"The Genius Of Ray Charles", one of the greatest albums ever recorded, one of the worst sounding..

I have now two different early versions (masterings) on CD. How can I tell which one is the "silent" remaster done by Steve?

The two CD's don't sound all that different. I mean there are some differences for sure, and that also varies from track to track, but it is not a night and day difference.

One CD has a total time of 38'14" and the other one has 38'40". The two discs run at about the same speed, but on the longer CD, at the end of each song, it fades a little bit later to complete silence. I am assuming that Steve's version is the longer one, but that is just a guess.

 

Steve, thanks for the quick reply.

I figured it wouldn't be your trademark mastering style to turn down the faders maybe even a tad before the end of a note has completely decayed. I much prefer when the song completely finishes before the faders are turned down, even if that means that some hiss at the end of a song can be heard a little more. Hiss is not a problem unless it is totally obstrusive, but in the early days of CD, they were sometimes afraid to have too much hiss being present.

 

Thanks for verifying/reinforcing what I'm hearing, I have stereo and mono, just not satisfied.

 

I am not put off by the distortion. I still like the album and I can even enjoy the "sonics".

 

I have the original ST and mono, what is it they say... something about a sows ear? The recording was apparently, well, let's use, not optimum. No need to apologize, I've heard and own a lot of yo' stuff, if ya' could have got more, you would have. Period. Now a question, if I may. Is it possible to get an over the top mastering any more, ya' know, one that's not maybe absolutely correct, but is just super fun? I know there is now a "correct" resurgence, but I think of Zep's 2 by Ludwig. Just can't imagine why that can't be recreated. The album was not recorded well, and all over the globe, yet every track screams ROCK. I'm sure it can be done again, but will anyone allow it? Just some ramblings............

 

Thanks for the education! But I was speaking of "in general" - don't really believe that album could have been, well, let's used fixed. Just seems to me so much emphasis on "correct", that maybe (?) people (execs) overlook fun? I know you can do both!!

 

I recently picked up a version of this album. I can't quite match it on discogs.com. It is very similar to the '68 version except the label is green and blue instead of purple and brown. And the dead wax runout is not as indicated in the '68 version. It is ST-A-59161 and ST-A-59162-B. It appears to be hand written.

 

I think I have an original stereo press, but I never thought it sounded that good. Guess it's time to look for it!

 

I'd be interested. Must be some backstory for that. I first noticed your mastering work with the DCC Ray Charles CDs, was shocked at how good they sounded compared to other reissues of that era.

 

I have a white label 45 of "Just For A Thrill" backed with "Heartbreaker". Distortion on "Just For A Thrill" is only in spots where Ray gets loud and only slight.

 

I have a 60s pressing cut by RCA.
Original is no doubt on this label.

 

Handwritten numbers are the ones, usually scratched in deep.

Lime green label - original press



Pinwheel or bullseye - second press



So coincidentally that I had a dream last night remixing vintage 8-tracks that I liberated from Atlantic's vault before the big fire, a big improvement but was cursing Tom Down the entire time for over saturating the tapes.

Dowd told me that he "overloaded the tapes pinning the meters in the red as his method of noise reduction, you record it loud and ease it in the playback to cut out the hiss". I nodded in bewilderment, now I know why those records are recorded on the threshold of pain. I can tell you since he mentioned it, he's not a fan of tubes.

Since this is a Ray Charles thread, have you heard this album?
It's awesome musically, but it will have you running to hit the mono switch.

 

Beautiful label, I have a 800 C too

Also, I have this album on a 4 track 7 1/2" ips Ampex reel-to-reel, Played on my Pioneer RT 707 it sounds very good……not as much distortion.

 

I've never heard that LP in person, but many (all?) of the stereo mixes of those tracks we have on CD were from that LP. Including "What'd I Say?" etc.
Mixed in 1964, right? Too bad Dowd was having a bad day and decided to mix Ray's voice hard right. I know, I know, Ray on the right, the Raelettes on the left, call and response. Doesn't work, though.

 

That's the album,
With The Beatles sounds like a audio masterpiece compared to this and that was done on 2 tracks:

Left channel
Raelettes & and some instruments

center
Big gaping giant whole lot of nothing

right
The genius & and some instruments

If you have the big box set, you can assemble your own version:

1 Tell Me How Do You Feel 2:43
2 I Had a Dream 2:57
3 Carryin' That Load 2:25
4 Tell All the World About You 2:05
5 I Believe to My Soul 3:02
6 What'd I Say, Pts. 1 & 2 6:31
7 I'm Movin' On 2:29
8 You Be My Baby 2:32
9 Night Time Is the Right Time 3:31
10 Yes Indeed 2:18
11 Tell the Truth 3:05
12 My Bonnie 2:49
13 Early in the Morning 2:49

 

Don't be mean. There are some horns from time to time in the center.

 

not many, at least the Beatles stuff had natural reverb and occasional guitar overdub

Here's a sessionography for the "8-Track Stereo" album:

1 Tell Me How Do You Feel 2:43 - NYC, October 28, 1958
2 I Had a Dream 2:57 - NYC, February 20, 1958
3 Carryin' That Load 2:25 - NYC, October 28, 1958
4 Tell All the World About You 2:05 - NYC, February 20, 1958
5 I Believe to My Soul 3:02 - NYC, June 26, 1959
6 What'd I Say, Pts. 1 & 2 6:31 - NYC, February 18, 1959
7 I'm Movin' On 2:29 - NYC, June 26, 1959
8 You Be My Baby 2:32 - NYC, February 20, 1958
9 Night Time Is the Right Time 3:31 - NYC, October 28, 1958
10 Yes Indeed 2:18 - NYC, February 20, 1958
11 Tell the Truth 3:05 - NYC, February 18, 1959
12 My Bonnie 2:49 - NYC, February 20, 1958
13 Early in the Morning 2:49 - NYC, October 28, 1958

 

I have every single original Atlantic Ray Charles LP.They are all over the place as far as pressings.Black label mono,maroon label Canadian mono,first three US tricolor labels,both mono and stereo...

 

I love the stereo spread on the 8 track album. My favorite all time Ray Charles album.

 

That's one of my favorite Ray Charles albums as well, but the mix is somewhat wonky with the call & response thing.
That is the album that MoFi should have issued, why did they issue GSTB? Most of it was recorded in the early-mid 50's and it's not what I would call "audiophile grade", but it's classic Ray Charles anyway and that's what counts. I would love to see Audio Fidelity issue the 8-Track album and see what Steve could do with it.

Same here.
Black label monos for the first three, pinwheels for the next couple, and maroon & purple for the rest.
I just scored a nice copy of the 1959 Hollywood/King album which is all pre-Atlantic material,
Brother Ray in his Charles Brown phase.

 

Which pressing has the silver and burgundy label?