Top 40 Music on Compact Disc: "Sky High"

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Topic: "Sky High" - Jigsaw

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Todd Ireland
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Posted: 02 May 2009 at 6:14pm \| IP Logged

According to Jim, his commercial 45 copy of Jigsaw's "Sky High" has an actual and printed run time of 2:53. I only post this because the song's database CDs (with the exception of the lone rerecording entry) run 2:46-2:52.

Hykker
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Posted: 02 May 2009 at 6:28pm \| IP Logged

On Rhino's Have A Nice Day CD the intro was shortened to cue past the synthesizer fade-up.

Todd Ireland
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Posted: 05 May 2009 at 8:45pm \| IP Logged

You've made an interesting observation, Hykker, because I just compared "Sky High" on the following CDs:

Billboard Top Hits - 1975 (Rhino 70670)
Super Hits of the 70's Volume 15 (Rhino 70762)
Rock 'n Roll Relix 1974-1975 (Eclipse Music Group 64894)

The intro starts cold on the Rock 'n Roll Relix disc, yet it fades in on the Billboard and Super Hits of the 70's CDs. Meanwhile, the song's ending on the latter two discs fades out roughly :04 sooner than on the former CD. (By the way, I also detect what sounds like some vinyl crackling during the intro of both the Rhino CDs, so I'm wondering if these are vinyl dubs?)

Although I passed along Jim's run times for his commercial 45 of "Sky High", I do not have a copy of it to verify how the intro begins. It's also possible that the song might have a different intro on the Jigsaw Sky High 1975 vinyl LP. If anyone can furnish information for either, it may be a big help in solving this mystery.

Edited by Todd Ireland on 05 May 2009 at 8:55pm

eriejwg
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Posted: 05 May 2009 at 9:59pm \| IP Logged

I had remembered the subject of this song came up in the lengthy "CDs Mastered From Vinyl" thread.

Gordon (EdisonLite) posted this about "Sky High":

<Jigsaw "Skyhigh" is indeed mastered from vinyl on many VA comps (I have only 3 total), however I believe it's from tape on Targon's Very Best Of (or cleaned up very well!).>

Being that I was the co-producer of Taragon's "Very Best of Jigsaw" I can confirm that the master tape was used. All Jigsaw import CDs that contain "Sky High" are from master tape, too. I don't have all the U.S. various artist comps, and I can't quite recall about the Rhino "Super Hits", other than I remember the intro was faded in instead of starting at the proper volume, and that does make me suspicious as to whether they used vinyl and needed to cover it up in the quiet spot.

EdisonLite
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Posted: 06 May 2009 at 12:20am \| IP Logged

Yes, and having been co-producer on that Taragon "Best of Jigsaw" CD, I spoke firsthand with the master tape owner, Chas Peate, and master tape was used for "Sky High."

Also, to answer the question above, the song does not have a different intro on the Jigsaw Sky High 1975 vinyl LP. Rhino was the first label to fade in and out on "Sky High", and the other fadein CDs are just copies of the Rhino source, which would seem to be from vinyl to hide the noise in the quiet intro and outro.

Todd Ireland
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Posted: 06 May 2009 at 6:31am \| IP Logged

Thanks, Gordon and John. There's lot of significant info here that should probably be incorporated into the database.

EdisonLite
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Posted: 06 May 2009 at 10:29am \| IP Logged

And FYI, the only vinyl source used on the 24-song Taragaon "Best of Jigsaw" CD was for the Hot 100 hit "Brand New Love Affair". Chas Peate explained to me that Wes Farrell requested the original tape to add applause/cheering to the recording and make it seem like it was a live recording (which is rather odd in itself considering the recording fades, and most live bands just end a song rather than fade it.) Thus, when "Brand New Love Affair" became an A-side single (instead of the B-side of "Sky High"), suddenly the same recording had concert applause. Anyway, years later while transferring the Jigsaw catalog from master tape to DAT, Chas realized he didn't have the masters on the no-applause or applause versions of this song and deduced that Wes Farrell never sent them back.

Also, of all Jigsaw's recordings between 1972 and the mid '80s, this is the only one where vinyl had to be used. (And btw, there are a total of 160 Jigsaw recordings. Most US fans think they had just the 3 albums = 30 songs, but that's not the case at all.)

80smusicfreak
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Posted: 06 May 2009 at 1:55pm \| IP Logged

EdisonLite wrote:

Most US fans think they had just the 3 albums...

True, and I also know for a fact that - here in the U.S., anyway - "Sky High" appeared on more than one of those albums, which seems to have been overlooked here. Although they're currently buried away in my closet, and I haven't listened to either in quite some time, I know because I have both albums on cassette. The first was 1975's "Sky High" album, on Chelsea 509, which was the one on store shelves at the time the song was a hit (features drawings of the four band members & puzzle pieces on the cover). But then in 1977, the song also appeared on their self-titled album, on 20th Century 545 (features just the band's new logo on the front cover). Are the versions of "Sky High" on the two different albums identical in every way???

EdisonLite
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Posted: 06 May 2009 at 10:08pm \| IP Logged

YES!

budaniel
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Posted: 08 May 2009 at 12:31pm \| IP Logged

so, on Rock n Roll Relix, is it the complete recording NOT mastered from vinyl? Other than the taragon release, what other source is correct? Because the Taragon release is out of print and getting pricey very fast on amazon.

Edited by budaniel on 08 May 2009 at 12:31pm

Bill Cahill
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Posted: 08 May 2009 at 5:35pm \| IP Logged

The Rock N Roll Relix CD sounds like the imports I've heard, from a master. It does not fade up, starts like it should with no surface noise apparent.

But the EQ is more flat than the Rhino needle drop which sounds like the highs have been boosted. Might have been boosted on the original vinyl LP in the US. Not sure.

Todd Ireland
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Posted: 10 May 2009 at 6:43pm \| IP Logged

I concur with Bill's assessment of the sound quality on the Rock 'N' Roll Relix CD. Do all the import CDs have the same flat sounding EQ? I was on the verge of purchasing one with hopes that the sound quality would have a crisper high end and more overall "punch", but I'll pass if they all sound like the Rock 'N' Roll Relix disc.

EdisonLite
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Posted: 11 May 2009 at 10:25am \| IP Logged

Sorry to pass on this bad news, but since this song has been in discussion a lot recently, I thought I'd pass it on:

Clive Scott, founding member of Jigsaw and the co-writer of all their songs (with member Des Dyer) passed away yesterday. He fell from a ladder 2 weeks ago and had surgery on his brain. Unfortunately, he had a stroke a couple of days ago and did not survive.

Clive was a friend of mine (and a co-writer of mine, too) and his wife just wrote me to tell me the sad news.

Clive and Des also wrote "Who Do You Think You Are", which became a top 15 hit for Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods.

I often spoke to Clive over the phone and it's hard to believe he's gone ... and from such a fluke accident.

Todd Ireland
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Posted: 11 May 2009 at 2:17pm \| IP Logged

Gordon:

I'm very sorry to learn of the sudden and tragic passing of your friend Clive and I can only imagine how devastating this must be to his family. My condolences go out to them. The music world unfortunately loses one more talented musician and songwriter in Clive, but he leaves behind some well-crafted pop music that fans around the world will continue to enjoy and appreciate for years to come.

Edited by Todd Ireland on 11 May 2009 at 2:20pm

Bill Cahill
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Posted: 11 May 2009 at 5:13pm \| IP Logged

Sorry to hear that sad news.

Going back the the EQ question and imports, I can report that the various artists import "Blockbuster 18 Smashes from the 70's" MUSCD 011 Music Collection International from the EEC contains the clean but flatter EQ version heard on Relix.

My guess is that Chelsea Records EQed it. Sounds like the same mix.

Yah Shure
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Posted: 11 May 2009 at 5:52pm \| IP Logged

Gordon, I'm also sorry to hear the news about your friend and co-writer.

eriejwg
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Posted: 11 May 2009 at 6:24pm \| IP Logged

Yes, Gordon, condolences and may he rest in peace.

crapfromthepast
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Posted: 30 November 2016 at 9:08pm \| IP Logged

Revisiting "Sky High" seven years later...

The 45 starts with 16 repetitions of a boingy sound in the left channel. The 16 reps are all roughly the same volume, which is well below the volume of the full song. The 45 runs 2:53. I suspect that the LP version is the same as the 45, but can't confirm.

The oldest CD I have with the song is Rhino's Have A Nice Day Vol. 15 (1990), where it's taken from vinyl, fades in to mask the surface noise on the boingy sounds, fades out early (at 2:47) to mask the surface noise on the fade, and has the left/right channels swapped (boingy sounds on the right). Not ideal, but it actually sounds better than my description would indicate. The same analog transfer is used on:

Rhino's Billboard Top Hits 1975 (1991; digitally identical)
Razor & Tie's 2-CD More Fabulous '70s (1991; differently-EQ'd digital clone that fades even earlier)
Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 31 AM Top Twenty (1993; has left/right channels swapped to correct the error on Have A Nice Day Vol. 15)
Time-Life's AM Gold Vol. 22 1975 (1996; digitally exactly 0.3 dB louder)
Time-Life's 2-CD Seventies Music Explosion Vol. 1 Sunshine (2005; digitally exactly 1.9 dB louder than Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 31 AM Top Twenty, so that left/right channels are correct)

It's safe to say that all other CDs that feature a fade-in are also based on the mastering from Have A Nice Day Vol. 15.

In 1998, Taragon released The Very Best Of Jigsaw, which was the first CD to use a tape source. It runs 2:51 (two seconds shorter than the 45), and has the boingy sounds in the left channel at the proper volume. It's mastered a little loud and clips a bit in the loud portions, but it's better than the Rhino needledrop.

I suspect that there are some compilations released after 1998 that are based on the Very Best Of mastering, but I don't have any.

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Ringmaster_D
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Posted: 01 December 2016 at 10:28am \| IP Logged

Ron, have you compared the Rock And Roll Relix CD
with the sources you list above? I wonder if the
missing seconds could be grafted on from that source.
(I haven't heard it myself.)

crapfromthepast
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Posted: 01 December 2016 at 10:37am \| IP Logged

If someone would be so kind to send me a WAV or FLAC of the song from Rock And Roll Relix, I'll compare and post my findings.

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