"Christmas Songs" (Columbia) by Sinatra (incl. 2019 HD release updates)*

Hi Bob,

Yes, all the info you posted in that post (Catalog #, Barcode #) applies to the version that I just got today from Amazon (white cover).

I'd never seen this "new" cover before (only the non-border and gold border variations from 1994/2004) so it took me by surprise.

 

I would complain to Amazon that they're showing the wrong cover image. (As I mentioned, they've changed it since 2009.)

It's bad enough that the cover is not historically accurate for the 1940's material on the CD.

 

You know, it's funny you mention that, because when I got the disc and saw the cover I thought "That cover picture doesn't look right- he looks a bit older than he would have been when these were recorded..." and I'm not anywhere near the Sinatra expert you and others here are. sigh.

It seems misleading to me- as if they're ashamed of the "young" Sinatra and his recordings?

P.S- I'll let Amazon know that their cover image is outdated/wrong.

 

I'd like to know the answer to this as well.

 

They used the old mastering because they are "Budget" CDs.

 

But I don't understand- they could still sell the material at a budget price band use the new mastering. It wouldn't cost any more to use the most current mastering, right? What's the point of going back to the old, inferior mastering when something better was available?

 

I just wanted to re-post this part of Bob's earlier post for newcomers to the thread or those doing a forum search:

In summery; the "Gold Boarder" release of this album that was released in 2004:

http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Son...=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1320244138&sr=1-3

is the absolute one to get above any other previous or subsequent release. It's out of print; but readily available new and used from Amazon Marketplace and elsewhere. It's notable for the Gold Boarder that isn't present on the earlier (1994) release.

I have no idea why it went out of print so fast, and was replaced by the previous/inferior 1994 mastering, but it was.

Just wanted to sum that up for any other newcomers like me who missed out on that info before accidentally buying an inferior mastering.

 

I agree it makes no sense.

The obvious reason: The people at Sony who put together "budget" releases are clueless. Probably, they were just as confused as their customers, whose chief means of differentiating the two different issues externally was a gold border on the cover.

Even if Sony had put the newer remastering inside the case, the budget issue still lacks the excellent 12-page booklet of its predecessors. This is a real Grinch offering all around.

​

 

The 2004 release was a budget release, too (right?) so why did it ever go out of print in the first place? They should have just left it in print as is.

 

No, it was a full-priced high-quality issue, identical in nearly all respects (except the sonics) to the original 1994 release.

 

I guess I don't understand why they can't just offer the 2004 mastering with a decent booklet at a budget price? I'm talking like $7 here. It would be cheap enough to get people's attention, and still wouldn't skimp on the booklet or mastering. It's not like it would take a lot of effort on their end since all the material exists already.

 

I did the same - i worked like a charm!

I received my copy of the 2004 edition of Christmas Songs By Sinatra yesterday - from an Amazon seller - it cost $6 & change, shipped. I only had about 30 minutes to do a few A-B comparisons with the 1994 edition & the difference is quite dramatic in my opinion. While the 1994 has a certain "charm" of it's own that befits the time that the CD came out, it's obvious that better care was taken with the 2004 mastering. It's just a little louder, but there's a lot more clarity. (I agree - why they didn't stick with the more recent mastering is a real mystery - perhaps a mistake in the rush to get this title transferred to Special Products.)

My only complaint with the 2004 edition is with the quality of the booklet. Keep in mind that the 1994 & 2004 booklets are nearly identical in content. (Sony would not allow them to change the booklet at all.) The major difference is the addition of the gold border around the booklet cover & a few differences in the copyright & "legal stuff". Otherwise, they are the same.

But my complaint isn't with the contents of the book - I knew what I was getting. Instead, it's with the quality of the printing. I'll try to post a scan later, but suffice it to say that the type in the 2007 edition is *almost* blurry. It just looks "off". The 1994 booklet has nice, sharp & clear printing. Did anyone else notice this issue with 2004 CD booklet?

Dexter

 

No. My two booklet copies are practically indistinguishable. Perhaps yours is a bad printing?

 

Yep. It looks to me like Sony scanned the 1994 booklet for the 2007 edition (dumped the original elements?)

 

Since we have a difference of opinion, it could be that not all booklets were printed equally. My 2004 issue does not look scanned.

 

I've tried all morning to get a decent scan of the text in the 2 booklets that would show the difference - but I just could get one that was good enough. Here is a comparative scan of the picture on the back of the booklet - the one on top is from 1994 - the one on the bottom is the 2004. It quite dramatic when looking at the photo. Maybe someone else can do the text better than I can.

Dexter

 

Here's a better comparison of the front & back of the booklet:

 

Two more - note that you can see the artwork on the front of the booklet showing thru the pic on the right.

I'm probably going to get rid of the 1994 CD. (I think I just heard Bob hit the floor! ) If I do, honestly, I'm tempted to swap booklets beforehand! I wish I could capture the difference in the printing more - it's not that it's unreadable - it just looks like a scan - not crisp.

Dexter

 

I did have a question about this material that I'm sure someone (Bob?) will know.

Was the material on this compilation recorded onto tape, or acetate (I'm speaking of the bulk of the album that was initially released on 78s initialy)?

I ask because it all sounds really excellent so I'm assuming tape sources exist, but if someone could confirm either way that'd be great.

Thanks!

 

Laquer discs. The original 78 album tracks were recorded 1944-47; no mag tape then.

 

Not on my copy. They must have gone to a thinner paper stock on later printings than the one I have.

 

So the songs were recorded to laquer discs. The discs were used to produce the 78s, and the CD is sourced from the same laquer discs?

 

Essentially, although the exact process involves many more steps (and I mispelled "lacquer" ).

BTW, I recommend Chuck Granata's book, Sessions with Sinatra, for a complete description of the recording process for 78 RPM records.

 

Ooo, thanks! I'll check that out.

Hey; I based my spelling on your spelling- think of how stupid that makes me look! It was a brain-fart on my end too.

 

Ask before you purchase to make certain the CD is the 'correct' edition. Many sellers use any cover photo and description that is convenient as long as it matches the title. You may order a CD with a photo of the bordered cover, but receive the older pressing. Most sellers don't know (and don't care) about the different pressings.