Beatles Abbey Road LP... Reissue?

nobody special · 27th July 2006, 09:08 PM

I have a question for you Beatles experts.
I recently went into a used record store that I often visit, and found a sealed copy of Abbey Road. I looked it over and decided to get it- $13. My thinking was that it was some sort of reissue.
When I got it home and played it, I noticed that the vinyl was very heavy; another possible indication that it is a reissue.
It has the Apple logo on the record center, but it says manufactured by (I think) Columbia. I'm pretty sure that was what it said (I'm at work now, so I'm relying on memory).
Anyway, I am not really familiar with this particular recording, so I don't know how it was produced. The sound of it was off, somehow. It sounded like a digital remaster- extremely clean, but uninvolving and not at all analog-like. Are my ears playing tricks on me, or is there something rotten going on with these (possible) reissues? I suspect that when it was digitally masted for the CD they might have made a new master for the LP's and had them pressed. Anyone know anything about this? Are my ears playing tricks on me?
Also, where do the audiophile labels get the masters for reprints of popular old music like this? Do they somehow borrow the masters, or a copy of them? Or, are they taking the CD and using it for the LP master?

inuyasha44320 · 11th August 2006, 08:05 PM

it just so happens i happen to have the original album in front of me,
i have 2 of them,
and they are diffrent,

on the labels of the records themselfs they are diffrent,

Record 1:

has strangely offset title and tracklist,
on the 2nd side bottom right side of the apple it says:
"produced by george martin"
and directly below it in larger font and italics
" Recorded in England "

at the VERY BOTTOM BELOW the apple it simply says

"MFD. BY APPLE RECORDS,INC."

Record 2:

Bold centered typeface on title and tracklisting

on the 2nd side bottom right side of the apple it says:
"produced by george martin"
and directly below it in THE SAME FONT AND SIZE
"Recorded in England"

This time at the VERY BOTTOM BELOW the apple

"MFD. BY CAPITOL RECORDS INC., A SUBSIDAIRY OF CAPITOL INDUSTRIES, INC., U.S.A. - T.M. (capitol logo) MARCA REG. - US PAT. NO. 2,631,859"

they both have the number SO-383 (SO2-303) on them

they both sound identical, great analog audio,

compare yours to mine and tell me more about it...

El_Hefty · 14th August 2006, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nobody special

Anyway, I am not really familiar with this particular recording, so I don't know how it was produced. The sound of it was off, somehow. It sounded like a digital remaster- extremely clean, but uninvolving and not at all analog-like. Are my ears playing tricks on me, or is there something rotten going on with these (possible) reissues? I suspect that when it was digitally masted for the CD they might have made a new master for the LP's and had them pressed. Anyone know anything about this? Are my ears playing tricks on me?
Also, where do the audiophile labels get the masters for reprints of popular old music like this? Do they somehow borrow the masters, or a copy of them? Or, are they taking the CD and using it for the LP master?

In the old days depending on the company there were a set of master tapes 'the ultimate' recording, from that a couple of tapes would be recorded, then from those sub masters you got more tapes and from those they got more.

Depending on where you were in the world, heck even in the states in the 70's had a big reflection of the sound quality as you could have had a LP pressed from a submaster that had been rerecorded 10 20 or more times

The master tapes still exist supposedly, but who really knows what incarnation they really are so invariably the sound could be massively changed from when the tracks were first recorded

The makeup of the vinyl itself can drastically change the sound, with Japanese vinyl regarded as the best in Audiophile circles.

Here is a interesting article about Mobile Fidelity how they came about and what they did when pressing

http://members.aol.com/boardwalk7/mofi/mofi.html//]http://members.aol.com/boardwalk7/mofi/mofi.html[/URL]
Then there is the skills or lack therof of the guy that sits there and 'remasters' the recordings

Just a few reasons the pressing you have could sound flat... I suggest play it a couple of more times, if no better clean it and try again.

Some vinyl 'reveals' itself after a couple of plays...

budwiser · 16th August 2006, 05:54 PM

I would be very surprised if is said columbia records on it. I collect beatles lp's, and the apple version that you have could be on of three variations, the two mentioned by another poster and there is another that is called the All Right Reserved Issue. I may have to check my documentation, but there could be other variations within the apple label, but none that I know of that are on columbia, maybe from columbia the country.

27th July 2006, 09:08 PM	#1
nobody special diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: USA	Beatles Abbey Road LP... Reissue? I have a question for you Beatles experts. I recently went into a used record store that I often visit, and found a sealed copy of Abbey Road. I looked it over and decided to get it- $13. My thinking was that it was some sort of reissue. When I got it home and played it, I noticed that the vinyl was very heavy; another possible indication that it is a reissue. It has the Apple logo on the record center, but it says manufactured by (I think) Columbia. I'm pretty sure that was what it said (I'm at work now, so I'm relying on memory). Anyway, I am not really familiar with this particular recording, so I don't know how it was produced. The sound of it was off, somehow. It sounded like a digital remaster- extremely clean, but uninvolving and not at all analog-like. Are my ears playing tricks on me, or is there something rotten going on with these (possible) reissues? I suspect that when it was digitally masted for the CD they might have made a new master for the LP's and had them pressed. Anyone know anything about this? Are my ears playing tricks on me? Also, where do the audiophile labels get the masters for reprints of popular old music like this? Do they somehow borrow the masters, or a copy of them? Or, are they taking the CD and using it for the LP master? __________________ Steve

11th August 2006, 08:05 PM	#2
inuyasha44320 diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2006	it just so happens i happen to have the original album in front of me, i have 2 of them, and they are diffrent, on the labels of the records themselfs they are diffrent, Record 1: has strangely offset title and tracklist, on the 2nd side bottom right side of the apple it says: "produced by george martin" and directly below it in larger font and italics " Recorded in England " at the VERY BOTTOM BELOW the apple it simply says "MFD. BY APPLE RECORDS,INC." Record 2: Bold centered typeface on title and tracklisting on the 2nd side bottom right side of the apple it says: "produced by george martin" and directly below it in THE SAME FONT AND SIZE "Recorded in England" This time at the VERY BOTTOM BELOW the apple "MFD. BY CAPITOL RECORDS INC., A SUBSIDAIRY OF CAPITOL INDUSTRIES, INC., U.S.A. - T.M. (capitol logo) MARCA REG. - US PAT. NO. 2,631,859" they both have the number SO-383 (SO2-303) on them they both sound identical, great analog audio, compare yours to mine and tell me more about it... __________________ Okay, so how do i put the smoke back in?

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16th August 2006, 05:54 PM	#4
budwiser diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2004	I would be very surprised if is said columbia records on it. I collect beatles lp's, and the apple version that you have could be on of three variations, the two mentioned by another poster and there is another that is called the All Right Reserved Issue. I may have to check my documentation, but there could be other variations within the apple label, but none that I know of that are on columbia, maybe from columbia the country.