Best vinyl pressing for Elton John's Don't Shoot me, I'm only the Piano Player?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Sam, Jul 16, 2013.

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  1. Sam

    Sam Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    I have an original Black Label MCA, but that's all. I need input as to the hands down, best sounding pressing of this lp.
     
  2. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Never heard one, all sucked.
     
    Sean likes this.
  3. jeffrey walsh

    jeffrey walsh Senior Member

    Location:
    Scranton, Pa. USA
    What, IYO, was the problem? Just curious.
     
  4. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Misaligned Dolby A. Some cuttings were mastered with Dolby off, some with Dolby on. Neither worked.

    Have you ever heard a good version?

    All dreadful, with that "Dolby Unstretched" compression and top end "wrongness".

    Sad.
     
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  5. jeffrey walsh

    jeffrey walsh Senior Member

    Location:
    Scranton, Pa. USA
    Gotcha. Is that fixable Steve?
     
  6. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Not really.

    I enjoy the music but if you really want to hear CROC ROCK and E. WINE correctly, try the first MCA single, mono with the black and white label.

    Record looks like this:



    Nice mix, eh? Just like we heard it on KHJ.
     
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  7. Sam

    Sam Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    Steve, what did you do to the songs that you mastered for the DCC greatest hits lp off of this lp? How did you "fix" them, so to speak?
     
  8. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Rerecorded them, fixing alignment as much as possible. First and only time since 1982 that I had to try that trick. Brutal.
     
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  9. Paul Saldana

    Paul Saldana jazz vinyl addict

    Location:
    SE USA (TN-GA-FL)
    That album is the very definition of murk and goosh, even the EU and JP editions.
     
  10. fortherecord

    fortherecord Senior Member

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    Why did they originally put the album out with a misaligned Dolby master? Is it present on the multis?
     
  11. Nobby

    Nobby Senior Member

    Location:
    France
    Is it that time to remind everyone that the 5.1 mix of "Don't Shoot Me. .." has been on the shelf waiting for release for around 8 or 9 years?

    IMHO the original DJM vinyl is my preferred version but I accept it is a bit "mushy".
     
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  12. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    Is this why it was omitted from SACD reissue program? Actually I have to say the original UK DJM on red vinyl isn't too bad sounding.
     
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  13. christopher

    christopher Forum Neurotic

    Same here...

    Later, Chris
     
  14. dirtymac

    dirtymac Forum Resident

    Location:
    Exile, MN
    Played the UK DJM of this last night. Preferred it to the two US pressings of this LP I have.
     
  15. winopener

    winopener Forum Resident

    Dedicated mono mix? Fold?
    I suppose a dedicated mix, since you say "correctly" for the mono and the stereo version had the dolby misalignment.
     
  16. tinymontgomery

    tinymontgomery Forum Resident

    I have the 7.5ips reel-to-reel of this, and that sounds like a victim of the Dolby misalignment issue too.
     
  17. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Dedicated mono mix, yes. Essential 45.
     
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  18. winopener

    winopener Forum Resident

    Good to know. Here mono was phased out quickly, since 1971 everything promo was stereo - usually a WL of the stock single (but not always, especially JB pressings). All we do know is only the stereo release (press promo and jukebox promo included).
    So, in other words, the only option left in order to get rid of the dolby problem is a new remix from multis.
    Despite this fault, Don't shoot me sold zillion of copies everywhere, so it's also true that the entire world is very familiar with this misaligned sound and so now it is "part" of the sound.
     
  19. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Such is life.
     
  20. Randy W

    Randy W Original Member

    Best I've heard the album is a UK DJM red wax A-2/B-2. I have the DCC Greatest Hits LP, so that's the best for "Daniel" and "Crocodile Rock".
     
  21. James Glennon

    James Glennon Senior Member

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    I picked up a minttranslucent (show up red under light) UK DJM A2/B3 for about $7 last night, really pleased. Haven't had a chance to play it yet!

    JG
     
  22. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    My own pressing of DSMIOTPP is a Columbia pressing with the black rainbow label. The vinyl is quieter than MCA's own pressings, but lacquers cut by MCA studios (one side in Universal City [-W#], the other in New York [-E#]) would've had the same kind of audio issues of Dolby misalignment as Steve had mentioned.

    I.I.N.M., among the cutters at MCA's Universal City studios who would've had a go at the album were Brian Ingoldsby (signed 'B.D.I.' in the deadwax) and Darryl Johnson (the enigmatic 'DWJ'). Any MCA copies have either individual's intials in the runout area? The latter certainly cut stereo stock pressings of the "Crocodile Rock" 45 (originally planned for Uni 55351 but, as everyone knows, came out on the black label MCA 40000 which inaugurated that label).
     
  23. James Glennon

    James Glennon Senior Member

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    As an aside, I would love to know who cut the early 1970s Warner Brothers vinyl! I have often seen Mastered at Warner Brothers but no clue as to actually did the mastering!

    JG
     
  24. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

  25. Grant

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

    Not even on the "To Be Continued..." boxed set? I thought it sounded pretty good on that one.
     
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