What's the latest with the Elton John SACDs?

I believe you'll all be pleasantly surprised soon... I can't really go into it, but there's more than hope.

The people who worked hard on all of the endless tape research and mixing want this to come out also and plans are being set...

Jeff

 

Well, hopefully it won't be in the CD+DVD Dolby Digital format like what Rhino uses for the Depeche Mode stuff.

 

Greg Penny, the remix producer, is a big fan of the SACD format, which I think is part of why it's been held up for so long (Uni and Sony no longer have their SACD deal).

Jeff

 

Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please! (On the outside I'm: , On the inside I'm: ) It's not easy to avoid getting my hopes up, but you made my day Captain!

 

Please give us Carribu in 5.1!

 

Does anyone know if Made In England (the album) was ever completed in 5.1? I recall hearing that Greg Penny mixed at least one song from the album in 5.1 to demo for Elton and that's how Elton got hooked on surround and told him to do the older albums.

I know Elton's 90s output doesn't get much love around here, but Made In England (the album AND the song) would be awesome in hi-rez surround. Of course, I would say the same for The One and Sleeping With The Past (1989), but I only recall Made In England being part of the rumor mill.

Also, wrt to DVD-A surround only vs. DVD-A surround+stereo, I agree that surround only is fine. I listened to the stereo layer on the SACDs when I didn't have a surround system, but now that I am 5.1, it's "So long stereo!"

Thanks,
Josh

 

I think we're all gettin' the vapors, Jeff! Keep us posted!

 

Thanks for that update Jeff, keep up the good work in getting this out to the masses.

 

Thanks for the hard work! I'd love for any of those to come out.

Can you tell us which titles are possibilities (however remote)?

 

Jeff, this looks like it will indeed be great news. If possible, could you pass on the fervent hopr that these SACDs won't suffer from goosed treble or compression. The ones already out there are not bad compared to 2008 releases, but when I A-B them with some mint DJM originals, they sound very harsh. The acoustic grand piano in Funeral For A Friend sounds like some cheesy Roland digitial piano! (and that's from the DVD-A. I've read that the SACD is even worse!). Plus, with the compression, the percussive piano on Honky Cat at times sounds like a midi sequence instead of a human. I'll be very happy if they're going to do 5.1 SACDs but I really hope they'll try to respect the original intent of Gus and Elton back in the 70's when these originals sounded incredible.

I hope that doesn't sound too nitpicking or unappreciative. It's not meant to be. I just feel this will probably be the only chance to have anything done with this music — this incredibly important part of the soundtrack of our lives — for a long time, so I hope it'll be done right and not to fit in with some perceived current trend in music production.

 

I'm happy to read that these titles may still be issued as SACDs. While I also found the EQ choices on the titles released so far to be on the bright side, I really enjoy having this music in surround. It would be nice if the other titles were not so bright sounding, but I assume that if these come out at all that they will be based on mastering that was completed quite a while ago.

 

Addressing the mastering issue... when the people who mastered the albums already are the main forces in getting these out, there's nothing I can say - or rather WOULD say - regarding the mastering - no matter what I think personally.

I'm just trying to help them along - these will most likely come out from a third party licensee - and that costs a lot of money to pay to Universal, who probably also has the right to just say, "Screw it, we're putting it out ourselves".

I'm just trying to push it along to get to the point where it's either the third party or Universal - but at least ONE of them.

The next wave of "Elton news" (not just about the surround mixes, but whatever he's up to next that is news worthy) will most likely have the announcement of the rest of the surround mixes as a tag-along.

Nobody wants to put these out and have them just sit there with no publicity. It will be a "piggy back" situation I'm sure...

BTW, I don't know if the titles were ever officially announced, but "Skyline Pidgeon" is NOT part of the remasters (the first real Elton album), but "Past Masters" (including "Friends") IS. And of course, "Blue Moves", "Rock of the Westies", the "Believe" single (which probably won't come out - it was just the first "test" to get Elton to approve of the entire series), "Don't Shoot Me", "Blue Moves" and several live albums are all remixed into surround...

Jeff

 

Here And There in 5.1?that'd be cool.

 

I like the new stuff as well. Picked up Peachtree Road SACD recently and it is superb. Very high quality song writing if you ask me.

 

And "Caribou" - yes - that's been remixed, too.

Jeff

 

Jeff, this is good new that would get me back into buying discs when it happens. Please keep us posted and keep up the good work.

BTW, is there any general timeframe for this, or are we just in future-sensing mode?

 

I would really have hoped that Greg Penny would have remixed all of "Made In England" seeing as he produced it.

 

I'm late to this thread! I just want to add my YES that I'd buy any and all stuff in 5.1!

 

I'll agree with that 100%!!!

I hope this is true!

 

So Jeff you seem to be saying that all the mixing/mastering has been done and it's now a matter of distribution? So I guess it would be too late to write Greg or anyone else about the brightness issue? (not that it would do any good, but if enough people complain sometimes things happen).

 

Steve, there's a saying in Spain that goes that 'the worst endeavor is the one that is not carried out.' So, go ahead, if you feel you might get some good result.

 

I wouldn't be interested on DVD-A or 5.1 only without a stereo layer myself.

 

Jeff, I'm assuming you are referring to Empty Sky and Rare Masters? Not trying to pick nits, just wondering if I have my discography right (missing something).

Okay, so I believe you answered my question about Made In England (no full remix) and Believe was the demo track. . .nice trivia there, thanks. Interesting about the live albums. . .I'm assuming 11-17-70 and Here and There. . .perhaps Live In Australia (haven't heard that in years) too (fingers crossed)?

Rock of the Westies is an absolute gem. 5.1 Island Girl, yeah! 5.1 Blues For Baby and Me, 5.1 Tonight, ooh chills already! 5.1 Teacher I Need You and Grow Some Funk Of Your Own? Rockin'!! Exciting stuff! See, I've already done it, got my hopes up again!
Josh

 

It is shame that they worked so hard then didn't master them all that well imo. I am taking about the Elton SACDs that have already been released.

 

I have a terrible head cold - yes. "Empty Sky" and "Rare Masters".

Please DO NOT write about how bright it is - please - if it ever gets back to me, I promise I will not mention anything about these releases on the forum again. I'm just trying to let you know that you do not have to give up hope.

Sorry - but using any information I've given would be a pretty lousy move in my opinion. There's a fine line about what you should really say on a public forum - you guys have no idea how tentative these kinds of deals are - insulting someone's mastering when they are working (and taking a big chance) to get you the best that THEY feel they can give is not a positive.

If you were to write a letter out of the blue, that would be different. But suddently writing after I gave some information that I know about - that would be awful ******.

BTW - NO - the live albums do not include 11/17/70 - unfortunately.

Jeff