Old Atlantic 3 CD Box set: Ray Charles "The Birth Of Soul", you should grab this one

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Dec 14, 2011.

  1. Zal

    Zal Recording engineer

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY, USA

    I'm SO glad you mentioned that.
    Try his Hejira Joni Mitchell CD.
    It's a real ear opener.
     
    WhatDoIKnow likes this.
  2. ATR

    ATR Senior Member

    Location:
    Baystate
    One of my favorite sets to pick a disc from for parties. Just played it at Christmas, as a matter of fact. Of Steve's masterings I only have one of the Dunhills, Greatest Hits Vol 1.

    If you're loading your CD changer (do people besides me still use them?) mix this with the Aretha Franklin Queen of Soul box and some of those Stax singles discs. Your guests will love it. If they're over 45.
     
  3. il pleut

    il pleut New Member

    Real good set. The best stuff is concentrated on disc 2.
     
  4. Kubrick

    Kubrick Forum Resident

    Location:
    Balmore, hon.
    I picked this box up two years ago at Soundgarden (whom I've seen come up in the "Used Bin" threads a couple of times) for $16 and to be honest, I still haven't listened to it. I'm going to have to dig it out and put it at the top of my listening pile.
     
  5. RKMiller

    RKMiller Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mesa, AZ
    First Ray Charles I ever bought, followed quickly by Steve's The World Of Ray Charles 4CD DCC box.
     
  6. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid

    what is this box set?
     
  7. Ozric

    Ozric Senior Member

    What is the difference between the "Pure Genius: Complete Atlantic Recordings 52-59" and the "The Birth Of Soul : The Complete Atlantic Rhythm & Blues Recordings, 1952-1959" The Pure Genius set is larger, but is the mastering different ?
     
  8. lv70smusic

    lv70smusic Senior Member

    Location:
    San Francisco, CA
    Yes, the mastering is different. I much prefer the sound on the less comprehensive set, though the other one isn't terrible.

     
  9. Larry Geller

    Larry Geller Surround sound lunatic

    Location:
    Bayside, NY
    We got a new receiver a couple of weeks ago. This box & Uh-Huh! were the first things we played on it (my wife had seen the movie Ray for the first time a couple of days before). Both sounded great.
     
    WhatDoIKnow likes this.
  10. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    I found a minty copy and purchased it today.
    Wow! What a great set!

    Thank you for the heads up, Steve.
     
  11. oxenholme

    oxenholme Senile member

    Location:
    Knoydart
    Now that would be a gold CD well worth having... :righton:
     
  12. jmrife

    jmrife Wife. Kids. Grandkids. Dog. Music.

    Location:
    Wheat Ridge, CO
    So, do these tapes exist? Is it possible? How much $$ do we need to raise?
     
  13. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    The stereo masters for "The Great Hits Of Ray Charles Recorded On 8-Track Stereo" still exist. It's available as a digital download various places.

    Technically possible. It would come down to licensing.
     
  14. Gallileo

    Gallileo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    In my own opinion, one of the best box sets EVER.
    And - just a (maybe) stupid thing - I like so much the Ray's "howl" in the beginning of "I Got a Woman". To name one, there isn't in the Ray Soundtrack, 'cause it was cutted away (a different source?). Such a pity, it's sooo cool.
     
  15. jh901

    jh901 Forum Resident

    Location:
    PARRISH FL USA
    I'd like the mono mix of these with the best CD/SACD sound quality:

    STEREOPHONIC:
    6."Yes, Indeed!" (Oliver) - 2:14
    7."I Had a Dream" (Charles, Harper) - 2:52
    8."You Be My Baby" (Charles, Pomus, Shuman) - 2:28
    9."Tell All the World About You" (Charles) - 2:01
    10."My Bonnie" (Traditional) - 2:44
    13."Carryin' the Load" (Pomus, Shuman) - 2:22
    14."Tell Me How Do You Feel" (Charles, Mayfield) - 2:42
    15."What'd I Say (Parts 1 & 2)" (Charles) - 6:26
    16."Tell the Truth" (Pauling) - 3:03

    Appreciate the help! No "NR" recommendations, please.


    Mofi SACD The Genius Sings the Blues
    11."Early in the Morning" (Bartley, Hickman, Jordan) - 2:43
    12."Night Time Is the Right Time" (Cadena, Herman) - 3:26
    17."I'm Movin' On" (Snow) - 2:20
    18."I Believe to My Soul" (Charles) - 2:59
     
  16. Mal

    Mal Phorum Physicist

    The Pure Genius box is essential - although it sounds a little edgy, it uses the best sources and is mostly mono for the songs you list, except these which are stereo:

    "I'm Movin' On"
    "Tell Me How Do You Feel"
    "Tell The Truth"

    [it also includes stereo mixes of "Carrying That Load" and "What'd I Say", along with the mono mixes]

    I prefer Birth Of Soul for sound but Pure Genius is absolutely necessary for any Ray Charles fan - great extras CD (including take 1 for "Tell Me How Do You Feel" in mono), a great book and live DVD too.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2015
    eelkiller likes this.
  17. eelkiller

    eelkiller One of the great unwashed

    Location:
    Northern Ontario
    The 7 CD Genius set is available pretty cheap now, I know the original was beautiful with the DVD, nicer booklet and elaborate packaging but it goes for well over twice as much these days.
     
  18. jh901

    jh901 Forum Resident

    Location:
    PARRISH FL USA
    Passing on Pure Genius for now. Mastering quality is the most important factor for my objective. Hoping there are alternatives for some of the 9 tracks.
     
  19. Mal

    Mal Phorum Physicist

    The first two are on Yes Indeed!! (CD - Warner/Atlantic 8122765842) - pretty decent sound despite sounding like a dub transferred on a stereo head stack. There's some tape damage here and there but it sounds more 'organic' than Pure Genius which is overly sterile.

    Apart from "Carrying That Load", the rest are on What'd I Say except for "Tell The Truth" which is on Do The Twist. What'd I Say was on CD but I don't have it, Do The Twist never made it to CD as far as I know.

    I see that most of the Atlantic solo albums are on HDTracks in hi-res - maybe they're mono for the songs you're after?

    The mono "Carrying That Load" may be only found on the 45 and Pure Genius - not sure.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2015
    jh901 likes this.
  20. Ellsworth

    Ellsworth Forum Resident

    I bought this last week. It should be here anyway now. can't wait. I also recently picked up Genius+Soul = Jazz. That one swings and Ray the Hammond sounds great.
     
  21. jh901

    jh901 Forum Resident

    Location:
    PARRISH FL USA
    Ok. So I'll work on tracking down the best mastering for Yes, Indeed! and for What'd I Say. Perhaps the earliest US issuance? Or Japan?

    Only mono mixes of 'Carryin' The Load' and 'Tell the Truth' remain. Again, this list below covers the stereo mix tracks from The Birth of Soul disc 3, which are presented there in stereo.

    UPDATE


    Yes, Indeed!
    6."Yes, Indeed!" (Oliver) - 2:14
    7."I Had a Dream" (Charles, Harper) - 2:52

    What'd I Say
    8."You Be My Baby" (Charles, Pomus, Shuman) - 2:28
    9."Tell All the World About You" (Charles) - 2:01
    10."My Bonnie" (Traditional) - 2:44
    14."Tell Me How Do You Feel" (Charles, Mayfield) - 2:42
    15."What'd I Say (Parts 1 & 2)" (Charles) - 6:26

    Do the Twist <-- No CD?
    16."Tell the Truth" (Pauling) - 3:03



    Mofi SACD The Genius Sings the Blues
    11."Early in the Morning" (Bartley, Hickman, Jordan) - 2:43
    12."Night Time Is the Right Time" (Cadena, Herman) - 3:26
    17."I'm Movin' On" (Snow) - 2:20
    18."I Believe to My Soul" (Charles) - 2:59
     
  22. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    What is it that you are trying to do? Find good sounding versions of the stereo songs in mono mix form? That "I'm Movin' On" is the wrong version, the correct is not on digital anywhere, have to buy the old 45. The rest? Some sound really terrible (the way Tom Dowd mixed them) and a few (like "The Night Time" sound OK in mono). None will ever be audiophile quality if that's what you are after.
     
    jh901 likes this.
  23. jh901

    jh901 Forum Resident

    Location:
    PARRISH FL USA
    Yes. I don't like the sound quality of the stereo on the old Atlantic box. A number of the mono tracks particularly toward the 2nd half of disc two are fantastic. I suppose I assumed that sound quality would only get better from there.
     
  24. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

  25. Daily Nightly

    Daily Nightly Well-Known Member

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    The sound quality of Ray's early Atlantic stuff, amazingly, beats the ABC stuff of the '60s (which, by comparison, most of has a congested/woolly soundstage).
    Though, the first -and, IMO, BEST- version of WHAT'D I SAY is: the 1964 live, L.A. concert one; used on the 1965 album of it and the 1967 A MAN AND HIS SOUL comp.
     

Share This Page

molar-endocrine