You know the situation. You've been after a sound on vinyl for ages. You finally find it, buy, take it home and play it, only to find it sounds like it's been taped of Radio Luxumberg:

Examples include 'Exus Trek', 'How can I ever find a way', ,We've got togetherness' and a copy of the Flaming Emeralds that fades out too early

Anybody got any more ?

ABC Styrene presses. . . I've had Jackie lee, The Kittens, Eddie Holman, Betty Everett .. all have literally worn out

Lenis Guess - Just ask me - Lovely Legrand Demo - Dull dull dull :g:

Worst i ever came across was the White label Bobby Paris Night Owl

Booted by Selecta Disc of Nottingham !

You have to turn the volume up full just to hear it and it sounds like it was recorded in a cornflake factory !

Jeanette Harper on "Green BEE " Massive hiss all the way through !

Lenny Curtis (boot) on END Hiss all the way through

Edited April 12, 201213 yr by allnightandy

Paula Durante If he were mine was terrible. Was the original recording crap? Far too much bass and shrieky vocals?

Paula Durante If he were mine was terrible. Was the original recording crap? Far too much bass and shrieky vocals?

I had pd if he were mine on a boot and then original and they both sound crap.

Quite a lot of the All Platinum singles were disappointing quality.

Some were poor pressings, no doubt using stampers until they were worn out, but I think their real problem was in the mixdown or mastering. Some of their stuff had a very strange EQ curve and some distortion.

Always frustrating when it happens with a record you really like.

My copy of the Dramatics Lp Dramatically Yours on Volt is atrocious.

Remember getting Ronnie Forte on BAN as stop gap until the original showed up, sounded terrible! Came across it in a box a few days back and played it again, still sounded terrible so threw it on the fire, it didn't give off much heat either

Yeah that was truly awful, done along with Barbara English - Sitting in the corner, equally bad quality. Other horrors are the orange label Exus Trek from the 80's (not the 70's orange one), Marsha Brody - Right Combination and Earl Harrison - Humphrey Stomp, neither of which have any bass on them at all.

High Keys Living A Lie Verve boot - shockingly bad sound.

This topic also makes you appreciate all the 45s which were well mastered and pressed.

There were some fantastic pressings which still sound great after 30 or 40 years.

Proof that it's sometimes an art as much as a science.

Paul

Three examples I can think of...

I've never had a good copy of 'At Last' by Jesse James on Zay. I've had quite a few unplayed copies over the years and they're all distorted so there's no point buying any more.

I've had similar problems (but not as bad) with 'I'd Rather Be A Blind Man' by Fugi on Checker.

'Rain In My Life' by Prophecy on All Platinum is another 45 which I've never found a good copy of. The problem was obviously in the mix or mastering.

It's annoying.

Paul

Yeah that was truly awful, done along with Barbara English - Sitting in the corner, equally bad quality. Other horrors are the orange label Exus Trek from the 80's (not the 70's orange one), Marsha Brody - Right Combination and Earl Harrison - Humphrey Stomp, neither of which have any bass on them at all.

...and the Carstairs WD boot ...

Sharpetts 'lost in the world of a dream' sounds like a concert bootleg : low recording and just unlistenable for such a quality tune!

Jimmy Conwell pressing of To Much is pretty crap too.

Tony

that Jock Mitchel - No mad Woman has been mentioned recently, George Smith was pressed with the bass blurting out, especially on a styrene pressing, god there are loads, Paramount Four is another recent 45 with interest due to the 100 club anni single, recorded way too low...its fine though just turn the loudness up, and mix with volume and hey presto!! a super rare soul 45 and all that..

Its been mentioned before, but as a rule if you go for the Demo, especially on the major label stuff your going to likely get vinyl and in some cases a far far better press..if you have very obscure tastes, like you do, yer take what ya given muff...

A question not connected, The Ringleaders on Mpac - all of my life, I had that as four temples, but I can see where i got that from, was it a CD?? just wondered on the way into work this morning..sorry I always manage to go off topic...

Mal.C

Billy Arnell : Tough Girl

and some of those Goldmine/Soul Supply LPs and CDs....

Edited February 15, 201213 yr by Soul16

...and the Carstairs WD boot ...

Agree sounds like it was recorded in a buscuit tin

Jimmy Conwell pressing of To Much is pretty crap too.

Tony

Yes thats terrible lo-fi

Ann Perry - Thats the way he is

My pressing was crap quality, were they all?

Ann Perry - Thats the way he is

My pressing was crap quality, were they all?

The original green label one is bad, there was a much later one off the masters that was fantastic, pale blue and pale yellow labels

The original green label one is bad, there was a much later one off the masters that was fantastic, pale blue and pale yellow labels

Yeah it was the green one I had Pete

Yes thats terrible lo-fi

More like no-fi

Tony

Not a Boot leg / Pressing but ORIGINALS

Ive never heard a good Like One Jean Carter,,, i have both Demo & Issue both are sub standard to my ears!!

N x

Marvin Holmes - You Better Keep Her - styrene press

Nate Evans - The Look On Your Face

High Keys Living A Lie Verve boot - shockingly bad sound.

===

and god knows how many times ive seen top djs with this!

Not a Boot leg / Pressing but ORIGINALS

Ive never heard a good Like One Jean Carter,,, i have both Demo & Issue both are sub standard to my ears!!

N x

Pressing plant fault if I remember correctly - but what a tune!

Another original that suffered the same - Kenny Carlton "Lost and Found"

...and another poor quality original - Ty Karim "I ain't lying" - LOUD but needs serious EQ'ing!

Not a Boot leg / Pressing but ORIGINALS

Ive never heard a good Like One Jean Carter,,, i have both Demo & Issue both are sub standard to my ears!!

N x

My demo sounds spot on to me Nige - clear as a bell

Jimmy Conwell pressing of To Much is pretty crap too.

Tony

Classic example mate, had 2 original issues, both piss poor

I know this thread is about poor quality boots,if it were about good quality i doubt you could beat Damon Fox - Packing Up (Fairmount) i have the boot and it is perfect,i doubt the original could be any better.

International GTO's boot

but also some horrible originals, hissy, too quiet, etc around e.g.

Bob Smith & Boo Koo's - What Do It Mean

Dramatics - Your Love Was Strange Volt - may have been 2 pressings of this

Fabulous Impacts - My Baby (Bomb)

My demo sounds spot on to me Nige - clear as a bell

Thats a rareity then ,,,, ive never heard what i call a decent one in all me years!!

Her vocals sound so dull and muffled compared to to the backing track ,,, but hay ho pehaps after all these years im going deaf

Nice one

Edited February 16, 201213 yr by Nige Brown

Thats a rareity then ,,,, ive never heard what i call a decent one in all me years!!

Her vocals sound so dull and muffled compared to to the backing track ,,, but hay ho pehaps after all these years im going deaf

Nice one

Every single copy has a muffled intro NIge, it's not your ears!

You know the situation. You've been after a sound on vinyl for ages. You finally find it, buy, take it home and play it, only to find it sounds like it's been taped of Radio Luxumberg: Examples include 'Exus Trek', 'How can I ever find a way', ,We've got togetherness' and a copy of the Flaming Emeralds that fades out too early Anybody got any more ?

There were 2 Duke Browner's doing the rounds, one styrene made at the Monarch pressing plant in LA, that was good but there was also a vinyl one, not sure where that came from, sounded like they played it in the kitchen but recorded it in the garden, shocking.

Every single copy has a muffled intro NIge, it's not your ears!

Yeah .. you're right, just checked it, intro is low

Jimmy Conwell pressing of To Much is pretty crap too.

Tony

But "Cigarette Ashes" on Mirwood is fantastic, better than an original, something to do with styrene vs vinyl meethinks.

Billy Arnell : Tough Girl

and some of those Goldmine/Soul Supply LPs and CDs....

Vocal on both sides when we all really wanted the instrumental

What about the bootleg copies of Johnny (john) Hendley, "my baby came from out of nowhere" (on white mutt & jeff) with the

sunlovers "you'll never make the grade" on the 'b' side. it played at 50rpm and it sounded like SH*T.

tony warot.

There were 2 Duke Browner's doing the rounds, one styrene made at the Monarch pressing plant in LA, that was good but there was also a vinyl one, not sure where that came from, sounded like they played it in the kitchen but recorded it in the garden, shocking.

the vinyl boots of duke browner came from simon soussan, the label was dark red and the print was shite, they weighed a ton

and had razor sharp edges. Tony Warot

Quite a lot of the All Platinum singles were disappointing quality.

Some were poor pressings, no doubt using stampers until they were worn out, but I think their real problem was in the mixdown or mastering. Some of their stuff had a very strange EQ curve and some distortion.

Always frustrating when it happens with a record you really like.

Very true Paul. My All platinum copy of Chuck Jackson's "I've got the need" has none of the dynamics of the Repite reissue.

Best,

Dave

Edited March 12, 201213 yr by Only Dreaming

Very true Paul. My All platinum copy of Chuck Jackson's "I've got the need" has none of the dynamics of the Repite reissue.

Best,

Dave

Reading this got me thinking ! What is the original copy of "I've got the need" On ?

I looked in the Essential Northern soul guide and it's not listed

so what can you tell me ?

i probably like most people bought it when it was getting hammered at Wigan along with Spooky and Sue !

I know there was a version on allplatinum (who bought out chess) but don't know if that was first issue.

Aid.

Sorry, just read your post properly, see you've got that one.......I'll get me coat!

Aid.

I know there was a version on allplatinum (who bought out chess) but don't know if that was first issue.

Aid.

Yes thats the one i bought back then

but i assumed it was a reissue of an original ?

Andy

Here's a couple more.......

Wendell Watts....Grooviest Thing This Side Of Heaven , on Jiminie (especially the intro),

Lee Timan & The Secrets....She's The One I Love, on WHIT. Bloody awful recording, which is a pity 'cos I love the tune.

Got to agree with the Jimmy Conwell...Too Much , on Gemini. - I heard a sound clip of this off an ebay sale that sounded crystal clear, but it wasn't on Gemini. Can't remember the label but does anyone know if it came out legitimately on anything other than Gemini?

- Kev.

Reading this got me thinking ! What is the original copy of "I've got the need" On ?

I looked in the Essential Northern soul guide and it's not listed

so what can you tell me ?

i probably like most people bought it when it was getting hammered at Wigan along with Spooky and Sue !

Interesting question. I bought my first copy of IGTN in 1991 on the yellow 'Repite' label - superb sound.

Few years later got the Spooky & Sue boot - atrocious sound (though my stylus had fallen off!)

Few years ago got the UK All Platinum issue - muffled sound.

Best,

Dave

Remember getting Ronnie Forte on BAN as stop gap until the original showed up, sounded terrible! Came across it in a box a few days back and played it again, still sounded terrible so threw it on the fire, it didn't give off much heat either

Wasn't the whiskey talkin' then?

As far as crap quality pressings / boots go:

Robbie Lawson - Burning Sensation (pink Kyser) - why in hell's name is the 3rd bar of the intro repetitively played, rather than the original build-up in tempo intro?

Joey Heatherton - When You Call Me Baby (MCA) - muffled, sounds like the recording level was up too high.

Carstairs - It Really Hurts Me Girl (Red Coach - boot of w/d) - sounds like it was recorded off a transistor radio.

Lou Johnson - Unsatisfied (Big Top) - taken off a scratched copy with bad tics.

Jeanette Williams - All Of A Sudden (Back Beat) - not seen a boot that isn't off-centre.

VIckie Baines / The Group boots on Soul Sounds - clear in one channel and echoey in the other.

VIckie Baines / The Group boots on Soul Sounds - clear in one channel and echoey in the other.

Once heard a rumour that these were recorded straight off the decks.

Then another one as to who did them.

But don't think it would be true as they'd have killed 2 of Richard's biggest sounds stone dead.

Doug Banks - NITE LIFE

Ral Donner - Don't let it slip away

Pyramid boot fades out too early - and one from that era has a snippet of feminine ingenuity right at the end.