Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook, original Verve 1956 recording and mastering info

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Nov 5, 2013.

Page 9 of 13
  1. Mr. Grieves

    Mr. Grieves Forum Resident

    My 3-LP box set is waiting for me at home. Took advantage of that Barnes & Noble sale(thanks for the heads up btw). Can't wait to listen to this stunning piece of work
     
    Mr. Grieves, Nov 28, 2016
    #201
    paulmock likes this.
  2. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Kevin Gray and I almost came to blows mastering the DCC Compact Classics Gold CD version! Too many songs, too hard to master all in a day but we had to do it. The only time I ever saw Kevin lose it!
     
    Steve Hoffman, Nov 28, 2016
    #202
    McLover, Exotiki, sjaca and 3 others like this.
  3. teag

    teag Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colorado
    It is a great one.

    But the panacea of Ella's catalog is the remastered 5 LP set of Ella singing Gershwin that came out 10 years or so ago. Big, lush sound in beautiful mono! I like it much more than any of the other several original period releases. Amazing sound quality. I believe its a Kevin Gray remaster - one of his best.

    Then there is the remaster of Let No Man Sing my Epitaph, then there is.........
     
    teag, Nov 28, 2016
    #203
  4. gslasor

    gslasor Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    I can and do listen to this behemoth in one sitting. However, if you can listen to the entire Gershwin book in one go, you're certifiably f*cking insane. :laugh:

    Analog Spark is en route :)
     
    gslasor, Nov 28, 2016
    #204
  5. paulmock

    paulmock Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hollywood, CA
    I know these recordings like the back of may hand. That is why I am so anxious to hear this set.
     
    paulmock, Nov 28, 2016
    #205
  6. paulmock

    paulmock Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hollywood, CA
    The "Let No Man..." remaster is unbelievable.
     
    paulmock, Nov 28, 2016
    #206
  7. Mr. Grieves

    Mr. Grieves Forum Resident

    I prefer her Porter songbook by just a little bit, but Gershwin is a close second. I might go and hunt out the KG remaster one day as I've heard many good things about it.
     
    Mr. Grieves, Nov 28, 2016
    #207
    sami likes this.
  8. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I'm sure you will love it, I've heard good things!
     
    Steve Hoffman, Nov 28, 2016
    #208
    paulmock likes this.
  9. teag

    teag Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colorado
    You won't regret it (but it is out of print so may cost a bit).

    The sound is so good on the Gershwin LP set it became my favorite hands down. Hard to explain - it just sounds so live and lush. One of the best in my collection.
     
    teag, Nov 28, 2016
    #209
    Mr. Grieves likes this.
  10. jkauff

    jkauff Senior Member

    Location:
    Akron, OH
    I didn't read the entire thread, but any opinions/information on the 24/96 version on HDTracks? Like who did the mastering and from what sources?
     
    jkauff, Nov 28, 2016
    #210
  11. Kkfan

    Kkfan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Music City, USA
    Nobody has bought the SACD yet??
     
    Kkfan, Nov 29, 2016
    #211
  12. Elton

    Elton I Hope Being Helpful, Will Make Me Look Cool

    Location:
    Carson Ca.
    Steve, it must have taken a lot to rattle Kevin, he is usually a quite and even tempered person. I'd like to again thank you and Kevin for the DCC Compact Classics Gold CD version of this Ella Fitzgerald masterpiece. It's a joy to listen to and play for others.
     
    Elton, Nov 29, 2016
    #212
    McLover and sjaca like this.
  13. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Ah, you're one of the 12 people who bought the thing, eh? Thanks, Elton!

    Really, it was a tough master, every song on the ELLA/COLE PORTER had a unique sound, depending actually on the time of day and the heat of the tube gear used to record each song. Cold vacuum tube recording gear gives off a colder sound. When warmed up fully, the sound changes. We had to master accordingly, making sure that the colder sounding songs were warmed up a bit. This meant running down the entire thing like an LP pre-cut and it was long and tough to do. Some of the songs got cold and congested at bit when the volume got loud and the limiter hit and we did what we could to make everything sound natural and beautiful.

    Still love the album but I'm betting Kevin Gray hasn't played it for a while..
     
    Steve Hoffman, Nov 29, 2016
    #213
    sjaca, JeffreyB, Kkfan and 5 others like this.
  14. paulmock

    paulmock Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hollywood, CA
    These insights into our most beloved recordings (of all genres) are so interesting to hear and read about. This is the only place we can get 'em, too! Thanks.
     
    paulmock, Nov 29, 2016
    #214
    DmitriKaramazov likes this.
  15. teag

    teag Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colorado
    Absolutely.

    Off topic, but I wonder if the same tube temp issue occurred while doing the Gershwin LP remaster? Most likely. If so, it's been warmed up to just the right level!

    EDIT: Just did a search on the Gershwin - threads are closed for comment so just wanted to post a quick update. There appears to have been several reissues of this set. The one I am referring to has Kevin Grays initials in the dead wax, is in mono, has the bonus 10 inch record and a nice book. I recall it cost me $155 or so at the time - present for my wife that ended up being a present for me more than her!! (Familiar anyone?) Anyway, it sounds fantastic.

    Music, music, if it were not for you.......
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2016
    teag, Nov 29, 2016
    #215
    Simon A likes this.
  16. guidedbyvoices

    guidedbyvoices Old Dan's Records

    Location:
    Alpine, TX
    This is a fun interesting confusing thread! Listening to my copy today, has the same info on it as James' by side 2 does NOT have RE2 in the deadwax, just MGV.4001.2.S2. Ella sounds human and not through a megaphone.

    Would that signify then an early but not first cut?

    [​IMG]
     
    guidedbyvoices, Dec 7, 2016
    #216
    Simon A and DLant like this.
  17. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    That's an RCA recutting it looks like to me.

    How many times did they recut this thing and how many different studios? It's mind boggling.
     
    Steve Hoffman, Dec 7, 2016
    #217
    guidedbyvoices likes this.
  18. paulmock

    paulmock Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hollywood, CA
    Was it that popular when it first came out that they had to run so many copies????
     
    paulmock, Dec 7, 2016
    #218
  19. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I don't know, Paul. It was popular, both with the hip jazz set and with regular music lovers as well but I think it's a VERVE thing. They were a small company and I think they used different plants all over the country to press their records. So if you lived in Ohio you got a different cutting, pressing, label, etc. than if you lived in Los Angeles or New York.

    The small indie label thing, probably happened on all releases by all small labels back then, but Ella was a popular artist so there were more different cuttings. And of course they "redesigned" the album a year later to prevent skipping due to consumer complaints and all so that's an entire new set of masterings. I think they used the 1956 parts as well, totally confusing.

    On Ella's Clap Hands album from 1961 (the only other Ella album I've done a crazy amount of research on) it's the same thing. Within one year the thing was recut in stereo about 6 times at 3 different places. I've seen 1961 pressings of this with different Verve label designs, printing on labels, cover art (some laminated, some not) and all within a year of release. They used local vendors across the country for everything. Makes it very confusing to find a "first pressing!"

    Then of course by 1962, M-G-M bought the Verve label and everything in the catalog was recut and redesigned AGAIN using M-G-M's vendors!
     
    Steve Hoffman, Dec 7, 2016
    #219
    Kkfan, Simon A and sami like this.
  20. paulmock

    paulmock Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hollywood, CA
    WOW!!!! Now it is beginning to make sense. Never thought of the "indie label" thing when thinking of Verve. Forgot about them being pre-MGM. I remember now that Sinatra wanted to buy Verve before he founded Reprise.
     
    paulmock, Dec 7, 2016
    #220
    McLover likes this.
  21. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I think Verve was a pretty hip label, something for everyone.
     
    Steve Hoffman, Dec 7, 2016
    #221
    McLover, Man at C&A, Kkfan and 3 others like this.
  22. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    Granz may have had faults like anyone (though unknown to me), but many have said that he was one of the most admirable people they had ever met.
     
    Tribute, Dec 7, 2016
    #222
    RiRiIII and teag like this.
  23. teag

    teag Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colorado
    Absolutely. I wonder how many great jazz and vocal performances would never have been recorded if not for Norman Granz. What a great, great legacy he left.
     
    teag, Dec 7, 2016
    #223
    McLover, RiRiIII, Turmatic and 2 others like this.
  24. James_S888

    James_S888 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Zurich, Switzerland
    Has anyone compared the original first press with the new Analog Spark reissue yet?
     
    James_S888, Dec 8, 2016
    #224
  25. Steve Douglas

    Steve Douglas Forum Resident

    Location:
    London, England
    I got a copy this week.....well I thought I had.

    Are we talking about the Analog Spark/UMSE double release? (Barcode: 888072004740, Cat. No.: AS00008)

    That's what I have but disc 2 is *not* a SACD, it's just a normal cd. Disc 1 does carry the SACD logo and my player flags it as SACD, but disc 2 is CD only, according to my player and the disc labelling.

    I'm very confused, and a little pissed off. Anyone else have this?

    Edited to add: Found the answer on Discogs....

    https://www.discogs.com/Ella-Fitzgerald-Sings-The-Cole-Porter-Song-Book/release/9403134

    Panic over! :)
     
    Last edited: Dec 23, 2016
    Steve Douglas, Dec 23, 2016
    #225
Page 9 of 13

Share This Page

molar-endocrine