Brian posted a list of The Who’s IBC-recordings on Facebook, where he specified which ones were mastered in-house. The list states that The Who Sell Out, Tommy (as well as the “Pinball Wizard” single) and Live at Leeds were mastered at IBC. He also wrote in another post that he mastered A Quick One (but apparently not in-house). Brian joined IBC in 1966 when he was 19. While he originally wanted to be a recording engineer, there was only a vacancy for an assistant disc cutting engineer. He was taught by Paul Clay, and Cream’s “Wrapping Paper” was one of the first records he cut, according to a Facebook-post in 2020. That would have been around August, which is also the month “I’m a Boy” was released. I’m quite certain that was his first Who-project unless he recut “Substitute” (see below). I’m confident that he mastered The Who Sell Out, as I’ve seen many references to that before, and on the old IBC-site, he shared a story from the mastering: “We spent ages trying to work out how to have the continuous "Track Records" loop in sync, which was resolved by Denis [King] and Pete [Smith] from the workshop sticking a bit a paper into a switch which allowed us to record on the lead out. After many practices we finally got it right.” When we get to 1969, Denis Blackham joins IBC, is trained by Brian, and eventually take over from him in the disc cutting department. But Denis has never talked about working on any Who-material until cutting acetates for Pete’s Lifehouse-demos. And Brian definitely cut Live at Leeds, sharing the following story in 2017: “It was a Monday in the early 1970 that I went to work at IBC studios with a hero of mine, Pete Townshend. I was to master the latest album of the Who, and me and Pete spent the morning going through each track on the album, making changes in the sound and making sure that the album would sound the way he wanted (when it was released it had inserts where I was mentioned ‘Brian Carroll and the Playboys’ – another story). We took a break for lunch over at The Dover Castle, the pub at the back of the building, and in the afternoon, we cut the master and an acetate that he would take away to listen to and give me the ok to use. He was happy with what we had done and so The Who released what is probably one of the best live albums in rock history.” Brian's favourite track on the album was “Magic Bus” (he had also mastered that single in 1968). All of this led me to assume that Brian cut Tommy too, but thanks to your post, I went to the Internet Archive, and browsed through the old IBC-site in search of a confirmation, and while there are stories from the recording (including things getting heated at The Dover Castle, and Moonie smashing a mirror in the studio bathroom), nowhere does Brian claim to have mastered the album. He cut several acetates during the recording for Pete, who was “always popping in for an acetate”, but that’s it. Another thing to note is that Brian’s recollections seem to be slightly erratic. In example, he claims to have worked on “Substitute”, but that’s extremely unlikely, unless he was there for one of the later recuts. Below is Brian’s list, rearranged with my notes, and with screenshots from Facebook (white) and the IBC-page (red): So back to Tommy: Brian was the engineer that had a relationship with the band, so it would have been very strange to give the job of something as ambitious as Tommy to another engineer at IBC, especially Denis (if he had even joined by then), who was a young trainee with little to no experience. I never believed the “ritual burning”-story (that would have soured – if not killed off Kit’s relationship with the band), although it sounds like something Kit could have said, for sure. But Denis writes on his page that by 1971 IBC would often receive “fully equalised cutting tapes from Sterling Sound in New York." From what you've gathered, Tommy could well have been an early example of that. Lee Hulko mastered the London Symphony Orchestra-version of Tommy in 1972 at Sterling. He worked there in 1969 (in the same room as Bob Ludwig). Maybe he mastered the original too?
Thanks for all of that. While it's *possible* the cutting masters were done at Sterling, the fact that they have IBC legends and are in BASF boxes definitely suggests they were made at IBC. "DLS/TS" is listed for "Dubbing Engineer & Location". I'd be surprised if those weren't made at IBC from the masters. Whether the initial cut was made from those or the masters is another question. As far as Boris goes, what do you mean by "long/spliced version"? Also, at least some of Pictures of Lily was cut at Pye, as that's where the film footage is from. Perhaps the basic track was cut at IBC and overdubs were done at Pye? Although I'd be a little surprised if it wasn't all recorded at one session.
There is an audio sample of Boris, at a well-known Who fan site, that addresses an edit in Boris, although not in the released version we know. I don't know what to make of that sample. That's what I'm speculating Devotional 'may be referring to' or perhaps it is from another source?
What about the different versions of ‘Eyesight To The Blind’ on US and UK originals? At least I thought that’s why I have both in my collection.
I'm not an expert on Track LPs, but I *thought* the alt vocal version didn't show up until a few years after the initial release. That's definitely a bit of a mystery all around. Found a UK Tommy, Have some questions. @RobCooper may have more details.
Aha! Thanks for that link. I never dug deep enough. My UK copy is A//1, which isn’t the alternate vocal. One thing I just noticed though is that my US WLP copy sounds far more open, punchier, and more to my liking than the UK. I wouldn’t have expected that, but the US copy is pretty remarkable. I’ve heard some really bad,lifeless US copies, though, which must be from worn out stampers.
It's on the MFSL CD, but not any stock CDs of Tommy. I have a few Decca copies, but none are anywhere near mint, and nothing blew me away. I honestly don't know how the various pressings compare, but I'm more than happy with the 2012/13 digital mastering.
As I understand it, original pressings from 69 with an Ernest J Day & Co printed sleeve have the original vocal, while the 1973 reissue with the sleeve that was printed by Howards Printers (Slough) use the alt vocal. I have one of each though not played them in a very long while, but I know they each have the different vocals! I really need to do a full side-by-side to see if the alt ending from Smash the Mirror that’s on the MFSL is also present. Not something I remember checking before.
In the 2003 version, there are pictures of two out of four "master reels" (one for each side) dubbed by Damon and Ted Sharp (TS). Location A must be Studio A (located above the cutting rooms) - although the actual mixing took place in Studio B. I find it interesting that Reel 1/Side A is dated February 20th - over two weeks before recording was completed, and two months before the alleged "stereo mastering" of the album (according to AAA) took place at IBC. While Damon did the assembling, I don't think he cut anything. For Sell Out, AAA states "After Kit Lambert worked out the running order, discs were cut and banded by Damon Lyon-Shaw at IBC Studio A on 20 November; lacquers were rushed to the pressing plant [...]". That's not correctly worded, because Studio A didn't have a lathe. The master reel was assembled there, and then it was mastered (using a Pultec and a Fairchild) and cut by Brian in the cutting rooms. Brian does differentiate between mastering and cutting, going back to his work from 1966 onwards. If they did a cut at IBC before Kit went to the US, it seems a bit strange that he would bring the four unmastered master reels, and not an EQ'd cutting master to Sterling. If that was the case, one would think that they would make copies of the cutting master in IBC's copy room, and send those out to the various other countries. If, on the other hand, the main mastering, and not just the cutting, was to be done in the US, Kit would have a good reason to be there and "supervise" it. And perhaps that's why Kit left the four master reels behind in the US too - because they were unmastered after all. All speculation, of course. Like dee mentioned, there is an extended (through splicing) 3:48-version of Boris on an IBC acetate. I've never heard it, but you know who has a copy. The B-side has an extended Circles. Yes, that's a strange one, but IBC to Pye is just a 7 minute drive, and it could be a case of only being able to secure a few hours at IBC on April 5th (thus only doing the backing track). Brian writes that the management at IBC weren't too fond of The Who, while he loved them, and would have thrown any orchestra out of Studio A to have them there.
Maybe Kit wasn't involved in the UK cut? Just speculating. And we're sure these aren't just things created to fool collectors with lots of money, like the "stereo" Substitute or various other "master tapes" actually created from Who's/Two's Missing and the remasters?
No so. I never had the MFSL. The very first CD issue is where I personally heard it for the first and only time.
Alternate Eyesight To The Blind: Which "very first CD issue"? Every Polydor and MCA CD I've ever heard have the regular mix, including the Polydor with matrix ending in 01. The Who - Tommy
Which "one from the eighties"? There were several. Polydor? Catalog number? Matrix? The original Polydor and MCA releases both have the regular vocals. The secret remaster Polydor/NM MCA also have the regular vocals. As does the 1993 MCA single disc remaster. None have the alternate vocals found on the MFSL CD. Regular vocals: The Who - Tommy The Who - Tommy The Who - Tommy The Who - Tommy The Who - Tommy The Who - Tommy Alternate vocals (MFSL): https://www.discogs.com/release/12688654-The-Who-Tommy
Unfortunately, I no longer have that copy so I can’t give you numbers. It was the first CD that came out (in the US) of the album with the old style jewel case (the black hinge on the side). Like I said, of all my copies and reissues, it’s the only one in which I remember very vividly being surprised at the alternate vocal for The Hawker. It was on MCA.
I think you may be misremembering. As far as I know, all early MCA copies came in long boxes with 2 separate jewel cases, not a fatboy case. And the alternate vocal was never issued by Decca/MCA. The Polydor CDs came in fatboy cases, but those also had the regular vocal.
It *was* two separate cases. But I don’t know how I can be misremembering. I never owned the MFSL. I have the 2-disc deluxe SACD followed by the big box deluxe set from years later. The only way I can be confusing things (which is always a possibility)is if it’s on one of those two and I forgot about it.
It would be fascinating if there was an MCA release of the alternate vocal. But all signs point to "there wasn't". It's not on the 2003 or 2013 releases. It's a bonus track on the SHM Two's Missing and the JPN Then And Now.
I don’t have either of those comps. I’m still picturing myself in the basement of my first house listening to it on my Sony player and thinking “what’s this!” soon as the vocal started with the lower notes. It’s gotta be documented somewhere.
Not that such things aren't impossible, but in 25+ years of tracking this sort of thing, I've never heard any mention of an MCA CD with the alternate vocal here or elsewhere, much less come across such a copy. Neither pressed in the US or Japan.
Could be. He was travelling a lot around the time (Cairo, and where else?), so he missed out on a lot of the mixing too. It looks legit compared to others from the era, and the longer running times are on the label, but you never know.
This is all very fascinating to me. Re Blackham,I know there are deadwax Bilbo/DB of Leeds. Early pressings. UK. And I believe a hybrid one with Jack Adams. A ja that is afaik mistaken for a ta. A later pressing. Also the A3/4 B/3/4/5? of WN with Bilbo on both or one side. This without the MG### ... iirc on side 1. Would have to check. Going back to IBC circa pre-Sell Out and through Tommy is fascinating. I will have to check some more US pressings. At All Disc, in New Jersey, iirc. we know Gilbert Kong cut both Tommy and Sell Out. In 1971. Before WN was relesed Iirc. And there is also an All Disc 1971 pressing of WN as well as a MBBAB. None of those releses have STERLING stamps afaik. And those appear to be all prior to The Tommy part one and part two UK Track releases in '72 and the 2LP Track repress in '73. The LPs of those I have seen are A#1/A#1 and B#2/B#3 often with a 420 only on side 4. I imagine there are many permutations of them. There is no record of Blackham working on any Who cuttings, afaik, post their WN album.
