"A Charlie Brown Christmas" CD remaster.

I think Kevin may have the information you are looking for in his earlier post.

 

Gary, thank you. I saw that post but it left me uncertain because he mentioned a "wrong" version (which my version matches) and a Madacy version. So I am uncertain if he is simply saying that the recent remaster is "wrong" in a generic sense or if he is specifically referring to the first Fantasy reissue of 2006 which was then corrected. The post also doesn't rule out the possibility that both 06 reissues have the same matrix number.

 

I think that until someone plunks down the $10 at Wal-Mart or elsewhere for a digipack copy that is currently on the shelves, we'll know (as posted earlier in this thread) what the hub numbers are on the 2006 first (wrong) version, but we won't know what the hub numbers are on the revised (correct) version.

As I posted earlier in the thread, I don't think there is any way just by looking at a sealed copy on the shelves in 2007 if the corrected master is inside the shrink wrap. Even the sticker on the shrink seems to be the same.

 

In the interest of science -- and because I am a completist -- I picked up a fresh copy of A Charlie Brown Christmas at Wal-Mart on December 2, 2007.

One thing that is different about this is that it a newly packaged "Wal-Mart Exclusive" edition, complete with a coupon for a ringtone for the song "Christmas Time Is Here." So it has a square blue sticker on the shrink wrap instead of the round red sticker found at other places.

The second thing is that the Wal-Mart version has a different catalog number. It is Fantasy FCD-30559-2. The standard version is FCD-30066-2.

The third, and most important, thing is that this Wal-Mart edition has the revised remaster, with the correct versions of "Linus and Lucy" and "Christmas Is Coming." I have confirmed this by listening to it.

The number on the CD hub: DIDX-134777 2

So based on three different copies of the corrected version (with three different catalog numbers!) -- one from Madacy, one on PlusMinus' copy, and my Wal-Mart "exclusive" version -- if your copy has the above number on the hub, it's the revised remaster.

The below hub numbers are confirmed to have the remaster with the "wrong" versions of "Linus and Lucy" and "Christmas is Coming":

65389AM-02 FCD-30066-2 082506-10
65389AM-03 FCD-30066-2 082506-11

I hope this helps until more people contribute.

 

It certainly does, thank you, but I was under the impression that some folks here bought the "mistake" version then had the "corrected" version mailed to them by Fantasy (without having to return the mistake one). Matrices on both of those would really clinch it for me.

 

I wonder if Monster has plans to release a corrected version of their release. I wish they would!

Also the remaster on eMusic has another version of Greensleeves, "alternate take 13", if anyone is interested.

http://www.emusic.com/album/Vince-G...-with-bonus-tracks-MP3-Download/10964372.html

 

Yes, but it does not include Greensleeves.

Or at least the one I originally got did not have it. I gave it to my sister when I got the Monster version which included the 1988 version, with Greensleeves.

 

Based on the last couple of pages of this thread, I went to Sam's & Walmart in search of a "correct" copy of this CD. At my second stop, Walmart, I picked up ($14.88) the only copy I found of the Madacy 3 CD metal box. The CD inside does indeed have DIDX-134777 2 around the hub. The packaging for this CD is a standard jewel case with the cartoon image on the booklet face. Printed below the Fantasy symbol everywhere it appears on paper is the Madacy symbol.

At my first stop, Sam's, they had many of the digipack single CD version with the square blue "Walmart exclusive" ringtone sticker. The digipack is the same as I remember from last year - triple panel with a cellophane image "cell" inserted in the front panel.

Because I had not yet read Tim's post, I moved on to search for the metal box Madacy set at my local Walmart

Conclusion: A safe place to pick up the corrected master would be Sam's Club, just look for the blue ringtone sticker as Tim said.

You could even send someone to Sam's who is blissfully unaware of remasters and corrected versions, and still have the correct CD picked up for $9.72 plus tax - provided of course that your Sam's is just like my Sam's.

 

Very doubtful. They also messed up on some of the data tracks on the release. They have been told, but didn't acknowledge the issue when emailed repeatedly. Poor customer service in my opinion.

 

Just E-mail them that you are planning a "Monster lawsuit" and they'll pay attention to you right away.

 

This was my experience. I received the CD with the alternate takes, and Concord sent me a replacement CD and allowed me to keep the original. Honestly, I wouldn't have sent the original back, regardless, as I love having the alternate takes.

Here are my numbers:

Original version (i.e. alternate takes): 65389AM-02 FCD-30066-2 082506-10
Replacement version (i.e. original takes): 65389BM-01 FCD-30066-2 121106-13

 

thanks for the eMusic link.

In regards to the 2005 Monster release, I was hoping for some clarification about their mistakes. Is it believed that they also unintentionally used alternate takes? If so, could you help me find the details on that? Also, are these same Monster mistakes present on both the DVD and redboox CD of that release?

 

I have not found any details online, but reach this conclusion from listening to the hi-res portion about this time last year (and looking at the waveforms). From what I remember the errors reflect that of the first pressing of the remaster.

Unfortunately, I didn't bring my Monster Version to Iraq with me so I can't provide much more information.

As for the redbook that comes with the Monster version, it is just a copy of the George Horn mastered (with Greensleeves and the slightly higher levels) original release, not the remaster. This was actually nice for me since I didn't have it yet, only the remaster.

 

Here's a question regarding the 1986 vs. 1988 CD issue:
Does anyone have any matrix information on these? I'd like to know a way of telling these apart besides the presence of the extra track.

 

What, no new reissue for this year's Christmas? Where's the SHM or Blu-spec version?

 

Over the weekend, I was listening to the "Charlie Brown Christmas" CD from my Walmart "box set special" from last year and I noticed something weird during track 4, "Linus and Lucy". At a couple of points during the song, the bass almost sounds like it's feeding back. There's an annoying (to my ears) upper-bass "hum" that gets really loud. In a few places it overwhelms the piano sound. It's almost painful on my car audio system.

Kevin

 

dufman, thanks for your reply and verification of the different levels on the Monster redbook CD. My EAC log file also confirmed the higher levels than the standard 1988 George Horn mastered Fantasy release.

AndrewS, or anyone else who has access to the Monster release, here is what I am hoping to accomplish.

I'm currently archiving my Charlie Brown Christmas releases to FLAC format for permanent storage on my PC. As part of this, I want to make sure that I am labeling them appropriately. The Monster release needs special attention because of the undocumented variations. I've reread the old Monster release thread in the archives and just want to confirm some details.

I've extracted the 24/96 stereo tracks from the Monster Charlie Brown Christmas DVD and the redbook audio from the Monster Charlie Brown Christmas CD. Note that I'm not archivng the surround mixes.

1) Are the 24/96 stereo tracks on the DVD considered a remix?
2) Are "Linus and Lucy" and "Christmas Is Coming" the only alternate takes present on the 24/96 stereo tracks?
3) Do the 2005 Monster stereo tracks on the DVD differ at all from the original "incorrect" 2006 remix/expanded redbook release (with the unintentional alternate takes of Linus and Lucy and Christmas Is Coming)?
4) Is the Monster redbook CD considered a remaster if it in fact uses the 1988 George Horn mastering with boosted levels?

I'm thinking about labeling the the tracks as follows depending on the answers to the above questions:

Monster DVD 24/96 Stereo tracks

01. Linus and Lucy (Alternate Take) (2005 Monster 24/96 Stereo Remix)
02. Skating (2005 Monster 24/96 Stereo Remix)
03. Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental) (2005 Monster 24/96 Stereo Remix)
04. Christmas Is Coming (Alternate Take) (2005 Monster 24/96 Stereo Remix)
05. The Christmas Song (2005 Monster 24/96 Stereo Remix)
06. O Tannenbaum (2005 Monster 24/96 Stereo Remix)
07. Greensleeves (2005 Monster 24/96 Stereo Remix)
08. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal) (2005 Monster 24/96 Stereo Remix)
09. What Child Is This? (2005 Monster 24/96 Stereo Remix)
10. My Little Drum (2005 Monster 24/96 Stereo Remix)
11. Für Elise (2005 Monster 24/96 Stereo Remix)
12. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (2005 Monster 24/96 Stereo Remix)

Monster CD

01. O Tannenbaum (2005 Monster Redbook Mastering)
02. What Child Is This? (2005 Monster Redbook Mastering)
03. My Little Drum (2005 Monster Redbook Mastering)
04. Linus and Lucy (2005 Monster Redbook Mastering)
05. Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental) (2005 Monster Redbook Mastering)
06. Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal) (2005 Monster Redbook Mastering)
07. Skating (2005 Monster Redbook Mastering)
08. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (2005 Monster Redbook Mastering)
09. Christmas Is Coming (2005 Monster Redbook Mastering)
10. Für Elise (2005 Monster Redbook Mastering)
11. The Christmas Song (2005 Monster Redbook Mastering)
12. Greensleeves (2005 Monster Redbook Mastering)

Thanks in advance for any insight.

 

Hello, all...

I learned of the "alternate" version of the 2006 Remaster by accidentally stumbling onto this forum last year. Since then, I have been visiting this thread silently, gathering all the wonderful info you guys have shared. I was surprised to see it come back to life after a year of no posts, but since it did, I figured I would register and join in on the discussion.

I wish I could offer some input too, but I'm pretty new to this. But if it helps anyone, I too can confirm the matrix numbers posted above by AndrewS to be correct (alternate takes: 65389AM-02 FCD-30066-2 082506-10). Thanks to him and everyone who posted their numbers, I was able to track down a copy of the "wrong" version (I sent emails to anyone selling a used copy online and asked them to relay me their matrix numbers until I found a hit... the CD arrived tonight!)

On a sidenote, I'm nowhere on the level of a "real" audiophile, but I do love hearing my music in the best possible quality (lossless and, after Christmas, hopefully with a pair of Shure e530's). Sifting thru all these versions can be a bit overwhelming... does anyone here have any sort of list they can point me to of "definitive" versions of Guaraldi that one should own to get the best possible sound experience? Thanks a million for the great info!

 

Oops! One other question... Where did this new 17-track version of the Remaster come from, the one with Greensleeves, "alternate take 13"? I know emusic has it, but obviously there has to be a disc, right? Is it an import, or a subsequent pressing?

 

Snagged the new version of this album this year, both cause I wanted the bonus tracks and because my Fantasy CD (12 tracks, 1988, FCD-8431-2) has developed a skip in it, at least on one home player.

I'm not hearing terribly many issues with the sound, honestly, and I cranked "Herald Angels" loud enough to hear the school bell go off, but heard nothing resembling "chirping". Guess I'm just broken; I'm tempted to make my own version by splicing on beginnings and endings and such, but for now I'll just have two copies.

 

I picked up the original Fantasy Sunday. I am quite pleased with it. I'll have to scour ebay over the next year for the 45RPM version. For now, this one will do nicely.

 

I like the orig. Fantasy, too.

 

I picked up the Fantasy one (the 2000, not the 1988), but it sounds great to me. From what I've heard, the 2000 came from the same master as the 1988...

 

My 1988 disc has DIDX-003956 in the matrix.

 

Thanks Lou!