Sinatra's 'Ring-a-Ding Ding!" on MONO LP

Hello all,

If anyone has a mono LP of Sinatra's "Ring-a-Ding-Ding!" album, could you give it a listen? I have a question - on your copy, is there any of that "springy" reverb/slap echo (that I don't like ) on Frank's voice? Please let me know which version(s) you have that you're listening to for this - look on the actual record labels and see if the catalog # listed there is R-1001 or F-1001. I may have a few questions about your copy afterwards.

I ask because I have two original MONO R-1001 copies mastered at Radio Recorders, and both of these come from the correct "live" MONO mix, with none of this reverb that I mentioned above on Frank's vocal. Too bad they don't sound good though, due to poor mastering - Steve's term "wonky" comes to mind with these two, plus too midrangey sounding and both of my copies sound a bit too fast and therefore off pitch. Arne from Germany told me recently thru a PM that he recently got an original R-1001 pressing that he said didn't seem to be running fast, so I guess they're not all like that.

I was wondering for years what the mono F-1001 pressing (mastered at Columbia) of Ring-a-Ding Ding! sounded like - with few exceptions (I Remember Tommy and The Concert Sinatra come to mind where I prefer the original pressings), I've generally preferred the 2nd pressings that Columbia mastered of the early Sinatra/Reprise albums, over the Radio Recorders mastered originals, but the 2nd MONO (F-1001) pressing of Ring has proven elusive over the years for me. I've never cared for the original STEREO mix in any form (the mix used for many years, right up through the original issue of Ring-a-Ding Ding! on compact disc), because when the original 2-track STEREO reduction was made, "springy" sounding reverb/slap echo was applied to Frank's voice while mixing down (reducing) the 3-track multitrack tapes to the 2-track STEREO master tape. So I was curious how Columbia's mastering of the "live" MONO mix sounded, since the correct "live" MONO mix doesnt have that crappy sounding reverb on Frank, and was hoping that Columbia did a better job mastering the MONO version than Radio Recorders did. I found an F-1001 MONO copy for sale recently, and was very excited when it arrived. Although it had one of those stupid little brass plugs in the upper left corner of the cover, it was MINT otherwise, record and cover - beautiful copy. Well, I cued up "Let's Fall In Love", and it sounded pretty good for the first few seconds, but then - ugh! That springy reverb/slap echo was on Frank! Obviously, they used the STEREO reduction mix, folded down into MONO for this F-1001 MONO LP (at least on my copy), instead of using the correct "live" MONO mix, though mastered a little differently than the 2nd press STEREO FS-1001 LP's that Columbia mastered. My MONO F-1001 copy is a "1-E" cutting on both sides.

I'm curious as to what is on other people's MONO copies of Ring-a-Ding Ding!. Thanks in advance .

 

Ring A Ding Ding, Baby........