Santana Abraxas US Original Variations

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Leonthepro, Mar 6, 2020.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sweden
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    So here I was, listening to my two Abraxas copies to see which one I would keep.
    I started to get into comparing covers and trying to find out which was earlier, the one with or without credits inside the gatefold and spine text.
    Then I discovered something while listening, it seems that the channels are reversed on one compared to the other. I have heard of this happening to one other Columbia release, namely Its A Beautiful Day, but that was only 1 track I think.

    So essentially, Id like to create a thread for the variations of Abraxas since there is little info on discogs.

    My copies have the runouts:
    Side 1. º P AL 30130-2F
    Side 1. º P AL 30130-2B 1T

    Im guessing the 2F one is the correct one since it for example pans the guitar right to left on the intro track, while the 2B pans it left to right. Thats what Spotify tells me anyway.
    Makes sense considering 2F is later and may have been a correction from the earlier cuts.

    Im guessing the Covers without credits are also considered earlier since they show up on 77 repressings. Too bad for me, the one with them is much nicer. Think Ill just keep the nicer one and be done with it, unless perhaps this channel reversed audio is extremely rare and I need to keep both.
     
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2020
    Floyd Crazy, Tim 2 and tug_of_war like this.
  2. john lennonist

    john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...

    Mine:

    Side A: PAL 30130 1- (A crossed out) E

    Side B: PBL 30130 1-D
     
  3. minglewood

    minglewood Life is A Carnival

    Location:
    In A Space
    Mine has: Side 1.- PAL 30130 I-G and Side 2.- P BL 30130 - 1D. The gatefold is without credits and the guitar pans from right to left on intro.
     
    Leonthepro likes this.
  4. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sweden
    Okay, but are the channels reversed or not?
     
  5. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sweden
    Also, how is your cover? Does it have the Credits on the inner gatefold and Title on the spine?
     
  6. Slick Willie

    Slick Willie Decisively Indecisive

    Location:
    sweet VA.
    The earliest pressings would have a KC prefix on the cat. number and utilize a "1" on the stamper matrix.

    As I understand it:
    A '1A' and a '1F' cut can both be from the initial cuttings. Columbia would use the letters as determining which pressing plant the metal was headed to.
    1A thru 1C may go to one plant, 1D thru 1F to another and so on (sorta' like Atlantic would use A/AA/AAA to determine plant destination).

    Also initial programing/cuts would receive a '1' in the matrix. If any programing changes/edits were made, then a '2' would be used, another...then a '3'.
    If another stamper was needed using original programing, then another letter would be added - such as 1AB.

    The following was taken from hype used when MoFi first reissued this title:

    ... Abraxas lays claim to one of the biggest (and unfortunate) production gaffes in music history. Until now, Abraxas has never been heard correctly. After securing the original analog master tapes, our engineers realized a colossal mistake had been made. For nearly four decades, copies were produced with the left and right channels reversed, meaning that everything was placed in a backwards manner. This even extended to compilations on which individual songs from Abraxas were included.
     
    pbuzby and Leonthepro like this.
  7. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sweden
    Correct, 1A and 1F can be done at the same place the same day, its simply signifying the lacquer cut.
    Didnt know about the numbers though. So programming in this case would be something like reversed channels? Although both my copies have a 2.

    Interesting information from MFSL. But to say it "never" has been heard right seems wrong, one of my copies is playing with non reversed channels.
     
  8. minglewood

    minglewood Life is A Carnival

    Location:
    In A Space
    No Credits on the inner gatefold but instead KC 30130 is printed on upper right hand corner and yes the title is on the spine. Also thank you Slick, the 1A-1C to 1D-1F info was very useful.
     
    Leonthepro and Slick Willie like this.
  9. Slick Willie

    Slick Willie Decisively Indecisive

    Location:
    sweet VA.

    Are you saying MoFi would exaggerate! :D

    Getting different edits on the '2' cuts is very odd. Both should be identical in that regard. And a 'B' and 'F' should be from the same setting?
    Anything is possible I suppose.

    Also, what are your cat. numbers?
    Your OP pic seems to be from a CD reissue.
     
  10. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sweden
    I dunno, I can see it being possible that they made a mistake on the first 2 or so Lacquers and then someone came in and corrected it for the later cuts. Im guessing the "corrected" cuts are rarer in that case anyway.

    I have cat KC 30130, just like an original but with credits on inner gatefold:
    Santana - Abraxas

    Thats probably the case, just took a big image from google to make it look nice.
     
  11. Slick Willie

    Slick Willie Decisively Indecisive

    Location:
    sweet VA.
    Interesting.
    And you are comparing 2 physical LP's using the same table?
     
  12. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sweden
    Absolutely. Both in my collection. One from Terre Haute and the other Pitman I think. I mostly bought the second one (Pitman) for the poster and nicer sleeve, record plays a bit better though also. I didnt expect the reversed (correct) channels on my new copy though.
    Didnt realize the sleeves were slightly different also though.
     
    Last edited: Mar 7, 2020
    Slick Willie likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine