https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Tue, 05 May 2026 19:25:57 +0000 Tue, 06 Oct 2020 14:42:04 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.07 360 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=2755 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum//images/Top-40-Music-on-CD-Forum-Logo.png https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/ https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=56173&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#56173 Author: ChicagoBill
Subject: 2755
Posted: 06 October 2020 at 2:42pm

Out of the 110 listings of CD's in Pat's database, 105
are Various Artists! Of course the other 5 are CD's that
only contain tracks by the 5 Stairsteps, such as
'Greatest Hits' packages and the one on Real Gone that
appears to be a re-issue of 2 LP's on 1 CD. What is this
an indication of? -Bill.]]> Tue, 06 Oct 2020 14:42:04 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=56173&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#56173 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=56165&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#56165 Author: crapfromthepast
Subject: 2755
Posted: 05 October 2020 at 8:30pm

(Post edited to include much more detail.)

Stereo LP version (printed 3:17, actual 3:14)

I assume that the Stairsteps LP was the only place to find the song in stereo. The commercial 45 was in mono, and the various promo 45s listed on Discogs don't show a stereo/mono configuration.

The oldest CD that I have with the stereo LP version is Rhino's Didn't It Blow Your Mind Vol. 2 (1991), where it runs 3:14 and sounds excellent. Great dynamic range, nice EQ, seemingly low-generation source tape, and no evidence of noise reduction on the fade. The last words I hear on the tail of the fade are: "Right now/Gonna get better." The same analog transfer is used on:

• Razor & Tie's 2-CD Sweet '70s Soul (1991) - severely blunts high end and fades about two beats earlier
• Rhino's cheapie Seventies Smash Hits Vol. 2 (1993)
• Time-Life's Solid Gold Soul Vol. 5 1970 (1996) - tail of fade is about two beats shorter
• Razor & Tie's 2-CD Suddenly '70s (1997) - severely blunts high end and fades about two beats earlier
• Varese Sarabande's Dick Bartley On The Radio Vol. 5 (1998) - tail of fade is about half a beat shorter
• Rhino's multi-CD Have A Nice Decade (1998)
• Time-Life's 2-CD Seventies Music Explosion One-Hit Wonders (2005) - tail of fade is about two beats shorter

There's another analog transfer on JCI's Only Rock 'N Roll 1970-1974 (1994). Here, it runs a little slower than Didn't It Blow Your Mind. It seems that the left and right channels are a bit out of synch, so that the high end is blunted when the channels are summed to mono; avoid, if possible. (Didn't It Blow Your Mind sounds just fine when summed to mono.) The same analog transfer is used on:

• Madacy's Rock On 1970 In The Summertime (1998) - tail of fade is about half a beat shorter

There's one more analog transfer on Rhino's multi-CD Can You Dig It The '70s Soul Experience (2001). This mastering seems to use the same source tape as Didn't It Blow Your Mind, but just runs slower. Sound quality is comparable to Didn't It Blow Your Mind.

Stereo LP version faded early (2:54)

This is just an early fade of the stereo LP version, from 2:49 to 2:54. This early fade didn't exist on record back in 1970.

The early fade originated on Pair's Best Of Buddah (1988) or Pair's Best Of Bubblegum Music (1988); not sure which came out first.

I assume that all the 2:53 or 2:54 versions on CD are also this early fade, and all trace their masterings back to one of the two Pair CDs.

It also shows up on Time-Life's Superhits Vol. 4 1970 (1990) and AM Gold Vol. 2 1970 (1990; a digitally identical repackaging of the whole Superhits disc).

Mono 45 version (printed 3:11, actual 3:12)

The mono 45 is a dedicated mix, not just a fold-down of the stereo LP mix. At the 0:14 mark, the stereo LP mix has reverb on the tom-tom drum fill, but there's no such reverb on the mono 45 mix. (Thanks to Mark M for finding this difference!) There may be other differences as well, but this is the easiest to spot.

The mono 45 mix doesn't appear on a commercially available CD.

But, it does appear on one promo CD! It's on Rhino's Didn't It Blow Your Mind Vols. 1-5 Sampler (PRO2 90055, released 1990). It runs 3:13, and sounds quite nice, with excellent dynamic range, nice EQ, and no evidence of noise reduction on the fade. The tail of the 45 fade is shaped a little differently than the LP fade, so that you can see a difference in the waveforms if you zoom way out.

My recommendations

For the stereo LP version, go with Rhino's Didn't It Blow Your Mind Vol. 2 (1991).

For the mono 45 version, I'll recommend Rhino's promo Didn't It Blow Your Mind Vols. 1-5 Sampler (PRO2 90055, released 1990), although I realize that you probably won't be able to actually find this disc.

Edited by crapfromthepast]]> Mon, 05 Oct 2020 20:30:40 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=56165&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#56165 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=30246&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#30246 Author: edtop40
Subject: 2755
Posted: 19 May 2011 at 8:32am

my commercial 45 issued as buddah 165 also has "who do you belong to" as the B-side....]]> Thu, 19 May 2011 08:32:18 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=30246&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#30246 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=12810&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#12810 Author: jrjr
Subject: 2755
Posted: 19 November 2007 at 7:56pm

yes, the album is called simply, "Stairsteps", but the label says "The 5 Stairsteps"... this group seems to have a bit of a confusing, although interesting, history:
1966 - 1967: The Five Stairsteps
1967 - 1969: Five Stairsteps & Cubie (5 year old brother?)
1970 - The 5 Stairsteps
1971 - The Stairsteps
1980 - The Invisible Man's Band
Also, of their 16 charting singles, only one hit the top 40 and that was of course "o-o-h child" i do not remember much airplay in upstate NY, although i imagine that they were chart-busters in and around chicago...
good call by Gary Mack, as "Dear Prudence" hit the charts first as the a-side in 3/70, while "o-o-h" hit the charts as the a-side in 5/70... all three songs are on the lp "stairsteps" alluded to above...]]> Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:56:01 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=12810&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#12810 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=12756&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#12756 Author: eric_a
Subject: 2755
Posted: 17 November 2007 at 9:36pm

On a side note, I seem to remember seeing an early copy of the album, with the promo "play these cuts" sticker for DJs, and if I recall correctly, it just called them "The Stairsteps" without the 5.   Can anyone confirm?]]> Sat, 17 Nov 2007 21:36:48 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=12756&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#12756 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=12753&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#12753 Author: jimct
Subject: 2755
Posted: 17 November 2007 at 8:59pm

Andy, I have ONLY ever seen "O-o-h Child" b/w "Dear Prudence"! And you and I only live three hours away; you'd think we'd have had similar 1970 distribution channels!]]> Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:59:37 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=12753&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#12753 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=12750&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#12750 Author: AndrewChouffi
Subject: 2755
Posted: 17 November 2007 at 8:40pm

I have ONLY seen "O-o-h Child" b/w "Who Do You Belong To".

I would also like to know the full story.

Andy]]> Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:40:05 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=12750&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#12750 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=12744&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#12744 Author: Gary Mack
Subject: 2755
Posted: 17 November 2007 at 5:50pm

Sorry, can't help much with this one. I remember Dear Prudence on the B side, but that's all, and I don't have the 45.

GM]]> Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:50:35 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=12744&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#12744 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=12734&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#12734 Author: Paul Haney
Subject: 2755
Posted: 17 November 2007 at 11:03am

It's been a long time since I thought about this one, but I believe when Buddah 165 was first released, "Dear Prudence" was considered the A-side and "O-o-h Child" was the B-side. After DJ's started spinning "O-o-h Child" more than "Dear Prudence", Buddah issued 165 with "O-o-h Child" as the A-side and "Who Do You Belong To" as the B-side.

Maybe Gary Mack and/or Jim can back me up on this.

Edited by Paul Haney]]> Sat, 17 Nov 2007 11:03:12 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=12734&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#12734 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=12733&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#12733 Author: jrjr
Subject: 2755
Posted: 17 November 2007 at 10:12am

there seems to be some discrepancy between the b-side of "o-o-h child"... whitburn lists the b-side as "dear prudence" which made it on its own to #49 on BB Hot 100... however, my 45, Buddah 165, has "who do you belong to" as the flip... can anybody shed some light on this?
thanks...
by the way, just for clarification, the 45 lists the group as "The 5 Stairsteps" with the number rather than the spelling of "Five"...]]> Sat, 17 Nov 2007 10:12:54 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755&PID=12733&title=the-5-stairsteps-ooh-child#12733