salvo label's expanded reissue of "Home". The two bonus tracks were already released amongst the nine bonus tracks on the Westside label's expanded reissue of "Home". What could Salvo & Gary Brooker have been thinking?

Many of us were hoping that the early versions of "Whiskey Train","Nothing That I Didn't Know","Piggy Pig Pig" & "The Dead Man's Dream", that the group mimed to in the "Procol Harum" film would be included, but from a full-fidelity stereo source. The film, directed by Chris Copping's brother, was offered on VHS at the Procol Harum website a few years ago.

But it's unlikely that Brooker is going to come forward with the master tapes. The four tracks were produced by ex-member(and now courtroom nemesis) Matthew Fisher.

Interestingly, one or more of these early "Home" session tracks("Piggy Pig Pig") features lyricist Keith Reid in his only-ever musical performance....as organist.

 

Sorry to hear this Phil. Do you think Salvo missed any key bonus tracks for the Salty Dog reissue scheduled for May?

 

Unless you count his reciting of the words in the second section of "In Held 'Twas in I"...

 

Actually, it was Matthew Fisher reciting the words in the second section of "In Held 'Twas I".

As for the sessions for "A Salty Dog", the brief bit of recording at A&M Studios in California(where the B-side "Long Gone Geek" was recorded) produced one unreleased track, an instrumental arrangement of a classical composition titled "Stoke Pogues", but no one knows the whereabouts of the tape. Still, a live version has appeared on an unofficial CD(Where it is mistitled "Chelsea's Tune")

 

Nope, that's Keith reciting the part that starts "Held close by that which some despise...", on the original (SOB) version and also on the Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra version. (And also live in London in 2005.)

Matthew Fisher sings the "In the Autumn of my Madness" segment on the original version. (Gary Brooker sings it on the Live album.)

 

Any more opinions on the sound quality of the first two albums just re-released?

http://www.cdwow.us/search?query=procol+harum+expanded&category=music

 

Phil has already commented on tape speed/running time issue in this thread. Here is an interesting comparison of different versions of Shine On Brightly:

http://www.procolharum.com/phalbum2_-salvo-comparison.htm

Phil was right on.

 

Thanks. The only part of the two recent Salvo Procol Harum expanded/remasters that I had yet to listen to are the main album tracks on "Shine On Brightly"(I had only played the bonus tracks up until now).I'm five songs into playing the main album tracks.

Whether what we're hearing now is correct(and I'm not making any claims in that department, particularly in light of what was revealed in the 2002 remaster of The Rolling Stones' "Beggar's Banquet",the 1996 "One Way" remaster of the Little River Band debut album & the 2006 remix of The Doors' debut album, where the new,faster speed turned out to be correct), I don't need a minutes/second counter to know that some of these tracks are markedly faster/high pitched than on any previous release.

By the way, mention of the expanded/remastered "Home" has disappeared from the Amazon.co.uk website, though the expanded "A Salty Dog" is on schedule for release later this month.