Sting - The Dream Of The Blue Turtles (PICTURES)

Hi,

Tried searching on the forum for a definitive answer but could not find one. I found Sting's "The Dream Of The Blue Turtles" at a used store today.

It looks like a 1st pressing, but I'm not sure. It says "Made In West Germany" on the CD, but it also has "© 1985 A&M Records Inc. Los Angeles" on the back sleeve. So is it US or German? It also doesn't have the usual silver inner hub that most German CDs have... mine's a clear one I'm sure the forum knows better.

Short of getting myself an MFSL copy (from the search results, many people seem to like the MFSL), how did I do with this copy?

STING
The Dream Of The Blue Turtles
A&M 393 750-2
Matrix:393 750-2 05 *​

Here are some pics:

Front Cover


CD Face


Back Sleeve​

Thanks a lot for your time!

 

I'm not sure the first pressing had the [ADD] info. Didn't that come later?

 

Never understood how the regular CD could say ADD, and the MFSL has DDD.

 

Get the MFSL, it'll blow that one away.


Evan

 

Can't see the photos, but the catalog number and WEST GERMANY reference means European first pressing.

There is also a Japan for USA first pressing that, interestingly enough, does not say MADE IN JAPAN on the disc or inserts... but it's from Japan, trust me.

In addition, there is another West Germany for USA pressing out there, as well. Both Japan and West Germany for USA discs use catalog number CD 3750.

 

That's the exact version I have and it sounds fantastic! (I just played it a couple of weeks ago after not hearing it for years; great album!) Nice score!

 

You may not be able to link pictures directly from your page on the Singapore geocities like that. Anyway, if I go to

http://sg.geocities.com/chiagerald/blogpictures/sting_blueturtles_cdface.jpg

it says "The web site you are trying to access has exceeded its allocated data transfer."

Have to be careful these days. Most web servers have closed down the loopholes for image hosting.

 

I was thinking the same thing! I have the LP and I just pulled it out to check but couldn't see any reference to where it was recorded, much less whether it was recorded digitally or on analog tape. (LP basically has the same liner notes as the MFSL CD, which I also have.) I remember seeing the film documentary about the recording of this album, but it's been too many years since I saw it to remember if there was any mention of digital or analog.

I wonder if MFSL just made a mistake by stating it was digitally recorded, or guessed wrong if they only received the digital mix master and never saw any analog tape. (Seems that it's consistently noted everywhere as being mixed digitally, so wouldn't that mean that the media handed to the mastering engineer would be digital format? Since MFSL only mastered it, they would only receive the 2-track mix master, rather than the original multi-track masters which could have been tape?)

Craig(VC).

 

I have this one too, the only difference being the fact that the aluminium goes right up to the middle. I was always told that W. German first pressings had this characteristic, but I'm not sure about it. Mine wasn't a first pressing though, I bought it a few years later. Anyway, it definitely is a W. German pressing from the 80's. I seem to remember that this was a digital production, so I'm puzzled with the ADD mention (mine has that too). Seems like it was an analog recording that was mixed digitally.

 

I trust you, but is there a way to identify it? I suspect it's the one I have, which has some differences to the pictured above. I bought mine in the US in 1986.

 

chiagerald, that is an early European issue (and possibly issued for other territories), but not the first pressing. The first pressing looks identical but has aluminum all the way to the hole. Your disc looks to have been pressed by Sonopress, whereas the earlier West German pressing was pressed by Polygram.

 

There has been some discussion here about early Japanese issues of Dream of the Blue Turtles. The first issue has catalog number 32XB-30. The second issue, which is from around '86 or '87, has catalog number D32Y3004.

 

I have a English Nimbus CD pressing on A&M with the catalogue number DREMD 1.

No SPARS code.

Mine has a barcode but I'd swear I've seen this "DREMD 1" edition without a barcode.

 

I haven't found that one, but I'll keep my eyes open for it. In the same vein, I have a West German pressing of Bring on the Night for the U.K. market with catalog number BRIND 1.

 

I have BRIND 1 - WG pressing with aluminium to the middle. Sounds great

 

Here are 1:20 Flac samples of "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" and "We Work The Black Seam" from the 32XB-30 cd.
http://www.gigasize.com/get.php/464747/The_Dream_Of_The_Blue_Turtles_32XB30.zip

 

Thanks a lot for the replies... very useful indeed

 

Have you compared it to other versions? I have not yet.

 

I haven't. I've been trying to find my MFSL and later Japanese pressings cds.

 

I have a version of the CD bought in 1986, Australian import.

Sleeve says printed in USA, cd says Made In Japan. Label design different to that shown above. Sleeve is also slightly different (Smaller title lettering). No mention of ADD.

Serial number CD 3750

CD Matrix numbers TV5 P3 CD-3750

I assume this is just the standard made in Japan for US issue.

 

Yes, that's a Japan-for-U.S. issue. It looks like your disc was pressed at the Denon plant. There are also Japanese Matsushita and JVC pressings that were issued in the U.S.

 

My copy says "Made in West Germany by Polygram", CD 3750, matrix: 393 750-2 02, silver hub and says AAD!!

 

I always assumed that "The Dream Of The Blue Turtles" was an all digital recording as indicated by the DDD on the back tray card, and on the CD itself. The rest of Sting's solo albums are all digital(with the exception of "Bring On The Night") to my knowledge. Seek out the MFSL Gold CD. I was lucky enough to find a used copy, and after hearing it I got rid of my regular A&M CD.

 

is the MFSL that much better?

cause I think my silver through to hub west german disc sounds fantastic. I cant imagine it sounding better.

 

If you want to see some of the variations go here: http://www.stingoop.com/home_set.htm and then click on the Blue Turtles album cover.