Tape Project Albums > Heart Like a Wheel

Breaking our own rule

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High and Outside:
You all know the rules about what titles we do: we have to love the music, the master has to exist on analog tape, and we have to be able to get our hands on the original tape. The Linda Ronstadt title meets the first criterion, but there turned out to be a problem relative to the third.

Once we had concluded the deal and I got home with the tape, I couldn't help noticing that it sounded pretty crummy. Upon close inspection, I determined that they had given me an EQ copy that they used for LP cutting. I immediately got on the phone to their vault guy, and thus began a very long and interesting journey. In brief, they didn't have the original mix reels in their vault. So I started trying to find them. I checked in with everyone I could find who may have had anything to do with the tapes. Eventually I had pestered the producer, the main engineer, one of the other engineers, Linda's manager, vault guys in three record companies, the original mastering engineer (Bernie Grundman,) two tape librarians who had been at his mastering facility in 1974, Doug Sax (who had mastered a greatest hits package in 1975 that used a couple of the tunes,) the manager of the studio where the record was mixed, a guy at a third-party storage company in the LA area, and several other people whose connection to the tapes is just too hard to describe. I went over ground that other people had plowed before me, and ran down some leads that no one had pursued before. This whole process took months. The upshot is that the original tapes went missing some time late in 1974 or early in 1975, and they are still missing.

However, in the course of all this I did find (with a little help from Steve Hoffman. Thanks, Steve!) a flat copy that had been made direct from the mixes, with no processing. It was reputed to sound pretty good, so I got hold of it and brought it up to the studio. We were faced with the choice of using the copy or blowing off the title. We had to hear it for ourselves first, of course. We took our time, listening to the tape and talking it over among ourselves. We still love the music, and it still as a lot of that direct connection to the original event. So we eventually decided to put it out from the safety copy. That's what will be showing up on your doorsteps over the next couple of weeks. We have been enjoying it in our living rooms for a while now, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

jcmusic:

--- Quote from: High and Outside on January 26, 2010, 07:20:21 PM ---You all know the rules about what titles we do: we have to love the music, the master has to exist on analog tape, and we have to be able to get our hands on the original tape. The Linda Ronstadt title meets the first criterion, but there turned out to be a problem relative to the third.

Once we had concluded the deal and I got home with the tape, I couldn't help noticing that it sounded pretty crummy. Upon close inspection, I determined that they had given me an EQ copy that they used for LP cutting. I immediately got on the phone to their vault guy, and thus began a very long and interesting journey. In brief, they didn't have the original mix reels in their vault. So I started trying to find them. I checked in with everyone I could find who may have had anything to do with the tapes. Eventually I had pestered the producer, the main engineer, one of the other engineers, Linda's manager, vault guys in three record companies, the original mastering engineer (Bernie Grundman,) two tape librarians who had been at his mastering facility in 1974, Doug Sax (who had mastered a greatest hits package in 1975 that used a couple of the tunes,) the manager of the studio where the record was mixed, a guy at a third-party storage company in the LA area, and several other people whose connection to the tapes is just too hard to describe. I went over ground that other people had plowed before me, and ran down some leads that no one had pursued before. This whole process took months. The upshot is that the original tapes went missing some time late in 1974 or early in 1975, and they are still missing.

However, in the course of all this I did find (with a little help from Steve Hoffman. Thanks, Steve!) a flat copy that had been made direct from the mixes, with no processing. It was reputed to sound pretty good, so I got hold of it and brought it up to the studio. We were faced with the choice of using the copy or blowing off the title. We had to hear it for ourselves first, of course. We took our time, listening to the tape and talking it over among ourselves. We still love the music, and it still as a lot of that direct connection to the original event. So we eventually decided to put it out from the safety copy. That's what will be showing up on your doorsteps over the next couple of weeks. We have been enjoying it in our living rooms for a while now, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

--- End quote ---
I don't like being the first to make a comment on this but, I feel after reading this I need to. Why are we just now hearing about this story? You guys didn't think we should be told sooner? How much difference is there going to be in the copy used and what should have been used? I don't like to complain but, we are talking about a fair amount of money invested in the whole process!!! I may have more to say on this later, waiting for your response!!!

Jay

ironbut:
That is quite a tale Paul!
I hope there haven't been too many quests of that magnitude.
 
Regarding the generational differences, for the most part, I trust Paul to have rejected the safety master if it wasn't up to his standards.
I have a pretty decent pair of ears but I've gotta say that I've been there when he was agonizing over a problem with the sound and it took me half an hour just to figure out what he was talking about!
Believe me, those guys are in a whole different universe when it comes to critical listening (from me at least).

mikel:
i just read Paul's comments and can relate to the serious considerations these guys had to weigh. this was the first foray into 'power pop' at a high level and almost a no win situation. do they reject the title and make it that much harder the next time they try to negotiate something like this? is the sound 'good enough'? how will the subscribers feel? what would be the ramifications of switching titles?

i do respect any subscriber's right to be upset; but i think if thought all the way thru that it seems that if it sounds great then it was the right decision.

ultimately; i've bought into Paul, Doc and Romo's sense of what is right. and if 'Heart Like A Wheel' sounds great then there should be peace in the valley.

TP-011, 'Heart Like A Wheel' arrived today and it's sitting next to me here. i'm about to listen to it. this thread is not where i'll post my impressions, but i did hear a demo cut at CES and it did sound wonderful there, so my expectations are high.

btw; bonus points awarded for full disclosure......not always the easy way but the right way.

mikel

High and Outside:

--- Quote from: jcmusic on January 26, 2010, 08:19:03 PM ---
I don't like being the first to make a comment on this but...

Jay

--- End quote ---

Jay,

Once you get your copy and listen to it, if you aren't happy with it get hold of Eileen and we'll arrange for you to return it and make an adjustment.

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