AnalogPlanet Radio

Analogplanet.com’s All Beatles WFDU HD2 Radio Show Now Available For Streaming or Downloading

Michael Fremer  |  Dec 28, 2015

Today’s show was all Beatles from vinyl but with a “nerdy” twist (I guess we’re all nerds). For some tunes you get multiple versions to compare. For instance there are four versions of “I’ll Cry Instead”.

There are tracks from each of The Beatles’s solo albums plus one guest track from The Bee Gees.

The highlight is the complete side two of Abbey Road taken from an original UK pressing. The black inner sleeve is a tell-tale sign, but so are the inner groove area markings. Plus, I bought this copy in September of 1969 at New England Music City in Kenmore Square before the American version was released, so I know it’s an original.

The records were sitting at the top of the steps to the Music City entrance in a cardboard ‘point-of-purchase’ rack. I only walked up the steps to see what was the record because I could tell from where I stood on the sidewalk below that the records were UK pressings. How? Because back then, records from England were sealed in loose-fitting plastic wrap instead of the tightly sealed shrink wrap used in America that could cause warpage.

As it turned out, the store’s buyer, Steve Berkowitz, had found out the UK version’s release date preceded that of the American version so he special ordered them from England to have them early.

Steve went on to work for Sony/Legacy where he oversaw much of the Miles Davis and Bob Dylan catalog reissues and while he’s now independent, he continues to oversee both catalogs, including the Bob Dylan Bootleg series on CD and vinyl.

Steve also oversaw the release of the mono Beatles vinyl box set of a few years ago and it was through Steve that I was invited to Abbey Road to watch Sean Magee and Steve cut lacquers for The Beatles (the “White Album”) double LP set. So that adventure for me started with buying the Abbey Road album in 1969 and ended with me invited to Abbey Road Studios to watch the mastering.

By the way: today's show can be streamed on the WFDU.fm website and if you go there and stream even for a few minutes, it lets the station know you care, so please do that if you care. Of course the resolution is higher streamed here.

Here’s today’s set list:

She’s a Woman-45rpm stereo 1981 EP box set
She’s a Woman- Past Masters from digitally sourced stereo box set
Side Two Abbey Road UK original pressing
I’ll Cry Instead- Japanese EAS 80564 ‘80’s era pressing
I’ll Cry Instead- UK original Parlophone LP
I’ll Cry Instead-Mobile Fidelity 1980’s box set
I’ll Cry Instead-stereo box set reissue digitally sourced
Hey Jude-Japanese ‘80’s AP-8940
Drive My Car-mono original Parlophone LP
Drive My Car-mono analog box set
No Reply-stereo Parlophone LP
All You Need is Love-German Hor Zu original pressing
All You Need is Love- Giles Martin remix from “1” album
Tomorrow Never Knows-original stereo UK Parlophone
A Day in the Life-original mono UK Parlophone
A Day in the Life-analog mono box set reissue
World Without Love-Peter and Gordon from Songs Lennon and McCartney Gave Away
I Am the Greatest-Ringo- from Songs Lennon and McCartney Gave Away
Maybe I’m Amazed-Paul from UK original Apple
Wah-Wah-George from UK original Apple
I Found Out-John from UK original Apple
While My Guitar Gently Weeps-stereo UK “White Album” original
Sun King-Bee Gees from OST “All This and WW II” (listed out of order)

That’s it! One system change: cartridge is Ortofon A95.

A Splendid Time is Definitely Guaranteed For All!

COMMENTS
gMRfk6LMHn's picture
Submitted by gMRfk6LMHn on Tue, 2015-12-29 06:56

I'm really enjoying AnalogPlanetRadio, so much so that I have started to download them to listen to in the car.

James, Dublin, Ireland

Auric G's picture
Submitted by Auric G on Tue, 2015-12-29 09:44

Is anyone else noticing background noise audible during the quiet times? I heard it through the entirety this and others show. Also, if any album deserves a quality, master tape cut reissue, it would have to be the Abbey Road lp.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Tue, 2015-12-29 16:20
I will insert into the posted show file the actual Abbey Road file I created so that whatever noise the studio is generating will not be on the file...Not sure when I can get around to it but when I do, I'll note it in the story.
Cykelmyg's picture
Submitted by Cykelmyg on Tue, 2015-12-29 10:59

I have notised the background noise too. It seems as if someone is playing music from the room next door, when Michael is speaking.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Tue, 2015-12-29 16:17
No doubt there's leakage in this studio. There are multiple live shows occurring simultaneously on the various WFDU channels.
Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Tue, 2015-12-29 16:18
someone talking on the other side of the door but you're probably hearing the leakage electronically as "crosstalk" between the various FDU channels.
Hosta3's picture
Submitted by Hosta3 on Tue, 2015-12-29 13:38

Often there was a reference of songs compared to a poor Beatles box set. Is this set "The Beatles Collection" Blue Box that was released around the 80s which contained both Parlophone and Apple labels?

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Tue, 2015-12-29 16:21
Not sure to which box you are referring. The blue box I used was a 45rpm EP box from the early '80s.
Hosta3's picture
Submitted by Hosta3 on Wed, 2015-12-30 03:17

My Blue Box was a 33rpm 13 album set, ten of which are Parlophone and the others Apple. All were mixed in stereo. The Beatles, "Rarities" was an odd Parlophone lp that was included this this box set.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Wed, 2015-12-30 08:17
To the digitally sourced stereo box set released a few years ago...
thomoz's picture
Submitted by thomoz on Wed, 2015-12-30 13:27

Those blue boxes are actually a great way to collect all-analog cuts of the U.K. Titles with Harry Moss' original eq. Some of the sides are tube cut and some are solid state but except for some distorted sounding White Albums (I've handled about 5 boxes over the years) I can otherwise recommend these UK sets to interested buyers.

The boxes were also compiled and sold in other markets: The Jpn set is brighter, the Holland set more midrange-y and the Australian versions have wild variance in pressing quality - it takes real luck to get a good sounding Aussie version.

gMRfk6LMHn's picture
Submitted by gMRfk6LMHn on Tue, 2015-12-29 15:03

That's the difference between a live broadcast and a sanatised radio show!

AnalogJ's picture
Submitted by AnalogJ on Tue, 2015-12-29 15:13

I could listen to it forever, too. Thank you for this year, Michael. Thanks for this little broadcast. Have a great New Year.

Jeff

thomoz's picture
Submitted by thomoz on Wed, 2015-12-30 05:47

a coworker / record collector in the office I work in loaned me his MFSL 'Help' to dub to cd for him, and because I had the materials to do it I also dubbed for him a demo cd with 6-8 different cuttings of "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" so he could compare them sequentially(dynamics, eq, etc). We both found the exercise a real "ear-opener". I was frustrated that one with amazing eq was also *very" compressed! (Holland Parlophone 1978).

My cart was a Grado Wood Reference model, originally sold for $1200.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Wed, 2015-12-30 08:19
It's usually done to make the lacquer cut quick, easy and fool proof....
audiophile_101's picture
Submitted by audiophile_101 on Wed, 2015-12-30 09:56

Guys...I think what we're hearing is whats known has bleed over from another channel or sourse.

Auric G's picture
Submitted by Auric G on Wed, 2015-12-30 10:51

or maybe the same, but as well as another source, I also heard a faint echo(i.e. 1/2 sec. delay) of M. Fremer's broadcast at some points in the show.

audiophile_101's picture
Submitted by audiophile_101 on Wed, 2015-12-30 09:57

Guys...I think what we're hearing is whats known has bleed over from another channel or sourse.

thomoz's picture
Submitted by thomoz on Wed, 2015-12-30 12:09

If you bring up Beatles, all albums, Abbey Road shoots to the top, and come together is the first track of that album. I experience the same phenomenon shuffling Beatle songs on my iPod. So, it's not that they are choosing "come together" per se, it's that it's the first track on the album that appears first alphabetically.

xtcfan80's picture
Submitted by xtcfan80 on Thu, 2015-12-31 13:59

Thanks so much Michael for this great broadcast of Beatles classics. Made my holiday!

groove123's picture
Submitted by groove123 on Fri, 2016-01-01 08:58

I'm listening to this broadcast by streaming, not sure what resolution, of a vinyl record recorded to a digital file. Being told that the digital sourced records sound terrible because they are digital sourced? I think. While listening, I agree with some of the comments about the sound. However, since this whole recording is digital can the poor sound of some of the songs really be blamed on the fact that they were digitally sourced?

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Fri, 2016-01-01 16:44
Played them back "live" you'd hear the same thing but with greater clarity.
stephsrecords's picture
Submitted by stephsrecords on Wed, 2016-01-27 05:56

I was too late and can't download the show. I am so bummed. but I was late to the party. sjglpd@gmail.com

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