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05 14 2013

Yorktown / Yorkville label discography added

Today we have revamped our "Other Labels" discography pages. The labels now appear in Alpha sequence on the Other labels tab. While we do specialize in Beatles discographies for Canada, we also try hard to cover other notable areas of Canadian musical interest.

Recently, we added the Canadian Stax / Volt discographies and we have received some very positive feedback on those additions. We have also been busy continually updating the Stone, Sparton, Page One, Deram, Vee Jay and Polydor dicsogs that were already there.

Today, we are pleased to announce the addition of the uniquely Canadian Yorktown and Yorkville labels. These labels promoted and featured Canadian artists in the 1966-1968 period, a time when a whole new scene was developing in Toronto, and new artists like Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and David Clayton-Thomas were playing the small clubs and bars of Yorkville. Yorktown did not last long (1966-1967) even though the label was distributed by Capitol. Yorkville took over where Yorktown left off and was distributed by Arc Records. Arc and Yorkville would be the starting labels for a young Anne Murray who would later be signed by Capitol of Canada.

Both labels issued records by The Ugly Ducklings and some other great garage bands like The Stitch In Tyme. In the next few months we will be adding some more cool Canadian labels. These will include the "Sir John A." label from Ottawa. This label also featured a number of garage bands like Heart, Eastern Passage, and The Paper Dream.

View the Yorktown / Yorkville discography HERE.

We would also like to feature some of the Québec labels from the 1960s. Québec was the home to many unique labels during that time.

If you have a particular label that you would like to see added to our growing list of Canadian labels, please let us know.

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05 06 2013

A Stereo Review by Fred Young

Making sense of the different stereo mixes found on Beatlemania,
Twist And Shout and Long Tall Sally

Special collaborator: Fred Young

Many people have asked me, "just what are the best sounding pressings of the three Canadian Capitol 6000 series LP's?"

For monophonic sound, the answer is simple and predictable. Get the finest original pressing you can find. This is especially true for "Beatlemania" T-6051. The original 1963 pressings will have XEX-447 (side 1) and XEX-448 (side 2) in the runouts. These original pressings of T-6051 have noticeably deeper grooves. You can actually feel them if you lightly rub your finger across the vinyl. These deeper groove pressings of T-6051 have a louder, and more dynamic sound.

For stereophonic sound, the answer is not so simple, and requires careful listening to all available versions. Well, I have the records, the headphones and the time, so I decided to try and seek out the answers.

Beatlemania! With The Beatles

Let us start with "Beatlemania" ST-6051 (ST prefix denoting stereo). The first copy to sport the ST prefix was the 3rd generation orange label Capitol of Canada pressing. The matrix numbers are XEX-447-1 and XEX-448- RE6. Though this record claims to be stereo, it certainly does not sound like it. It almost sounds monophonic to these ears.

The next copy I listened to was a 1st generation purple label copy, that appears to be an RCA dynaflex pressing. The matrix numbers on this version are ST 6051 A on side 1 and XEX-448 RE6 on side two. Side 1 of this record is a true stereo mix with good sound and very noticeable separation. This is what many collectors refer to as the "wide mix". Side 2, however reverts back to that mono sounding mix found on the orange label copy.

Next up was a 3rd generation purple label Capitol of Canada pressing. The matrix numbers are ST 6051 A on side one and ST.6051.2. on side two. Both sides of this vinyl have true stereo sound with noticeable separation.

Lastly, I checked out the final vinyl incarnation of this classic LP; the retro rainbow label. This LP appears to be a Cinram pressing because of the double impression rings left by the stamper. the matrix numbers are ST-6051-1- on side 1 and ST-6051-2- on side 2. Here's the kicker, folks. This final pressing has excellent sound and great separation throughout. This version is the clear winner, with a close second going to the 3rd generation purple Capitol pressing.

Twist And Shout

Now on to "Twist and Shout" ST-6054. I don't own a 3rd generation orange label copy, so I began with the 1st generation purple label that also appears to be an RCA Dynaflex pressing. The matrix numbers are ST-6054-A on side 1 and XEX 456 on side 2. All of side 1 is in true stereo, except for "Love Me Do" (track 6), which is a mono Andy White version. Side 2 is all in true stereo, except for "P.S. I Love You" (track 1) and "She Loves You" (track 7) which are mono. I'm not even sure if true stereo mixes for these three songs even exist.

The second version I listened to was the first retro rainbow label version, which is a Capitol of Canada pressing that features a larger title font. The matrix numbers are ST.6054.A. (side 1) and ST-6054-B (side 2). Well I'm not sure who prepared the master for side 1, but this version plays through entirely in mono! Side 2 is in true stereo, except for (again), tracks 1 and 7.

This leads us to the final vinyl version of this classic Canadian LP, a retro rainbow label that appears to be a Columbia pressing. The matrix numbers are ST-6054-A (Side 1) and ST-6054-B (side 2). This version has side 1 in true stereo, except for track 6. Side 2 is also in true stereo except for tracks 1 and 7. This pressing has excellent stereo sound throughout, except for the mentioned tracks, and surpasses the Capitol pressing in sound quality by quite a wide margin. The final pressing again is the clear winner.

Long Tall Sally

Lastly, we move to "Long Tall Sally" ST-6063. The first pressing to boast the ST prefix is the 3rd generation orange label Capitol of Canada pressing. The matrix numbers are ST-6063-A (side 1) and ST-6063-B (side 2). On the label of side one, an asterisk appears beside "I Want To Hold Your Hand" which denotes that track as being on mono. Funny thing is, the entire side is in mono! On the label of side two, asterisks appear beside tracks 1,2,4 and 5 denoting those tracks as being monophonic. Again, the entire side is in mono! I'm not sure who they thought they were fooling here.

Moving on to my third generation purple label Capitol of Canada pressing, I found it to be identical in every way to the orange label version that I just described, so I won't go any further on this pressing.

Finally, I played my retro rainbow Capitol of Canada pressing with the larger title font on the label. The matrix numbers are ST.6063.A. (side 1) and ST.6063.B. (side 2). The labels also indicate track 1, side 1 and tracks 1,2,4 and 5, side 2 as being in mono, which they are. The good news; the rest of the tracks are in glorious stereophonic sound! Capitol finally got it right on this one. This is the version to seek out.

So, in conclusion; if it's mono sound you're after, seek out pristine original pressings. If you want the best stereo versions, seek out the last ones produced.

Fred Young

- May 2nd, 2013

Piers's Note May 6 2013 - "Well I don't have the last retro label ST-6051 (arrgh!), but I do have in my collection an orange label, second generation ST-6051 pressing with a hand-written YEA matrix on both sides which sounds like true stereo to my ears. But we'll let Fred listen to this album stereo mix so he can compare to his other stereo-tagged albums (May 2013).

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04 29 2013

Recent Sales

We haven't had a recent sales column in a while, so now it's time to review the Canadian record collecting panorama once again! Starting with random 6000 series albums, a few albums that rarely show have been spotted online since our last review, many of them not necessarily that rare, but very interesting. Cliff Richard's On Your Mark sold for 12$, The canceled Animals album House Of The Rising Sun is always popular and two copies reached 100$ each, while Listen To by Billy J Kramer sold for 22$, Diane Leigh's 1966 album Shadows Of Your Heart sold for 15$, The Legarde Twins Sincerely Yours and Dick Kallman's Hank Sings album sold for 16$ and 23$ respectively. The soundtrack for Wild In The Streets sold for 14$ and another BJ Kramer album (Boats and Trains And Plains) sold for 22$ while Nilsson's Spotlight on Nilsson reached and impressive 76$ and a sealed Pink Floyd More album from 1969 sold for 145$.

The Yardbirds have had a few early albums on the 6000 series and once again prove to be top favourites among collectors. Their first album Heart Foul Of Soul reached a very impressive 401$ for a mono copy marked at VG++, during which two copies of Having A Rave Up sold for 125$ and 185$ for mono copies as well. Finally, Over Under Sideways Down sold for 51$.

Finally, as always, many Beatles items have changed hands lately, and among them were very interesting and unique items. A rare experimental pressing of the coloured vinyl Blue and Love Songs albums found their way online from a private collection owned by a former Capitol pressing plant employee who experimented with different colour mixes and techniques in 1978. These two albums are very cool and colourful, but mostly: one of a kind. The Blue album sold for over 400$, and Love Songs still has 2 days to go as of today, and is already at 102$ - but will probably climb much higher at the last moment.

Otherwise, a Sealed copy of the Canadian yellow vinyl promo LP of Reel Music reached 72$ while the extremely scarce Canadian Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever white label promo 45 sold for 232$ in VG condition. This item does not surface very often with only around 200 copies most likely to have been pressed. The Let It Be Box set is a constant classic that sold for 230$ this time, and the rare Canadian Four By The Beatles EP reached 71$ for the Parr's cover only. A hard to find red target copy of Sgt Pepper's sold for 30$, a 2nd generation orange label Long Tall Sally for 29$, and Sie Liebt Dich, always very popular reached 81$ in VG condition. Finally, the Canadian exclusive Ringo album Old Wave sold for 31$.

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04 19 2013

Hugh McCracken has passed away

Hugh McCracken, who worked with Paul McCartney and John Lennon passed away on March 28 in New York City. Guitarist, song writer and producer, he has done some amazing work on Paul's RAM album, and was enlisted in the first lineup of Wings. He also reconnected with Lennon for his last album Double Fantasy. He also played slide guitar alongside Harrison for another side project, and has worked with many famous artists, like Johnny Halliday, until the mid 2000s. A very talented musician has left us.

Read the Independant.uk article HERE.

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04 15 2013

New STAX Canadian Discography added

Today, we added a new page to our list of interesting and unique Canadian discographies. Many collectors will be thrilled to find a Canadian listing for the rare and sought after STAX label. We have a few 45s listed at the moment, from early London years to later Quality pressings from 1967, and we will be adding lots more in the near future, including more 45s and an album section for STAX LPs.

View the new list from the main menu in OTHER LABELS, or simply click HERE.

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04 04 2013

Capitol 6000 finally offers its library in digital format

We are extremely proud to finally offer our complete library in digital format. No more waiting, offered at a suprisingly low price and with you everywhere you go.

Why did we decide to offer our material in the digital format? Since 2003, we have worked hard at researching and writing our books, and we have always adopted the best new ways to make them available to you. Many have emailed us requesting reprints of earlier books, and copies of new and upcoming books, and the interest is greatly appreciated. Our biggest challenge is to produce highly researched and highly specialized content at the best price, with no compromise to quality. For our books, we have to balance printing costs with small orders that increase these production fees and could generate occasional inventory problems and delivery delays. Digital format is one of the solutions we have found to overcome these challenges.

Digital books are a good solution for us, of course, but a much greater advantage for you, the reader! No more inventory problems; we will always have ebooks in stock, no more postal delivery delays; you will receive your electronic copy almost instantly, viewable on any digital device, from computers to tablets and smartphones; always have your book with you for a quick on-the-spot reference. Best of all, it is available anywhere in the world, at the click of a button for a fraction of the price.

We offer our books in a flexible personalized PDF format - free of any constraining rights management software, fully printable up to 150dpi, and viewable on all platforms, from PC and Mac, to Android or Blackberry. The book is also separated by chapter that can be accessed directly from the table of contents, avoiding excessive scrolling to get to a later page in the document. These can be stored offline on your device, eliminating upload delays every time you want to read it; literally having the document instantly available at your fingertips.

Another perk of the electronic format, is that it is much easier to update with corrections and additions we might make over the years - as content is updated, we will offer newer and updated versions at incrementally lower prices.

As collectors and music enthusiasts, we always treasure the physical items that are records and books, and there will always be a place for these in our lives, and we will continue to offer hard copies as long as they are requested. The new world of today offers impressive technologies with indescribable possibilities, both in ubiquitous access and interactive content. Public libraries can now also offer PDF content on file sharing devices once the file sharing permission has been granted. It is no surprise that newer generations of readers have requested our books in this new format, and we are proud to finally offer all the detailed information and content to all readers, for both the traditional reference needs as well as the quicker easy-access electronic archival browsing.

Don't wait any longer, visit the different pages from our library on both current and upcoming books, and order your copies today!

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03 25 2013

The Beatles in Montreal, an exhibit you can't miss

On Friday, March 29, Le Musée de la Pointe-à-Callière in Montreal will launch a new exhibit relating the events surrounding the Montreal Beatles show of 1964. From early 60s Quebec groups, to Lennon's fantastic psychedelic Rolls Royce, the exhibit will please fans and visitors with over 350 items relating the events of September 8, 1964. The many items presented at the show were lent by various well known Beatles collectors including Gilles Valiquette (singer/song writer/producer), and Pierre Marchand (owner of the Archambault group). Gilles Valiquette was involved in the development of this project from the very start, and has been the cornerstone allowing to build a great exhibit about the few hours that carved Montreal's history books forever.

The Montreal show was unfortunately not the high point of the Beatles' North American tour, with death threats to Ringo and a nervous limo driver burning red lights on their way to the Forum, but of course, the city went absolutely crazy went they heard the Fab Four were coming to town. Interestingly, the exhibit is not just a factual lineup of 60s memorabilia, but is rather meant to place the visitor right at the center of the indescribable anticipation felt in 1964, Meaning the visitors should re-live the excitement felt a few days prior to the show, all the way to the actual Montreal show, digitally transferred from a fan-recorded audio reel-to-reel tape. Needless to say, it is definitely an exhibit we will not miss, and we hope to see you there as well.

This image is from the Montreal Gazette detailed article found here:

http://www.montrealgazette.com

You can find The Beatles in Montreal at the Mariners’ House of the Pointe-à-Callière Museum of Archeology and History, 165 Place D’Youville at Place Royale in Old Montreal, starting March 29, 2013, to March 30, 2014. For information on opening hours and admission prices, please visit the official museum website:

http://pacmusee.qc.ca/en/plan-your-visit/hours-rates