Sinatra / Capitol Sound Quality (and general discussion): Singles, Soundtracks, Etc.

^^^^^^ Cool. Thanks, Martin! To my ears, there are three really top-notch masterings of I've Got the World on a String: That COLLECTORS SERIES (which got recycled on several other CD releases), the UK MFP 2-disc CD set, and the UK Dell This is Sinatra LP. All winners, IMO. Ron Furmanek and Larry Walsh really did a great job on that COLLECTORS SERIES disc, no question about it.

Now (and I find this kind of funny), if you want the best sounding version that doesn't have the tape damage, I'd go with the Star Line LP! My guess, though, is that there have to be some original D pressings that are even better, but that D1 we heard isn't going to win any awards, sad to say. (Anybody have a good D pressing This is Sinatra??) This is Sinatra, by the way, is a compilation album that was actually made from the master session tapes, not from dubs, so it *should* sound good if well cut.

 

Still on "I've Got the World on a String"

Thanks to Rangerjohn, we now have a clip of a well-regarded "Dr. Robert" transfer of the 1980s Toshiba-EMI This is Sinatra track. In fact, there are three comparisons. (See here or direct links below.)

1. 30-second clip from the Japanese LP: http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1953_-_SinglesEtc2_files/IGWS ToshibaECJ-60036 Sample.wav

2. Japanese LP ---> Dell LP: http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1953_-_SinglesEtc2_files/IGWSToshiba-UK85.wav

3. Collectors Series CD ---> Japanese LP: http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1953_-_SinglesEtc2_files/IGWS Collectors-ToshibaLP.wav

(All the clips fall within the 30-second iTunes free sample. No free music giveaways here.)

One notable aspect of the Toshiba pressing is that it does not have the infamous dropout at the beginning of "I've Got the World on a String." The other three (IMO) top editions did have the dropout.



Matt

 

^^^^^^^Thanks, Martin. Any other opinions, anybody?

Clips here: http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1953_-_SinglesEtc2.html

By the way, here's a This is Sinatra Japanese test pressing that's on Ebay currently. Note the transposed parentheses on (Love is) The Tender Trap, and, of course, the different artwork.

The vinyl is made from US D stampers.

 

Looking at "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" next --

What a great song! Any thoughts as to why this was held up for release for a year? (Well....352 days?) I remember back to the first time I heard this song in the 1980s, and even then, I thought to myself, "Self, that doesn't sound like a typical single of the time period" because most of the Capitol singles of that era had some sort of flourish or "grabber" opening, and this one starts so "mellowly," and then just kind of slow burns until that instrumental break in the middle, which was way different from the typical Capitol singles sound.

Any thought that maybe, like happened to "Last Night When We Were Young" several months later, this track was considered as a potential album track? I could see that happening, but I may just be blowing smoke. Could be a great concept album: Guy meets girl; guy and girl fall in love; girl leaves guy; girl thinks guy will never be the same; guy won't be the same, but he'll never let on.

I'd buy that album!

As far as audio clips go, here are the versions that I think we already have lined up:

Original promo 78 (from stevelucille)
This is Sinatra D1 (from Eharmonica via rangerjohn), plus Star Line and Alan Dell LPs
Where Are You Walsh CD (bonus track)
Where Are You Norberg CD (bonus track - from rangerjohn)
Complete Capitol Singles (from rangerjohn)
Look Over Your Shoulder UK LP
The Capitol Years 3-CD set
This is Frank Sinatra 1953-1957 UK CD
Capitol Collectors Series CD
Gold! 1989 CD
3 Coins in a Fountain EP (from stevelucille)
The Capitol Years 21-CD UK set (from Bob F)

The more the merrier! If you have another release of this song that you can share, please chime in and/or PM me. Thanks!

Matt

PS - still soliciting other opinions on tracks from the previous singles comparisons, here and here. So far MMM and I are a chorus of two!

 

Page updated to reflect your observations. Thanks, Bob! http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1953_-_SinglesEtc2.html

Can anybody speak to the mastering of "I've Got the World on a String" on the Best of the Best CD? Norberg + compression???

 

Re: "Don't Worry 'Bout Me"

We have a surprising situation with the assorted CD masterings on this one. I checked 7 CDs, and they have 6-and-a-half unique masterings. Here's what I mean:

Mastering #1: Walsh/Furmanek -- Collectors Series - True mono, 1989
Mastering #2: Norberg -- Gold! - Widened, etc., 1989
Mastering #3: Walsh -- Where Are You bonus track - True mono, 1991
Mastering #4: Uncredited -- "This is Frank Sinatra, 1953-1957" UK CD - True mono, 1994
Mastering #5: Norberg -- Capitol Singles box, 1996 - widened, etc.
Mastering #6: Uncredited -- UK boxed set - True mono, 1998
Mastering #5b: Norberg - Where Are You bonus track - widened, etc., 2002??

That last one is really strange. 5 and 5b stay in sync for the first 1:56, then the WHERE ARE YOU disc transitions into yet another unique mastering.

 

Thanks, Blackie! (PM sent.)

 

From Billboard, April 10, 1954, 16 days prior to the release date listed in Collectors Series.

 

Re: Don't Worry 'Bout Me:

No, although the vocal tone is nice enough, and the tinkering is "Norberg Lite."

By the way, I think I figured out why "Mastering 5b" (the bonus track on the Norberg Where Are You CD) has that oddball splice at 1:56. It's because at 2:15 there's a significant dropout -- and one that is unique to this mastering -- in "Mastering 5," the Complete Capitol Singles set. That said, the Singles mastering is only mildly messed with, while the Where Are You Norberg bonus track version is absolutely horrid sounding. (I'll get clips up at some point.)

 

Re: The 2011 Best of the Best release of "I've Got the World on a String"

Thanks for the clip! It's a unique/new transfer, yes, but (as you said) really slammed, indeed. Here's a comparison of the 1985 Dell LP and the 2011 Best of the Best waveforms:


I've also updated the song's section on this page: http://www.11fifty.com/Site_108/1953_-_SinglesEtc2.html

PS - I'm not 100% sure that it's a mono tape being played on a stereo machine. (I'm truly not sure.) I think it may be a true mono track with just a faint wisp of stereo "stuff" sneaking through as the result of the dynamic processing/smooshing. Regardless, it's not "pure" mono, but it's about 99% of the way there, and closer to true mono than, say, the MFP "Swing Easy."

 

I've wondered aloud in other threads just how much influence the "suits" have in the choice of mastering style on these Sinatra CDs, as there certainly is a roster of engineers who have done very good work in the past who are now putting out product that is absolutely a step backwards, sonically speaking. Very frustrating, and my guess is that the mastering guys -- who I'm sure "know what sounds good" in purely sonic terms -- really feel a need to please the clients who hire them.