Another top compilation from the Decca low budget "Rock Roots" serie. Side one has two album tracks and five UK non-LP single A:s and B:s - all with original mono mixes. Side two consists of six cuts for the first time on UK LP - the Dutch mono '45 mix of "The Story Of Them parts 1+2" and five previously unreleased recordings of which one - "Mighty Like A Rose" - is true stereo, the remaining four re-channeled. These existed in mono and that usually would have been the choice for an issue like this. I can only guess why they picked the four fakes instead. Probably the Americans had the only tapes with those songs, the re-channeling was made for the contemporary US stereo compilation "The Story Of Them" (London LC 50001) and just sent over to UK Decca as they were. In any case it's all fine. A bunch of rare cuts and mixes from a classic group with great audio. Most have shown up on CD later, but if you prefer vinyl LP this is about the only place for some of them. First press had label as shown here and laminated cover. (DRÖK*) (VMÖ*)
The 4 re-channelled masters were the only sources they had on hand. The mono masters were & still are MIA since the 60's, except for BWYWMTD which seemed to have been found by 1997.
SvaraRaderaThis LP is a mixed bag soundwise. Many of the tracks on side A sound a bit muffled. Story of Them sounds much better on Dutch vinyl from the 60's. Mighty like a rose appears in superior sound quality on the American compilation Backtrackin.
Its biggest asset is having the rare single version of Call my name (which is an entirely different take from the album version and does not appear anywhere else on LP).
Thanks for the update. Never had the Story Of Them '45. Apparently there was also a 1969 UK single issue of the song on Major Minor label (MM 513), but I never heard that either.
RaderaTo me the A-side monos on this sounds totally OK. Maybe You got more to compare with. Still it's a very good collection of rare tracks.
Try the 1984 S/T singles collection on See For Miles. It has only true mono/stereo tracks with great fidelity. Friday's child appears in mono, but it's a fold from the fake stereo. http://www.discogs.com/Them-Them/release/2347836
SvaraRaderaThe fake stereo "mixes" were made in the Netherlands in 1968. Do you have the American "Story of Them" on London? I need to know something about that one. As for the track itself, the Major Minor single is from 1967. Good audio on that one.
I've had SOT, but don't remember if it was US. My copy had all tracks in fake or true stereo - no monos.
SvaraRaderaAlways thought the Dutch '45 was the original and the UK later, but I've been wrong before :)
Are you sure there was true stereo on your copy?
SvaraRaderaSorry mate I truly don't remember. Back then I just heard the obvious - some sounded artificial and some pretty good. And I'm not sure it was a US copy either. It was issued later with about the same cover in some European countries.
SvaraRaderaOkay, thanks.
SvaraRadera