I was trading records back in for store credit at Amoeba Hollywood. Included in my pile was the 2017 12" re-issue of "Let's Go Crazy". The buyer remarks, "Bet you're trading this back because of that drop out at the start of "Erotic City"?

I respond "How'd you know?"

He responds "Because you'd be an idiot to trade this record back in if there weren't an error - - You know? Bernie Grundman is pretty pissed about this. My friend works for Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios and I guess his final master of "Erotic City" didn't have a drop out and Bernie is angry it got through QA and was pressed that way. Apparently, he was pretty disappointed with the remaster of the album. Guess one of his guys remastered it. He wants to work with Rhino and re-issue it done properly. Drop out fixed and a master it himself so it's a remaster he stands behind."

I ask "Does that mean we'll trade this copy in or have to buy it again?"

He responds "Probably buy it again" (laughs)

He then claimed that they're presently remastering "Parade" as the next super deluxe release.

Not sure how true any of this is, but thought I'd share. I don't doubt people in Amoeba in LA are connected with people at the studio. I'm not connected though.

I sort of hope they fix it. Even if I have to buy it again. I hate that "Erotic City" isn't perfect. I'm not so happy about the remaster either.

Finally, when he told me "Parade" was next, I asked if he knew anything about the protege artists' releases on Warner. He didn't know.

I actually thought Kevin Gray did the remaster. Shows how much I know.

[Edited 10/3/17 23:40pm]

[Edited 10/3/17 23:42pm]

I'd believe the Parade rumors. Warner apparently owns that one outright - along with Purple Rain and Batman - due to the 2014 deal Prince made and the leaks that dropped from Purple Rain Deluxe were paired with material from the Parade era.

So the same glitch that was on the deluxe reissue is also on that 12"?

[Edited 10/4/17 1:00am]

Strive said:

I'd believe the Parade rumors. Warner apparently owns that one outright - along with Purple Rain and Batman - due to the 2014 deal Prince made and the leaks that dropped from Purple Rain Deluxe were paired with material from the Parade era.

I do not think WB owns anything. I believe they have the rights to license the songtracks forever per the WSJ article. The estate retains the master and publishing and WB has the sole right to license and remaster the soundtrack recordings.

I believe the WSJ article because it is WSJ and I do not think they would have put it in print if they were not leaked the info from a good source. Now that we have another rumor that Parade is next it has me convienced that we are going to see the soundtracks remastered before any other WB material which make sense if they can work with these projects forever instead just to an end date of the agreement.

dodgers1970 said:

I was trading records back in for store credit at Amoeba Hollywood. Included in my pile was the 2017 12" re-issue of "Let's Go Crazy". The buyer remarks, "Bet you're trading this back because of that drop out at the start of "Erotic City"?

I respond "How'd you know?"

He responds "Because you'd be an idiot to trade this record back in if there weren't an error - - You know? Bernie Grundman is pretty pissed about this. My friend works for Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios and I guess his final master of "Erotic City" didn't have a drop out and Bernie is angry it got through QA and was pressed that way. Apparently, he was pretty disappointed with the remaster of the album. Guess one of his guys remastered it. He wants to work with Rhino and re-issue it done properly. Drop out fixed and a master it himself so it's a remaster he stands behind."

I ask "Does that mean we'll trade this copy in or have to buy it again?"

He responds "Probably buy it again" (laughs)

He then claimed that they're presently remastering "Parade" as the next super deluxe release.

Not sure how true any of this is, but thought I'd share. I don't doubt people in Amoeba in LA are connected with people at the studio. I'm not connected though.

I sort of hope they fix it. Even if I have to buy it again. I hate that "Erotic City" isn't perfect. I'm not so happy about the remaster either.

Finally, when he told me "Parade" was next, I asked if he knew anything about the protege artists' releases on Warner. He didn't know.

I actually thought Kevin Gray did the remaster. Shows how much I know.

A recent Bowie release also featured a technical imperfection, turns out is was due to a defect on the master tape(!): http://www.superdeluxeedi...riticisms/ . Baffling news.

.

After reading that, I started worrying a lot more about the state of the tapes in the vault.

jjam said:

So the same glitch that was on the deluxe reissue is also on that 12"?

Yeah, this is news to me to. Of course, I had no reason to buy the 12" re-releases as I have the original and the original vinyl does NOT need a remaster.

As for the glitch on the PR deluxe, I fixed it in SoundForge using the the beginning of the 7" version, but, the right thing for WB to do would be to offer replacement discs.

I agree. I did post the email address of Warner's MD a while ago, suggesting that people contact him. I certainly messaged. Of course, I heard nothing back...

Silvertongue7 said:

Parade desperately needs remastering, and the outtakes form that era are my favourites. So if this is indeed happening, count me in!

Last year's vinyl reissue of Parade is GORGEOUS.

jjam said:

So the same glitch that was on the deluxe reissue is also on that 12"?

[Edited 10/4/17 1:00am]

YES! On all remastered 12" versions of "Erotic City", whether CD or vinyl...

djThunderfunk said:

jjam said:

So the same glitch that was on the deluxe reissue is also on that 12"?

Yeah, this is news to me to. Of course, I had no reason to buy the 12" re-releases as I have the original and the original vinyl does NOT need a remaster.

As for the glitch on the PR deluxe, I fixed it in SoundForge using the the beginning of the 7" version, but, the right thing for WB to do would be to offer replacement discs.

I have all the originals too... and still bought the re-issues. This one was bad.

love2thenines2003 said:

I don't see any logical thing here ...why would WB release 1st Parade Deluxe if thix is the case just after PR Deluxe.....1999 or ATWIAD would be logical instead?

If logic was considered, wouldn't "For You" be first? Maybe not all albums are getting the deluxe treatment? I don't know for sure, my choice may have been "1999" or "Sign O' the Times", but would love to hear "Sometimes It Snows In April" remastered and "Kiss" was one of his most popular songs. Warner doesn't care what the fans want. They want what will sell. Please don't think they care about anything else..

love2thenines2003 said:

I don't see any logical thing here ...why would WB release 1st Parade Deluxe if thix is the case just after PR Deluxe.....1999 or ATWIAD would be logical instead?

The rumor is that WB has the license to the soundtracks forever so if this is true it would make sense for WB to remaster the catalogue itmes that they are going to be able to make money off of forever.

laurarichardson said:

coldasice said:

Parade is my favorite album -along SOTT- so i hope it's true!

TKO said:

Parade is my favorite album -along SOTT- so i hope it's true!

Just a Rumor or a no confirmed (even itself not confirmed) info....hope it's true too even i would prefer 2 see the Release of 1999 or ATWIAD(=my tryptic favorite Prince Era 1999>PR>ARTWIAD) !!!

???

dodgers1970 said:

If logic was considered, wouldn't "For You" be first?

.

Yeah, sure, an album that didn't start selling significant numbers until Prince was a million-seller and which contains one minor "hit". No sane company is going to start such an effort with something that is bound to fail.

BartVanHemelen said:

BartVanHemelen said:

A recent Bowie release also featured a technical imperfection, turns out is was due to a defect on the master tape(!): http://www.superdeluxeedi...riticisms/ . Baffling news.

.

After reading that, I started worrying a lot more about the state of the tapes in the vault.

More Warners/record label bullshit

laurarichardson said:

Strive said:

I'd believe the Parade rumors. Warner apparently owns that one outright - along with Purple Rain and Batman - due to the 2014 deal Prince made and the leaks that dropped from Purple Rain Deluxe were paired with material from the Parade era.

I do not think WB owns anything. I believe they have the rights to license the songtracks forever per the WSJ article. The estate retains the master and publishing and WB has the sole right to license and remaster the soundtrack recordings.

I believe the WSJ article because it is WSJ and I do not think they would have put it in print if they were not leaked the info from a good source. Now that we have another rumor that Parade is next it has me convienced that we are going to see the soundtracks remastered before any other WB material which make sense if they can work with these projects forever instead just to an end date of the agreement.

Logic would suggest the opposite.

If I had an unlimited licence to rerelease Parade, Batman and GB forever but was at risk of losing the licence to potential cashgrabbers such as 1999, SOTT or D&P, I'd hurry releasing those first, before losing them, no?

Not to question the validity of the OP's claim, just to say that I see no logic in the reasoning you offer here.

databank said:

laurarichardson said:

I do not think WB owns anything. I believe they have the rights to license the songtracks forever per the WSJ article. The estate retains the master and publishing and WB has the sole right to license and remaster the soundtrack recordings.

I believe the WSJ article because it is WSJ and I do not think they would have put it in print if they were not leaked the info from a good source. Now that we have another rumor that Parade is next it has me convienced that we are going to see the soundtracks remastered before any other WB material which make sense if they can work with these projects forever instead just to an end date of the agreement.

Logic would suggest the opposite.

If I had an unlimited licence to rerelease Parade, Batman and GB forever but was at risk of losing the licence to potential cashgrabbers such as 1999, SOTT or D&P, I'd hurry releasing those first, before losing them, no?

Not to question the validity of the OP's claim, just to say that I see no logic in the reasoning you offer here.

Logic? We're allowed to use logic on the org now?

I'm with you. If I were WB, I'd focus on titles for which I would lose the rights to sooner and save the titles I wasn't going to lose until they were all I had left.

BartVanHemelen said:

djThunderfunk said:

laurarichardson said:

djThunderfunk said:

Logic? We're allowed to use logic on the org now?

I'm with you. If I were WB, I'd focus on titles for which I would lose the rights to sooner and save the titles I wasn't going to lose until they were all I had left.

Then why do we have a rumor that Parade is next? Why not 1999 or Sign Of The Times? Maybe they do not care as much about the ones they will not license forever because right now they are not going to have a long time stake in those projects. They can pull the projects they have the license to forever. A collection of slow songs from the soundtracks or a selection of uptempo tunes. There is also the chance they will renegotiate and obtain the license to the other projects for a longer term. We will soon see what is going on if the soundtracks start getting remaster first before the other titles.

I'm not arguing with you about WB's plans. I'm agreeing with databank's opinion of those plans.

djThunderfunk said:

laurarichardson said:

djThunderfunk said: Then why do we have a rumor that Parade is next? Why not 1999 or Sign Of The Times? Maybe they do not care as much about the ones they will not license forever because right now they are not going to have a long time stake in those projects. They can pull the projects they have the license to forever. A collection of slow songs from the soundtracks or a selection of uptempo tunes. There is also the chance they will renegotiate and obtain the license to the other projects for a longer term. We will soon see what is going on if the soundtracks start getting remaster first before the other titles.

I'm not arguing with you about WB's plans. I'm agreeing with databank's opinion of those plans.

I am telling you why I think he or she is wrong.

databank said:

BartVanHemelen said:

A recent Bowie release also featured a technical imperfection, turns out is was due to a defect on the master tape(!): http://www.superdeluxeedi...riticisms/ . Baffling news.

.

After reading that, I started worrying a lot more about the state of the tapes in the vault.

Remarkably, Parlophone took the time to properly address the issues with that boxset and tried to appease the critics. On the other hand, as far as I know, WB didn't bother to say a single word regarding the numerous issues we've faced with PR Deluxe. This is quite disappointing and not very encouraging regarding how future reissues are to be handled.

.

The Bowie box set got scathing reviews on Amazon, and SuperDeluxe is a quite popular and respected blog.

BartVanHemelen said: