Dr. Strangely Strange - 'Kip Of The Serenes' LP

Hi all,

I've really been listening to this album a lot lately. It's one of those albums where I really loved one song ("Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal") and the rest has really grown on me, to the point where it may be one of my favorite albums (at least at the moment).

Anyways, does anyone know of any nice reissues of this record on good ol' vinyl? I'd love to get my hands on a UK original, but those prices ... Or are all reissues sourced from the CD? TBH, the CD I have sounds pretty darn good for this one, and I might even be interested in the record if it's from the same digital source ... (which is usually very against my standards!)

Thanks to anyone and everyone!

 

Never heard of them.

 

They were one of those weird groups that emerged in the 1960s and kind of disappeared. Based in Ireland, I believe. Contemporaries of The Incredible String Band, as their music plainly demonstrates. I think it's pretty darn good album, but I guess you gotta be into psychedelic folk of that era.

 

I was joshing with you , my profile picture is 'Nice enough to eat" an Island record sampler that came out in 1969.
It contains the track 'Strangely strange but oddly normal', I liked it so much I went out and bought the album, also bought 'Five leaves left ' by Nick Drake the same day.
By an odd coincidence I put the 'Kip of the serenes' into a wall frame yesterday ,it is a first generation Island copy in pretty good condition.
Still get a thrill when I play it, my fave track is 'Donnybrook Fair'.
Very very influenced by the ISB.
Sorry to mislead but I thought someone might have seen the connection!

 

Oh, huh, sorry I missed it. If that sampler has Nick Drake and Dr. Strangely Strange, I suppose it's definitely one to look out for ... "Five Leaves Left" is another just brilliant album. I'm very jealous that you have this record! "Donnybrook Fair" ... that's a great track; and a perfect way to end the album.

 

I have Heavy Petting, on UK Vertigo Swirl. It is apparently a sought-after and very pricey used record these days. Gary Moore plays guitar on the record. Was this one also originally on Vertigo? (I can check too). If so, only some were released in other countries- and then either on Vertigo or other labels, like Paramount in the U.S. Another label, Akarma, out of italy, has reissued some of the Vertigos more recently, but SQ and provenance is questionable.

 

No, this version was originally issued in the UK on the pink Island label.

 

Yeah, i just checked, go to discogs, there are a fair number for sale, from what appear to be original Islands to reissues by a label called Timeless, which may or may not be any good- haven't a clue. I will tell you this appears to be way more gettable, and cheaper than the Vertigo record!

 

Interesting. It is from 1986 as well, so the likelihood of a digital step is very low. I may purchase this. Thanks.

 

The Heavy Petting record is pretty strange stuff. I got it because I've been on a Vertigo Swirl mission. And, Gary Moore is on it. (Is he playing on the Kip album as well?) I can't say it is among my top choices for listening right now, but things change. I mean, i would have never predicted, back in 1970, that I'd listen to Alice Cooper's Love it to Death at the age of 60 and love it to death, if you know what I mean...
Good luck.

 

Kip is one of my favourite records. In particular, the ong Ship Of Fools sends shivers down my spine every single time I hear it. The style is pretty much a ripoff of Incredible String Band but personally I far prefer DSS. (That's how I remember it anyway; it's been years since I heard ISB.)

I strongly suspect that those Timeless reissues are unofficial and probably sourced from CD. On Discogs most are dated circa 1986 but Amazon has new copies for sale and this is what Forced Exposure mail order says about the Forest LP: "New grey-area LP reissue label, based in Luxembourg. All LPs say they are editions of 500, which I suppose you could believe if you wanted to... " Here 'grey-area' means 'black market but we dont' want to come out and say that'. It is possible that there was a genuine Timeless lable in the 80s and the new releases are counterfeit of that, but I doubt it. In any case, be wary of them.

http://www.forcedexposure.com/labels/timeless.records.luxembourg.html

 

Do you still have them?

 

I too, saw on another site, that there was in fact a 2012 Timeless reissue as well. Crazy. I think that your assumption is probably correct.

 

So, in other words....

Likely the only way to get a good-sounding LP ... is to get the original.

 

Apparently this was just reissued for RSD 2015:

http://recordstoreday.co.uk/exclusive-products/rsd-2015/dr-strangley-strange.aspx

"Incorporating the new (correct speed) master, this critically acclaimed Joe Boyd produced Pych album is released on coloured vinyl."
Label: UMC / Island Quantity: 500

 

This is the only vinyl edition from the correct speed master. The original tapes were only discovered when Hux Records were researching for their CD reissues. (Hux issued both Strangelies albums on CD with lots of bonus tracks, plus a compilation of rarities and outtakes – highly recommended.)

BTW, when the compilers inspected the original tape boxes for "Heavy Petting" in the Universal archives, it became clear that these were last opened in 1974 – so the Repertoire reissue is sourced from later copies (or vinyl).

 

I like the Strangelies. I considered getting this, but I hear it could be CD sourced, so buyers beware. And it nearly didn't escape being done from the wrong speed CD.

Timeless, btw, are all over the place. Some of their stuff is official, but some isn't. I heard @ the time of their LP of Kip coming out, that no-one had accessed the masters. So it may well but taken from the first, wrong-speeded CD, as Hux's CD wasn't out @ that point.

 

That's correct. The Hux is the one to get.

 

It's been a while since I played this one. I'll have to get it out... The first album is cool ... very ISB.

 

Prehistoric footage from the Jurassic Era, I think it's by Iain Sinclair:

 

There is a correct-speed digital master which, IMO, is way better than the NR'ed/compressed Hux, albeit without bonus tracks.
It's a 2002 unofficial CD from Australia: Progressive Line PL 570. http://www.discogs.com/Dr-Strangely-Strange-Kip-Of-The-Serenes/release/2757287
It's the only digital version of the album I've kept, although the Hux bonus tracks are also stored on my HDD.

Anyone hear the new 2015 vinyl yet? Thoughts? It's gonna cost me about $40 total (to get to the USA) so I'd hope it'd be darn good!

 

It's digitally sourced, but doesn't sound bad and the pressing is okay. I got a test pressing of it via a friend. It's at the correct speed, though if it hadn't been for a timely intervention it might not have been. I think Universal could have done better, but it's no surprise to me they didn't They could have accessed the original tapes and done it analogue. And a word sheet wouldn't have gone amiss.

 

Re vinyl, the early pink label 'eyeball' fetches big money, and the last issue on Island UK appears to be a pink label 'i.' I gather there was no pink rim on Island UK back in the day? (I know the band went to Vertigo for Heavy Petting, but I wouldn't mind sourcing an early UK press if it wasn't a big bite, financially).

 

Found a "dead mint" copy of this at an antique store a few months back. Orig pink "eye" label. I had the cd reissue. This is one of my all time fave records. Set me back a whole $45.00!!! Weird to see something like this show up in Harrisburg PA....

 

Not heard the Hux, but the speed variation between the Spotify version and the Progressive Line CD is extreme! Any background on this, did someone back in the day think it sounded better sped up?

Tim