The Alternate Monro - Matt Monro

Hi Guys,

Just a quick heads up. Brand new compilation of previously unreleased alternate takes. Notes and sound clips here

http://www.mint-audio-restoration.co.uk/News/alternate.html

Richard

 

Surprised nobody is interested. Thought I'd bump the thread just incase

CD out on Monday via Parlophone.

 

Richard - thanks for the heads-up. Just ordered via Amazon.

Again - thank you so much for your dedication and commitment to Matt's work, which is enabling us as fans to acquire an absolute treasure of releases and recordings.

Please understand just how much your work is valued by collectors and fans.

I hope we can look forward to further releases and appreciate how difficult your task must have now become.

Best Wishes,
David

 

It's worse than you think. The man we have worked with for many years over at EMI has this week taken voluntary redundancy and leaves on Friday. It will be a while before we know what's what after the Warner's buy out.

At this point we do not know if we will even get to work on any more sets for Parlophone or anybody else! Matt's releases have tended to be on the budget arm of the company so he budgets have never been enormous, although they have shrunk further in the last couple of years. So even if we do manage to get any more projects done, licensing from Capitol is completely out. I have been trying to get someone at Capitol interested in putting something out but no joy as yet.

The Capitol situation has meant that Rare & Matt Uncovered have been deleted although we are re-issuing all the non capitol material from both sets together on a 3 CD set called 'The Rarities Collection' in October - all the material from 'Rare' has been remastered by me (I didn't do the original release) with plenty of major upgrades and new transfers amongst the tracks.

But after that we have no idea what will happen.

 

When this thread was started in August I was not around.

I have just ordered this alternates CD. Thank you Richard for all the background information on the website.

 

At least 150 (including Spanish language)

At Capitol he recorded 7 English albums, 2 Spanish albums, at least a dozen non album singles and a lot more that was unreleased at the time (there are still two songs have never been released)

 

Just found this cd on amazon and was about to put up a thread here,but was glad to see Richard had put this tread up before hand.

Been wanting an out takes cd of Matt's songs for a long time,so this news is just great and with Richards past work on Matt's cd's these past few years this will be another great sounding cd to the collection.

I noticed Amazon UK has (yet) not got a song list up so i hope Richard does not mind,you can get the track list from Richards site ... http://www.mint-audio-restoration.co.uk/News/alternate.html

Roll on Monday.

 

Richard, what are the 2 unreleased songs?

It makes no sense to me in Capitol deleting these CDs, as surely they were still earning some money from them, especially the more recent releases. The Singles Collection is a particular loss. Have they also deleted Matt At The Movies?

I have preordered Alternate, and will buy Rarities. I am grateful for all the great Matt Monro music you have released over the last seven or so years. I'm sure many other artists have not been as well served. I hope that there will be a way through this, and that you can return to bringing us such great CDs.

 

Richard - many thanks for the update - how fortunate we are to have someone so closely involved in an artist's catalogue, who will engage in such direct dialogue with fans.

Perversely, I just received - finally - notification from Amazon UK that the 'Rare' disc is no longer available. So thanks for the info about 'The Rarities Collection' - have to keep my wits about me when it's released.

Best Wishes,
David

 

They are both from the New York sessions for the Invitation To Broadway album

Beautiful Beautiful World and What Makes it Happen.

In November 1966 Matt recorded at Capitol's New York studio with a small group - Guitar, Piano, Bass & Drums. - I don't know who they were as Capitol have no records and the New York AFM weren't prepared to even speak to me, let alone look it up - unlike the fabulously helpful Hollywood office, but i digress....

The songs were all head arrangements and he had a lot of fun recording them. However unbeknown to him the tracks were the overdubbed in Hollywood using arrangements by Sid Feller and Billy May. The only one's that weren't were the ones listed above. Besides the album tracks the single 'The Lady Smiles' and he track 'Lover's Caravan' were also overdubbed.

I have been able to work out that the undubbed tapes are still sitting in the vaults and we would have loved to issue the New York Sessions as Matt intended them to be heard, but that is completely off the Table at the moment.

The rights to issue the following discs were taken away from Parlophone:
The Rare Monro
The Greatest
Matt At The Movies
The Complete Singles Collection
Matt Uncovered: The Rarer Monro

Universal have the rights to issue these discs but so far have made no attempt to - Rare and Matt Uncovered contain only 15 - 20% Capitol owned material so I don't know why they took them (in fact none of them total more than 45% Capitol) and they both constian a considerable amount of material licenced from the Monro Estate, the BBC & others that they couldn't issue anyway without drawing up new agreements!

It's all a bit silly.

The biggest mystery is why - when her catalogue was split between EMI and United Artists (and therefore by default Capitol) Shirley Bassey's whole catalogue has remained with Parlophone.

Anyway enough of my rant. Enjoy the new release. I'll post details of the Rarities Collection in due course.

Richard

 

Thank you for that up-date Richard.

It must be hard going at times when things like RIGHTS are removed to another party etc,so hoping down the road things can get together and the Monro family and yourself can keep Matt's music catalogue fresh with these new ideas/issues.

 

Thanks Richard for your reply. I wish all of my rants were that informative. Looking forward to Rarities.

 

This cd is simply - "STUNNING"!.

 

The sound/mix on the cd is just great.

And the booklet has info on the songs as well, so for under £5 you get one one of the best singers that walked this earth at a great price.

The above can be done and sold at a great price,this cd has i hope, set the slandered for other labels to follow.

 

I am assuming that one of my favorite tracks on "The Rarer Monro' CD set 'Suddenly' was from those sessions. I would love to hear EVERYTHING in the vault from them. Sadly, it seems the 'owners' do nor smell sufficient dollars to allow their availability, or is obtaining release rights just that complicated? Thanks for your efforts, they are appreciated!

 

'I suddenly' on Rarer Monro is a publishers demo - the song eventually found it's way back to Decca and Dave King - None of the raw tracks have ever been issued from the New York sessions.

I have decided to try different avenues to get those tracks out, but it might take me a while!

Glad you're enjoying the new set. If only those in charge at Universal, Sony, Warners etc would take an interest I would do more for you guys to hear, alas nobody is particularly interested at present.

Thanks very much for your comments they are greatly appreciated.

Richard

 

Been a fan of the Presley boy,it's taking years for certain songs that he did to be issued by the record company etc,so you learn that things like getting songs issued is not that easy for many different reasons.

So there is always some thing around the corner ... and that takes time.

Thanks again for another top job Richard.

 

Great sound on this CD, and it doesn't seem fair to take it off you for under £4. I always liked 'I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore' even though it sounded a bit distant and muddled on the album, but here it is a revelation.