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FINAL UPDATE 8/4: "Phil Spector Presents the Philles Album Collection" and "Essential Phil Spector" Due From Legacy

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Well, get a load of that!  This is the photo I've been waiting for - and if you're reading this, chances are you've been waiting with bated breath, too!  As of August 4, we have official confirmation that Legacy's Phil Spector Presents the Philles Album Collection is, indeed, coming on October 18, along with a two-disc retrospective as part of the label's long-running Essential series.

Most purchasers of Legacy's first wave of Philles Records reissues last February took immediate notice of a full-color insert which promised a most exciting June release sure to grab everyone's attention: Phil Spector Presents the Philles Album Collection.  Though the June release date came and went, the box was far from the back burner.  The Philles Album Collection features six original albums, none of which have ever appeared on CD before.  All have been newly remastered, and they represent six of the first seven LPs released on the label. (Philles 4005, of course, is A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector, which has already seen release in Legacy's new Philles program.) A seventh bonus disc is entitled Phil's Flipsides, and compiles seventeen in-demand, long-unheard instrumental B-sides by "The Phil Spector Wall of Sound Orchestra," meaning the Los Angeles "Wrecking Crew" at their finest!  Many of Spector's collaborators are even name-checked as the titles to these wild instrumentals: Sonny Bono, Larry Levine, Hal Blaine and Nino Tempo are just a few.

The six original titles are The Crystals' Twist Uptown (Philles 4000) and He's a Rebel (Philles 4001), Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans' Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah (Philles 4002), The Crystals' Sing the Greatest Hits Volume One (Philles 4003), the various artists compilation Today's Hits (Philles 4004) and Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica (Philles 4006). Many of the songs on these LPs have never appeared legitimately on CD, and songwriters include Brill Building legends like Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, Gene Pitney, Doc Pomus and Spector himself. The "Wrecking Crew" worked their magic instrumentally on the Gold Star-recorded tracks (some of the earliest Crystals tracks were actually cut in New York's Mira Sound Studios), and among the vocalists featured are Darlene Love, Bobby Sheen, La La Brooks, Fanita James and Ronnie Spector. This is truly the crème de la crème. Hit the jump for more, including all track listings!

This box set appears to be a must-have for fans of Spector or just classic vocal pop. This is just what collectors have been asking for, as these six albums are the core of the small but revolutionary Philles catalogue. The only remaining commercial LPs released on the label are three Righteous Brothers collections now controlled by Universal (You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', Just Once in My Life and Back to Back, representing catalogue numbers 4007, 4008 and 4009, respectively), a Lenny Bruce LP (4010) and Ike and Tina Turner's River Deep Mountain High (4011) which never saw U.S. release in this format. (Some mono records were pressed, but this release never made it to the cover printing stage. The track listing was released in the U.K. on the London label and later in America on A&M with one alteration.) River Deep Mountain High has already been reissued this year courtesy Hip-o Select. (For label completists, a 1972 radio promo compilation entitled The Phil Spector Spectacular apparently exists as Philles 100, compiling old material.)

Are you excited yet?  Well, that's not all.  If the box set isn't enough Wall of Sound for you - or is too much Wall of Sound for you - Legacy comes to the rescue with the 2-CD The Essential Phil Spector, arriving on the same date as the box.  Though covering much of the same territory as the single-disc Wall of Sound: The Very Best of Phil Spector 1961-1966, this 34-track anthology does its predecessor one better by including many of Spector's pre- and post-Philles productions by artists like Curtis Lee, Gene Pitney, Ben E. King, Ray Peterson, The Paris Sisters and Sonny Charles and the Checkmates, Ltd.  You'll also find three Righteous Brothers tracks, a Modern Folk Quartet cut previously available on the ABKCO Back to Mono box, and a rare 1964 Pete Anders single for the Shirley label, "Hold Me Tight."

Domenic Priore (also the man behind the hardbound book reportedly being included in The Beach Boys' upcoming SMiLE box set) has penned new liner notes for The Essential Phil Spector, while Ace Records' Mick Patrick has written the notes for The Philles Album Collection.  In Priore's words, "Phil Spector turned the table on recording structure and concept during the 20th century.  Prior to his string of hits during the first half of the 1960s, the studio was simply a place to replicate live performance.  Instead, the amount of focus, concentration and effort put into a single track by Phil Spector, the sheer magnitude and incredible force of each superb A-side, would guarantee that his work would rise above more common industry-standard recordings.  The truth was in his tagline: 'Tomorrow's Sound Today'."

The sound of The Crystals, The Ronettes, The Righteous Brothers and the rest prove that the Phil Spector sound is the sound of yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Both Phil Spector Presents the Philles Album Collection andThe Essential Phil Spector arrive on October 18 at finer record stores everywhere from Phil Spector Records and Legacy.  It's time to get back to mono!

Various Artists, Phil Spector Presents the Philles Album Collection (Phil Spector Records/Legacy 88697 92782 2, 2011)

Disc 1: The Crystals, Twist Uptown (Philles PHLP-4000, 1962)

  1. Uptown
  2. Another Country, Another World
  3. Frankenstein Twist
  4. Oh Yeah Maybe Baby
  5. Please Hurt Me
  6. There's No Other (Like My Baby)
  7. On Broadway
  8. What a Nice Way to Turn Seventeen
  9. No One Ever Tells You
  10. Gee Whiz Look at His Eyes (Twist)
  11. I Love You Eddie

Disc 2: The Crystals, He's a Rebel (Philles PHLP-4001, 1963)

  1. He's a Rebel
  2. Uptown
  3. Another Country, Another World
  4. Frankenstein Twist
  5. Oh Yeah Maybe Baby
  6. He's Sure the Boy I Love
  7. There's No Other (Like My Baby)
  8. On Broadway
  9. What a Nice Way to Turn Seventeen
  10. No One Ever Tells You
  11. He Hit Me (But It Felt Like a Kiss)
  12. I Love You Eddie

Disc 3: Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans, Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah (Philles PHLP-4002, 1963)

  1. Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah
  2. Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Hearts
  3. Let the Good Times Roll
  4. My Heart Beat a Little Faster
  5. Jimmy Baby
  6. Baby (I Love You)
  7. The White Cliffs of Dover
  8. This Land is Your Land
  9. Dear (Here Comes My Baby)
  10. I Shook the World
  11. Everything's Gonna Be All Right
  12. Dr. Kaplan's Office

Disc 4: The Crystals, Sing the Greatest Hits Volume One (Philles PHLP-4003, 1963)

  1. Da Doo Ron Ron
  2. On Broadway
  3. He's a Rebel
  4. Hot Pastrami
  5. There's No Other (Like My Baby)
  6. The Watusi
  7. Mashed Potato Time
  8. He's Sure the Boy I Love
  9. Uptown
  10. The Twist
  11. Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)
  12. Look in My Eyes

Disc 5: Various Artists, Today's Hits (Philles PHLP-4004, 1963)

  1. Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals
  2. Da Doo Ron Ron - The Crystals
  3. Oh Yeah Maybe Baby - The Crystals
  4. Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah - Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans
  5. Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts - Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans
  6. Not Too Young to Get Married - Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans
  7. Be My Baby - The Ronettes
  8. Wait 'Til My Bobby Gets Home - Darlene Love
  9. (Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry - Darlene Love
  10. My Heart Beat a Little Faster - Darlene Love
  11. Playing For Keeps - Darlene Love
  12. Puddin' 'n Tain - The Alley Cats

Disc 6: The Ronettes, Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica (Philles PHLP-4006, 1964)

  1. Walkin' in the Rain
  2. Do I Love You
  3. So Young
  4. (The Best Part of) Breakin' Up
  5. I Wonder
  6. What'd I Say
  7. Be My Baby
  8. You Baby
  9. Baby I Love You
  10. How Does It Feel
  11. When I Saw You
  12. Chapel of Love

Disc 7:  The Phil Spector Wall of Sound Orchestra, Phil's Flipsides

  1. Flip And Nitty (B-side of "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Philles single 107, 1962)
  2. Walkin' Along La La La (B-side of "He's Sure The Boy I Love," Philles single 109X, 1963)
  3. Dr. Kaplan's Office (B-side of "Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Hearts?," Philles single 110, 1963)
  4. Git' It (B-side of "Da Doo Ron Ron," Philles single 112, 1963)
  5. Annette (B-side of "Not Too Young To Get Married," Philles single 113, 1963)
  6. Brother Julius (B-side of "Then He Kissed Me," Philles single 115, 1963)
  7. Tedesco And Pitman (B-side of "Be My Baby," Philles single 116, 1963)
  8. Nino And Sonny (Big Trouble) (B-side of "A Fine, Fine Boy," Philles single 117, 1963)
  9. Miss Joan And Mister Sam (B-side of "Baby, I Love You," Philles single 118. 1963)
  10. Harry And Milt Meet Hal B (B-side of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," Philles single 119, 1963)
  11. Harry (Fron W. Va.) And Milt (B-side of "Little Boy," Philles single 119X, 1964)
  12. Big Red (B-side of "(The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up," Philles single 120, 1964)
  13. Larry L. (B-side of "So Young," Phil Spector single 1, 1964)
  14. Chubby Danny D (B-side of "Why Don't They Let Us Fall in Love," Phil Spector single 2, 1964)
  15. Bebe And Susu (B-side of "Do I Love You," Philles single 121, 1964)
  16. Irving (Jaggered Sixteenths) (B-side of "All Grown Up," Philles single 122, 1964) 
  17. Torpedo Rock (Surfing Corrido) (From the Phil Spector International album Phil Spector Wall Of Sound, Vol. 5: Rare Masters Vol. 1, 1976)

Various Artists, The Essential Phil Spector (Phil Spector Records/Legacy 88697 86422 2, 2011)

Disc 1

  1. To Know Him Is to Love Him - The Teddy Bears (1958, Dore single #503, Hot 100 #1, R&B #10)
  2. Corrina, Corrina - Ray Peterson (1960, Dunes single #2002, Hot 100 #9)
  3. Spanish Harlem - Ben E. King (1960, Atco single #6185, Hot 100 #10, R&B #15)
  4. Pretty Little Angel Eyes - Curtis Lee (1961, Dunes single #2007, Hot 100 #7)
  5. Every Breath I Take - Gene Pitney (1961, Musicor single #1011, Hot 100 #42)
  6. I Love How You Love Me - The Paris Sisters (1961, Gregmark single #6, Hot 100 #5)
  7. There's No Other Like My Baby - The Crystals (1961, Philles single #100, Hot 100 #20, R&B #5)
  8. Uptown - The Crystals (1962, Philles single #102, Hot 100 #13, R&B #18)
  9. He's A Rebel - The Crystals (1962, Philles single #106, Hot 100 #1, R&B #2)
  10. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah - Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans (1962, Philles single #107, Hot 100 #8, R&B #7)
  11. Puddin' N' Tain - The Alley Cats (1962, Philles single #108)
  12. He's Sure the Boy I Love - The Crystals (1962, Philles single #109, Hot 100 #11, R&B #18)
  13. Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Heart? - Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans (1962, Philles single #110, Hot 100 #38)
  14. (Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry - Darlene Love (1963, Philles single #111, Hot 100 #39)
  15. Da Doo Ron Ron - The Crystals (1963, Philles single #112, Hot 100 #3, R&B #5)
  16. Not Too Young To Get Married - Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans (1963, Philles single #113, Hot 100 #63)
  17. Wait Til' My Bobby Gets Home - Darlene Love (1963, Philles single #114, Hot 100 #26)

Disc 2

  1. Be My Baby - The Ronettes (1963, Philles single #116, Hot 100 #2, R&B #4)
  2. Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals (1963, Philles single #115, Hot 100 #6, R&B #8)
  3. A Fine, Fine Boy - Darlene Love (1963, Philles single #117, Hot 100 #53, R&B #29)
  4. Baby, I Love You - The Ronettes (1963, Philles single #118, Hot 100 #24, R&B #6)
  5. (The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up - The Ronettes (1964, Philles single #120, Hot 100 #39)
  6. Hold Me Tight - The Treasures featuring Pete Anders (1964, Shirley single # 500)
  7. Stumble And Fall - Darlene Love (1964, Philles single #123)
  8. When I Saw You -The Ronettes (1964, Philles single #133)
  9. Do I Love You? - The Ronettes (1964, Philles single #121, Hot 100 #34, R&B #11)
  10. Walking In The Rain - The Ronettes (1964, Philles single #123, Hot 100 #23, R&B #3)
  11. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling - The Righteous Brothers (1964, Philles single #124, Hot 100 #1, R&B #2)
  12. Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers (1965, Philles single # 129, Hot 100 #4, R&B # 6)
  13. Ebb Tide - The Righteous Brothers (1965, Philles single # 130, Hot 100 #5, R&B #13)
  14. This Could Be The Night - The Modern Folk Quartet (1965, not originally issued - first released on the ABKCO Records box set Back To Mono)
  15. Paradise - The Ronettes (1965, from the Phil Spector International album Phil Spector Wall Of Sound, Vol. 5: Rare Masters Vol. 1)
  16. River Deep, Mountain High - Ike & Tina Turner (1966, Philles single #131, Hot 100 #88)
  17. Black Pearl - Sonny Charles and the Checkmates LTD. (1969, A&M single #1053, Hot 100 #13, R&B #8)
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Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

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Comments

  3. They should make Twist Uptown and Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes both the mono and stereo mixes or better still throw in 2 more cds 🙂

    Reply

  6. One reviewer of Amazon says the Ronettes Legacy release doesn't sound any better than the previous ATKO one. I can understand why it is important to have ALL the original albums released, but even this proposed box set has duplications - and we're not even guaranteed of better sound compared to the latest 'Best of' issues. I think they should all have been consigned to Hip-O-Select as they are SERIOUS when it comes to sound improvement. I'll be waiting and checking very carefully before buying.

    Reply

    • Thanks for reading, Rod. I, of course, implore all interested listeners to do their own research -- with their own ears! -- when it comes to questions of sound quality and mastering. It's very possible for three people to listen to the same recording and have three different opinions of the sound. That said, to my ears, Vic Anesini's remastering of these Legacy remasters is a real and marked improvement over the previous ABKCO editions. As a result, I have very high hopes for the box set!

      Reply

  8. To Joe Marchese: I was fortunate to have grown up with Philles Records. As a kid of 11 years when "He's A Rebel" hit the top of the charts in October 1962, Philles quickly became my very first favorite record label, and Phil Spector became my all-time fav record Producer (just before Motown hit, which also became one of my all-time favorite labels). I'm really pleased to see a box set devoted to Philles (as a companion set to the "Back To Mono" set released on ABKCO back in 1991). Although Philles always sounded far more powerful and exciting in Mono (at least to my ears), I would love to see both the mono and stereo versions of The Ronettes LP included in the Philles box, as well as the stereo version of the Philles Christmas LP. Would love to see (and hear) a CD full of previously-unreleased Philles recordings including Darlene Love's unreleased version of "Da Doo Ron Ron", the uptempo version of The Ronettes "I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine", Tina Turner's version of "Everything Under The Sun", and especially, Ronnie Spector's album's worth of unreleased A&M material rumored to exsit which includes "Love Me Like You're Gonna Lose Me", all Phil-Spector produced. (I consider Phil's A&M material to be Philles era, despite the fact that it was recorded two years after Philles shut its doors.) Anyway, just a few hints from my wish list, along with any and all other unreleased Philles-era tracks known to exist. Thanks for listening, Joe, and best of luck with the new box set. I'm counting the days!

    Reply

  9. I echo your words Gary. I go further.

    I firmly believe that Spector collectors have been treated badly over the years and Sony's recent batch of releases leaves me cold. What's new on them? I see Woman In Love from the Crystals and the Ronettes' I Can Hear Music now on official CD (on 2 separate cd's). Not exactly decent value for money!

    Ah, but Sony will say "fabulous sound". Well, let's see if that translates into a good financial return. The cost of those new mixes aint cheap - unlike the reduced price of those Sony cd's on Amazon UK - and they have only been out for a couple of months!

    And now we are promised the original Philles albums on CD. Should I be pleased to have a mono vinyl album which was short even by LP standards, replicated on CD and being charged CD price which is, for the most part empty? Wake up Sony, it ain't gonna work. Us collectors are getting old now and are far more picky now than when we were younger. A few more years and we'll be dropping like flies.

    There's unreleased stuff on Spector, we all know that. US Brits released a lot of it in the 70's and those PSI vinyl albums were good value and are still sought after. Most of us have now had them transferred to CD from mint vinyl copies but in addition, added our 3 versions of Tina's Everything Under The Sun, 2 version of Darlene Love's Lord If You're A Woman and all of the other rare tracks mentioned above.

    If the original Philles albums are to be released, then please do it properly and get it right.

    Reply

    • Good points, John. Thanks for responding. I also meant to mention that I hope that Sony will re-create Philles' "PR" logos on the face of each of the box-set CDs, using both the blue/black and the yellow/red Philles labels where appropriate (as opposed to just a plain silver or other plain-colored CD label).

      Reply

  10. June has come and gone! What happened to the release of the Philles Album Collection CD box set? Has a new release date been targeted?

    Reply

  11. Are these discs MONO? I couldn't find the info.

    I bet they are waiting for the film with Pacino playing Spector to be released (or is it out already)

    Reply

    • Indeed, I fully expect these to be in mono. (My "Back to Mono" pin is always at the ready!) But a stereo compilation would be a wonderful treat somewhere down the road. Of course, that's after the companion Complete Singles box set happens...wishful thinking never hurt a fella! 😉

      Reply

  12. This is a horrible rip-off. If you have the recent Crystals, Ronettes and Darlene Love CD collections, this only offers 38 new tracks and will cost between $2 and $2.50 PER "NEW" SONG. Some songs are repeated, what, three times on this box? The exclusive content on this box set could almost fit on a single CD.

    Reply

    • I count myself among the collectors who have been waiting for a box like this for a very long time: presenting the original Philles albums in their original configurations, housed in a deluxe package with an annotated book and bonus material. Though final details are still to be confirmed, this set appears to deliver on all of my hopes for such a set, and as such, I'm wagering that it will be worth the extra money. Of course, whenever a project comes down to value for one's dollar, that's an incredibly subjective topic, and up to the individual consumer. Thanks for your input, John.

      Reply

  13. Great to see the bonus Philles B-Side disc being included in the Philles Album Collection CD boxed set. Just curious as to why they're leaving out The Ronettes' "Blues For Baby" (B-side of "Born To Be Together"), "Winter Blues" (B-side of Darlene Love's "Chrismas (Baby Please Come Home", Philles 125X), and "Pete Meets Vinnie" (B-Side of The Treasures' "Hold Me Tight"). "Winter Blues" is an especially tough (impossible) sucker to find, even on vinyl. I'd sure love to see it included here, as I'm sure would the other Philles collectors as well.

    Can't wait 'til September 26. Again, here's hoping that the good folks at Sony will use the Philles label with "PR" logo on each of the boxed-set CD discs (blue/black and yellow/red, where appropriate, like they did on the Philles Christmas Album CD), as opposed to just plain silver or colored CD labels. A boxed set like this will probably never happen again, so making it collector-perfect this time around is the ultimate way to go.

    Reply

    • I, too, am curious why the B-sides disc isn't complete, though what's there is certainly choice! I'll try to get more details soon. I second your enthusiasm for this project, and I have every confidence that the folks at Legacy are indeed, getting this right -- this looks like quite a package! The label artwork would indeed be perfect!

      Reply

  14. Gary wrote:
    Great to see the bonus Philles B-Side disc being included in the Philles Album Collection CD boxed set.

    But I wonder why do the B sides when albums do not by their nature have B sides? Just like as much as I would like to see some unreleased or stereo cuts. If they had not wasted the time and mechanical royalites money on the B sides we might have been able to have the missing Ike and Tina Turner album and mono/stereo versions of the Ronettes and and Christmas albums.

    After all isn't this supposed to be an album collection?

    Reply

  15. Forget about the SMiLE box this is the reissue of the year. The original Philles vinyl never sounded that great so this should be beyond amazing. As I said back in February I want this RIGHT NOW!!!

    Reply

    • David Mamet is writing and directing a Spector movie for HBO (starring Al Pacino as Spector and Helen Mirren as his attorney Linda Kenney Baden) which is currently filming, but it reportedly will concentrate only on the sad events of his later life, and specifically, his trial. We'll still have to wait for a film to tackle his entire life and career.

      Reply

  17. John

    I sympathise totally. I'm not sure I would go as far as a horrible rip-off since I don't know how much I will eventually pay for this set. l am not buying it immediately, that's for sure. However, it is better than what was first expected but short of what could have been.

    I wonder if Gary (see above) gets his hoped-for re-created Philles labels on the CD's

    Reply

  18. AAA vinyl from the original tapes or I'm not interested. I hardly want to hear this music digitized. I have an original of "Today's Hits" and I can imagine what it will sound like in 16 bits: flat, lifeless and blah.

    Reply

  20. You have Darlene Love's "Playing for Keeps" listed, but it isn't listed on any official release info. Why is it missing? I tried writing to the label, but they haven't responded - maybe you could find something out?

    Reply

    • I saw that a couple of days ago - it had been £61 there and had been lingering in my basket but it would be stupid not to order it at the new lower price so its now ordered - bargain!

      Reply

  22. Any idea what £23.89 converts to in dollars? Amazon in the states is charging 59.83
    http://www.amazon.com/Spector-Presents-Philles-Album-Collection/dp/B005BSCQPI/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1314633858&sr=1-1
    and in Canada wants $69.99
    http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_50?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=phil+spector+presents+the+philles+album+collection&sprefix=phil+spector+presents+the+philles+album+co

    I'm not planning on ordering from Europe (if I buy at all) but wondered how the price compares.

    Reply

    • Paul, from my shopping experience on eBay, British prices are usually about one-and-a-half times the American price. When I purchase an LP or CD advertised in England for 20 pounds, it actually costs me about $30 in American funds. Hope this helps.
      - Gary

      Reply

  26. I think it's amazing that since the release is out and no comments. I got my British copy in the mail today, and according to my credit card statement it costs $37.13 and that is everything including postage. The mastering is OK but is no where near the quality of the 2006 release Phil Spector's Wall of Sound Retrospective, which was the best mastering since the Warner Spector 2 LP set (yes vinyl) "Phil Spector's Greatest Hits." But the booklet by Mick Patrick, may not be worth the cost of admission, but is certainly the best part of the whole set. Not being a technical type person, I think the problem with this latest reissue is it does not boost the bass to make up for the RIAA curve that was built in record player amplifiers back in the 1960s. The masterings also do not have the clarity of the 2006 Phil Spector Retrospective.

    http://www.amazon.com/Spector-Sound-Retrospective-Philles-1961-1996/dp/B001681MCA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320690545&sr=8-1

    The most listenable disks are obviously the Today's Hits and the Crystals Sing The Greatest Hits Vol 1 as they have the largest percentage of recognizable songs. I was looking forward to the mono release of the Fabulous Ronettes (which previously I had only heard in stereo reissues). But a little disappointed as on first listening on some of the tracks the background vocals don't sound quite right, but I need to go back to my scratchly stack of singles to figure out why.

    It was worth the $37 I paid but not the $50 plus Amazon and other retailers want. I figure we are paying some of Phil's legal fees with this release.

    Reply

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