Carpenters comp from NL - ORIGINAL MIXES

Briefly: new compilation from Universal in Netherlands. It just arrived - they are all original album mixes - no remixing!

Details can be found in this thread on Rudy's A&M Forum:

http://www.amcorner.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6886

My initial review of the set is on page 3 of that thread.

I know there are a lot of members here who hate the remixes, want the originals, but don't want full albums. This could be your "ticket to ride."

Harry

 

Thanks for the heads up!

 

And it sounds good?

 

Thanks, but the problem is to find the original single mixes on CD.

 

...this CD is a godsend! It's a start in the right direction...maybe Richard will get the hint we want the ORIGINAL mixes on CD!...

 

Well, the original album mixes were all used for the album remasters from a few years ago.

But you are right, using original mixes on a compilation is a step in the right direction.

 

I could very well snag this!

I have the SACD, so those aren't the original mixes then?

 

Maybe so, but this is a step closer. There weren't THAT many original, dedicated single mixes that were all that different from the album mixes. Yes, there were some, but perhaps we'll see those if that Japanese set ever gets released.

Well, it's got a "32 bit floating point mastered" logo on it. That MUST mean it sounds good, right?

Actually, it sounds just like the 1998 Remastered discs to me. I hear original hiss on "We've Only Just Begun" and the squeaking door and tape burbles on "Bless The Beasts And Chrildren" just like on those Remastered Classic discs and the original vinyl.

It's not overly bright or harsh, and sounds rather warm to me.

Not even close.

Harry

 

So if I have all the albums from the remastered classics series I don't need to have another compilation, right ? Especially if the songs sound exactly the same.
Achim

 

I must get this! Or I will be farhklempt!

 

Correct!

 

so, how does everyone like this?

 

I like this package a lot, mostly because it's chronological - and since I favor "early" Carpenters, that makes disc one the keeper here. It's got all of their early hits from "Ticket To Ride" up through "Please Mr. Postman".

Not that Disc Two is bad, but in comparison, One is the clear winner for me.

Harry

 

Hi Harry!, GLAD to see you back in action.

...what a about the sound quality in comparison with the other Carpenters releases?

 

Don't bank on it...

 

....wonder if this will get a domestic release down the road?

 

Does anyone know of a good on line source for this set from the Netherlands?

Charlie

 

Hey Harry!! - just searced the archives to see why everyone is sending you their best wishes and found this thread!

Hope you are feeling well - take care buddy .

Thanks for the heads up on this release. I finally found myself an original UK CD pressing of "Singles 1969-1973" with the original mixes but the sound leaves a little to be desired - it's very thin and bright sounding! Also, I gather that the original mix version of "1969-1973" also features the sped up masters. Looks like this new comp may be just what I'm looking for .

 

Regular old Amazon in the US is who I used, and they appeared to be among the first to ship it out. Several A&M Corner folks also ordered it from there, which may have prompted them to actually get it to their customer base. It was one of those releases that started out as a March 17th release, and every day or so crept up so it was always about six days in the future. The last I looked, they were still listing it as a "future" release.

As to how it sounds, I have a couple of comparisons I did. I compared the tracks, "(They Long To Be) Close To You" and "We've Only Just Begun" to two other sources: The Remastered Classics verson of the CLOSE TO YOU album and THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION box set. The reason I chose those two is that the Remastered Classics series has been somewhat of a benchmark of original Carpenters material, and THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION box set has been universally hailed by Carpenters fans as sounding great, particularly on the older hit material.

The three recordings of both songs sound essentially the same to me. I hear obvious hiss at the beginning piano opening of "Close To You" and before the right channel's oboe of "We've Only Just Begun" on all versions, so there's no overt attempt at any modern-day noise reduction techniques.

Loudness: There's a discernable difference in the loudness of the three discs, with the new compilation falling in between the original album versions and the ESSENTIAL COLLECTION box set versions in terms of loudness. My hearing doesn't detect any clipping or compression on any of these, but then I don't have equipment for running these things through waveforms, etc. In order from soft to louder are: The original CLOSE TO YOU album, the new ULTIMATE COLLECTION, and the ESSENTIAL COLLECTION.

Some release details for those seeking this out:



Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EOUTW6

UPC number is 02498 35845 0
Catalog number is 983584-5
This compilation (P) 2006 USM, a division of Universal Music B.V. (c) 2006 Universal Music B.V.

www.universalmusic.nl (though I've not found anything there, in looking before)

Design: Studio Eric Wondergem BNO, Baarn

Mastered by: QS Sound Lab

32-bit Floating Point Mastering

Harry

 

Thanks, Mal (and all who've expressed good wishes). So far so good, but I'm still in the "take-it-easy" mode. You know, no heavy lifting, and limiting my exposure to Beatles threads!

I know of this forum's penchant for original mix releases and this one is pretty close. Though it doesn't use any new, exclusive singles mixes, the fact that these are from the original albums is a real boost, IMHO. Until now, if I wanted to hear original mixes, I'd have to dig out the Remastered Classics albums, because, as we all know, virtually all compilations, up to this point, have used varying degrees of Richard Carpenter modern-day remixes. (The exception being the aforementioned-by-Mal SINGLES 1969-1973, which itself has its share of problems regarding sped-up tracks, and remix versions of YOM appearing on some issues).

I also know that there was once an issue with an Asian re-release called 22 HITS OF THE CARPENTERS, where mistakenly, original mixes, just like these, were used. That disc was recalled by orders of RC himself and replaced with the intended remixes. One of our A&M Corner (and Steve Hoffman Forum) buddies, Scott B. managed to get hold of one of those.

I'm hoping that the funky release date of this one isn't because of something similar, nor do I have any evidence that Richard is unhappy with these. I'm just going on what's happened previously, and alerting the membership here to those facts, if you catch my drift.

Harry

 

Don't forget the elusive re-mix free 1984 UK CD issue of "Yesterday Once More" - although I don't expect I'll ever find that one (I've been looking for a couple of years now!).

Anyway, now this new set is out it looks like it will keep me satisfied until I find the 1984 set .

 

True - that one is quite rare, apparently. Some fans claim to have found that one for next to nothing, while an eBay auction last year wanted near $1000 for it. That's out of my price range...

Harry

 

Do you have the catalogue number for that CD release? I can't even find that anywhere!

 

I don't have the CD version, but I do have the LP version of that package, with the unlikely catalog number of SING1.

Harry