UK 1st press vinyl recorded in England, but mastered in America

I find it fascinating that a number of British artists recorded in England, yet sent the master tapes to America to have vinyl lacquers made.

That process resulted in US pressings that sound quite similar to the highly esteemed UK 1st pressings.

It's also interesting that for many albums the UK 1st pressings fetch very high prices, yet the US versions are not considered collectible at all...

Some examples off the top of my head:

The Who Who's Next--Mastered by Doug Sax
Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy--Robert Ludwig at Sterling
ELO Face the Music--TML
Pink Floyd The Wall--Doug Sax at TML
Queen A Day at the Races--Sterling
Genesis We Can't Dance--Masterdisk
ELP--Brain Salad Surgery (not only mastered in the US--the UK 1st press is a US made record, housed in a British manufactured jacket)

Can you think of other examples of this? I bet there are many.

Also, why do you think it was done?




--Tom

 

This is a great idea for a thread. I will be watching carefully.

 

Another one:
Cat Stevens--Mona Bone Jakon LH Sterling

I also think some of his other early albums were mastered in America for the UK release.

 

Queen Sheer Heart Attack--TML

John Lennon Yoko Ono Double Fantasy (not recorded in England, but the UK 1st press is mastered at Sterling by George Marino)

 

Great thread idea! Does anyone know in what country (US or UK) the master was used to cut The Rolling Stones EXILE ON MAIN STREET LP? I've read at least part of the album was mastered in Los Angeles, after being recorded primarily in France. But I don't know where the master tape ended up.

 

John Cale Slow Dazzle on U.K. Island was cut @ Sterling Sound, same as the U.S. pressing.

I think several U.K. Traffic lps were, too.

You're right. There's bound to be a lot of examples.

 

Yes, I think the Stones had number of their later albums mastered in America for the first release. I would love to know the details.

 

David Bowie - 'Lodger' Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling. 'Scary Monsters' too IIRC.

 

Good to know. . .

 

Wasn't Exile on Main Street mastered at Artisan (USA).

JG

 

ELO - OOTB - Jeff Lynne came over and brought the tapes to Stan Ricker to master the original.

Also, possibly ELO - Eldorado. The original US mastering was done by Doug Sax at TML. I'm not sure if the UK used the same mastering or not.

 

If the mastering was made in the US, does it necessarily mean that the pressing was made in the US as a result of that local first mastering?

Maybe the list should make it clear if the record was mastered in the US, and, if it was pressed there using that mastering (making it a first press, just like the UK first press)

 

I just realised my mistake - these don't actually match with the title of the thread, because Lodger was recorded in Switzerland and Scary Monsters was recorded in New York. Same mastering UK and US though.

 

The same goes for Discovery, mastered by "Stan The Man".

BTW, Secret Messages was mastered in the US, too (Allan Zenz Mastering, IIRC)

 

Have you actually seen an Electric Light Orchestra Out of the Blue UK pressing with SR/2 (Stan Ricker's signature) in the deadwax? I have searched but never been able to locate one. Even on the long thread concerning the SR/2 OOTB US pressing, no one could come up with a UK Stan Ricker.

I believe (but am certainly prepared to be proven wrong) that the 1st UK pressing of Out of the Blue has A-1U B-1U A-1U B-1U deadwax matrices.

 

That's close enough, and valuable information, thanks

Really, I am interested in albums for which the 1st UK vinyl pressing was mastered in America.

 

Cat Stevens/ Teaser & The Firecat was mastered by Lee Hulko at Sterling Sound. Both the UK and US originals. The UK is more sought after due to better pressing.

 

Two words: Sterling Sound

 

For example, Robert Ludwig's mastering for Nonesuch.

 

Good to know.

 

Could you name some titles for us? Thanks!

 

For the second, he's probably referring to Nonsuch by XTC. I don't have the cd handy but I am pretty sure the booklet credits Bob Ludwig for the mastering. Don't own the Lp though

 

I don't have the UK XTC LP either, so I can't check...

I thought maybe the reference was to Ludwig's mastering for the Nonesuch Record Label, such as "Piano Rags by Scott Joplin Volume II" by Joshua Riftkin.

 

The early Bob Marley/Wailers are also Sterlings, not surprising being on Island.

 

Humble Pie - Town and Country - pink Immediate - 'SS / RL' scribed in deadwax

Traffic - John Barleycorn (&) Low Spark - pink 'i' island (&) pink rim w/ 'Sterling / LH'

the previously mentioned Cat Stevens pink islands w/ 'Sterling / LH': Mona Bone / Tea For Tillerman / Teaser & The Firecat (pink rim on that one)