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Author Topic: One Rare Miles Davis Tape?  (Read 12529 times)

Offline Grant99

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One Rare Miles Davis Tape?
« on: April 08, 2010, 08:46:20 AM »
Check out this ebay listing.  Kind of Blue on 2 track is something I certainly haven't seen before.  It will be interesting to see how high this auction goes.  Any guesses?

http://cgi.ebay.com/MILES-DAVIS-Rare-KIND-OF-BLUE-Reel-To-Reel-Tape-2-TRACK_W0QQitemZ120550460382QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_Other_Formats?hash=item1c115e0bde
Grant Thrasher
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Offline ironbut

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Re: One Rare Miles Davis Tape?
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2010, 12:45:34 PM »
The last one of these I saw was a couple of years ago and IIRC it went for around $300. That one was being sold by U47 (a long time member here).
The seller on this one states that it appears to be unplayed but the tape pack says otherwise. Actually, that's just as well since many times if a tape that's this old hasn't ever been played, the print through can be really bad.
Given the last couple of years of inflated inflation that tapes have gone through on "the bay", I wouldn't doubt that this goes for as much or more than a TP release would.
steve koto
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Offline Grant99

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Re: One Rare Miles Davis Tape?
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2010, 03:17:42 PM »
I just thought of something; because this tape is actually 2-track, that would date it no earlier than the late 1950s/early 1960s?  Would this be a correct assumption?  My impression is that pre-recorded R2R pretty much went to 4-track only in the early 1960s.  I have (I believe) an early 1960s RCA catalogue that lists both 2 & 4 track pre-recorded tapes.

You would think a TP release of KOB would definitely "deflate" the prices of this tape for sure!
Grant Thrasher
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Offline ironbut

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Re: One Rare Miles Davis Tape?
« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2010, 04:05:58 PM »
Hey Grant,
Yes, I think that your time line would be pretty close to right. When each company discontinued 1/2 track production depends on how they implemented 1/4 track distribution. Most of the majors (and Columbia did their tape production in house) continued making 1/2 tracks while they were still "testing the waters" with 1/4 track.
The original mono lp of KOB that I have is dated 1958 and I believe that was when it was first released. I'd have to check and see when the first stereo release was but I would bet that it was very close to this tapes release date.

I seriously doubt that a TP release of this or any other highly sought after titles would have a whole lot of effect on the prices that some of these things command. Once an item shoots into the price stratosphere, I think we can safely assume that it's entered the realm of the collector and as far as sonics per dollar go,.. all bets are off!
 A TP release would probably just add another item to the list of releases that a serious collection of ,.. in this case, Miles, must have.

steve koto
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Offline blaupunk

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Re: One Rare Miles Davis Tape?
« Reply #4 on: April 08, 2010, 05:48:44 PM »
Of course as this tape is obviously old, it would suffer from the same tape speed irregularities that were discovered when the master tape was remastered for LP CD and SACD a few years ago.  Maybe you don't want this tape after all!
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Offline jcmusic

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Re: One Rare Miles Davis Tape?
« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2010, 09:11:17 PM »
I happen to have a nice copy of this tape in a 4track version!!!

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Offline mikel

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Re: One Rare Miles Davis Tape?--sold for $821!!
« Reply #6 on: April 09, 2010, 01:42:40 PM »
it went for $821.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!

holy guacamole!!!
Mike Lavigne

Offline ironbut

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Re: One Rare Miles Davis Tape?
« Reply #7 on: April 09, 2010, 03:30:32 PM »
Yikes!
That really went up there.
I really hate it when they do these auctions as a private bid. I like to look at the bids to see what was going on (or at least try to imagine,..).
From what I can tell, at one point or another, the winner probably put in a bid or $1k or so to try to be sure he won this. There were a couple of times that the bids went up $200 in a whack from someone else that wanted it bad. It looks like the rest was trying to find the high bid that the winner had submitted but gave up at the $811 mark.
It must be discouraging when you search your soul for your personal ceiling and the same guy's name pops up as outbidding you over and over again.

I also try to picture the seller.
His neighbors were probably wondering what all the commotion was!
steve koto
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Offline U47

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Re: One Rare Miles Davis Tape?
« Reply #8 on: April 09, 2010, 05:09:49 PM »
I sold one on ebay a few years ago for about $300. The price on 'loser' title 2 tracks have been breathtaking on ebay lately. 3rd rate classical two tracks have been topping $200 a tltle recently. KOB is indeed a rare title on two track. The two track version only has half the album, whereas the 1/4 track is complete.
In the thousands of two tracks that have gone through my hands in the last 25 years, I've only had 3 copies of KOB. It was only available for one or two years before Columbia remaindered two tracks around 1961.

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Offline Grant99

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Re: One Rare Miles Davis Tape?
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2010, 12:34:47 PM »
Yikes!
That really went up there.

You're not kidding Steve!  I didn't think it would actually go up that high myself, maybe $500 or something like that.  And buying something for this kind of $$ at  a LP/tape sale when you can actually inspect it is one thing, but bidding this kind of $$ from an internet auction where you can't even inspect it first is another thing.

I guess I will have to be content with dreaming of a TP reissue of KOB.  With all the LP reissues of this album you would think Columbia records would be OK with it....
Grant Thrasher
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Offline mikkelbreiler

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Re: One Rare Miles Davis Tape?
« Reply #10 on: April 23, 2010, 02:59:45 AM »
I sold one on ebay a few years ago for about $300. ... In the thousands of two tracks that have gone through my hands in the last 25 years, I've only had 3 copies of KOB. It was only available for one or two years before Columbia remaindered two tracks around 1961.

The one I won from you went for $164 if my memory is correct. I have 3 4track tapes of it as well. And a safety Master dub at 15ips.  ...The latter sounds the nicest... Yours is 2nd place, the 4t I paid $82 for is the best of them, I have two others one of which is defect with the start of side 1 missing and a drop out after 1 minute,. only So What is affected though.. They can't all be perfect you know, it's eBay.

The 2 track version is missing Freddie Freeloader and Flamenco Sketches, and you really only miss Freddie Freeloader, as Flamenco Sketches is more like the Sketches of Spain album.

Did you guys catch the AFTRS 16'' transcription discs of this album on the Bay?

-Mikkel

Offline mikkelbreiler

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Re: One Rare Miles Davis Tape?
« Reply #11 on: September 16, 2011, 06:09:56 AM »
I sold one on ebay a few years ago for about $300. ...
In the thousands of two tracks that have gone through my hands in the last 25 years, I've only had 3 copies of KOB. It was only available for one or two years before Columbia remaindered two tracks around 1961.

I still have the tape you sold me, I like it a lot. I have 3 4 tracks and a CBS safety master dated 1986. So I'm good :)
Would be a killer to have TTP do KOB.

Both the 2 track and 4 track sound the same. The speed anomaly is only found on side one of the original album, so only one track is speed correct on the 2 track tape.
But the album made it a be a favourite of many people pbeofre the speed was corrected. And you can turn the pitch a half tone on your deck/turntable if you really want to. I have KOB on several formats. Even Armed Forces 16'' mono issues. it was not the entire album that went out on 16'' disc for the armed forced, but 3 or 4 tunes. One was misspelled. I forget which.

-Mikkel