cktimes.ca Archives for Classic Vinyl


Classic Vinyl

With Allan Day

THE MOBILE FIDELITY SOUND ORIGINAL MASTER RECORDINGS

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Frank Sinatra Master Recordings Box Set Beatles Master Recordings Box set

Mobile Fidelity Geo Disc Rolling Stones Master Recordings Box Set

This week's storyline is about The Master Recordings, by the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab made in the mid 1980's. Most vinyl collector's probably know about these Amazing Audio Quality Recordings, but many of my friends who visit my Stones room are not aware of a box set that is displayed in my collection---The Rolling Stones Master Recordings consists of the Stones first 11 vinyl albums plus the Geo-Disc, which is the most accurate alignment system ever made available to the public. The company have many single albums in their catalogue, but they made 3 really important box sets in their history---The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Frank Sinatra---these sets are highly collectible and expensive, but worth every penny you have to invest. They all chronicle the early recording history of these great artists---here is a brief history of what a Mobile Fidelity Sound Recording Analog LP is.

Original Master Recordings are a very limited edition, state-of-the-art vinyl record, cassette tape and CD of unparallelled audio quality. They are the direct result of years of concentrated research and development in the technologies of music transference and recovery by engineers. When you listen to these amazing recordings, you can almost believe that you are in the recording studio with these artists. An overwhelming sensation of pure, natural sound that you've never heard before---free of surface noise, distortion, hiss and disc warp age---and if you have a somewhat expensive sound system, you will experience the full high fidelity that you have been missing.

The 3 Box Sets pictured in cktimes this week are photos of the sets in their gold hinged wooden boxes, with album listings and numbered gold plaque on inner door.If you can still find these Master Recordings still sealed in the shipping box, be aware that The Stones and the Frank Sinatra box sets got mixed up and your Stones box just might have Old Bues Eyes inside---guess if you don't open it, you will never know. The Stones set included a postcard to send in and receive the highly collectible Beggars Banquet (original banned album artwork) of the toilet scene poster. Sealed Sets run in the $4000 range and open sets can be scooped around the $1000 mark.

Original Master Recordings are exclusively transferred direct from the original stereo master tape that the musicians first recorded in the studio.

All the Original Recordings, employ the Mobile Fidelity Lab's exclusive "Half-Speed Mastering process" The delicate art of record mastering, which the grooves are actually cut into a master lacquer disc, proceeds at half the normal speed in order to capture every nuance of sound from the original recording session.

The number of pressings is strictly controlled to guarantee optimum quality standards for each and every disc. The Beatles/Rolling Stones and Frank Sinatra are pressings of 10,000

They are custom pressed overseas by the Victor Company of Japan (JVC), Super Vinyl, an exclusive compound far superior to even so-called 100% Virgin Vinyl, utilized to achieve maximum sonic clarity and startling quietness. Super Vinyl is incredibly durable, having a playing lifespan at least five times longer than mass-produced records.

The Master recordings are ultra-protectively packaged to avoid dust and particle contamination, abrasion and disc warp age.

Each recording (LP, Cassette and CD) are exclusively warranted by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, and the warranty covers manufacturing defects in material or workmanship for a period of one hundred and twenty days.

The Mobile Fidelity Sound Company ran into a financial calamity and was forced into bankruptcy in November 1999.

Some other recordings you might be interested in from their catalogue are: Chicago Transit Authority/The Eagles/Foreigner/Country Joe McDonald/The Moody Blues/Elvis/Genesis/Led Zeppelin and many more. All these recordings can be found on ebay auctions and like I mentioned, expensive and very collectible---good luck in your hunt for your favourite vinyl album.

Now if you happen to own one of these amazing recordings (each album is clearly stamped along the top of the album--Original Master Recording) and you didn't know what you had, you know have a bit of history on these rare recordings.

This week's youtubes are some favourites of mine from wayyyyy back in the mid 60's--- The Blues Magoo's "We Ain't Got Nothin' Yet" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOGRTLn2uKY&feat...ure=related the Count Five "Psychotic Reaction" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPsQdqeImO8&feat...ure=related The Castaways "Liar, Liar" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SsFK3JJ_-E&feat...ure=related and Sir Douglas Quintet "She's A Body Mover" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-VFq6nWvT8&feat...ure=related


Hope you enjoyed this weeks column and see you in 2 weeks---contact me at bluesslider88@yahoo.ca or at cktimes with any comments you would like to make about classic vinyl



Allan Day----long time acquaintance of John Gardiner----I presently live in Goderich Ontario, retired (oh yeah) and live for the sound of music, especially from the 60's music explosion---I hope you enjoy some of my articles and they bring back some lost memories of bands gone by. Now I have to let you know that I am a HUGE Rolling Stones fan, collector, historian and I hope to hear any stories you might have on this GREAT Band from the 60's----email me at CK Times and let me know what you have or memories you have of this group. I will include stories and short stories on The Stones each week.