It's funny because someone mentioned this in passing on the original thread but it's like no one really cared, which I find unusual given the hardcore fans and audiophiles crowds here.

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At least some tracks (1999, DMSR, SITW) have reversed left and right channels between the HDTracks version and the 2019 remaster.

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Since I only had the HDTracks version for comparison, I can't tell how it was on the original CD's, the LP's or the cassettes. So I checked 1999 (the song) with the maxi-single edit (ripped from the Crown Jewels promo compilation) and the 1993 Hits compilation version. Both agree with the 2019 remaster.

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Interestingly, while googling the topic in hope it had been thoroughly covered before, I found this: https://forums.stevehoffm...gs.447279/ where BluGangsta says "Initial pressings of Prince's 1999 album had the channels reversed on the first few songs".

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So IDK what to think. Probably just the result of various pressing issues, it's not like there aren't other similar mispressings in P's history, but do we agree on the fact that the 2019 remaster is faithful to P's original intent, or are there contradictiong opinions on this?

databank said:

LoveGalore said:

databank said:

It's funny because someone mentioned this in passing on the original thread but it's like no one really cared, which I find unusual given the hardcore fans and audiophiles crowds here.

.

At least some tracks (1999, DMSR, SITW) have reversed left and right channels between the HDTracks version and the 2019 remaster.

.

Since I only had the HDTracks version for comparison, I can't tell how it was on the original CD's, the LP's or the cassettes. So I checked 1999 (the song) with the maxi-single edit (ripped from the Crown Jewels promo compilation) and the 1993 Hits compilation version. Both agree with the 2019 remaster.

.

Interestingly, while googling the topic in hope it had been thoroughly covered before, I found this: https://forums.stevehoffm...gs.447279/ where BluGangsta says "Initial pressings of Prince's 1999 album had the channels reversed on the first few songs".

.

So IDK what to think. Probably just the result of various pressing issues, it's not like there aren't other similar mispressings in P's history, but do we agree on the fact that the 2019 remaster is faithful to P's original intent, or are there contradictiong opinions on this?

I didn't actually recognize this until it was mentioned a few times in that thread but yeah it didn't catch on. I definitely noticed it on LPWM especially when it was pointed out. The Hits version is probably the best source of truth, imo. My only question is... Why reverse them?? That's along the lines of bootleg tagging and is so trollish.

Yes, I would be honestly interested in knowing how exactly an engineer (or someone else?) could make that mistake. At which point during the mastering process? Does anybody know? I'm pretty sure it was not intentional.

olb99 said:

LoveGalore said:

databank said: I didn't actually recognize this until it was mentioned a few times in that thread but yeah it didn't catch on. I definitely noticed it on LPWM especially when it was pointed out. The Hits version is probably the best source of truth, imo. My only question is... Why reverse them?? That's along the lines of bootleg tagging and is so trollish.

Yes, I would be honestly interested in knowing how exactly an engineer (or someone else?) could make that mistake. At which point during the mastering process? Does anybody know? I'm pretty sure it was not intentional.

Yeah it's intriguing.

On a sidenote, listening to the Versace Experience rerelease for the first time this very minute. It's a CD rip yet it sounds like shit, damn cassette rip, no better than my old bootleg copy. That one's a rip-off. I hope one day they bother to find the real master wherever it may be!!

databank said:

On a sidenote, listening to the Versace Experience rerelease for the first time this very minute. It's a CD rip yet it sounds like shit, damn cassette rip, no better than my old bootleg copy. That one's a rip-off. I hope one day they bother to find the real master wherever it may be!!

Versace indeed is the stand-out Legacy release that sounds like it's sourced from cassette. Luckily, the rest of their reissues sound the same as the original releases (the CDs) or better (the LPs).

djThunderfunk said:

databank said:

On a sidenote, listening to the Versace Experience rerelease for the first time this very minute. It's a CD rip yet it sounds like shit, damn cassette rip, no better than my old bootleg copy. That one's a rip-off. I hope one day they bother to find the real master wherever it may be!!

Versace indeed is the stand-out Legacy release that sounds like it's sourced from cassette. Luckily, the rest of their reissues sound the same as the original releases (the CDs) or better (the LPs).

I don't doubt it. I just was disappointed in this.

It's a pity that in the world we live in, financial considerations will so often take over artistic ones But then again, they always take over everything....

olb99 said:

LoveGalore said:

databank said: I didn't actually recognize this until it was mentioned a few times in that thread but yeah it didn't catch on. I definitely noticed it on LPWM especially when it was pointed out. The Hits version is probably the best source of truth, imo. My only question is... Why reverse them?? That's along the lines of bootleg tagging and is so trollish.

Yes, I would be honestly interested in knowing how exactly an engineer (or someone else?) could make that mistake. At which point during the mastering process? Does anybody know? I'm pretty sure it was not intentional.

.

Those kinda things happen a lot. Sony once released an alternate version of Sly Stone's High on CD. There are stories of compilations containing unreleased mixes of hit songs etc. Fans often are far more knowledgable about these things than record companies.

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In recent years there have been cases of releases where almost half the CDs in a box set had to be exchanged post-release becasue they'd accidentally included the same song twice instead of a different song or had included a mono version (which wasn't a real mono mix but actually the right channel as both channels) etc.

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When there was finally a reissue program for the Tabu Records back catalog after it being unavailable for decades it turned out that many of the bonus tracks (extended mixes etc.) were sourced from vinyl.

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Blank & Jones talked to SDE about their most recent volumes of the "So80s" compilations they do and how it is becoming basically an expensive hobby because record labels can't be bothered to give them affordable licenses or provide them with quality master recordings or cannot find the proper paperwork (they wanted to include a particular mix of a track and they found the high-quality master but the label couldn't find paperwork that would allow them to release it in Germany, they only had a license for Italy IIRC).

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Ben Liebrand often asks fans to upload CD rips of tracks he plans to include in his compilations because the record companies cannot find proper masters even though those tracks were included decades ago on compilations.

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There are tons of albums where it is unclear which record company owns the rights to release them (e.g. the Max Q record Michael Hutchence was involved with), or even where the master tapes are, because originally they were owned by a local office but then through all kinds of mergers and closures and moves they just get misplaced.

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A friend of mine collects releases by Belgian bands and he says that for a lot of them he's lucky to have started doing this decades ago because much of his collection would be near impossible to obtain today. He's still got dozens of CDs as CDR-copies from CDs he found in bibliotheques etc.

databank said:

On a sidenote, listening to the Versace Experience rerelease for the first time this very minute. It's a CD rip yet it sounds like shit, damn cassette rip, no better than my old bootleg copy. That one's a rip-off. I hope one day they bother to find the real master wherever it may be!!

Hope U wish U heard it after it was released!

Also, I have a copy of the 1990 European release (2011 Australian version with slightly modified packaging), once I get around 2 ripping it could I send it 2 U unless U have it already?