Donovan ~ Hurdy Gurdy Man (45 version)

There all kinds of funky stories surrounding Donovan as the first choice lead singer of the band known to be Led Zeppelin. The rumored session musicians for Hurdy Gurdy Man include non other than Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones & John Bonham, none of this was ever confirmed. Can you ever imagine Donovan as the lead singer of Led Zeppelin, I can't. Donovan flourished in the folk/rock/pop forum. Nevertheless Hurdy Gurdy Man is a total classic and presented hear in its mono 45 glory is THE definitive version!

Traffic ~ Heaven Is In Your Mind (Song)

The other day I got a Cambridge DacMagic 100 to hook up to my "audiophile" redbook setup. I cued up Traffic's 1967 track Heaven Is In Your Mind off the same titles album. I am one who usually prefers mono versions over stereo versions but damn the stereo version is hot! It may sound a bit gimmicky to some but the stereo mix is greatly performed. The chorus by Steve Winwood alternates in each instance between both channels, it definitely kept me off balanced. Check out the differences below, the first instance is the mono from the "Mr. Fantasy" album, the latter is the stereo version from the "Heaven Is In Your Mind" album. Enjoy!

 

The Beach Boys - She Knows Me Too Well (45 rpm)

She Knows Me Too Well is a deep track from the Beach Boys cannon which is the B-Side to "When I Grow Up To Be A Man". I was not familiar with this track until I got the Good Vibrations box set. Over time She Knows Me Too well has become an all time favorite of mine. Can't say that I can relate to the song but you have to be in awe of the music that Brian Wilson was writing at such a young age. This is a prelude to his masterpiece "Pet Sounds". Enjoy.

Mike + The Mechanics – All I Need Is A Miracle

To my ears I have found an anomaly in Mike + The Mechanics 1985 hit “All I Need Is A Miracle”. The first video is from Mike + The Mechanics self titled album. This is how I remember the song in the video from MTV and what I will hear on radio today.

Now, check the below video out of the 45. This is how I remember hearing this track on the radio in 1985. It is a bit sped up. This is odd for this era because time of tracks wasn’t too much of a concern. Speeding up a track would be common practice in the 1960’s because radio stations demanded songs clock in under 3 minutes so there are many unique 45 mixes of from that era.

 

Let me know if you hear what I am hearing or am I just going crazy!

iTunes Roulette - 9/5/12

Set your iTunes library or music player on shuffle, list the first 6 songs it plays. Have fun!!!!

Nirvana – Come As You Are (MTV Unplugged)

Billy Joel – 52^nd Street (Audio Fidelity Gold CD)

Black Sabbath – Looking For Today

The Kinks – Wicked Annabella

I Second That Emotion – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (Mono Single from The Complete Motown Singles – Vol.  7 -1967)

Beastie Boys – Jimmy James

New Wave Hits Of The 80's - Just Can't Get Enough (Rhino Records)

Back in the mid-1990’s Rhino released “The New Wave Hits Of The 80’s:Just Can’t Get Enough” series featuring many hits and lesser known tracks from the new wave era ranging from the late 70’s to mid-80’s. I purchased 14 of the 15 volumes of this series upon their release mainly because of the love I had for the music of that era since it was my first real exposure to what was new music partly in thanks to MTV. I have recently purchased a DAC and hooked it through my MacBook Pro and have fed it through my receiver on my main listening rig and let me tell you these tracks really pop! Bill Inglot who was responsible for the mastering production of this set did a masterful job to say the least. I did a shootout of Spandau Ballet’s “True” one from the Charlie Angels soundtrack, which was overly compressed, and load (probably to cater to the listening tastes of many) and the version provide on the New Wave Hits set. The New Wave set version had such great life and airy quality to it, great instrument and vocal separation. I would imagine that most of the tracks featured in this 15-volume set are THE go-to versions on cd. I know most don’t like to by physical media but this set is a must buy for anybody who enjoys the new wave era. The cd’s are out of print but can be easily had on the secondary market for under 10 dollars. Go out and get them, you will not be disappointed!