SH Spotlight FLEETWOOD MAC Rumours, heard it 1000 times, still love it! Our WB 45 & 33 1/3 RPM vinyl coming now!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Apr 25, 2007.

  1. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    What a great album. I've been working for weeks getting this gem together for the final lacquer cutting. It's a puzzle but fun. I've never put in so many hours in pre-production before. I'm satisfied that our new version both at 33 and 45 RPM will surpass the original promo LP cut in every way, more dynamic, more true to the original intent of the mixes, more musical overtones..

    I bet (original Capitol cutting engineer) Ken Perry must have cut 500 sets of lacquers for that one album over the course of two or more years; what a tremendous hit it was.

    It is obvious to me that when they were recording and mixing this album they KNEW it was going to be a big hit. The care that they took in the mixing (mixing to two tape machines at once, to keep a first generation cutting master AND a pristine first generation safety) shows that they expected the thing to take off.

    Cutting the album with Kevin for WB was a great challenge. We wanted to be authentic to 1977 but we also wanted the true sound of the original master mixes to shine through including all of the wonderful dynamic transients.

    WB sent me over a bunch of LP's of RUMOURS from the 1970's and early 80's and I duly listened to them all. They were all cut by Ken but all sounded different from each other. Arggh!

    I doubt a lacquer had been cut on this album for a great many years, at least since the CD era. Over the run of the album there were so many little things that changed during the mastering that if you had 50 different USA pressings of the album you might have 50 different "styles" of sound, including big changes in EQ, compression and especially reverb. As the recuts moved into the CD era, 'verb was dumped on everything to make the album sound more dense (in that bad '80's way, I guess). When we received the master tapes (many, many reels) we were surprised to learn that the original tapes were pretty bone dry sounding. In other words, all of the echo that is on the later cuttings of the album and ALL CD versions was NOT on the original pressing of the album. So, it's not on our new WB LP either!

    You are going to hear RUMOURS exactly like it was recorded and mixed; no revisionist mastering, no bass bump, treble boosting, compression, echo adding or other signal processing done by us.

    It's very clean sounding, almost mellow and our version has the "sound" of the initial DJ pressing of the original release except with greater dynamics and improved resolution (due to the improved cutting methods used by us at AcousTech/RTI). I never get tired of this album and I love to play the RTI test pressings, 33 and 45. It's very satisfying to me.

    I hope you like it! And don't forget about this thread:

    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=116245

    "Adventures with Gold Dust Woman"
     
    Ere, dunce, LP808 and 24 others like this.
  2. DaveN

    DaveN Music Glutton

    Location:
    Apex, NC
    I posted in the 'Announcement' thread that this album is my particular fetish - much like Pet Sounds is to others. I can't wait to get this into my hands (and on the turntable).

    It is always nice to read the excitement in your posts when you describe a new project like this. If you are enthused, then I have every reason to expect greatness. Thanks for taking this project on!
     
    Rockford & Roll likes this.
  3. This one's going to be HUGE. I can't wait!!!!
     
    MAYBEIMAMAZED likes this.
  4. Driver 8

    Driver 8 Senior Member

    Boy, I can't wait for this one. Fleetwood Mac's self-titled 1975 predecessor to Rumors is one of my favorite "dollar bin" audiophile steals. The original lps of this material sound great, but I'm curious to hear Steve's "original master tape" approach to this one. I will definitely be picking it up. Would it be too much to ask to include a bonus 45 with "Silver Springs" on it? :hide:
     
    beatleswho likes this.
  5. semidetached

    semidetached Monkees Mixographist

    Location:
    Bucks County, PA
    Looking very forward to this - will be the first vinyl copy I've had of this since the one I had as a kid.
     
  6. Mark

    Mark I Am Gort, Hear Me Roar Staff

    Beyond huge, if it can be. Man, oh, man.
     
  7. Gary

    Gary Nauga Gort! Staff

    Location:
    Toronto
    Totally cool!!!! Can't wait!
     
    MAYBEIMAMAZED likes this.
  8. stevenm

    stevenm New Member

    Location:
    Freiburg, Germany
    Bring it on!
     
  9. Jay F

    Jay F New Member

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    This is on my first list, along with Moondance, RLJ, Jazz, and Sweet Baby James.

    I like Daniel Moondance Hoffman better than Daniel Rumours Hoffman, though.
     
  10. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan

    Location:
    Atlanta
    Awesome Steve. Just awesome. :cool:
     
  11. stever

    stever Senior Member

    Location:
    Omaha, Nebr.
    Thanks for the story -- I ordered my copy today! :righton:
     
  12. Fortune

    Fortune Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Steve,

    Can you shed any light on the different Target pressings of this and how they came to differ from each other?

    Obviously many lacquers were cut for the vinyl, but can you shed any light on the journey of the tapes for the digital masterings?
     
  13. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    Hi,

    While I have a White vinyl European pressing and several early Ken Perry Palm Tree label pressings of "Rumours", I want this one. The DJ pressings are as fine as Steve says they are. We have NM ones at work and they are the best I have heard so far.
     
  14. rhkwon

    rhkwon Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX USA
    Can't wait!
     
  15. ashlee5

    ashlee5 Senior Member

    I have 9 copies of this LP and been waiting for this news for the perfect 10. :righton:
     
  16. Ryan

    Ryan That would be telling

    Location:
    New England
    Does this mean I can stop looking for a perfect "Rumours"?
     
  17. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Hope so.
     
    danielbravo and MAYBEIMAMAZED like this.
  18. dwmann

    dwmann Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Houston TX
    I'll buy this even though I don't currently have a turntable!
     
  19. nosticker

    nosticker Forum Guy

    Location:
    Ringwood, NJ
    I think I just saw drool underneath the tonearm of my 1200.




    Dan
     
  20. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
  21. rhkwon

    rhkwon Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX USA
    I've now calmed down a bit. Any idea when it's coming out?
     
  22. whoompley

    whoompley Senior Member

    Location:
    Chapel Hill, NC
    So Steve,
    Now that Rumours is coming out, can you tell us the tangled tale of the two versions and substitutions? If not, cool, I know you're very busy.:goodie:
     
  23. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    I was going to ask the same question of how there came to be two different lengths of "Never Going Back Again" and the fade-in vs. cold start of "Gold Dust Woman."

    I know that the two versions of NGBA go back to 1977. My LP, a Capitol Winchester press, has the 2:02 version; the "Don't Stop" 45 B-side has the 2:16 version; a friend in college who was from El Lay had the 2:16 version on his LP (a Columbia Santa Monica edition perhaps?).
     
  24. Solaris

    Solaris a bullet in flight

    Location:
    New Orleans, LA
    No kidding. WB certainly picked the right titles to start with for these reissues. This and Moondance should keep the vinyl resurgence...resurging. :)

    Ordered my copy today.

    Jason
     
  25. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    I always understood that they did that because they lost the first set of mixes and didn't want to risk it again.

    Just one thing...where's MY copy?:goodie: :goodie: :goodie: :goodie: :goodie: :goodie: :goodie:
     

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