The Moody Blues - Days Of Future Passed - 50th Anniversary Boxset

PRESS RELEASE:
Due for release on 17th November 2017 comes the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of the Moody Blues’ Days Of Future Passed. This 2CD/DVD deluxe set includes the full original 1967 stereo mix, which is being released on CD here for the first time. Due to a damaged master tape of the original mix, the album had been remixed in stereo in 1972 and since then it is this later mix, which has been used on all CD reissues. Now that technology allows for the original master to be repaired, the album can be fully represented on CD1 of the set for the first time as well as on the 180gm vinyl. The vinyl version also contains a download code. This new set also includes a 5.1 surround sound mix derived from the original 1972 Quad mix. Additionally the DVD comprises previously unreleased video footage of the band performing three key tracks from the album at MIDEM on 24th January 1968, eight weeks after its release. The 2CD/DVD set includes a poster designed by Ray Thomas.

Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. THE DAY BEGINS
2. DAWN: Dawn Is A Feeling
3. THE MORNING: Another Morning
4. LUNCH BREAK: Peak Hour
5. THE AFTERNOON: Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?) / Time To Get Away
6. EVENING: The Sun Set: Twilight Time
7. THE NIGHT: Nights In White Satin

Bonus Tracks
8. Long Summer Days
9. Think About It

BBC Sessions
10. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
11. Love And Beauty
12. Leave This Man Alone
13. Peak Hour
14. Nights In White Satin
15. Fly Me High
16. Twilight Time


Disc: 2
1. THE DAY BEGINS
2. DAWN: Dawn Is A Feeling
3. THE MORNING: Another Morning
4. LUNCH BREAK: Peak Hour
5. THE AFTERNOON: Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?) / Time To Get Away
6. EVENING: The Sun Set: Twilight Time
7. THE NIGHT: Nights In White Satin

Alternate Versions
8. Tuesday Afternoon (Alternate Mix)
9. DAWN: Dawn Is A Feeling (Alternate Mix)
10. The Sun Set (Alternate Version without orchestra)
11. Twilight Time (Original vocal mix)

Single Mixes
12. I Really Haven't Got The Time (B - side single)
13. Fly Me High (A - side single)
14. Love And Beauty (A - side single)
15. Leave This Man Alone (B - Side single)
16. Nights In White Satin (A - side single)
17. Cities (B - side single)

Disc: 3
1. 1 Surround Sound Mix & 96kHz / 24 - bit 1967 stereo mix

THOUGHTS:
It's pretty much the same tracklisting as the 2006 deluxe edition in a different order, with the added DVD and the CD with the original mix. There are no new bonus tracks. The albums tracklisting appears twice so I assume they're also including the 1970s remix.

 

strange, not even on their website yet.

 

Let's hope the original mix is mastered better than the tracks on the Timeless Flight box.

 

No, but posted here in two separate threads. Moody Blues "Days of Future Passed" question *
.

 

One of the holy grails is finally available... no more needledrops.

 

I’d be so happy if any of this were true.

 

Let's hope Tony Visconti is not involved.

 

Vinyl. Yes. PLEASE don't be pressed by Friday.

 

Original mix.
Good news

 

A few more details re:

The Moody Blues / Days Of Future Passed 50th anniversary deluxe set

Mick:
I have your copy of the 2006 box - one of my prized possessions.

 

Really hope the mastering will be first-class

This classic album truly deserves the best sonic presentation

 

Some information surrounding the mixes and tapes for those not familiar. First, a discussion of the remix from Derek Varnals:

"Derek: In July 1978 the factory needed more masters to be cut as the current stampers had worn out. This would happen every couple of years or so. Decca were always quality conscious, and there would be limited number of stampers that could be made from a master. There were also a limited number of “quiet and clear” sounding pressings that would be possible from a stamper.

The stereo master tapes from 4 and 5 November 1967 were found to be un-usable, so instead of copying from a good pressing (!), which was always a possibility, but not to be recommended, a new mix was the best option.

So on 2, 3 and 4 August 1978 in Remix Room 1 with Roy Ponton assisting, I remixed the album again. Tony Clarke was not present. Rather than risk using the final 4 track masters which also might have the same sticking problem, (we didn’t know about baking the tapes at 55 degrees centigrade then), I used the synchronized 16 track tape, as used 5 years before for the quad mix. So if anything is missing on the new mix, then the quad would also have the same bits missing. All the orchestral links were re-synchronized on the new mix as all the links and Moodies recordings were on separate tapes, and saved a generation.

The extra bit in Peak Hour was my mistake; I had forgotten a piece had been cut out.
I think the generations saved are best shown by how good the orchestra sounds. I still had the 1st generation orchestra tapes, apart from the orchestra on Nights, which was synched on to the 16 track tape.
There were never any mono mixes, all mono cuts were from the stereo tapes.

If you need to know which UK pressings are the old mix or the new, look at the Matrix numbers pressed in the disc near the label. They begin ZALxxxx (serial number of each side of a stereo album) - number and a final letter. The number is which master it is, and the final letter is a code for who cut the discs. W was Harry Fisher who did all the originals, C is Trevor Fletcher who cut the new ones. This applies only to UK pressings and does not apply to the US discs. I don’t know if they had any problems there.

All CDs and the Mobile Fidelity discs are all from the new mix. The brand of tape was 3M Scotch 202 low noise. Most of Decca’s recordings pop and classical from late 1965 to 1972 were recorded on to 202, or 206 a later an improved version – 206 is basically the same formula, but with a different backing. We switched to Ampex 406 in 1971/2, which also had similar problems. It took several years for the problems to come to light."

6/9/10 Derek Varnals Q&A

Second, some quotes from former PolyGram/Universal producer Bill Levenson regarding the original mix:

On the Subject of The Moody Blues-Days of Future Passed

Whether or not the original UK master is damaged or not, it's unclear what "technology" was used so the original master could be "repaired", since the US master has always been fine.

 

damn, i need this sexy beast.

 

Even if the UK master and US dub were "damaged", there were proven options available. Check with a Continental plant.

 

I was checking the mastering of previous editions, and I have to say that I'll wait until this one's out

ALL the 'Deluxe Editions' and HDTracks have been awfully compressed

Album list - Dynamic Range Database

 

I am surprised they haven't also included the mono version of the album in this set as well

- it doesn't differ to the stereo version if I remember correctly but of course it's in mono and to date that version has never been issued on CD so this would have been an excellent oppertunity to include it as part of the overall set

- the album WAS released in mono back in 1967 so that mono version is a part of the DOFP history and celebrates it's 50th anniversary this year too

 

It's a fold-down. If someone wants the "mono mix" they can flip the mono/stereo switch on their amp.

 

Steve remastered the original Nights for the Time Life compilations recently. The sound there, I imagine, is as clear as it’s going to get. So not very, and the stereo image wanders to the right.

I actually would love to see it remixed again, provided all the parts are intact, and fix all the errors of the 1978 in the process.

 

always assuming there IS a mono/stereo switch on the individual's system of course

- the mono version was a part of the DOFP release thus really should be included in the 50th anniversary release too

 

This may be sacrilege, but I would like to hear a mix without the orchestra.

 

Well the orchestra is rarely playing with the band. The songs are orchesra-less. You just have to remove the orchestral links between songs !

 

The mono SINGLES, yes. "Nights", "Tuesday Afternoon", and "Another Morning" had dedicated mono single mixes/edits.

The album is a fold and would be pointless to include.

 

I know Chord, Dream, and Children are folds, but I thought Days was a dedicated mono mix?

 

Nope.

 

Fred68 doesn't like this.