Why are some songs on the TOSHIBA Beach Boys Pastmasters series fake stereo?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Oct 23, 2004.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    I was emailed this question and I figured I'd answer here...

    There are only a few fake stereo songs on the Pastmasters BB series. Why should there be any at all? Well, it's a strange story, but typical of then (and now) when one company licenses something from another company. Let's begin:


    THE TIMELINE:

    1. Late 1970's-early '80's. Capitol REMOVES one or two songs from BB albums to save money on publishing hoping no one will notice. They usually remove the most pointless song (like "Denny's Drums") but in some cases they remove a gem like "In The Parking Lot". The songs are either stored at the end of the LP master reels or elsewhere.

    2. 1986 or so, Toshiba, Japan orders BB copy tapes for their new CD series. They request TRUE STEREO or TRUE MONO only. At this time it was still an analog world so Toshiba requests Dolby A flat transfers.

    3. Capitol studios make them Dolby A copies of master tapes BUT IN SOME CASES FORGET TO INCLUDE THE ONE OR TWO SONGS THAT WERE EDITED OUT OF THE MASTER REELS. Dips!

    4. 1/2 year later Toshiba discovers that albums have 12 songs on them and the copy tapes have 10, they frantically cable Capitol for the missing songs. Capitol engineer just dubs stereo in all cases, that means FAKE STEREO in some cases. It never occurs to engineer to ask for mono when he hears fake stereo coming out of his speakers.

    5. Toshiba engineers pull their hair out when they hear the replacement tapes in fake stereo but are out of time. They can't wait any longer and fold down the few songs in Duophonic to mono and hopes no one will notice, heh.

    6. (Sidebar): PET SOUNDS. Toshiba tries to use the mono master dub but are prevented from doing so when Capitol sends them a digital remastering. Did some copies get out? I can't remember...

    So, you see? Toshiba meant well but after a while they just gave up on Capitol. It never occurs to them to use their own VAULT TAPES FROM THE 1960's THAT ARE IN TRUE STEREO AND TRUE MONO. Sigh.

    Nonetheless, the PASTMASTERS series of BB CD's is the only place to get un-EQ'd Beach Boys Capitol masters. So a couple are screwed up, on the whole if you can find them, grab them (except PET SOUNDS).


    Hope this helps!
     
    fatwad666 likes this.
  2. chip-hp

    chip-hp Cool Cat

    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    So ... are you saying that you didn't have access to the BB masters for the BB CDs that you mastered? ... or are you saying that you added EQ to the BB CDs that you mastered? ... or none of the above ... in which case please explain :) ...
     
  3. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Apples and prunes.

    I'm saying that ALL OF THE BEACH BOYS CAPITOL ALBUMS are on the Japanese Pastmasters series from 1987 or so and that they are the only place that you can get complete albums without EQ, or No-Noise. They are flat transfers of the master tapes, good and bad. The real deal. Some songs DO need mastering work, but this is your only chance to hear what the actual master tapes sound like, warts (and in some cases BIG warts) and all. Do your own remastering, play God to your heart's content, etc. etc. :)

    Nothing to do with the two Greatest Hits albums I worked on. I'm speaking of the rest of their great catalog...

    Make sense?
     
  4. chip-hp

    chip-hp Cool Cat

    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    Si :) ... Thanks ...
     
  5. indy mike

    indy mike Forum Pest

    Some of those albums are awfully good - Summer Days/Summer Nights anyone? (the album, don't know about the sonics)...
     
  6. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Galen,

    Let me know when you've read my post so I can un-sticky this thread.

    Thanks!
     
  7. oxenholme

    oxenholme Senile member

    Location:
    Knoydart
    How could the copy tape for All Summer Long be missing I Get Around!!!!
     
  8. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Different story; most of the album was in true stereo so the Capitol engineer didn't copy the mono at all; when Toshiba started to master they realized that two songs were in Duophoney and just left them. Pity..You'll need the DCC's (or Razor & Tie) for I GET AROUND/ALL SUMMER LONG... :wave:
     
  9. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    IIRC, wasn't "Made In The USA" from straight transfers?.
     
  10. Vivaldinization

    Vivaldinization Active Member

    I've asked this before, but it couldn't hurt: are *all* of the Pastmasters discs new dubs, i.e. not just the Beach Boys? Or is it just stuff Toshiba-EMI didn't already have digital masters of? IIRC, the Kate Bush discs are identical to the standard worldwide versions (which, Bruce Eder's apparent psychosis aside, seem to all be the same).
     
  11. posieflump

    posieflump New Member

    Location:
    .
    Let me get this right: Capitol re-issued "Shut Down Vol. 2", removed "In The Parking Lot" (criminally overlooked: definitely one of the strongest tracks on the album), but left the beyond description "Cassius Love vs. Sonny Wilson" in? Sometimes you've got to wonder who's minding the store...

    It makes me wonder which track they removed from side 2 of "All Summer Long".

    Mart.
     
  12. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Yeah, all mono. They goofed in a couple of spots (using the mono LP version of FUN FUN FUN instead of the dedicated 45 RPM mix) but all in all the best way to get the MONO versions of SURFIN' USA, etc.
     
  13. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH
    Used copies abound, and very cheaply too. Highly recommended, despite "Rock and Roll To The Rescue" :D
     
  14. Vivaldinization

    Vivaldinization Active Member

    You also get the odd, alternate mono mix of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" on Made in the USA. As far as I know, this mix didn't make it to the reissue programme (it does, however, appear on a few older budget Capitol discs).
     
  15. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    It's an alternate mix? I thought it was a mono'd version of the Duo-phoney version from WB. They hadn't thought of using the mono safety at that time. It's the same performance though, correct? I skip that one on MADE IN USA. As far as I know only one mix of that song was ever made (back then)...
     
  16. Andreas

    Andreas Senior Member

    Location:
    Frankfurt, Germany
    I'm pretty sure that Wouldn't It Be Nice on Made In USA is a different take of the lead vocal.
     
  17. Vivaldinization

    Vivaldinization Active Member

    Yeah, it's definitely an alternate mix. Instrument levels are different, and the double-tracking on Mike's vocal comes in slightly later in the bridge, IIRC. I don't have it with me now, so I can't double check, but I remember being really thrown off the first time I heard it.
     
  18. poweragemk

    poweragemk Old Member

    Location:
    CH
    To which albums does this apply? Are there different editions of the Pastmasters CDs to which this applies - ie, one edition with 10 tracks and one with 12?
     
  19. Mr. Winston

    Mr. Winston New Member

    I thought someone at one time compared these two and they were essentially the same mix, but the Made in USA version was taken from a collapsed and multi-generational copy of the Duphonic mix re-eq'd :confused: . Perhaps someone will do a comparison and see.
     
  20. Captain Groovy

    Captain Groovy Senior Member

    Location:
    Freedonia, USA
    Actually "Rock and Roll To The Rescue" is the only reason I DO have "Made in U.S.A." - I like the sound better on the Linnett 2001 reisusses...

    JEFF!
     
  21. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Of course you do. C'est la vie.
     
  22. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Heh. This thread tickles me. I wasn't very nice to the Capitol studio dudes of the 1980's was I? No. Sorry 'bout that but geez, fake stereo in the 80's?
     
  23. JWB

    JWB New Member

    Or if you're in charge of the Who remasters, fake stereo TODAY!
     
  24. Andreas

    Andreas Senior Member

    Location:
    Frankfurt, Germany
    So, what songs are in fake stereo on those Pastmasters CDs?
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine