The Decca session

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beatleross
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The Decca session

Post by beatleross »

I'd like to hear opinions on what is considered the best Decca recording
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Mr Bump
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Re: The Decca session

Post by Mr Bump »

Do you mean which is the best song performed, or do you mean which bootleg/remix has the best audio quality?

If the former, I'd probably say Hello Litte Girl, with the added interest that it's an original song. But really, it was an off-day for the group in my opinion.

Sound-wise, I believe Lord Reith's "What A Clean Old Man" is highly regarded.
beatleross
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Re: The Decca session

Post by beatleross »

thanks Mr Bump , yes I was referring to the latter.
Can you or anyone re-up your choice?
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Lord Reith
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Re: The Decca session

Post by Lord Reith »

There are several different copies of the Decca tape that have sourced boots: one is Joe Pope's version (released on a rarely-sighted lp called The Deccagones) which is a bit distorted and sibilant because the only way he could play the 30ips tape he was given was to play it back at 15ips on a semi-professional deck while copying over to another deck running at 7&1/2 ips and playing back that second dub at 15ips. Then this tape was secretly copied by the people at the pressing plant doing The Deccagones and released as The Decca Tapes on Circuit before Joe's lp could gain any traction. So the Circuit lp was already at least two generations away from the original tape (maybe more).

Then there is another transfer of the original tape done at 30ips which is much cleaner. That was what I used on Kicks, Kudos And Cash which I am about to update next week, so you may as well just wait for that.

What A Clean Old Man is a deverbed version I did as an experiment. It's more just a different way of hearing it than anything. But without the reverb, their sound is distinctly thin and underpowered. I am guessing that is why Mike Smith layered it with so much reverb.
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thewarpedvinyljunkie
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Re: The Decca session

Post by thewarpedvinyljunkie »

I grew up on the Circuit LP, but since I first heard LR's "Kicks, Kudos, and Cash," that's been my go-to version. And the news that there's an update coming fills my little heart with glee!
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