Percy Faith - "Music of Christmas"

I am quoting myself in this new thread (I made that quote last year):

As SH (Steve Hoffman) said, the master 1959 takes are "mixed" when all of the knobs are set to "0", as in all of the late '50s-early '60s Columbia master multitracks. Unfortunately, the stereo pressings of that 1959 re-recording were mastered from a two-track reduction copy of the three-track tape -- and there is where things can (and did) go wonky: The two-track reduction dubs suffer from a massive top-end boost (which the 1982 reissue pressing and the CD made painfully clear), and often suffer from more added echo as well. Errrgghh...
As a result, the 1959 re-recording on CD is in dire need of a new transfer from the three-track.

The 1954 original recording did not suffer from any of those idiosyncrasies -- because there was no stereo mix of it (it was done directly on full-track mono tape to begin with).

I still don't have a mono pressing of the 1959 re-recording. I'm still looking...

 

Did they issue the 1959 version as mono, or just use the earlier master? The other Columbia LP I can think of that was redone like this was Michael LeGrand's I Love Paris, and I always thought that the rerecording was only issued in stereo and the original remained in print in mono. Anybody?

 

Yep. They issued the 1959 version in mono (on CL 1381). Unfortunately, original pressings of the 1959 version -- mono or stereo -- are more rare than reissue pressings in stereo (first on Columbia Limited Edition LE 10082, and then on '80s reissues PC 38302 and 3C 38302).

 

Somebody page Columbia/Legacy...

Too bad, because even with the sonic hobgoblins (I'm only familiar with the stereo version) it's a great album. Faith's arrangement of "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" is lovely, and a longtime favorite of mine.

 

And of all the various cuttings of these late '50s/early '60s Columbia stereo LPs, the early "six-eye" pressings suck the least (but they still suck nonetheless). Mono pressings of that period are generally much better.

 

Randall, here's the link to someone with a copy of CL 1381 for sale:

http://vinylrehab2.home.mindspring.com/christmaslps.html

It's not NM, but he grades the vinyl VG++ and it's only $5. Since you seem to have had trouble finding one, it might be worth a try.

 

I finally received my mono copy of the 1959 rerecording (CL 1381) this morning. (Paid $6.00 plus shipping.)

Listening to it now, I can tell that it sounds somewhat "different" from the stereo pressing - and noticeably different from the original 1954 recording. There is echo on both the mono and the stereo editions of the 1959 redux (likely the result of simply being recorded in a "wet"-sounding venue) - but at least there is no massive top-end boost on the mono pressing (the stereo pressing suffers from all that treble boost, which is mitigated only somewhat by the stereo cutters which Columbia used during the late '50s to the mid '60s).

 

Wow, sounds like a recording I'll have to check out. My all-time favorite holiday recording - and a legendary one in my family, literally fights have broken out when we've done road trips for the holidays and nobody remembers to bring a tape or CD - is MERRY CHRISTMAS by Johnny Mathis. Sublime Percy Faith orchestrations on that one - for those who've heard both records, is MUSIC OF CHRISTMAS as good/better than the Mathis?

 

Please, Columbia!!! It's a classic!

(However, I have to wonder...in 2006...if this would even get considered...especially considering all of the recent problems they have had. ) I have the vinyl of both volume 1 & 2 (stereo...purchased in the 70's I think)...and the CD version. (Is the CD even in print anymore?) I also acquired a CD called "Christmas Memories"...that culls some of the tracks from MOC & adds them to the pop chorus stuff he did later, "Christmas Is".

Here's hoping!

Dexter

 

After my last post, I pulled out both of the Christmas CD's I have from Percy Faith. I always knew that "Music Of Christmas" was bright, but had forgotten how much. Ouch! (Now I know why!)

I also listened to the "Christmas Melodies" CD that came out in 1984. It's a compilation of the tracks from the more "M-O-R" sounding 1966 album called "Christmas Is" and adds 7 tracks from "Music Of Christmas" to fill it out. The "MOC" tracks are not as bright...but the instruments are not as "crisp" & "distinctive" either...like they rolled off some highs. It's a trade-off I guess...those 7 tracks are a bit more listenable - but at a cost.

The "Christmas Melodies" CD contains 10 of the original 11 tracks from "Christmas Is" - omitting the title track - which, of course, still gets airplay on the all-Christmas stations here! Therefore, I am thinking of ordering "Christmas Is" (for next year) from Amazon. Does anyone have it & if so, how does it sound? (Basically, I want it for the title track.)

The Sony division that needs to tackle the Percy Faith Christmas material as a re-mastering project, is their classical division (Masterworks?) They could probably do it justice.

Dexter

 

Delete! This is a f**king double post!

 

That CD is just a flat transfer from the two-track reduction dub that was used for the stereo LP pressings. The CD reveals that brightness - in all its ear-bleeding glory!

 

Resurrecting this old thread from 6 & a half years ago(!) ...

Real Gone Music is going to do this classic material some justice with a reissue of the original 1954 mono version of "Music Of Christmas" - along with the 1959 stereo version of "Hallelujah!" (later re-released as "Music Of Christmas, Vol. 2"). They've also tacked on 3 mono singles.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Music-Christmas-Percy-Faith/dp/tracks/B0098I7TOK/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1

The stereo version of MOC is almost unlistenable because the original reduction mix had such a huge top end boost. (see the OP) The original mono from 1954 could be a real treat - I've never had an opportunity to hear it. (And I can't recall if "Hallelujah/MOCV2" sounds as bright.)

Question: When the album was re-recorded in 1959, was it just to record a stereo version to go along with the original '54 mono - or did they mix a second mono version at the time?

 

I've got this on order from Amazon and am actually pretty excited to receive it!

While I wish Columbia would relinquish the 1959 MOC master tapes to a label that actually cares about remixing/remastering this beloved recording with the respect it deserves, I'm grateful that they at least let Real Gone Music go as far as they apparently did by allowing them to reissue the 1954 mono and 1960s follow up LP, Hallelujah/MOCV2.

If only Columbia would realize that keeping their own sub-par CD edition in print does neither the Percy Faith name nor the music contained on the disc any favors.

 

I received my copy of Real Gone's Complete Music Of Christmas release today. It's a very nice package - with a decent reproduction of the Columbia "6-eye" label on the discs. (These "eyes" have grooves, so it's not exact - but just the fact that they took the time to do this is awesome, in my opinion!! Real Gone is paying attention to detail - and things that collectors enjoy seeing in an archival release.) Very nice booklet with an essay, reproductions of the original jackets for Music Of Christmas & Hallelujah. They even reproduced the back covers, but they are hard to read, so hold on to those LPs if you like the song histories that were included!

I did a quick comparison between this new one & my old 38302 MOC CD - even though it's apples & oranges (different recordings, mono vs. stereo, etc.) - but the mono sound is real nice! You can turn it up & you don't "wince"! I'm looking forward to hearing what you all think. And BTW, there are some differences in the arrangements (54 vs. 59) here & there.

I also compared the 38302 MOC CD to the "Christmas Melodies" CD again. I'm curious if anyone has this one? It came out in (according to the date on the disc) in 1985 (sounds to early to me, but OK). It's definitely a "compilation" of the most popular Christmas carols from Music Of Christmas and almost the entire Christmas Is album. The songs were remastered at CBS Recording Studios by Mike Berniker. He definitely tried to tame the brightness of the 2-track master. On one hand, you don't wince as much, but on the other, you lose "the room" quite a bit. (Was NR being used back then?) While the 38302 MOC CD is bright, it is (according to what I've learned here) a flat transfer of the 2-track master. Despite the brightness, there is something to be said for that. There's more air around the instruments in the bright 38302 MOC than in Christmas Memories. Would love to know if others have CM & what they think. (I also plan to compare the Christmas Is songs to the actual Christmas Is CD at some point this season.)

 

more thoughts from others?

 

Unseasonal-but-relevant update post:

According to Chip Arcuri of the YuleLog.com Message Board, the UK-based Guild Music label will be issuing a new compilation CD later this year called The Golden Age of Light Music: Christmas Lights, which among other things will include eight of the 12 songs from the 1959 stereo version of Faith's Music of Christmas album

A 2011 compilation from the same label, The Golden Age of Light Music: Christmas Celebration, includes two additional stereo MoC tracks. So, between these two collections, we'll have nearly the entire album in newly-remastered sound. (The two CDs also contain 12 of the 14 tracks from Faith's Hallelujah a.k.a. Music of Christmas Vol. 2, as well as several hard-to-find Christmas tunes from Billy Vaughan, Wally Stott, George Melachrino, Stanley Black, etc.)

http://forum1.aimoo.com/theyulelog/...cy-Faith-tracks-to-be-released-1-2036621.html