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I'm hoping that a company like Vocalion can revisit the Roland Shaw Bond / Secret Agent tracks, get the correct masters and give the sound the proper treatment it deserves. Based on the releases I have heard to date, they do an excellent job. If you like Bond covers, try their Si Zentner "From Russia With Love" CD (paired with "Warning Shot"). Si and his big band cover "The James Bond Theme," "From Russia With Love" and the "007 Theme." Great stuff!
Vocalion would be perfect for the job. And Mike Dutton's remasterings are impeccable.
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Not to start a flame war, but do we know if UMG was involved in this project at all. I own several Cherry Red albums and most of them consist of public domain material. I realize that the Shaw recordings are not in the public domain, though.
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This whole thing is ironic, because in their day the LPs were considered to have a damn good sound. Their mixing and mastering was first class. For CDs, I'll just say again that the Deram disc sounds good to me.
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The mere number of James Bond cover albums (some great, some adequate some embarrassing  ) from the 1960s makes it obvious what kind of cultural phenomenon the James Bond legacy was back then. Maybe on par with the Beatles? That makes it even more difficult to understand why the catalog's representation on CD is rather sloppy. Of course, Lukas stepped in to rescue what there was to rescue; but letting the 50TH Anniversary pass by if it were nothing is a real shame.
True. The James Bond phenomenon was nothing less than an international craze when it peaked in 1965. Bond was a lot bigger in '65 than STAR WARS would be in 1977, and Bond had wide inter-generational appeal whereas, if I'm not mistaken, STAR WARS skewed mostly toward kids and people under 25.
And there really was an avalanche of Bond cover albums. I have only a few of the actual LPs, including the incomparable Shaw albums, Ray Martin's GOLDFINGER, and not many others. I've tried to collect the numerous other cover images from the Internet to act as a scrapbook, and it seems you never have them all. Especially if you count foreign vinyl. I guess if you were old enough to shop for LPs in the years around 1965, you could find a new Bond title in the store every week or so.
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Oh how sad that we don't have all tracks available in good quality on CD.
Frustrating and sad.
I don't mind LP being the source if that's the best source available. It's 2nd best to mastering from tape, but it's been done before with satisfactory effect.
But alas not everyone does it so well ...
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Could someone please do us this service:
Could someone look at all the Roland Shaw tracks on those four James Bond LPs and account for which ones are on CD?
I presume it's not as simple as matching titles because aren't there different versions on different LPs on some of the themes?
Thanks!
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Could someone please do us this service:
Could someone look at all the Roland Shaw tracks on those four James Bond LPs and account for which ones are on CD?
I presume it's not as simple as matching titles because aren't there different versions on different LPs on some of the themes?
Thanks!
I don't know what Stefan's file is because that download is an executable file and I wasn't comfortable trying it out.
But here are some Shaw-Bond-on-CD facts for Stephen that I have at the ready:
"Have No Fear, Bond is Here" is a simple re-titling of the theme from Casino Royale ('67), the same exact track with the screaming girls. It is from the 'MORE JAMES BOND IN ACTION' LP.
"Diamonds are Forever - Reprise" is an entirely different composition that quotes the theme from DAF in several places. It is on 'THE RETURN OF JAMES BOND' 2-LP set.
Eight of Shaw's Bond cues have never been released on CD...
- Leila Dances
- Gypsy Camp
- Tania Meets Klebb
- Spectre Island
- Guitar Lament
- Teasing The Korean
- Death Of Goldfinger
- Capsule In Space
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I don't know what Stefan's file is because that download is an executable file and I wasn't comfortable trying it out.
Shaw recorded:
Nine tracks from FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, almost a soundtrack release of its own (of which five tracks have never appeared on CD):
From Russia With Love
Tania Meets Klebb (not on CD)
Leila Dances (not on CD)
Girl Trouble
007
Guitar Lament (not on CD)
Gypsy Camp (not on CD)
SPECTRE Island (not on CD)
The Golden Horn
Seven tracks from GOLDFINGER, again almost a soundtrack release of its own (of which two tracks have never appeared on CD):
Goldfinger
Into Miami
Pussy Galore's Flying Circus
Teasing The Korean (not on CD)
Dawn Raid On Fort Knox
Arrival Of The Bomb And Countdown
Death Of Goldfinger (not on CD)
Six tracks from DR. NO (all released on CD):
James Bond Theme
Dr. No's Fantasy
Jump Up
Kingston Calypso
Twisting With James
Underneath The Mango Tree
Four tracks from THUNDERBALL (all released on CD); Shaw correctly titles "Chateau Fight" which is the title on the THUNDERBALL UK LP (misspelled as "Flight" on the US LP):
Thunderball
Chateau Fight
Bond Below Disco Volante
Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Three tracks from YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (of which one track has never appeared on CD):
You Only Live Twice
Capsule In Space (not on CD)
The Wedding
Three tracks from CASINO ROYALE (not an Eon Bond film; all released on CD):
Casino Royale
Let The Love Come Through
The Look Of Love
Two similar tracks from DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (both released on CD):
Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds Are Forever (Reprise)
Only one track from ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (released on CD):
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
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That's a useful and well-organized list. Thanks.
I like the CASINO ROYALE song "Let the Love Come Through," and apparently Roland Shaw's superb version is the only recording of it you can get anywhere.
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Here's a question: Roland Shaw went as far as DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER and then he stopped. Do you think he just moved on to other things, or did he give one listen to LIVE AND LET DIE and say, "This sh** is not for me" ... ?
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The 2 CD set (on Poker/Cherry Red) is a horrible release. I communicated with the company soon after the set was released and the producer or compiler kindly responded and, IIRC, wrote that they had to rely on vinyl sources for at least some of the tracks. But that isn't the worst problem with this release. The harshness comes from the mastering decisions: they decided to compress the life out of these tracks. Maybe they thought this approach would cover up the source deficiencies. It didn't work. I can't listen to this release without my ears aching...and that's at relatively low volume. If you know anything about the 'Loudness War', this is a horrible example of maximized mastering at its worst. The fellow from the company wrote that he liked how it sounded. Poor bugger must be deaf!
The other problem is that, in their continuing wisdom, the compilers decided to edit some of the tracks, apparently to avoid repetition. I don't have the set in front of me, but I remember "Kingston Calypso" being one of the worst examples: they lopped off the opening "James Bond Theme" portion!
Avoid at all costs!
I'm hoping that a company like Vocalion can revisit the Roland Shaw Bond / Secret Agent tracks, get the correct masters and give the sound the proper treatment it deserves. Based on the releases I have heard to date, they do an excellent job. If you like Bond covers, try their Si Zentner "From Russia With Love" CD (paired with "Warning Shot"). Si and his big band cover "The James Bond Theme," "From Russia With Love" and the "007 Theme." Great stuff!
Vocalion has issued the Frank Chacksfield combo cd Film Festival/ King of Kings which has a Roland Shaw arrangement of the James Bond Theme. As Stephen has said elsewhere in this thread, let's hope someone can do a comprehensive compilation of these recordings from the original masters.
Personally, I would love to hear Shaw's arrangement of Capsule in Space.
Stan
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Vocalion has issued the Frank Chacksfield combo cd Film Festival/ King of Kings which has a Roland Shaw arrangement of the James Bond Theme. As Stephen has said elsewhere in this thread, let's hope someone can do a comprehensive compilation of these recordings from the original masters.
Personally, I would love to hear Shaw's arrangement of Capsule in Space.
Stan
Stan, I'm stuck at work now and thus firewalled out of my personal email. But send me a hello and I'll get back to you within a day or two.
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I confess I only owned the Cherry Red release on CD but given what I heard I've now ordered the prior release.
Vocalion have done other Roland Shaw recordings, so, fingers crossed.
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I've just written to Dutton-Vocalion expressing my interest in these albums. It can't hurt to show a demand signal.
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