ABBA - Voulez-Vous Polydor CD - reversed channels ?

I noticed that the tracks on my WG Polydor CD of "Voulez-Vous" have a different channel orientation when I compare them to the shared tracks on my "First Ten Years - The Singles" 2-CD set and also when I compare them to my WG Target CD of "Greatest Hits, Vol. 2".

Now I am wondering which channel orientation is correct. I would think it is more likely that the two compilations which share the same channel orientation are correct and that just the one CD (WG Polydor of "Voulez-Vous") is incorrect, since this seems to be more likely.

Can anybody confirm this?

 

I have the following CDs on the Polar label:

Ring Ring Polar POLCD-242
Abba Polar POLCD-262
Waterloo Polar

During a test some time ago I think I concluded that all these CDs have the channels reversed compared to the other sources I have. So I want be too surprised if the channels on your Voulez-Vous have the same problem.

 

Bjorn, interesting observation, thanks.

 

The channels of my WG Voulez-Vous (POLCD 292) match my digipak remaster (314 549 963-2).

 

The channels of the Polydor cd matches my Polar vinyl.

 

The channels on the GHV2 -both vinyl and CD versions are swapped. So are ABBA Gold '92, More ABBA Gold '93 and the Thank You For The Music box set. I can't remember any others now.

Richard.

PS: Ah, yes... ABBA (1975) the british LP on Epic (yellow label) has the channels reversed too.

 

o.k., very interesting. Looks like the Polydor CD of "Voulez-Vous" is actually correct and that the other two versions are swapped.

 

I was not aware of that! I wonder if it was corrected in later pressings...

 

Does this pertain to all tracks on the "Greatest Hits, Vol. 2" CD or just some of the tracks?

For example, are the channels on "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" also reversed on that compilation?

 

Does anybody know if the mentioned CDs have the right channel orientation? I think it was a best of compilation I compared them too.

 

I've noticed it on all of the tracks. I'd haven't checked Gimme! cuz I only listen to that song whenever I play GHV2 (I'm not too keen on the sound of The Singles 2 cd set). And the Polar/Polydor cd's are my preferred listening choice for ABBA, after vinyl. I'll find out later and let you know.

Richard.

 

The Polar ABBA CD does have the right channels. I can't remember if the other two do. I believe they are correct too. I haven't played them in a while.

Oh, now that I think of it, the West German Polydor Waterloo CD is reversed too. All of it. I remember dumping all the tracks on an audio editor to correct that and, while I was at it, I resequenced the whole thing to match the original version of the album.

Richard.

 

I believe the West German Polydor you refer to may be a different master. The Polar release has the album in original sequence (bookended by the Swedish and English versions of Waterloo.) I have no idea if the channels are swapped though.

 

Yep, it's definetely different. It's the 11-track version and the songs "Watch Out" and "What About Livingstone" appear in the wrong order. Plus the overall sound is very different. For example there's some weird reverb during the intro of "Sitting In The Palm Tree" which you don't hear on all the other issues. (I'm sure there's a technical name for that but I don't know it) Another weird thing about this title that I'm intrigued about is the contradictory info on the release date. It's generally acknowleged to have been released in 1992 yet I bought mine in 1990 -my first cd ever!- along with an alternate incarnation of the Ring Ring album titled Honey Honey (different sleeve and rearranged tracklisting, it's got Honey Honey in place of "I saw it in the mirror").

Richard.

 

Hi Richard

Very interesting! Watch Out was a bit of a surprise for me. I had the Waterloo album on vinyl before I attempted a total clear out and never noticed it. I think I first remember hearing it on the b-side of the Waterloo 7" which I found at local hospital radio. Although predating him by sometime it's very Lenny Kravitz IMHO! I used the Astley remaster from the singles box as one of the auditioning tracks when I last bought a CD player. Love the dramatic ending on that one, so different to the rest of their catalogue. Do you like the sound of the 11 track Waterloo? How would you describe it?

 

1992 is the date of its UK release - it may have been out in other European countries before that date. My own suspicion is that it was issued in a small batch of Abba reissues done by Polydor in 1990.

 

I thought so! Same thing for the Live album; it's said it came out in the UK in 1992 and yet I got a Polydor version of this as a christmas present in 1990. And the disc is says "made in the UK"! (Though the back sleeve says made in West Germany)

Richard.

 

Well, it's got a few tape drop-outs here and there (I've got a radar for those things because they really annoy me. I know... I know...) The channels are swapped, as mentioned above. The other thing is that it sounds a bit enthusiastic on the bass. That really stands out on the title track. But that doesn't bother me much, I prefer that as opposed to excessive treble, for instance. Other than that, I guess it's OK. Not as good as the Polar cd (IMHO). Though I'd say that for Suzy-Hang-Around the Polydor is probably better, as that sounds a bit "muffled" on the Polar.

Funny you mention the guitar licks on Watch Out. In the book "The Complete Studio Recordings" Benny (or Björn) says that the guitar parts are the only thing that redeem that song. I don't mind it much. I like it better than She's My Kind Of Girl, which I never ever want to listen to. (So glad it's not on the Polar issue of Ring Ring!!)

Richard.

 

Sadly, I Am Just A Girl is.

 

Wouldn't it be relatively easy to determine the original release date by the catalog number 843 643-2?

There must be some other Polygram catalog numbers just a few numbers higher or lower, and usually the catalog numbers were assigned in chronological sequence, at least roughly. From what year are other 843 6xx-2 releases?

 

According to the listing at ciao.de it was issued on August 20, 1990.
http://musik.ciao.de/Waterloo_Abba__1749933

 

Here are some titles with close catalog numbers. Looks like "Waterloo" with catalog number 843 643-2 should be from 1990 (by the way, the CD I have has a smooth-sided jewel case which is original and also says W. GERMANY in the matrix, which disappeared by 1992):

843 631-2 The Beasts of Bourbon (band name) / Sour Mash (album title) => released 1990
843 632-2 The Beasts of Bourbon (band name) / Black Milk (album title) => released ?
843 652-2 Andrea Marcelli (artist) / Silent Will (album title) => released 1989?
843 666-2 The Beasts of Bourbon (band name) / The Axeman's Jazz (album title) => released 1990
843 758-2 Roy Ayers / Rare - Volume 2 => released 1990
843 911-2 Bee Gees / Tales from the Brothers Gibb: A History in Song 1967-1990 => released 1990

 

That's even better information, thanks.

 

Here are some release dates of ABBA CD's on Polydor (the data is not 100% complete). Thought this might be an interesting reference.

800 011-2 ABBA The Visitors (released October 15, 1982)
800 012-2 ABBA Greatest Hits – Volume 2 (released 1982)
800 023-2 ABBA Super Trouper (released November 15, 1982)
810 050-2 ABBA The Singles – The First Ten Years (released 1982)
821 319-2 ABBA Arrival (released April 11, 1984)
821 217-2 ABBA The Album (released May 14, 1984)
821 320-2 ABBA Voulez-Vous (released July 2, 1984)
831 596-2 ABBA dto. (released March 23, 1987)
843 642-2 ABBA Ring Ring (released August 20, 1990)
843 643-2 ABBA Waterloo (released August 20, 1990)