Author |
|
jimct MusicFan
Joined: 07 April 2006 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 3906
|
Posted: 25 April 2008 at 7:57pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Although not in the database, this song peaked at #38 in BB, back in 5/77. My commercial 45 has a listed time of (3:42) and an actual time of (3:44). FYI, a (3:45) version of this song appears on Vol. 24 of the Rhino "Super Hits Of The 70s: Have A Nice Day" series.
|
Back to Top |
|
|
AndrewChouffi MusicFan
Joined: 24 September 2005
Online Status: Offline Posts: 1092
|
Posted: 25 April 2008 at 8:43pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Jim,
Isn't the dub on the Rhino CD from noisy vinyl in MONO (when the actual 45 was stereo).
I'm at work so I can't access the disc, but I do remember it sounded horific on that CD.
Andy
|
Back to Top |
|
|
jimct MusicFan
Joined: 07 April 2006 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 3906
|
Posted: 25 April 2008 at 11:02pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Yes, Andy, upon further review, it does appear in mono on that disc. It doesn't sound as bad to my ears as it does to yours, but I would agree it is a vinyl dub, same as many other recordings released we've found on CDs originating from the two 70's labels, Sussex and Private Stock. We've discussed before here on the Board that master tape warehouse fires took their toll on those company's audio output. However, the good news is that I just checked my Starbuck "Moonlight Feels Right" CD (Music Club 50145), and luckily, "Everybody Be Dancin'" is one of five "bonus tracks" added to the original 1975 LP. It is in stereo, runs (3:46), and sounds far better to me than its Rhino CD appearance.
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Todd Ireland MusicFan
Joined: 16 October 2004 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 4219
|
Posted: 26 April 2008 at 6:29am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Jim:
Thanks for the heads up regarding the Starbuck Moonlight Feels Right import CD. I believe Music Club is a U.K.-based record label, so it's possible they may have utilized master tape dubs that could very well still exist in Europe!
|
Back to Top |
|
|
bwolfe MusicFan
Joined: 24 May 2007 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 193
|
Posted: 26 April 2008 at 6:49am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I was always disappointed by the vinyl use on the "Have A Nice Day" series.
There has to be at least a dozen tracks taken from vinyl.
I never knew about the warehouse fire.
You learn something new everyday.
Thanks for the info.
__________________ the way it was heard on the radio
|
Back to Top |
|
|
EdisonLite MusicFan
Joined: 18 October 2004 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 2237
|
Posted: 26 April 2008 at 9:15am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I have the domestic Starbuck "Moonlight Feels Right" CD which, like the Rhino Super Hits CD, uses vinyl, albeit it is cleaned better than the Rhino CD. The Starbuck CD also includes the #43 hit, "I Got to Know", which though from vinyl, you can barely tell.
|
Back to Top |
|
|
jimct MusicFan
Joined: 07 April 2006 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 3906
|
Posted: 26 April 2008 at 9:39am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Todd Ireland wrote:
Jim:
Thanks for the heads up regarding the Starbuck Moonlight Feels Right import CD. I believe Music Club is a U.K.-based record label |
|
|
Todd, my experience is that the "Music Club" CD label, although it is/was primarily a U.K. operation, Music Club DID, in fact, release at least a dozen, official U.S. "hits" releases. The Starbuck CD says right on it, "Made in the U.S.A.", and it has a different inventory # system than their U.K.-only division, like the import-only Al Green CD I cited yesterday, inside my "Keep Me Cryin'" post. Pat, who has NO doubt become a "reluctant" expert on this exact topic, due to his policy of including only domestic CD releases in his database, correctly notes the Music Club CD I referenced earlier, is, in fact, a U.S. release, and as a result has currently included this Music Club CD among his "Moonlight Feels Right" CD appearances.
|
Back to Top |
|
|
rnell MusicFan
Joined: 19 September 2006 Location: Argentina
Online Status: Offline Posts: 71
|
Posted: 07 June 2008 at 7:41am | IP Logged
|
|
|
For anyone interested I just purchased from Japan the first 2 Starbuck LPs on mini LP CDs (issued separately) Moonlight feels right and Rock'n roll rocket (which includes the BB top40 Everybody be dancin') They sound as they have been mastered from tapes (not vinyl. Label is Muskrat records and the series called Bittersweet America. I have not been able to find any info in the internet about this reissue label. I purchased it from an internet store in Japan.
|
Back to Top |
|
|
EdisonLite MusicFan
Joined: 18 October 2004 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 2237
|
Posted: 07 June 2008 at 11:32pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
It's quite possible they were mastered from vinyl. There's a UK import of Starbuck that sounds pretty good, but to the trained ear, it's clearly from vinyl. Still, Japan could have had access to the tapes used in Japan as masters. That would be great if this really was from vinyl.
|
Back to Top |
|
|
abagon MusicFan
Joined: 01 March 2008 Location: Japan
Online Status: Offline Posts: 618
|
Posted: 10 June 2008 at 8:56am | IP Logged
|
|
|
2 Starbuck's cds are released by "VIVID SOUND CORPORATION" of indies and rerelease label in Japan.
http://vividsound.co.jp/index.php
I don't know about those master sources. however "Rock'n Roll Rocket" is written "the world's first rereleased CD in the world" in Japanses on the web site. As EdisonLite remarks, I echo, because there is "the ELP laser turntable" in Japan.
http://elpj.com/
I want it but it's so expensive.
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Todd Ireland MusicFan
Joined: 16 October 2004 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 4219
|
Posted: 22 March 2009 at 12:27am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I was doing some research and came across a very intriguing discovery at Starbuck's official website (www.moonlightfeelsright.com). The site has a CD for sale called The Official Starbuck and contains the following description:
The first and only Official Starbuck CD digitally mixed and mastered by Bruce Blackman, the producer, lead singer and writer of Starbuck. This CD contains the best of all three Starbuck albums on one CD (1976's Moonlight Feels Right, 1977's Rock and Roll Rocket and 1978's Searching For A Thrill) along with rare bonus tracks.
This CD is the first ever official Starbuck release of these classic albums... The Starbuck name has been plagued with bootleg and fake recordings, but this is 100% the real deal from the man who created it.
You can listen to samples of each CD track and purchase the disc by clicking here. To my ears, the songs all sound crystal clear on the web page's audio samples and leads me to believe that Bruce Blackman may have had access to the master tapes for this compilation! I sent an e-mail through the website asking if master tape sources were used and I will report back when I get a response.
Also, on March 24, there is a Starbuck UK/European 2-fer CD scheduled to be released on the Cherry Red label which will feature the band's entire first two albums, Moonlight Feels Right and Rock 'N' Roll Rocket and will also include a few rare bonus tracks. I don't know anything about the Cherry Red label, but the product description on the Amazon website reports that this "is 100% the real deal".
Edited by Todd Ireland on 22 March 2009 at 12:30am
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Yah Shure MusicFan
Joined: 11 December 2007 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 1317
|
Posted: 22 March 2009 at 8:37am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Todd Ireland wrote:
I don't know anything about the Cherry Red label, but the product description on the Amazon website reports that this "is 100% the real deal". |
|
|
Todd, I knew nothing about Cherry Red, either, until I purchased their Now Sounds subsidiary's Five Man Electrical Band - Half Past Midnight: The Staccatos And Beyond reissue a couple of months ago. This CD features nine Staccatos Capitol and Tower singles, along with the entire 1969 Capitol LP, The Five Man Electrical Band, at which point, The Staccatos adopted the album's title as their new name.
The Now Sounds CD's sound quality on the earliest Staccatos singles is a definite improvement over other recordings of similar vintage that EMI Canada had previously released on the now-out-of-print Staccatos Initially CD. The eleven FMEB tracks sound great. Steve Stanley, the reissue CD's producer, did a great job on the liner notes, and the booklet is packed with photos. The back cover of the original Capitol FMEB LP is reproduced on the back of the booklet.
And, just as a cherry tops off an ice cream sundae, the CD's label incorporates the old Capitol color band logo for a nice finishing touch.
(Edit: While I'm very happy with this CD, Bruce Blackman's remarks about Cherry Red in Todd's following post do make me more leery of them. The FMEB reissue was apparently done with the band's support.)
Edited by Yah Shure on 22 March 2009 at 1:21pm
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Todd Ireland MusicFan
Joined: 16 October 2004 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 4219
|
Posted: 22 March 2009 at 12:52pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I checked my e-mail this morning and was delighted to have received a very informative response about The Official Starbuck CD by none other than lead singer Bruce Blackman himself! Here's what he had to say:
It is true that the Starbuck stereo mixes were destroyed in a fire. The CDs they talk about on your site came from practice mixes that were in mono. These mixes were sent to Larry Uttall just so he could hear the songs. Most of these came from my original recordings that were made in my basement on a Tascam 1 inch 8 track. Others were simply taken from vinyl.
Every single Starbuck CD ever released is bogus. Currently a company out of Holland has the mono mixes and is licensing them out to these labels. We're contacting all of them but as soon as we get rid of one, another pops up. They are all total ripoffs.
The double CD that is listed on Amazon (not available yet) is one of these. The label is Cherry Red and I've had dealings with them before. They released CDs on my first group, Eternity's Children and after a lot of legal work, they were forced to pay us retro to the first sale. If they actually release the Starbuck CD, they'll be in for another surprise. They are not aware that Eternity's Children essentially became Starbuck. And the CDs out of Japan of the first two Starbuck albums are ripoffs as well. We get no royalty of any kind and they don't even bother to get HFA licenses. It's difficult to chase down these foreign companies but we are going after them.
I got so tired of all these bogus releases that I decided to go ahead and do the real thing. (It took me over two years to complete this one). The "Official Starbuck CD" is the only real one. And yes, I own the masters and will be releasing all of the Starbuck material over time (about 50 songs).
Bruce Blackman
I sent Bruce a reply informing him that I plan to support his band's work by purchasing The Official Starbuck CD from his website, and I'd encourage anyone else interested to do the same, especially if you're also looking to obtain Starbuck's music in the best possible sound quality currently available.
Since Bruce confirms the band's stereo mixes were all destroyed in a fire, I wonder if this means then that all stereo CD appearances of "Moonlight Feels Right" are dubbed from vinyl?
|
Back to Top |
|
|
eriejwg MusicFan
Joined: 10 June 2007 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 3509
|
Posted: 22 March 2009 at 4:49pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
One step ahead of you, Todd. Around Noon today, I ordered the CD from the link you provided. If the online samples are any indication, then this CD will sound FABULOUS!
|
Back to Top |
|
|
EdisonLite MusicFan
Joined: 18 October 2004 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 2237
|
Posted: 23 March 2009 at 11:23am | IP Logged
|
|
|
A couple weeks ago, I asked David McLees (of Rhino Records fame) if Rhino used a tape or vinyl source for "Moonlight Feels Right" on their "Have a Nice Day" series. He said he was almost positive it was a tape source. I asked how, since the Private Stock tapes were all trashed. He didn't know the specifics, but recalled that Bill Inglot would sometimes find locations in the midwest that might have had, say, 2nd generation tapes of songs ... for instance, manufacturing plants in the midwest where in the '70s they were making copies of an album for that part of the country. This would explain why "Moonlight" sounds like it's from tape.
As far as this Bruce Blackman release, he's not really clear. He admits that the master tapes were destroyed, but so then, what are these? 2009 recordings? Mono master tapes from 1976? new mixes from the multi-track tapes?
|
Back to Top |
|
|
MPH711 MusicFan
Joined: 06 April 2007 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 54
|
Posted: 23 March 2009 at 1:36pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I clicked on the Starbuck link a few posts up to listen to samples of "I Got To Know" and "Moonlight Feels Right" and they both sound very clean...however, to my ears it sounds like they added new drums to both of the tracks. Although the songs are the original hits, to me, the drum beats are different. Anyone else hear it like I did?
|
Back to Top |
|
|
EdisonLite MusicFan
Joined: 18 October 2004 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 2237
|
Posted: 23 March 2009 at 4:34pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I just clicked on that link and listened, too. I played their 3 biggest hits: Moonlight..., I Got To Know, Everybody Be Dancin'
All are remixes. Not just tweaking of the old mixes, but it does seem like new instrumentation was added, too. The lead vocals on "Everybody Be Dancin'" seem like newly recorded vocals! What a shame.
It seems like the Cherry Red release would be a better choice than buying the "Official" release, in terms of possibly getting the original mixes from tape.
|
Back to Top |
|
|
EdisonLite MusicFan
Joined: 18 October 2004 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 2237
|
Posted: 23 March 2009 at 4:41pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Does anyone have a website address or email address for the Cherry Red label?
Also - I was re-reading the earlier posts here and with regards to the Japanese reissue of "Rock 'n Roll Rocket", I never reported back but I DID buy that CD, and it was taken from vinyl! So I guess not even the Japan record labels saved their master tapes of Starbuck!
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Todd Ireland MusicFan
Joined: 16 October 2004 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 4219
|
Posted: 23 March 2009 at 10:17pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
EdisonLite wrote:
As far as this Bruce Blackman release, he's not really clear. He admits that the master tapes were destroyed, but so then, what are these? 2009 recordings? Mono master tapes from 1976? new mixes from the multi-track tapes? |
|
|
I highly doubt these would be 2009 rerecordings since, according to the Starbuck website, the band dissolved in 1980 and Bruce Blackman has been working independently on other business ventures. And Bruce couldn't have used mono masters on the "Official" CD because the audio samples available on the website are definitely in wide stereo. I took his e-mail to mean that even though all the stereo mix tapes were destroyed, he still owns the original session tapes and therefore was able to create new stereo mixes from them. That's the only scenario that would really make sense to me.
I just ordered the CD, but I'll be disappointed if it turns out the music isn't faithful to the original mixes.
|
Back to Top |
|
|
maciav MusicFan
Joined: 02 June 2006 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline Posts: 88
|
Posted: 24 March 2009 at 6:19am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Here is the link to the Cherry Red website.
http://www.cherryred.co.uk/
I have bought some of the Osmonds CDs from this label, and they all sound great! In fact, they just released some of the Marie Osmond albums that were out of print, if anyone is interested. And all are orginal versions / mixes as far as I can tell.
__________________ Mike C. from PA
|
Back to Top |
|
|