shirelles will you love me tomorrow

I have this track in several places, only one in mono (on The Scepter Records
Story), and two in stereo: on "Billboard Top Rock'N'Roll Hits 1961" where it
is drenched in echo, that I do not hear on the mono version, nor on the
version on "Rock & Roll: The First 50 Years – The Early '60s: 25 Top 10 Hits".
The database indicates "with no echo added" for the latter, but no comments
beside the mono versions.

So, safely assuming the mono version on the CD that I have is the correct 45
version (with no echo added), then all CDs with echo added are....what? The
stereo LP version? Or was the stereo LP version the one database entry with
no echo, making me wonder when the echo version first appeared?

I understand that the stereo LP mix from 1961 did not have prevalent reverb throughout. (I assume the 1961 45 was mono.) I found two CDs with the reverb-free stereo version, both having a fade that starts at 2:24 and ends at 2:33:

• Warner Special Products/Sessions' 2-CD Bop (1989; truncates hiss on fade)
• Warner Special Products/Heartland's 2-CD Slow Dancing (1991; differently EQ'd digital clone of Bop but doesn't truncate hiss on fade)

All the other CDs I have feature the reverb-laden stereo version, all of which fade from about 2:32 to about 2:41. There's a slight bit of static and a slight dropout in the right channel at 2:33. It's clearly the same take, just extending longer. If I had to guess, I'd say that the glitch may be on the multi-tracks, which could be why the 1961 stereo mix fades to end around 2:33. (Just a guess.)

The reverb-laden stereo version first turned up on Rhino's Billboard Top R&R Hits 1961 (1988), where it sounds just fine. Great dynamic range, nice EQ, No noise reduction, pleasing hiss on the fade. All of the following use the same analog transfer as Billboard:

• Time-Life's Rock 'N' Roll Era Vol. 4 1961 (1987; digitally exactly 1.9 dB louder; the hiss on the fade is truncated before the Rhino disc, so the Rhino disc must have come first)
• Time-Life's Rhythm And Blues Vol. 14 1961 (1992; left/right channels reversed - avoid)
• Time-Life's Solid Gold Soul Vol. 19 Rhythm And Blues 1961 (1992; is repackaging of Rhythm And Blues Vol. 14 1961; left/right channels reversed - avoid)
• Time-Life's Superhits Vol. 15 The Early '60s (1992)
• Time-Life's AM Gold Vol. 19 The Early '60s (1992; is repackaging of Superhits Vol. 15 The Early '60s)
• Rhino's Billboard Top R&R Hits 1961 (1993 RE-1 rerelease; digitally identical to original 1988 release)
• Time-Life's Rock 'N' Roll Era Vol. 4 1961 (1993 RE-1 rerelease; digitally identical to original 1987 release)
• JCI's Only Rock 'N Roll 1960-1964 (1994)
• Time-Life's 2-CD Glory Days Of Rock 'N' Roll Vol. 7 Girl Group Sound (1999; digitally exactly 1.4 dB louder but fade is hastened by a second or two - avoid)
• Time-Life's 2-CD Classic Love Songs Of Rock 'N' Roll Vol. 1 (2003)

Rhino's Girl Group Greats (2001) sounds comparable to all of the above, but doesn't seem to use the same analog transfer.

All of the above sound basically the same as the Billboard disc, with a reasonable EQ, reasonable volume levels (no clipping), great dynamic range, pleasing hiss on the fade, and no traces of noise reduction. I would assume that most, if not all, of the typical big-label compilations out there would also use the reverb-laden version that originally appeared on the Billboard CD.

Verese's Totally Oldies Vol. 3 Then (2002) is a teensy bit more compressed than all of the above, and a teeny-bit more smiley-face EQ'd than the above. Still sounds fine, but the others are a tiny bit better.

My recommendations, based on my limited library:

For what appears to be the proper 1961 stereo LP mix (no reverb): Warner Special Products/Heartland's 2-CD Slow Dancing (1991)

For the reverb-laden mix that likely didn't exist in 1961 and likely originated with the Billboard CD: Rhino's Billboard Top R&R Hits 1961 (1988)

Edited by crapfromthepast