Bee Gees sign back catalog deal with Capitol !

Will do Jeff, was really surprised to see it. One BG title I never see out and about

 

I have mentioned here before that I started buying the RSO albums still available after Living Eyes came out.
All the pressings were terrible as far as skips,etc.

 

Keep Hope Alive!!!

 

Yes!

 

You mean "Stayin' Alive" ?

(OK, yes I know that was a horrible pun, but I could not resist.)

 

Not to enable but there is red flocked 3cd set too!

 

Yeah I know, I checked it out a couple years ago, that's the deluxe including the mono right?

 

Yes that is the one. Mono not essential but bonus tracks great!

 

I have the original velvet monarch pressing and presswell. Both sound okay but not great. Bob Ludwig mastered this album in the mid 70s but it only came out in a few places in full. The USA version is edited down to one album but my canadian version is the full 2 lp done by Ludwig. It is actually one of the best sounding albums I own. Took me a while to get into this one but getting this particular version helped that considerably. No velvet cover but miles ahead of the original in terms of sound quality. The atco version isn't bad and perhaps there's better ones out there than the 2 I own.

 

Good luck! And PLEASE let me know if you get one and what it sounds like. In my experience japanese vinyl is usually mastered very bright. But I don't have any Bee Gees from Japan. I have a german pressing of Main Course and it kills the USA version. The vinyl is dead quiet, not too bright, yet still makes the USA version sound like a blanket has been taken off the speakers. I have like 5 USA copies on vinyl and they aren't bad (the SP is the best one) but the german version is really nice.

 

Good info, thanks Warren, appreciated !

 

I got a UK version as somebody up thread said it’s supposed to be the best. $25 shipped. If it’s just quiet it will be miles ahead of any US version I’ve ever had, and I’ve had at least 10. None of them were even close to acceptable. I had the same experience with Main Course you did. Beautiful now! I wonder if the Japan versions are close to what you have heard? The general experience sounds the same, and it was really gratifying to hear given they are my favorite group.

The whole Japanese issue is pretty controversial from what I’ve read around here. I need to qualify my statement in that I do like a very slight bump in the higher end, so I would be more prone to enjoy them than others that don’t like that aspect, so perhaps my comments aren’t relevant. But many have also said they don’t understand why people say they are generally mastered bright (generally speaking, not the Bee Gees specically). I have around 40 plus a lot of classic MFSL Japanese pressings and I don’t recall any of them being overly bright. If they are “brighter” than it’s been clear to me that it was only because a lower generation master was used and so you simply were hearing less of a veiled sound. I mainly listen to pop titles, so perhaps brighness wasn’t as much of an issue as with Rock or other genres. But, I love my Japanese albums, including the “classic” MFSL albums from the 80’s that many complain about, ie, brightness being bumped up. I’m tempted to get a German Main Course just to see. Thank you for the comments on those albums!!

 

I forgot to mention, for the benefit of others that perhaps don’t have Main Course on vinyl, that you are right, the US versions aren’t terrible...certainly not the horror that Mr. Natural was. At least most of them were quiet. But an import will give one access to lower generation masters and it’s a pretty considerable difference. Children Of The World is an even bigger jump up.

 

No issues with Japan brightness either Jrr, and i'm pretty damn sensitive to it.
Cure, Howard Jones, Steely Dan, Peter Schilling, Peter Gabriel etc...

 

I've had original ATCO Odessa and Trafalgar for at least 25 years thanks to record shows. What's the controversy over Hugo Gibb being airbrushed out of the UK Trafalgar Gatefold? I never heard of that until this wonderful and informative thread

 

You got some fine titles there! Glad they sound good. I love all of mine.

 

I just looked up the UK gatefold of Trafalgar on Discogs and you're right, he's not there! Well, it looks like you can still see his outline, but it's clear they attempted to remove him. That's so weird! I wonder why they would have done that, and only on the UK version...

 

Do you just have a hunch, or has Capitol actually teased some sort of release? Seems like they've been fairly quiet about anything other than the usual GH comps and SNF stuff.

 

He's there on pressings from US, Canada & Japan.
You can still see an outline on copies from the European countries.
The Australian pressing it's completely blacked out.

Darryl

 

Any speculation as to why that is? Seems like a strange thing to do.

 

Someone said Capital is working on a project but haven’t said what. From there I’m purely speculating but anything other than vinyl releases makes zero sense. So...educated guess!

 

It is a bit strange considering Hugh's inclusion in that picture wasn't even planned to begin with. The photographer thought he needed another person in that picture and Hugh happened to be present at that photo session. If I had to speculate I'd say someone thought it was a better idea to focus on the band members.

That, or he had a spat with Stigwood or someone.

 

ferdinandhudson, can you send me a PM? I need to ask you about something.

Thanks!!

 

This was just posted on the Bee Gees Facebook account:
Bee Gees, Go-Go’s Documentaries in the Works at Polygram (EXCLUSIVE)

The Bee Gees documentary feature is authorized by Barry Gibb and the families of his late brothers Maurice Gibb and Robin Gibb. The film will be presented and fully financed by Polygram, Capitol Records and UMPG, and produced by the Kennedy/Marshall Company, White Horse Pictures and Diamond Docs. Marshall is directing and will produce with Nigel Sinclair (“Eight Days a Week”), Mark Monroe and White Horse Pictures’ Jeanne Elfant Festa.

The film, which will have complete access to all the Bee Gees archives, will follow the group, which formed in 1966 and went on to have a run of hits for another three decades.

“I have had an incredibly fortunate life and think back to the good times with my beloved brothers with a huge sense of awe,” Barry Gibb said. “And time gives us all a chance to look back and celebrate with a new perspective. I know our family is in excellent hands with Frank, Nigel and the talented team of filmmakers behind the doc. I am eternally grateful and excited to be able to share our unique journey with audiences around the world.”

Marshall told Variety that he began working on the project when he met Barry Gibb at the 2015 Grammys. He teamed up with Sinclair last year and plans to finish the film by the end of this year.

“I’ve always been impressed with the longevity of the Bee Gees,” Marshall added. “I reached out to Nigel because of ‘Eight Days a Week.’ I saw it and said ‘I want that.'”

 

Maybe this will prompt them to release the underlying albums.