Higher and Higher - Jackie Wilson

Just documenting some mastering notes for future reference:

Mono 45 version

There is no singing over the end of the horn solo, from 1:52 to 1:55.

I have it on JCI's Dance Sixties (1988). The two channels on the JCI disc fall in and out of synch (break it into mono and invert one of the channels, and you'll hear a mess). I don't think it was deliberate, or (E). As Aaron reported above, you can grab one of the two channels to form a nice truly mono version.

If you crank up the fade, you'll hear the instruments drop out on Jackie's last "higher" and the background singers hit one last "higher". It would have made a terrific cold ending for the song, but the producers went with a fade instead.

Mono LP version

Jackie sings some high notes over the end of the horn solo, from 1:52 to 1:55.

I have the mono LP version on Time-Life's Classic Rock Vol. 5 1967 (1988). It sounds like mud here, with virtually no high end. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Silver Eagle/Warner Special Products' 2-CD Heart And Soul Of The Sixties (1989)

Stereo LP version

Jackie sings some high notes over the end of the horn solo, from 1:52 to 1:55.

I have the stereo LP version in Rhino's Billboard Top R&B Hits 1967 (1989). The bass starts in the right channel. At the end of the fade, after Jackie's last "higher", you can hear the background singers start the very last "higher" but it fades to zero before the end of their "higher". The same analog transfer is used on:

• Time-Life's 2-CD Rock Party (1990) - left and right channels swapped, so that bass starts in the left channel; tail of fade is shortened

There's a new analog transfer on Time-Life's Rhythm And Blues Vol. 10 1967 (1991), which has a narrower soundstage than the Rhino disc and has a shortened fade compared to the Rhino disc. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Time-Life's Solid Gold Soul Vol. 2 1967 (1991)
• JCI's Only Rock 'N Roll 1965-1969 (1994)

There's a new analog transfer on Brunswick's The Brunswick Years Vol. 1 (1995), which has a wider soundstage than any of the above discs, including the Rhino. The bass starts in the right channel. The fade extends out to the very end of the background singers' last "higher". There a bit of a hum on the whole track. I've noticed that hum (and swapped left/right channels) on quite a few tracks from this collection. The same analog transfer (or possibly the same source tape), minus the hum and with its left and right channels swapped, is found on:

• MCA's multi-disc Soul Train 25th Anniversary Hall Of Fame (1995)
• Rhino's Millennium New Soul Party (2000)

I have two additional UK collections that feature the stereo LP version:

• Connoisseur Collection's 100 Dance Hits Of The '70s (1988) runs a little fast and shortens the fade
• the 2-CD Best Northern Soul All-Nighter Ever (2001) also runs too fast and shortens the fade

My recommendations

For the mono 45 version, use JCI's Dance Sixties (1988), but grab the left channel only or the right channel only for a true mono file.

For the stereo LP version, go with Rhino's Millennium New Soul Party (2000), which is inexpensive, features the widest soundstage out there, and removes the hum that's on The Brunswick Years Vol. 1.

There's no earthly reason to listen to the mono LP version on Time-Life's Classic Rock Vol. 5 1967 (1988).