New Doors Matrix release for Record Store Day 2018

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by monkboughtlunch, Mar 6, 2018.

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  1. pablorkcz

    pablorkcz ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

    I love this poster art.

    The album will be henceforth known as: The Doors: Minors Welcome.
     
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  2. Kat Records

    Kat Records Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lima - Perú
    i wonder is BB have recieved feedback about the mastering of the RSD 2017 Matrix Sampler and make a different mastering for the forthcoming RSD?

    i expect a better sounding vinyl this time :fingercrossed:
     
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  3. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    As long as the microscopic analyzing is going on...those reels, the reel not the tape, are notable. The #1 picture shows I believe an Irish brand private label reel. That could be a reel of tape sold at and as Radio Shack or Lafayette or many other department/discount store brands then. The second pic is a real Scotch reel. The third pic shows what I fairly guess is an Audiotape brand private label reel. I am talking about the reels, not the tape itself. I can't ID the actual tape from the photos, possibly I could if I saw it in person and could compare. Not that that matters.

    But I am certain those reels of #1 and #3 were not originally sold in Scotch boxes and are not Scotch/3M reels.

    (How do I know this? - I bought a few of my own around that time and I have accumulated 300+ reels of many brands from that time.) (Irish brand was shortly later absorbed into Ampex or Ampex bought their tooling and kept up the private labeling contracts, and also sent out a cheap "Shamrock" brand tape which was probably first the last Irish production then became regular standard Ampex 311/341/371 tape with a splice or two in each reel, and called 011/041/071, on that reel design but gray plastic.)

    Even the Scotch box front shown in the earlier photo is odd to me. Scotch tape then would normally have the tape type or "EMPTY REEL" in the space on the front of the box like this. If they made some blank space boxes like that in that retail box design, I've never come across one.
    [​IMG]

    Also, those white stickers on each reel are from contemporary "audiotex" brand tape stickers, which most stores sold on the pegboard above blank tapes, along with splicing and leader tape and other accessories from "audiotex" and others. I bought some myself. Leading me to think the reels were labeled at the time but it is impossible to know why or how they found their way into wrong boxes.
     
  4. monkboughtlunch

    monkboughtlunch Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Texas
    Occam's razor. The most simple scenario (that makes the fewest assumptions) is that Abram stored the reels "tails out". The tape ended up on the take up reel. And the take up reel may have been an "off" or different brand like "Audiotape," hence the non-Scotch reels seen in the photos.
     
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  5. HoundsOBurkittsville

    HoundsOBurkittsville Deep Wine List Sonic Equivalency

    Location:
    Columbus, Ohio
    Humor, I guess, is one way to describe this aspect of Jim Morrison's mystique.


    Without looking at this element of Jim's poetry as a form of comedy, I find his potty-mouth routine to be on the tiresome and classless side of the scale.


    Yeah, I've heard all of the excuses proffered on Morrison's behalf: Jim's being real, a street poet like modern-day rappers; he was just bravely wearing his sexuality on his sleeve; he utilized his profanity as an attention-getting device, stirring things up; he was simply acting out some sort of alcohol-fueled, tortured artist persona...:blah::blah::blah:


    I'm not buying any of the explanations. They might serve as apt descriptions, perhaps, but the inclusion of the lewdity in no way elevates Morrison's art. To the contrary, in my view, it drags his craft down a notch (or two). :hide:


    Let's just say I'm not a big fan of this aspect of Jim's lyrics and performances.


    But it does offer ample evidence of Morrison potentially being Rock's first High Priest of Pornographic Spew :D on the occasions he wished to accentuate that dimension of his public persona. Fortunately, Jim chose to express his more highly-refined virtues :) and considerable talent most of the time, without falling back on the lowest common denominator stuff.


    OK, I'll pop off my soapbox now and say my favorite Doors era is 1966-1968. Jim's voice was incredibly emotive, exhibiting both striking power and a sensitive vulnerability, during that period. All in service of the song. Sometimes both qualities were even present within the same song. A veritable musical masterstroke.


    And the band was at their collective peak, live on stage, back then, too. Never again to be equalled or surpassed.


    Their '67 stand at the Matrix represents the best of what The Doors had to offer: all of the wonderment, glory and timeless, transcendent power of music itself...on vivid display, their supreme gift to the world.


    Long story short, the more Matrix-recorded material that's made available, the merrier! :righton:
     
  6. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    It's a possibility but I don't think it fits the razor. The labels on the reels, plus home users/smalltime users didn't normally do that. Maybe a "wannabe" did. It would make virtually no difference on retail grade tape recorded on a home grade machine. So, could be, maybe not. I was thinking it was possible that he put them in Scotch boxes to look more legitimate. It might not look so important to have these tapes, and all of his tapes, in their original bargain brand store brand (cheapest) boxes. I even wonder if there are any Shamrock type splices in the actual tape. That splice type is unique, about one inch long, factory applied before the tape was slit so they are the perfect size, they don't come apart in 50 years of bad storage and I have the examples.

    It's OK - it is a wonder he made these tapes and the others at all, and kept track of them. If he had been buying name brand tapes that cost twice as much, he might have half as many tapes. (With these and the other artists he recorded.)
     
  7. monkboughtlunch

    monkboughtlunch Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Texas
    I don't think he was a "home small time user." Abram had some technical ability and recorded many bands at The Matrix. Tails out storage has a couple of benefits: 1) uniform tension through the tape wind and 2) a reduction of print-through when the tape is rewound for playback.
     
  8. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Yes. But are these tapes quarter track or half track? If quarter track, recorded on both "sides", tails-out would make no practical difference anyway. Just questions, just curious, not trying to be needley.
    Add-edit: I see retail bargain brand reels, 7" reels, retail audiotex labels, and the evidence fact of the 9th being recorded over with the 10th shows this was not a money is no object situation. That's OK.
     
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2018
  9. monkboughtlunch

    monkboughtlunch Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Texas
    I don't know if his deck was set up with 1/4 track or half track heads. I believe Abram said he used an Akai (Japan) OEM tube reel to reel. It may have been rebadged as a Roberts for sale in the US, but I can't recall. I'd have to hunt through my emails from 10 years ago to see if the model number was mentioned.

    If you look at the gear he was using like "Akai/Roberts," "Knight mixer" and "Calrad mics" etc, he clearly didn't have endlessly deep pockets. Knight was the house brand for Allied. He was using decent quality prosumer gear -- some of which was probably imported from OEMs abroad that could deliver lower costs via offshore production. But Doors at Matrix was certainly not a state of the art remote location recording by any stretch of the imagination.

    These are 7.5 ips twin track recordings. (Unclear if the two channels were made via 1/2 track stereo heads or 1/4 track) On the first night, March 7, he recorded Jim's mic via a soundboard, but just recorded the instruments with a single mic. He must have liked what he heard from the band on the 7th, because for March 10th, he went to the trouble of direct mic'ing the instruments (using multiple mics). Unclear why he taped over the March 9th show. Was he too poor to buy a blank tape? Or did March 9 have technical problems? I have no idea. Remember though, that in March 1967 "Light My Fire" hadn't yet exploded on the charts, and The Doors were not yet famous. So he wouldn't have been compelled to keep the March 9 recording if he thought the performance sucked or there were technical problems with this recording.

    But no one has ever suggested he was wealthy or using a top of the line 1967 gear like a Crown CX824 or even a Revox A77. He was probably just a young middle class adult and made due with what he could afford.

    Below is a tube Akai (M8) deck on eBay. He probably used a model similar to or identical to this.

    At the end of the day, we should be thankful that Abram, an amateur recordist, captured soundboard recordings of The Doors in 1967. Elektra apparently did not record The Doors live until much later (July 1968 - May 1970) -- and that's what makes Abrams March 1967 recordings all the more significant.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2018
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  10. James5001

    James5001 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    A wicked piece of retro tech there what's the price?
     
  11. monkboughtlunch

    monkboughtlunch Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Texas
    Search for AKAI M-8 on ebay. They sell from $100-600 on ebay. I've never heard one. If buying vintage stuff, condition is everthing. Not sure if that's the exact model Abram used. I think he just mentioned it was an Akai tube deck. But there are certainly higher regarded vintage tape decks available. If interested in a vintage R2R deck, you usually can't go wrong with a restored Crown or Revox.
     
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  12. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    I'm very thankful. I hope someday we get the complete recordings. Mastered competently. Soon. Now. Sigh.

    It could be that the 9th was an off, bad, show. It could be. Or had some technical problem.

    The M8 you pictured is quarter track. But we don't know what he had. Half track 1/4" home market (as Roberts/Akai was) were rare if not nonexistent through the 1960s. I am curious as to exactly what he had. Roberts/Akai ended by being busy putting 8-track cart recorders in their reel units, not half track heads. Akai stopped that nonsense.

    I know Allied, Knight, Knight-Kit. I have an Allied reel recorder of 1968 with amp and swing out detachable speakers. It works completely! It's not my primary reel but it is a neat curiosity, of relative low numbers for its time. "Manufactured By Victor Company Of Japan (Limited)" as plainly listed on its back label. Perfect for playing back these Shamrock tapes even though I really don't. Or those Matrix tapes!
     
  13. Mitchy

    Mitchy Forum Resident

    Thanks Pats!
     
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  14. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident

    It is disappointing that the new Matrix release is a sampler instead of both complete concerts in a box-set.

    I'd buy the RSD release if it was only one complete show.
     
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  15. Flynbryan

    Flynbryan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Georgia
    That’s some killer information about the tapes and the recordings! Thanks Guys!
    We will find out how this latest Matrix release sounds at the end of April. Looking forward to it.
     
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  16. masswriter

    masswriter Minister At Large

    Location:
    New England
    Ray has a real groovy solo in March 7, Matrix "Soul Kitchen" ....
     
  17. monkboughtlunch

    monkboughtlunch Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Texas
    Chances are the Matrix was recorded using 1/4 track heads. If Abram used the Roberts 770x (Akai), it appears it had a 1/2 track playback head, but not a record head. It apparently had a 1/2 track record head. Below is from the 1967 Allied catalog. Adjusted for inflation, this unit would cost about $2500 in 2017 dollars.

    [​IMG]
     
  18. btltez

    btltez Forum Resident

    Location:
    I'm From Detroit
    Me neither! That's why I brought it up LoL. Wonder if they will chop it out for the new release? Also wonder if it was humor or if he really was talking to someone in the audience. And if it was a guy or gal? I think too much haha
     
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  19. David del Toro

    David del Toro Forum Resident

    With all the lossless transfers of the master tapes from the official release to the Danny Sugerman sampler we should compIle them together with the Complete Matrix Tapes bootleg to make our own box set for the time being
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2018
  20. Pats Radio

    Pats Radio A Doors Enthusiast

    Location:
    Boston, Ma
    I think the Matrix Box is probably coming sooner rather than later.
     
  21. masswriter

    masswriter Minister At Large

    Location:
    New England
    i hope so. i've been holding off for years.
     
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  22. Kat Records

    Kat Records Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lima - Perú
    i know that we are on tiem of 50th aniversaries, but how many releases can we expect in 2018?
    we already got IOW 70, Matrix RSD Sampler 2 next month, i expect a Black Friday item too (maybe a coloured reissue, An American Prayer 40th anniversary would be nice) and also will get WFTS 50th ann (i bet for releases as SD), that counts 04 releases.

    so, the main question is, will get Matrix Box set this year? i don't believe it
     
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  23. Flynbryan

    Flynbryan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Georgia
    I was kinda hoping for Aquarius 2nd show on vinyl for Black Friday. Maybe something from the ‘68 tour also.
     
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  24. Kat Records

    Kat Records Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lima - Perú
    if we talk about Black Friday releases i don't expect something new

    i.e. what we got on the past Black Friday RSD?

    The Doors Mono 2010
    L.A.Woman Singles box 2011
    Compilation "Curated" by RSD 2013
    Honor the Traties (Ghost Song) 2014
    Absolutely Live 2017
    Strange Days 50th Mono (RSD Vinyl Club) 2017

    without counting the L.a.woman singles box, all are reissues.

    vs what we got for past RSD

    People Are Strange 2010
    ROTS mono singles 2011
    Soul Kitchen 2013
    Weird Scenes Gold 2014
    Strange Days Mono 2015
    Aquarius 1 2016
    Roadhouse blues / FOF single 2016
    Matrix Sampler 2017
    Matrix Sampler 2018

    different stuff, strong releases

    so, Black Friday will be a reissue if participate.

    try to ul a pic later
     
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  25. Kat Records

    Kat Records Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lima - Perú
    btw, what happened with the WYS vinyl sountrack, supposed to be RSD Vinyl Club?
     
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