Best quality pre 1974 recording other than.Mercury label

[Light Dependant Resistor]

Hi
The Mercury label Living presence I think would get serious attention as to
being perhaps the best, offering good recording quality, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Records
due to extraordinary attention to every detail.

But others, I will put one hand up for would be King Crimson's "Larks Tongues in Aspic"
recorded at Command Studios, which is featured here:
http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?31193-Classic-UK-Recording-Studios-in-the-60s-70s-and-80s&p=531063#post531063

Anyone else agree, or knowing excellent recordings pre 1974 ?

Cheers / Chris

[Wakefield Turntables]

Thanks for the link Chris. I'm always looking for new (well old) records with interesting recording techniques.

[Macca]

Sinatra: Live At The Sands (1966?) is a good demonstration of how it isn't what you use to record, it is how you use it.

[daytona600]

http://snvinyl.co.uk/WebRoot/Daily/Shops/eshop943300/5468/BC6C/E324/61B5/3946/0A0C/05ED/0ED3/aplp4418hq.jpg

1st post 78rpm modern record on tape from 1950

the introduction of magnetic tape recording and the 33 1/3 LP, or long-playing record.
Starting in 1944-45, advances in magnetic tape recording, revealed as Germany fell to the Allies, spread to the U.S. and Hollywood. Next, Columbia Records introduced the LP record in June 1948 enabling up to 20 minutes of recording time per side. Finally in December 1950, just four short years from the start of the analogue tape recording era, Masterpieces by Ellington was recorded.Recorded at Columbia's 30th Street Studio on Dec. 19, 1950, The Duke was freed from the then-traditional 78 RPM 3 minutes-and-change recording restrictions and these “uncut concert arrangements” of three of his signature songs

[Barry]

I have a few of the Mercury Living Presence recordings; one of which was recorded using 35mm wide magnetic tape. They are very good recordings, but no better IMO than what Decca were achieving at the same time. And I don't think they are better than any direct cut LPs I have heard (though were now talking post 1974).

Certainly if you do see any Mercury Living Presence LPs for sale they are well worth considering, but they are not IMHO the ne plus ultra of vinyl.

[Light Dependant Resistor]

http://snvinyl.co.uk/WebRoot/Daily/Shops/eshop943300/5468/BC6C/E324/61B5/3946/0A0C/05ED/0ED3/aplp4418hq.jpg

1st post 78rpm modern record on tape from 1950

the introduction of magnetic tape recording and the 33 1/3 LP, or long-playing record.
Starting in 1944-45, advances in magnetic tape recording, revealed as Germany fell to the Allies, spread to the U.S. and Hollywood. Next, Columbia Records introduced the LP record in June 1948 enabling up to 20 minutes of recording time per side. Finally in December 1950, just four short years from the start of the analogue tape recording era, Masterpieces by Ellington was recorded.Recorded at Columbia's 30th Street Studio on Dec. 19, 1950, The Duke was freed from the then-traditional 78 RPM 3 minutes-and-change recording restrictions and these “uncut concert arrangements” of three of his signature songs

Interesting as the same studio located in New York City was used by Miles Davis
recording with Gil Evans almost exactly 7 years later. Columbia subsequently naming studios as ABCD
Would be interesting to see how the date of June 1948 parallels turntable manufacture to offer 33,1/3
and if the USA were first , and how long it took the Brits to catch up- perhaps it was the other way around ?

Cheers / Chris

[dave2010]

I have recently been listening to a number of recordings pre 1974 on CD, including some Everest, RCA and Mercury issues. I was interested in the sound quality aspects, but I actually don't think many stack up well against the best modern recordings. Musically however, some are good or very good, while others are ... well .... less good, to put things politely. I have all the three Mercury collectors boxes, plus one Living Stereo box, and a number of the Everest recordings which I managed to acquire cheaply. Some of them are not in fact attributed correctly - apparently - as some Everest CDs attributed to Barbirolli and the Hallé were not recorded by him at all.

One older recording I listened to yesterday did surprise me. That was CD 29 of the Living Stereo Vol 1 box, with Reiner and Inge Borkh with the Chicago SO in the last scene of Salome. The surprise was the extended bass response - which I can only think was an organ at one point - really throbbing sound. I didn't even know there was an organ in the piece. If it wasn't an organ the instrumental combination which produced that effect was very striking. It dates from the early half of the 1950s. I suppose it really was stereo, for as far as I can remember, stereo didn't really start to take off in the UK until the late 1950s or early 1960s. A lot of recordings were still being made in mono. In that respect the RCA and other American companies were ahead of the game, even if some later European and UK recordings made in stereo at the start of the stereo era are clearly superior.

Perhaps some European/UK companies were already making stereo recordings, but not releasing them, though I think that few companies were doing that. EMI for example, made some recordings in both stereo and mono (as separate recordings) and some stereo recordings were very quick remakes of earlier mono recordings - i.e releases only a year or two later with the same artists, conductors and orchestras. However, in some cases the earlier mono versions were considered to be better musically, if not sonically.

[Light Dependant Resistor]

Hi
Just asking where this thread was moved
to.

Cheers / Chris

[struth]

Hi
Just asking where this thread was moved
to.

Cheers / Chris

well, as you just posted to it, it is there Chris

[Jimbo]

Louis Armstrong Satchmo plays King Oliver or Ellington Big 4 - both stunning examples of pure analogue magic. Most digital recordings although crystal clear, sound thin and washed out compared to these.

[DSJR]

Loads of jazz recordings from the 50's are really good, irrespective of modern playback source - i.e. they've transferred well to digital and sound better than ever!

I agree about the KC 'larks Tongues' album and would add 'Lizard' to the list too. I also always thought 'Trilogy' by ELP was a good one as well from that era.

[Light Dependant Resistor]

Hi
It looks like quite a few, but not all of the good sounding recordings from this era came from Columbia's 30th St studio.
from what I read it was nicknamed "the Church" and had a 100 ft ceiling, and was admired for its good sound
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Albums_recorded_at_CBS_30th_Street_Studio

America has though a dreadful history of letting such venues either be demolished or fall into disrepair, the Ricardo Muti performance of Pictures at an exhibition
although 1978 gives a good record of the venue being why the recording was/is so good. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Opera_House_(Philadelphia)

.. but nice to see that electric lady studios is still going, Eddie Kramer on the right, Jimi Hendrix engineer 17523

[Pierre De Grenoble]

I'll admit that I do not listen to a lot of classical and I do seem to prefer violin / orchestral if I do.

two releases that always impress me with their recording are:

Decca SXL 2313 (1962) Lanchbery: La Fille Ma Garde. Guaranteed to make smile.

Decca SXL 6379 (1969) Mehta: Also Sprach Zarathustra. Guaranteed to raise the hairs on the back of my neck.

I don't subscribe to the theory that if it's on such & such, and pressed by such & such then it has to be good. We've all heard the turkeys from time to time.

:thumbsup: for King Crimson's Lizard as well.

[dave2010]

Louis Armstrong Satchmo plays King Oliver or Ellington Big 4 - both stunning examples of pure analogue magic. Most digital recordings although crystal clear, sound thin and washed out compared to these.Is that in vinyl, or digital remastering?

I have this Jazz collection on CD - https://play.spotify.com/user/brendangilmartin/playlist/3EpnxNEFkZza14GjNjipXG
Long Gone (from Bowling Green) - with Louis A is really good - as is also the rehearsal track. I assume they were analogue recordings.

The streaming versions are rubbish compared to the CDs.

[Jimbo]

Is that in vinyl, or digital remastering?

I have this Jazz collection on CD - https://play.spotify.com/user/brendangilmartin/playlist/3EpnxNEFkZza14GjNjipXG
Long Gone (from Bowling Green) - with Louis A is really good - as is also the rehearsal track. I assume they were analogue recordings.

The streaming versions are rubbish compared to the CDs.

Vinyl.