Fats Domino - original speed?

I hear that the ACE Fats Domino Imperial singles CDs (3 volumes) use the original recording speed rather than matching the original sped-up single releases.

Does the Bear Family collection use speeded up masters to match the singles like the Capitol/EMI box(es)?

I have the "remastered" EMI box (ie the Ron McMaster version). I also own a sampler from the original 1991 EMI box set. Strangely, these two editions seem to use different speeds (I thought they both tried to match the 45rpm versions ).

To further complicate matters, I have the 1988 EMI (UK) CD "The Best Of Fats Domino" collection (Digital Transfer supervised by Bob Jones). The speed of "Goin' To The River" on this CD falls somewhere between the speeds of this track on the two EMI/Capitol boxes! I tend to like the sound when Bopin' Bob is involved in the mastering (eg "Classic Everly Brothers" on Bear Family and the first two "Essential Elvis" releases) but what's the story with the speed?!

So, does the 8CD Bear Family collection use original speeds?

Also, if anyone has heard the ACE CDs, how do they sound?

 

The Bear set's book confirms that Engineer Bunny Robyn is the one who did the EQ and decided to speed up the tapes to raise the key a half-tone. He used a special capstan on the tape machine that he had made just for the purpose.

Regarding your question, here's the direct quote:

"For this boxed set, we have used the original singles masters as prepared by Robyn. That's not the way they were recorded, but that's the way they were meant to be heard."

 

I have one of the Ace volumes (vol 2 I think), and it doesn't sound to me as if the tapes speed sounds any different from a Capitol Legendary Performers issue (probably from that first box set you mention).

My only complaint is that none of the versions of Blueberry Hill have that drag to the sound of the sax that was on the original 45.

 

...or in my case, 78. I think there was a tape stretch at one point.

Does the Ace version have the single's reverb? Or is it dry as dust, as some reissues are?

 

I'll check out the Ace versus the Capitol stuff and post findings tomorrow.

 

I compared the following songs that are common toMy Blue Heaven Capitol 592808 and Fats Domino - The Imperial Singles, Vol. 3, Ace CDCHD 689:

Blue Monday
Blueberry Hill
I'm In Love Again
I'm Walkin'
My Blue Heaven
Valley Of Tears
When My Dream Boat Comes Home
Whole Lotta Lovin'

It seems as if these come from the same tapes, although they sound markedly different. In all of these cases the ACE CD is superior to the Capitol.

 

Thanks for the info so far!

I picked up the ACE Imperial Singles vol. 2 disc yesterday.

After comparing a few of the tracks on this CD with the same tracks from the Capitol boxes and the UK EMI best of from 1988, I have found that the ACE CD has some tracks running at the same speed as on the other CDs, some slower - sounding like the original recording speed ("Swanee River Hop" sounds much better at the 'correct' speed to my ears) - and none that ran faster.

I would guess that the ACE CDs do indeed use the original recording speed. The fact that some tracks run at the same speed as on the other CDs suggests to me that not all of Fats Domino's singles were sped up during the mastering process (eg "Ain't It/That A Shame").

The ACE disc sounds quite good - less artificial than the Capitol boxes. It's not amazing but it sounds natural enough.

I've given in to my craving and ordered the Bear Family set. I'll let you know how it sounds when it arrives and I've had time to listen to it (that might take a while ).

 

The Bear set is great (of course) in that you get it all.
Sound quality is variable IMO. Some tracks are fine; others impart a "glassy" quality to on Fats' voice, due to some apparent emphasis around 4khz. Mastered by Little Walter.

Good package, but not as consistent as some of the other Bear sets.

 

When I was very young I remember that my neighbor had the original 45 of Fat's "Blueberry Hill" (NOTE: The Imperial Label was Red with Silver print) and I always recall that somewhere in the first verse of..."But all of those vowels you made, are never to be" It sounds like the tape dragged! Weird that it must have been the FIRST "MISTAKE" that I ever noticed in a recording! Wish that we still had that damn old 45!

 

That's what happens when you date a linguist

 

yeh, I got the exact same one, with the slurring.

 

My U.K. London American Recordings 78 has the same tape stretch (or whatever it is) at the "all of those vows we made" line. In my youth I thought it was the record itself dragging, and tried to fix it by, er, "polishing" the groove. Naturally it didn't work. (Now there's an extra bit of hiss there too....)

 

Here's a special offer - maybe it belongs in classified, but this seems like as good a place:

I have two original (mono) Imperial Fats LPs that need to find good homes, and they're available to either Steve Hoffman, or else the first person that claims them, for just the cost of shipping. In the event of confusion or conflict, I will make a decision, and it will be final.

Before you get too excited let me say that despite being early pressings (you can tell because they have the old fashioned eccentric locked groove at the end -- I always wondered how they did that) they really don't sound that good.

They are:

Fats Domino, LP-9055, apparently an RCA pressing,
matrixes (stamped) IX-111-RE1 and IX-112-I1.
This one lacks bass and has a nasty upper mid peak. It is hard to track! It's in relatively good condition.
Track listing:
THE BIG BEAT
I'LL BE GLAD WHEN YOU'RE DEAD YOU RASCAL YOU
WHAT WILL I TELL MY HEART
BARRELHOUSE (Instrumental)
LITTLE MARY
SICK & TIRED

I WANT YOU TO KNOW
"44"
MARDI GRAS IN NEW ORLEANS (Credited to P. Longhair)
I CAN'T GO ON
LONG LONESOME JOURNEY
YOUNG SCHOOL GIRL
...and it comes with what may be the original Imperial inner sleeve.

And:
"Rock & Rolling with Fats Domino" (whew! smell of old tobacco!) LP-9004
Looks to me like an earlier pressing of unknown pedigree.
Matrixes, hand scrawled, V6125 IX7 LP 9004 and IX8 V6125 IX8 LP9004, no other markings that I can discern
Tracks:
THE FAT MAN
TIRED OF CRYING
GOIN' HOME
YOU SAID YOU LOVE ME
GOING TO THE RIVER
PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME

ROSE MARY
ALL BY MYSELF
AIN'T IT A SHAME
POOR ME
BO WEEVIL
DON'T BLAME IT ON ME
...and does not have the original inner sleeve.

This one has some wear. It seems like the groove may be a bit wide for a normal stereo stylus, as some early LP grooves were. A real 1.0 mil stylus may actually be less noisy/distorted. Apart from that it also is in fairly good condition.

Both disks have labels with a black background and "IMPERIAL" above colored stars.

Both LPs have been cleaned on a VPI machine with (IIR) VPI fluid.

So who wants 'em?