Rolling Stones on CD pre-1986

Wondering which Rolling Stones titles (from Sticky Fingers on) were released on CD before The Rolling Stones label shifted from Atlantic to CBS? The catalog shifted ca 1986 around the release of Dirty Work. Do any of those early CDs circulate?

 

Good question, 86 may have been the starting year for some Stones on digital re-issues
Edit-I see Tattoo You was 83, so probably more were done.

 

Tattoo You, Still Life and Undercover, being the then-most recent albums, exist in 1983 versions, you can find info on Discogs. Not sure about any others, nor any idea what they sound like.

 

ISTR 1986 as being the first CD issues of the ABKCO / London material.

 

I have a CD of Rewind from 1984 before the shift.

 

I have West German Hot Rocks mofi 1985

 

From what I remember, Still Life was the first Stones CD from early 1984 followed by the West German Beggar’s Banquet around the late fall of 1984. In late winter/early spring 1985, there were the West German copies of their first album and Out of Our Heads. Aftermath and Between the Buttons soon followed and then Hot Rocks 1 & 2 in May 1985. Then along came Jagger’s first solo album and Bill Wyman’s Rockabilly group.

From there we get Let It Bleed and Satanic Majesties in late winter/early spring 1986 - followed by The Rewind comp on Atlantic (pressed in Japan). Dirty Work is released on CD.

That fall the ABKCO remasters of the U.S albums are released - followed by the CBS Sony overhaul of their Rolling Stones Records catalog (minus the live albums and comps).

 

Several Decca/London/ABKCO albums were released in 1984/85, mainly in Europe.

 

Japan
Three Black Triangle CDs
1. Tattoo You (1981) [Toshiba-EMI CP35-3032], July 21, 1983 ?????
This is the very 1st CD of The Rolling Stones in the world ever. The release date is uncertain but that one is circulating among collectors. At least two pressings by Sony plant .
1. CP35-3032 11A1 [MANUFACTURED BY CBS / SONY RECORDS INC.]
2. CP35-3032 11 [CSR COMPACT DISC CSR COMPACT DISC CSR COMPACT DISC]
and two pressings by Toshiba plant
1. CP35-3032-1 1A1
2. CP35-3032-3 1A1
are known. Sony plant pressings, apparently, are from 1983-early 1984, Toshiba - 1984-1985. One can find CDs with either red paper OBI or with Golden Price Sticker.
Track 1 - Start Me Up has very obvious 'vinyl pop' in the left channel at the mark 0.03 both for Sony and Toshiba pressings.

There are the following characteristics for the back cover for Sony pressings.
1. There is a misprint: word MASTERING is misspelled – MASTARING. This misprint is present also on the last page of the booklet.
2. Toshiba-EMI Ltd. is printed in English on one spine and in Japanese on the other. This feature could be found only for the EARLIEST CD pressings of the EARLIEST Toshiba-EMI CDs.
3. The spines of the back cover are folded w/o perforation. This feature disappeared for Japanese-made CDs some time in 1984.

For Toshiba pressings
1. Misprint on the back cover (as well as on the last page of the booklet) was corrected. Word MASTERING now is spelled correctly.
2. Both spines have Toshiba-EMI Ltd. in Japanese
3. The spines of the back cover are folded along perforation.

Tattoo You [EMI-Toshiba CP35-3032] is considered as rare, but not an impossible to find CD. However, it is on high demand. Also, it is very hard to find it complete with extras (OBI or Golden Price Sticker). Another day sealed copy with OBI was sold for $500 and a used version with Golden Price Sticker on the remains of the original shrink wrap for ~$600. Otherwise with a bit of luck one can get a copy from ebay below $50.

2. Undercover (1983) [Toshiba-EMI CP35-3087], February 20, 1984 ????
The release date is uncertain but that one was circulating among collectors. At least four pressings made by Toshiba plant exist.
1. CP35-3087-5 1A1 CDP 7 46024 2
2. CP35-3087-5 1A2 CDP 7 46024 2
3. CP35-3087-6 1A1 CDP 7 46024 2
4. CP35-3087-6 1A2 CDP 7 46024 2
Track 04 – Wanna Hold You (3:16), short LP version.
This CD is not rare but is extremely hard to find complete with original OBI. Usually the prices on the secondary market are not on bargain side.

3. Rewind 1971-1984 (1984) [Toshiba-EMI CP35-5021], UK tracklist, January 19, 1985
At least three pressings made by Toshiba plant and one pressing made by JVC exist
Toshiba plant.
1. CP35-5021 3A1
2. CP35-5021 3A2
3. CP35-5021 3A4

JVC plant (old style thin ‘italic’ font)
1. CP35 5021 2E11
This CD is relatively common. But is hard to find complete package with extras and in good shape. The main problem is OBI. It was printed on white paper that catches dust and dirt easily. Usually it is a pain to find a clean undamaged OBI for this one.

Europe
Undercover (1983) [RSR-EMI CDP 7 46024 2], November 7, 1983
This is the very first CD for European market. According to Felix Aeppli it was issued simultaneously with the LP at November 7, 1983. It was pressed in Japan by Toshiba plant and shares mastering with Undercover (1983) [Toshiba-EMI CP35-3087]
At least six pressings were made
1. CP35-3087-1 1A1 CDP 7 46024 2
2. CP35-3087-1 1A2 CDP 7 46024 2
3. CP35-3087-5 1A1 CDP 7 46024 2
4. CP35-3087-5 1A2 CDP 7 46024 2
5. CP35-3087-6 1A1 CDP 7 46024 2
6. CP35-3087-6 1A2 CDP 7 46024 2

Note, that pressings ## 3 – 6 were done using the very same glass masters as Japanese Undercover (1983) [Toshiba-EMI CP35-3087]. This CD is fairly common. It could be considered as a ‘budget’ alternative to Japanese ‘black triangle’ disc (if you do not care about ‘black triangle’ label and Japanese extras). Do not pay premium price unless the CD is in perfect shape, comes with original smooth sided jewel case and belongs to first pressing run (-1 1A1 matrix string).

USA
1. Still Life (American Concert 1981) (1982) [RSR-Atlantic 39113-2], early 1984
The one and the only release of The Rolling Stones CD with ‘target’ label design. Thus, it is an ‘ultimate fetish’ both for the collectors of The Rolling Stones CDs and ‘target’ label CD collectors.
There are two versions of label with different note at 6 o'clock
1. MADE IN || WEST GERMANY
2. MADE IN WEST || GERMANY BY POLYGRAM
Both versions were made from the same glass master 7567 90102-2 2893 043 02 (no other extra letters and/or special symbols). Order number (2893 043) and absence of a special symbol after the last digits in matrix string (02) point the glass master was cut no later than the first half of 1984. This disc was not listed in Gramophone magazine, March 1983 issue, but was in Digital Audio Magazine, September, 1984 issue. Thus, early 1984 as a release date is a credible assumption.

There is no known reason, exact date or credible explanation why 6 o’clock notice was changed from MADE IN || WEST GERMANY to MADE IN WEST || GERMANY BY POLYGRAM. This transition is usually attributed to 1984. Collectors who dig ‘target’ label CDs of the other artists claim MADE IN WEST || GERMANY BY POLYGRAM discs are more common and belong to ‘relatively late’ pressings. But that is not a universal rule. Both versions of this disc are considered quite scarce. The disc was withdrawn shortly after release, when Atlantic / Warner lost the Rolling Stones Records distribution rights to Columbia Records. A few years ago, on the occasion that it appears on eBay, the price usually went up to $100 or more. Dieter Hoffmann in Das Weissbuch listed collector’s value as 75 DM (Deutsche Marks as of 1991). More recently one can sneak from ebay MADE IN WEST || GERMANY BY POLYGRAM version below $40 (before S&H and taxes). In pre-COVID times it poped up 4-6 times a year or even more frequent. MADE IN || WEST GERMANY version can also be found but it pops up not that often and usually priced far from bargain. Surely, in Goodwill or similar thrift stores in the USA one can find this CD for a penny, but this is not the case for the rest of the world.

2. Rewind 1971-1984 (1984) [RSR-Atlantic 7 90176-2], early 1985
This CD was made in Japan by Sanyo for the US market. One can also consider this CD as the 1st one with bonus tracks. Original US LP contained only 11 tracks, while the CD edition came with 13. This track list was also used for later re-issue of the title by Columbia in 1986. Matrix string for this CD contains Sanyo data code 504034 that points that the glass master was cut in April 1985. Apparently, the CD was issued shortly after that date. However, the release is commonly attributed to 1984 (which is not correct). This disc is not terribly hard to find, and it is relatively cheap on the secondary market. On the other hand, complete with the original long-box it is 'almost impossible to find' item. Thus, the prices for the complete package usually are sky high

The original poster asked only for post-Sticky Fingers releases. Thus, I'll stop here. Pre-1986 CDs of DECCA-London period made by Polygram in West Germany and Japan is a different story.

 

After being impressed at first with the ABKCO SACDs, I’m surprised to find myself gravitating back to the 1985 London W German CDs even with titles like Beggars Banquet because in some cases they sound more natural and have more “depth.”

 

Are we talking about all Rolling Stones or Rolling Stones Records

 

My op was about Rolling Stones Records, as in those releases that were distributed by Atlantic before the catalogue shift to CBS.

 

Related to this, I own a CBS CD copy of Rewind. When I did an A/B comparison of “Brown Sugar” between a CBS Sticky Fingers CD and the CBS Rewind CD, there were subtle but noticeable sonic differences. With that in mind, does anyone know for sure if the CBS Rewind CD is sonically identical to the Atlantic/WEA Rewind CD?

 

It is a bit surprising that you hear the differences in Brown Sugar for CBS Sticky Fingers and Rewind because in terms of numbers they are almost identical. But it is different for WEA Rewind CD.

I was bored during last lockdown and made a comparison for Brown Sugar.
The Rolling Stones Brown Sugar on CD: London-ABKCO-CBS-Virgin-UME-'flat transfer'
Scroll down to
The Rolling Stones Brown Sugar on CD: London-ABKCO-CBS-Virgin-UME-'flat transfer'
for Rewind versions.