Sinatra / Capitol Sound Quality and General Discussion: In the Wee Small Hours (1955)*

They didn't add the same amount of echo/processing to each song on the "wrong" tapes here. An easily heard example is the Norberg mastered disc.

 

I imagine so, but I don't really hear any additional reverb on most of the tracks on the MFSL (which is not to say there isn't any). Other than (I think) tracks #2 & #3, the MFSL sounds like it was mastered from the same tapes as my grey label and 9:00 rainbow pressings. With the 1981 Alan Dell on the other hand, I can clearly hear the additional reverb on every track. The Dell doesn't sound like the MFSL, except for those two tracks.

Listen to Matt's sample of the MFSL title track and compare it to the Dell. The title track of the MFSL sounds like it was taken from the dry tapes. I can hear a subtle shift in EQ when that track shifts to the grey label whereas with the Dell you can hear the reverb very clearly on the title track. They really sound like they were mastered from different tapes.

On the basis of hearing Matt's sample of the title track, I figured the MFSL used the "right" (dry) tapes for this issue, which is why I jumped at the chance to pick this disc up individually. When I got it, I put the LP on my system and the title track sounded dry. Then track 2 started and it sounded "wrong" with way too much reverb. It sounded like Frank was singing in a cave. Same with track 3. After that, I didn't hear any added reverb for the rest of the album.

I don't have the Norberg disc anymore (I sold it the day after I bought it). I take it that was mastered from the reverb added tapes? I had a hard time listening past that disc's other flaws to really do any kind of analysis.

 

I think the Norberg uses it's own brand of reverb, like the Walsh CD.

 

I just received tow copies of this album in the mail over the past few days , 1st one is some sort of 80's vinyl pressing (i assume) it is missing the 6 tracks as it only has 10 , the lable is a clay blur tyoe color , just cleaned it up & played it , it is in mear mint condition , vocals sound good , music sounds a little flat to me .
My second copy arrived today which is the set of 4 E.P.'s in 7 inch , they look to be in VG+ shape , so i just have to give them a good cleaning & then a spin .

 

Hey Matt ,
The Dead wax has the "mastered by capitol" stamped in it & sm - 1-581 - G5 & some initals that look like "crt" maybe ? side #2 is sm - 2 - 581 - G1
Catalog # on front cover is "SM-581 " " A capitol monophonic re-issue" , it's either a promo or cut-out as it has a punch hole in the actual cover , but i don't think it was ever played .

Label =




Not totally set-up for a needle drop but if & when i can i will indeed send over a song to you so you can add a piece of it for sure .
Got a few of the 7" E.P's today "session with sinatra" "songs for young lovers " (only part 1) , "Young at heart" and "swing easy" ....

 

Now is your labels the Brighter Green color ? i was suprised to see this slate type blue label on this as all the 80's one's i have come across have that darker brighter green label .

 

Another copy

Don't want to hijack the thread, but I found another nice copy of 'Wee Small Hours' a couple weeks back at our library sale.

The copy on the left is the 'new' find, while the one on the right is a copy I found several years back at a thrift store (with original inner sleeve as well).

I assumed the copy on the right is more original, but I don't know. The 'new' copy has that cool script in the deadwax.

thanks
dan c

 

You are right! The copy with the "band" and long playing on the bottom is the first version that came out in 1955. The second version is from 1956 - 1957. The first rainbow labels came out in early 1958.

 

Thanks! Is there a preference among fans? I haven't had a chance to compare yet.

It was a great Sinatra score at the local library sale, I have to say. I'll post more findings and photos later.

dan c

 

As far as sound quality, all the different gray labels and early rainbows are the same. There are SQ differences in where they were pressed, etc.

See Matt's pages for more info on the individual titles and sound quality. It's a goldmine of information.

here

 

Third version. There was a variant with LONG PLAYING only at the bottom, without the 3/4 circle. HIGH FIDELITY was added to the label sometime in '57.

 

Ah yes. You are correct oh wise one!!

 

In The Wee Small Hours echo/reverb

I understand that the original Capitol release has added digital echo, and Larry added it thinking that the original album had echo, though in fact it did not (am I correct about this?). Are there tapes of this album that have some kind of natural echo added to Frank's voice? I ask because I have a compilation CD with the title track and Mood Indigo that have a tasteful, not overly done NATURAL sounding echo on Sinatra's voice.

 

Not exactly correct. The original full track studio masters were created with reverb, as were all of the FS Capitol mono recordings at Melrose Ave. Larry Walsh mistakenly added additional unnecessary echo to the CD issue.

 

BTW, here's Larry's own explanation, from an [post=2923338]earlier thread[/post]:

 

Thanks, Bob. What would then explain the CD tracks with the natural sounding reverb?

 

Original masters or taken from dubs. No unnecessary futzing.

 

Probably the ca. 1962 Capitol dubs with added reverb from the Capitol underground chambers. The 'dry' tapes were retired, and as far as we know all or most subsequent LP issues are derived from those reverb tapes. Including last year's 180 gram vinyl reissue of the album, to the displeasure of those (myself included) who prefer the drier original sound of the 1955 master.

 

I thought the dubs were done electronically and that the chamber was used only when the actual recordings were made.

 

But why do the Wee Small tracks on The Capitol Years have no reverb? Were they not done from the original tapes? By the way, the reverb is real (I think), as it seems to be more present and 'chambery' when Frank's voice gets louder.

 

There was additional reverb added to the tapes around 1962, on top of the small amount present on the original, using the chambers at the Capitol tower.
Music signal from original tape sent to loudspeaker in chamber, picked up by microphone and fed back into the signal from the original master during the dubbing process. Creating a new 'master' which was used for subsequent reissues of the album.

 

Those tracks on THE CAPITOL YEARS 3-CD set *DO* have (small amount of) reverb. There were no "totally dry" tapes of WSH. The original masters from KHJ Studios (pre-Tower) had reverb added during recording from the rooftop echo room. Larry added much more echo for the first CD mastering in 1987. (Whether that was on top of the original tapes, or the later post-1962 dubs with their own added echo, I don't know.) As SH has stated here many times, the original tapes were perfect; they needed no help, analog or digital.