Question for Steve--Sony Rock Artifacts

Question for Steve

I'm new to this group so excuse me if you've already answered this question a million times. Did you remaster the Rock Artifacts CDs of a few years ago with all of the Redbone, Addrissi Bros., Spiral Starecase, Sly and family stone songs on them. I seem to recall someone saying that. I love those CDs.

 

The Rock Artifacts series is a series from Sony done in the early 1990s.

 

Mastered by Bob Irwin using the right tapes - highly recommended!

Bob

 

If you can, try and find the first issues of them. The early one's have a nice informational book. THe second set I bought later so I could store the early one's have none of the cool stories about where the tapes came from, etc.

The only improvement would have been Steve's "breath of life" added to the right tapes they found. I was disturbed by the remixing of a few things like Sly and the Family Stone, but I agree they are fantastic-- with my favorite being disc 2.

 

And while I love everything that you do, I do like their version of "Brandy" from the original 45 mix tape better than the one on the "Suddenly 70s" CD you did. Just a preference for the version more than the sound.

One more thing-- I've seen references to a Volume 4 from that series, but only ever found 1 thru 3. Did 4 ever come out and I somehow missed it?

 

Steve,

I do remember those earlier Columbia/Sony Oldies comps but, I cannot recall the wrong version of "Red Rubber Ball". Who knows, I may have it buried here. As I recall, that earlier series did not sound very good.

The Rock Artifacts series has some real gems such as "Stop - Get A Ticket" by the Clefs of Lavender Hill from 1966 and the full-length version of "Wildfire" by Michael Murphy from 1975. Bob Irwin even included mastering notes on some of the tracks in the liner notes - very educational.

Bob

 

And that series was where i first heard The Arbors "A Symphony For Susan"
Surely one of the most beautiful harmony songs ever recorded, by anyone!!

 

Sadly, there was no Vol. # 4....this was a great series that was not continued....

Bob

 

They do have a Volume #4: The Sixties, part two:

Go to half.com and search for "Rock Artifacts"

 

What kind of ***** would not allow you to use the right version? Nevermind. There isn't enough room on this forum to list all of the stupid people who wouldn't (or still won't) let you have the right tapes for your projects. See, it's not heart disease or AIDS or other things along those lines that will kill us all off-- it's STUPIDITY-- that's the epidemic I'm worried about!!

OK, Doug will now get down off of his soap box and take a chill pill. I just love that song and can't imagine any logical reason...OK there I go trying to apply logic to the music business-- I'll shut up now and be thankful for what you are able to do.

 

Hi Kevin,

I may be mistaken here - I'll check it out!

Bob

 

Hey Bob!
Here's a scan of my copy of ROCK ARTIFACTS VOLUME 4...Yes, It sure did come out back then! It's GREAT!!!

 

Kevin,

Right you are! And, I have it here at home. Here is the track listing:

Track List

1. Kind Of A Drag - The Buckinghams
2. Three Window Coupe - The Rip Chords
3. Distant Shores - Chad And Jeremy
4. Yellow Balloon - Jan And Dean
5. Sugar And Spice - The Cryan Shames
6. Silence Is Golden - The Tremeloes
7. Best Of Both Worlds - Lulu
8. Lawdy Miss Clawdy - The Buckinghams
9. Teenage Failure - Chad And Jeremy
10. I Wanna Meet Ya - The Cryan Shames
11. Symphony For Susan, A - The Arbors
12. Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde - Georgie Fame
13. Woman, Woman - The Union Gap
14. Morning Dew - Lulu
15. Cruel War, The - Chad And Jill
16. Hey Joe (You Shot Your Woman Down) - Tim Rose


Album Credits
Bob Irwin (CD), Producer

Thanks for keeping us straight!

Bob

 

THANKS!! I just went to Half.com and bought the one they had in stock!!

 

This is like Deja Vu all over again...

I had a big discussion a while back on the BSN board (Mike Callahan). Evidently, many people never saw the 4th edition in the Rock Artifacts series. Thanks for the scan above...saves me a little effort to post mine!

Steve,
The "underdub" version of Red Rubber Ball (Cyrkle) can be found on The Rockin' '60s on CBS Special Products (A21133) from 1989. Very inexpensive CD (sound is fair to good). Probably "flat" transfers from various generations of tapes that were available!

I agree...

Rock Artifacts was a great series!!!


Are we giving you any ideas Steve?????

Open the vaults and let those gems out!

 

Bob, You need a better filing system...

 

I'm 99% sure that "Distant Shores" and "A Symphony For Susan" were remixed on that set.

Love Distant Shores, but cant stand the drums on that song. Totally oblivious to the rest of the music.

 

That RRB underdub is FUN! What a difference!

 

The ROCK ARTIFACTS series is loaded with remixes; overall, an excellent series, but sold so little they were quietly and rather quickly deleted. My friend Mike Callahan did the liner notes, and I'll bet had a hand in selecting the songs, too. That's probably how we got the stereo version of the obscure but delightful "Stop! - Get A Ticket" by the Clefs of Lavender Hill!
Those were the real surprises, although I had hoped the punchier mono mix would have found light of day somewhere(it hasn't, AFAIK).

It also verified some songs we'll never get in stereo, like Avant-Garde's "Naturally Stoned," the Tremeloes, George Fame's "The Ballad Of Bonnie & Clyde." A lot of research went into these, and I know they hoped for better sales than they got. All keepers, but I wish they had resisted the urge to use the unedited "As The Years Go By" by Mashmakhan, and included the stereo version of "My World Fell Down" with the mono break from the 45. Could have easily been edited together, but someone opted not to. Oh well...

ED

 

Cool. I have all 4, but have not touched them in years. I seem to recall they came out when CDs were just getting started, and I was glad to get them. Maybe I'll drag them out to the car tomorrow AM.

 

I have three of the original CDs. They are 100% KEEPERS!