Cameo Parkway Finally Coming!!!!

Folks, it looks like this is the real deal. The Cameo Parkway Catalog is coming to us this summer. The following email is from Jeff Tamarkin who has been contracted by ABKCO to write the liner note for all releases. And he notes that sound quality is "Incredible".

Here it is!!!

>>>>>Your email regarding the status of the Cameo-Parkway reissues was
passed along to me. I can tell you with 100% certainty that the
reissues will be rolling out this summer, with liner notes written
by me (I've conducted thus far 25 interviews with C-P related
artists, employees, producers, musicians, even family members). I
can't tell you much about the actual content (look for announcements
soon) but I can confirm that there will indeed be a multi-CD boxed
set and several individual best-ofs. I can also tell you that I've
heard some of the remasters and the sound is incredible--it is true
that Jody wanted to wait until they could deliver these recordings
in superb sound quality. You'll be pleased, I'm sure.

We've all been hearing for years that these reissues were on the
way, and so I can't blame anyone for thinking this is another false
alarm, but it's not. As Southside Johnny sang, this time it's for
real. Feel free to spread the word.

Jeff Tamarkin<<


>>>>>>Sounds like the real deal to me.

Mikey

 

GREAT!

Now, the inevitable MONO/STEREO question.
Also...SACD or CD?

Hopefully, it will be worth the wait.

 

Pat - Cameo/Parkway recorded a lot straight to mono (the engineer hated stereo). I sure hope ? and the Mysterians gets a set...

 

Mikey,

Thanks for sharing this! Look for dual layer SACD's mastered by Bob Ludwig...my best guess.

Bob

 

indy mike, they recorded to 2-track until 1962 and then switched to 4-track. they recorded backing tracks in 2-track, folded them to mono and then recorded vocals on one channel of a 2-track. That's how they were able to use original backing tracks for foreign versions of songs. If the stereo backing tracks could be found, 3-track remixes could be done with no tape generation loss.

 

Hear hear! Mikey, you just made my day, which had been rotten until just now!

 

Indy. Sorry, your info is incorrect.

The only "Straight To mono" things on CP were the very early 1958 things done in the old CP office storeroom. They moved out of that phase real fast.

According to Dave Appel, this the way that 90% of the Cameo Parkway hits were recorded :

1) The instrumental tracks (the backing tracks) would be recorded by Dave Appel and his guys at either one of two studios in Philly. This was done on Full track mono tape for the best bass sound.

2) This tape would be placed on a stereo recorder with sel sync. One half of the tape would be erased. The artist would then come in and add his/her vocal to the now vacant other channel. Backing vocals would recorded at the same time as the lead vocal and on the same track.

3) THIS two track tape with vocals one one side, and instruments on the other (with NO bleed whatsoever, because they were recorded at different times) would be taken to Reco Art Recording in Philly, where Engineer Emil Korson would mix to mono using his battery of equalizers, limiters and compressors. Emil was the engineer who loved Mono Mixing and he was very good at it. He did make great records.


4) We know that above is true because there are both Foreign language recordings of the hits using the same exact backing track, AND other versions of the tracks by different singers on CP, again using the exact backing tracks. So it seems that they had a mandate to have two track tapes of everything so that they could churn out multiple versions of the same song and sell them. As did many other smaller labels at that time. Perfectly reasonable for 1962.

5) With all this being said, guess what? I'll bet my last dollar that ABKCO is going to issue all the hits on SACD in MONO, because thats how they were released in the 60s, and thats the way the world remembers them. While I dont mind this so much, I wish certain things, like "Forget Him" would be issued in stereo as well, because i always wanted to hear that (and Lets Twist Again) in stereo.

6) Yes, it will be SACD. Jody Klein said so. No multichannel, either.

Still, its terriffic news that thie material will be coming out on SACD finally, after 45 years. Lets hope there are no delays. in the immortal words of Robin Ward (and the Vogues as well) Its Gonna Be A "Wonderful Summer" !!

Mikey

 

Grant, buddy, I'm glad i finally said something that makes you happy!!

No talk about motown remixes here, pal.

)

 

If these are on a par with the better Stones remasters, they will be well worth it!



ED

 

Well, we won't have the Londons to fall back on this time, so I guess we'd better be happy with what we get....

 

I have a hunch these are going to be great, and yes, I imagine Hybrid SACD / Redbook, just like the Stones and Sam Cooke. Why change now?

 

It's Pony Time, friends! Yaaaahoooo!!!!!!


One thing though. Montreal is pretty rotten in importing ABKCO material (with the exception of the Stones). I still can't find Sam Cooke's Keep Movin' On on CD here, let alone SACD. And the Cooke Portrait SACD just got here a couple of weeks ago. I may have to go to Plattsburgh, NY and Burlington, Vt. for my C-P stuff.

 

What a welcomed set this will be! I have too many crappy boots! Although, there are a few decent ones...Hallelujah!!!

 

Yea, the box set is going to be great stuff.

I just HOPE there is an individual Dovells Cd with all their great Dance stuff. Ever heard "Stompin' Everywhere"?? Flip side of The Bristol Stomp and just as good.

 

Now, all we have to worry about is the damned noise reduction!

 

One would hope they would do it just like the Stones & Sam Cooke stuff.

 

I dont think we have to worry too much about noise reduction. ABKCO has all the orginal Mono 45 masters. The noise level shouldnt be that high at all to start with as they are only second generation. Remember how Dave outlined the recording process...there was only one "bounce", the mono mix.

I'm really looking foward to this. Much more than the Stones.

I wonder if ABKCO will put out a disk of "Cameo Parkway Rarities", you all, all that stuff that made top 100 like "The 81" and "Yo Muy Pregunta". That would be nice.

 

The 81. Great song!

 

LOl.....Yup, Candy and the Kisses.

Theres LOTS more like that. i know a guy who has digital copies of like 700 CP songs. They did oodles and oodles of stuff.

 

Boog-a-dee, boog-a-dee, boog-a-dee, boog-a-dee SHOO!

I do hope we get a good selection of non-hits/rarities in the boxed set from those artists who won't have a full CD issued of their material. In other words, I hope the multi-disc set isn't just an abbreviation of the series of single discs.

 

Mikey - yer right - the mixing man had a great dislike for stereo; of course, if it's vocals one side and instruments the other it would be screwy sounding stereo... Blasphemer that I am, I don't really care about anythng C/P put out save for the garage stuff from ?/Mysterians and the early Seger stuff (flameproof suit is on - let 'em rip)...

 

How 'bout Terry Knight & the Pack?

Bob

 

C'mon indy....You cant dig Dee Dee Sharp and "Give Me Gravy"??

 

mikey - I've never heard it! Bob - if it's garagey I'll give it a try - I was about 3 when the garage stuff came out so I have no membories of those tunes floating out into the atmosphere...

 

Mike,

I found this about Terry Knight & the Pack - you may find it interesting:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/lux2001/terryknightandthepack.html

Bob