https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:47:20 +0000 Sat, 22 Feb 2020 09:45:29 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.07 360 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=4703 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=4703&PID=53566&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#53566 Author: LunarLaugh
Subject: 4703
Posted: 22 February 2020 at 9:45am

Just wanted to add my 2 cents here. About 10 years ago,
I picked up an obscure 2005 Audio Fidelity CD called
'Hal Lifson Presents Music For Lonely Housewives'
mastered by Steve Hoffman. This disc isn't particularly
much of a winner as far as compilations go (they used a
re-recording of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive"
instead of the more familiar hit version), but the
tracklisting was interesting and I figured it was worth
checking out since it was a cheapie bargain bin item
anyhow. They were definitely trying to jump on the
"Desperate Housewives" band-wagon but they missed the
mark in more ways than one.

ANYWAY... assuming Steve Hoffman sourced all these
songs from existing collections and just tweaked the EQ
to his liking, the version of "Mr. Big Stuff" on here
sounds like it came from the same transfer that was
used on the "Sounds of The Seventies" disc but the
fidelity sounds a bit better due to the EQ that was
applied. The highs are much more crisp and less murky-
sounding.

I used this CD as the source for my own collection,
though I applied some of my own EQ to it to further
suit my personal tastes (happy to share with anyone
here for comparisons sake). ]]> Sat, 22 Feb 2020 09:45:29 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=53566&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#53566 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=50870&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#50870 Author: crapfromthepast
Subject: 4703
Posted: 30 December 2018 at 9:53pm

LP version, which is stereo (2:43)

I believe that the LP version first turned up on CD on Original Sound's Oldies But Goodies Vol. 5 (1986). It sounds pinched and weird, with a screwed-up soundstage, and 60 Hz hum throughout. Avoid at all costs.

Infinitely better is Heartland/Warner Special Products' 2-CD Feel Good Rock (1989), which has a reasonable EQ, a nice soundstage, and no evidence of noise reduction.

Better still is Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 12 1971 Take Two (1990), which has all of the advantages of the Feel Good Rock, but seems to use slightly lower-generation source tapes. The same analog transfer is used on:

• JCI's Only Dance 1970-1974 (1996)
• Time-Life's 2-CD Seventies Music Explosion Vol. 4 Magic (2005)

There's one more additional analog transfer on PolyGram's Pure Funk Vol. 1 (1998), which is excessively compressed. Avoid.

I don't have any of the CD on the Stax label, so I can't comment on those.

Of the CDs in my limited library, I prefer Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 12 1971 Take Two (1990) for the LP version.

LP version faded early, stereo

Stax's 9-CD Complete Stax/Volt Vol. 2 Disc 7 (1993) fades the LP version early to 2:33.

Varese Sarabande's Dick Bartley On The Radio Vol. 6 (2000) fades the LP version early to 2:28.

These versions didn't exist when the song was a hit in 1971; avoid.

Commercial 45 version, which is mono; also on mono side of promo 45 (2:27)

It's a dedicated mix, not a fold-down, and can't be created from any other version of the song.

Unavailable on CD, unfortunately.

Stereo promo 45 version (2:27)

This, too, is a dedicated mix different from the LP version. As noted above, Jean's vocals are mixed down before the rest of the instrumentation, so it sounds like she left the session early.

Surprisingly, the stereo promo 45 version does turn up on CD. It first appeared on Rhino's Billboard Top R&B Hits 1971 (1990). Sound quality is excellent, which is what we'd expect from Rhino. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Rhino's Didn't It Blow Your Mind Vol. 5 (1991) - digitally identical
• Rhino's Didn't It Blow Your Mind Vols. 1-5 Sampler (1990; Rhino PRO2 90055) - I realize that I may be the only person who owns this, and I wanted to document this info somewhere
• Starland Music/Warner Special Products' 2-CD 40 Party Classics (1996)
• Time-Life's Solid Gold Soul Vol. 6 1971 (1996)

All of the above should be listed as "stereo promo 45 version" in the database; they currently say "45 length but LP mix".

My preference for the stereo promo 45 version is Rhino's Billboard Top R&B Hits 1971 (1990).]]> Sun, 30 Dec 2018 21:53:32 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=50870&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#50870 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=49500&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#49500 Author: Pat Downey
Subject: 4703
Posted: 27 June 2018 at 11:04am

Yes!]]> Wed, 27 Jun 2018 11:04:49 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=49500&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#49500 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=49498&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#49498 Author: eriejwg
Subject: 4703
Posted: 26 June 2018 at 8:37pm

Pat,

Does this warrant a notation of 'LP mix' in the database?]]> Tue, 26 Jun 2018 20:37:06 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=49498&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#49498 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=49495&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#49495 Author: KentT
Subject: 4703
Posted: 26 June 2018 at 9:57am

Vinyl LP is Stereo, and sounds like the CD. Mono mix is
dedicated, and different. Not a fold. ]]> Tue, 26 Jun 2018 09:57:45 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=49495&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#49495 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=49481&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#49481 Author: eriejwg
Subject: 4703
Posted: 24 June 2018 at 9:55pm

Revisiting this song, I noticed that in listening to
several mono 45's on YouTube, there is some vocal reverb
throughout the song. Everything that I've found digitally,
the vocals are dry with no reverb.

Is this a mix difference? What about the vinyl LP? ]]> Sun, 24 Jun 2018 21:55:12 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=49481&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#49481 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=36632&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#36632 Author: The Hits Man
Subject: 4703
Posted: 07 February 2013 at 6:50pm

The 45 length, in stereo, with vocals, intact can be found
on "Dick Bartley Presents Collector's Essentials: On The
Radio, Volume 6" on Varese Vintage.]]> Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:50:04 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=36632&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#36632 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=36600&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#36600 Author: Yah Shure
Subject: 4703
Posted: 04 February 2013 at 8:23pm

The track from Rhino's Soul Hits Of The '70s Vol. 5 is the same as the two CDs you cited, John. It matches the stereo side of my mono/stereo DJ 45.

In comparing the fades on the stereo and mono sides, it's obvious that the mono isn't a fold-down. On the stereo side, the vocal is faded out sooner than the backing track, to the point where the vocal is barely (and I do mean barely) perceptible at all from 2:24 to 2:28. At the same time, the backing track continues to fade in a normal, gradual curve, making it sound like Jean has already left the building.

On the mono side, the vocal fades out at the same rate as the backing track, resulting in a plainly-audible additional "you're never gonna break m..." up 'til the very quick dumping of the fade just shy of the 2:28 mark. For all intents and purposes, these same last couple of sung words are not audible on the stereo side. ]]> Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:23:59 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=36600&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#36600 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=36596&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#36596 Author: eriejwg
Subject: 4703
Posted: 04 February 2013 at 6:30pm

Just noticed on two of the 45 length copies I own, part of
the vocal on the fade from 2:23 to 2:27 is buried in the
mix, whereas on the 45 the vocals are up front.

The two CD's I checked are:
Have A Nice Decade: The 70's Pop Culture Box
Can You Dig It: The 70's Soul Experience

Can anyone share similiar findings?]]> Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:30:33 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=36596&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#36596 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=21457&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#21457 Author: Todd Ireland
Subject: 4703
Posted: 05 March 2009 at 11:14pm

Jim reports the actual and printed commercial 45 run time of Jean Knight's "Mr. Big Stuff" is 2:27. I'm passing this along because database CD times run from 2:27 to 2:33.]]> Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:14:49 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4703&PID=21457&title=mr-big-stuff-jean-knight#21457