Monday, 17 November 2008

Twofer mania!

Just when you all thought I'd got it all done I surprised a few with an outbreak of twofer mania this month. I blame antonkk and that Diana thread!!! He didn't realize not only did it have me searching the world for a decent copy of her 1980 project with the guys from Chic, I ended up chasing an early series of discs Motown issued in the 1980's. 


The scene was the purchase of the 1986 CD release, Diana coupled with her 1979 Ashford and Simpson project "The Boss" with hits such as "No One Gets The Prize". There is a basic and I insist real problem with the 1998 Kevin Reeves version of Diana namely distortion and dynamic squashing. I know some have said he didn't do this and he mastered it from the originals which were hard to reproduce on on Lp with a lot of bass and so required some filtering for LP pressings but it isn't unknown for stuff to happen to a mastering engineers work after he's done it. Anyway I bought this old disc and it, as much as it might well of been a generation down from the master, sounds much freer and expands beautifully. "

Spurred on this find, I after nearly twenty years waiting got the Commodores Natural High/Midnight Magic twofer CD from 1986 pressed in Japan for Europe. It is very hard to find. It use the single edits of Flying High and Three Times A Lady to fit both albums within the then 74 minute time restriction of a CD but sounds amazing!
I also got the Marvin Gaye What's Going On & Let's Get It On twofer cheaply which sounds more natural than the 1994/8 issues

I got Mary Wells Two Lovers coupled with My Guy from the States which is a great stereo disc and actually quite rare
In January 2010 I picked up very cheaply The Supremes Let The Sunshine In c/w Cream Of The Crop from 1986 which was pressed in Japan

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