Oldays Records (Japanese Reissue Label)

Hello all! Has anyone bought CDs put out by Oldays records, a Japanese reissue label? Any comments on the sound? Do they tend to use masters tapes? Are their CDs always stereo, if that's available? The packaging looks good, as expected of that country.

They've been putting out some 50s/60s rock/pop/r&b reissues like The Shirelles, The Chiffons, Little Willie John etc.

http://www.clinck.co.jp/

 

Second this request if anyone has any feedback. I'm interested in quite a few of these. My understanding is these were released as a Japan edition CD, but the disc is pressed in Taiwan. Interested in the sound quality. I realize these are old recordings and don't expect a fully remastered disc. At the same time, I don't want it to sound like a recording taken from an old LP. Here is a sample of the Mini-LP CDs available:

Oldays Records / Clinck Records:
2015
Louis Jordan And His Timpani Five - Go Blow Your Horn - ODR6079
Freddie King - Let's Hideaway and Dance Away - ODR6078
Screamin 'Jay Hawkins - At Home With The Screamin' Jay Hawkins - ODR6077
Gene Pitney - Only Love Can Break-A-Heart - ODR6076
Tommy Rowe - Sheila - ODR6075
Johnny Burnette & The Rock 'n' Roll Trio - ODR6074
The 5 Satins - In The Still Of The Night - ODR6068
Little Willie John - Fever - ODR6052
The Exciters - Tell Him - ODR6044
The Shirelles - Tonight's The Night - ODR6072
Clarence Frogman Henry - You Always Hurt The One You Love - ODR6069
Bill Haley And His Comets - Shake, Rattle And Roll - ODR6065
Dale Hawkins - Oh Suzy-Q - ODR6064
Guitar Slim - The Things That I Used To Do - ODR6051
Little Johnny Taylor - Part-Time Love - ODR6050
The Chiffons - He's So Fine - ODR6048
Clarence Gatemouth Brown - Okie-Dokie-Samplier - ODR2003
Gene Vincent - Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps - ODR6058
Eddie Cochran - Singin' To My Baby - ODR6057
Pee Wee Crayton - Wild Blues Guitarist - ODR6054
Charles Brown - Drifting Blues - ODR6053
The Dixie Cups - Chapel of Love - ODR6049
Lightnin' Hopkins - Strums The Blues - ODR6045
Earl King - Those Lonely, Lonely Nights - ODR6039
Roy Brown - Rockin' At Midnight - ODR6038
Wynomie Harris - Good Rockin' Tonight - ODR6037
Jerry Lee Lewis - Jerry Lee Lewis - ODR6047
Barbara George - I Know - ODR6043
Aaron Neville - Like It'tis - ODR6042
Duane Eddy - $1,000,000,00 Worth of Twang - ODR6041
Bobby Charles - See You Later, Alligator - ODR2005
Carl Perkins - Dance Album - ODR6036
Wanda Jackson - Rockin' With Wanda - ODR6035
The Champs - Go Champs Go - ODR6034
The Isley Brothers - Twist & Shout - ODR6033
T-Bone Walker - I Get So Weary - ODR6032
Smiley Lewis - I Hear You Knocking - ODR6031

2014
Slim Harpo - Raining In My Heart - ODR6028
Lightnin' Slim - Rooster Blues - ODR6027
Johnny Ace - Memorial Album - ODR6024
Little Junior Parker - Driving Wheel - ODR6023
Bobby Blue Bland - Two Steps From The Blues - ODR6022
Arthur Alexander - You Better Move On - ODR6021
Barbara Lynn - You'll Lose A Good Thing - ODR6020
Johnny Guitar Watson - ODR6017
Albert King - The Big Blues - ODR6016
Freddie King - Freddie King Sings - ODR6015
John Lee Hooker - Sings Blues - ODR6014
The Belmonts - Carnival Of Hits - ODR6013
Dion & The Belmonts - Presenting Dion & The Belmonts - ODR6012
The Angels - My Boyfriend's Back - ODR6010
Ernie K Doe - Mother-In-Law - ODR6008

http://www.clinck.co.jp/

 

I like the sound of the two I got ,but don't have anything to compare them to, For some reason they change Original art work on all there releases ,not sure why

 

i've got a bunch, been really into the Japanese mini lp cd's for the last few years....like the above, i don't have anything to compare them to, but i really like the Amos Milburn, Bobby Charles, Freddie King, and Bill Haley discs....

 

I only own one of Oldays reissues , Hawaiianette, which was mastered n stereo but only released in mono. The CD is mono but the sound is good. I have pre-ordered Annette at Bikini Beach. This was originally issued in both stereo and mono versions but has never been released on CD before. I will post an update when the CD arrives.

 

Thanks for the update!

Looking forward to hearing more comments on this label's reissues.

 

I have just discovered this label and ordered few of the lounge titles, I like them a lot! I am curious if they are officially licensed from the companies or not.

 

I was looking at one of their listings and it mentioned that at least some of their CDs are actually manufactured in Taiwan. I dont know if that has any bearing on licencing or "grey market" status.

Their catalogue does seem to be focused on the early 60s and the 50s, which brought to mind the Euro public domain releases.

 

Google Translate »
This worked for me

 

Does anyone know dealers that sell to the U.S.? I had a seller on Ebay I used but apparently he's out of business. The Oldays site itself does not ship to the U.S.

 

This very good selller sell worldwide: MINI LP CD, USED JAPAN CDs online shop: BEAT-NET RECORDS »

//ChrisGoesRock, Huddinge Hill, Sweden

 

Thank you Chris, I will check it out!

 

Anyone else have any feedback on this label? I see a lot of cool titles but am waiting to take the plunge.

 

these all have fake covers ,and some are clearly boots

 

Yes, they redesign the covers. Can you expand on "clearly boots"? Have you listened to any of their CDs?

 

those titles are some great choices from the era.

 

They have 3 Animals cds out now but I could find these records as having been released in Japan on DISCOGS. The 3 were Animals, Animals on Tour and Animal Tracks.

 

I wonder if they start releasing Beatles albums, might this thread gain some traction.

I've picked up Oldays' CD of Irma Thomas' "Wish Someone Would Care" album since starting the thread. It's all mono - the first time the album has been released on CD in this form, I believe. I'm not an audophile so I won't comment on the sound apart from saying I enjoy the CD. I'd love to petition the label to release the follow-up, "Take a Look", in mono as well. Does anyone on the forum speak Japanese?

 

Thanks for the update. Sorry I don't speak Japanese.

 

I just purchased 4 Hollies CDs in replica LP Sleeves. Nice thick cardboard also contain 2 inserts, one advertising their products and the other information written in Japanese. I don't know the source for the music on these Hollies CDs but sound fine to my ears. Most likely they use available CDs for their masters. I am happy with the ones I got and will get some more. See my review from earlier today.

 

I can now confirm that Oldays simply folded down the stereo mixes of the "Wish Someone Would Care" album in order to label their reissue "Mono". "Girl Needs Boy" and "Moments to Remember" are also folds. Best to avoid a label that would mislead their customers in such a fashion, don't you think?

 

I've got a couple of releases: Fats Domino /Dave Clark 5 and they both sound fine
to me. I bought them through Beat-net, which is a very good seller. Really good packaging and
very fast shipping. I've ordered other releases from them and they have great customer
service, I think it's a one man operation.

 

I'm wondering if Oldays is a public domain label as it seems they only reissue material over 50 years old. Does anyone here know how copyright law works in Japan?

EDIT: Upon viewing their catalog, there's no way they aren't a PD label. They've put out nearly 500 CDs in less than ten years, they all have slightly modified cover art, and they're all over 50 years old. As such I highly doubt they source anything from master tapes.

Their catalog:

Oldays Records - BEAT-NET RECORDS

 

I have just ordered three CD's from them, including the Righteous Brothers' Soul and Inspiration, a disc I've been looking for years. I will post on the sound quality when I receive them.

 

The three cd's I ordered were Aaron Neville - Like It'tis, the Righteous Brothers - Soul and Inspiration and Ruby and the Romantics - Till Then. Listened to on their own, they sound pretty good, but in comparison with other releases, some show some deficiencies. I compared Ruby and the Romantics disc with a two-cd comp I have from RPM, a division of the UK's Cherry Red records. The Oldays cd sounds like the mid-range has been boosted. This effect throws the songs out of balance to a degree and in instances where there is a lot going on in the mid-range the sound is a little muddy. I'd give the sound of this cd a B- or C+. The RPM comp by comparison has great clarity and detail. It is one of the best I own from this company and I would give it an A. I haven't yet compared the Aaron Neville cd to other recordings I have of his early work, but this cd sound good and I would give it at least a solid B. Keep in mind that many of his early records were not recorded that well. The good news for me is that this cd includes some songs I had never heard before. The Righteous Brothers CD was a revelation to me. I have wanted it for years because their recording of the Carole King composition Hey Girl has a deep romantic significance for me and it was as good as I remembered it. (Of course, I have listened to many of the numerous covers of this song.) But I had forgotten that this record includes killer versions of Turn on Your Lovelight and the two Sam Cooke classics A Change Is Gonna Come and Bring it on Home to Me. I compared the duplicate songs on this cd with those on the Rhino two-disc Righteous Brothers Anthology, mastered by Bill Inglot and Ken Perry. The Rhino cd sounded comparatively lifeless and dull, while the big band of the Oldays cd really dug into the groove. Here I would give Rhino a B or B+ and Oldays an A. In sum, there are inconsistencies among the Oldays discs, but there seem to be some gems. I plan to buy more of them, including another Righteous Brothers post-Philles recording, Some Blue-eyed Soul. In the end, the music's the thing.