AAA 100% Analogue This LP was Remastered using Pure Analogue Components Only from the Master Tapes through to the Cutting Head

Mobile Fidelity - MFSL 1-450 - 180 Gram  Virgin Vinyl -

Numbered Limited Edition -  Pressed at RTI

Mastered by Kreig Wunderlich from the Original Master Tape at MFSL

1/4" / 15 IPS analog master direct to lathe

it sounds closer to a well-balanced analog master tape: with mid-1970s warmth, weight, brass bite, sweet strings, clear vocals, and most impressive is Earl Young's floor tom backbeat, coming out so strong and solid; as well as his hi-hat, much more present, extended, and realistic. The mild listener-fatigue of the older pressing is completely vanished on the MoFi.-Sound

Spinners' Silky Smooth 1972 Self-Titled Record Birthed the Philadelphia Soul Sound: Includes Top 5 Hits "I'll Be Around" and "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love"

Mastered from the Original Master Tapes: Mobile Fidelity 180g LP Presents Groundbreaking Soul Album With Pristine Detail, Soothing Warmth, and Involving Emotionalism

Sweeping Strings, Funk Rhythms, Brassy Rejoinders, Immaculate Harmonies, and Satiny Lead Singing Fill Thom Bell's Melodic Arrangements: Few Albums Sound Creamier Than This Watershed Effort

The timeless music and expert arrangements are about the only things smoother than the powder-blue suits sported by the Spinners on the cover of their resplendent self-titled 1972 record. The band's first album for Atlantic after departing Motown, Spinners ranks as an all-time soul classic – a filler-free set boasting immaculate harmonies, sweet melodies, and impeccably matched vocals. Thom Bell's flawless production puts it all over the top. Yielding an ideal balance of lushness and grit, the collaboration between the Detroit-based group and studio veteran yielded a record that birthed the celebrated Philadelphia Sound. Now, you can finally experience it in audiophile-grade sonics.

Mastered from the original tapes and pressed at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's numbered limited-edition 180g LP of Spinners presents the quintet's magnum opus with pristine detail, soothing warmth, and involving emotionalism. Free of previously constraining ceilings, highs soar to their intended heights. Each singer's voice can be distinctly heard amidst the expert mix. Superb dynamics, soundstaging, and imaging highlight Bell's gorgeous orchestrations as well as the Spinners' pillow-soft mellifluousness. Backing instrumentation, ranging from rolling bass lines and punctual horns to swaying strings and crisp high-hat beats, unfolds with reference-caliber purity and transparency. Not many 1970s albums of any genre sound silkier, creamier, or more tonally rich than this LP.

While the career-defining performances within the grooves cannot be overlooked, Spinners remains equally notable for its historical importance. At the dawn of the '70s, Motown still held sway as the dominant soul style. Yet the Spinners' decision to move to Atlantic – prompted by a suggestion by Aretha Franklin – and refashion their approach with Bell signaled a sea change that ushered in a smoother, sweeter variety of R&B punctuated with sweeping strings, jazzy flourishes, brassy replies, and funk rhythms. Few, if any, vocal groups mesh these traits more convincingly, pleasingly, and naturally than the Spinners on this watershed effort.

Anchored by Top 5 smashes like "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love," Spinners signaled the beginning of a partnership with Bell that lasted seven years and elevated the band to stardom. Indeed, even in spite of the four hit singles, the record remains defined by an artistic consistency, watertight focus, and collective unity that make everything here deserving of close attention. Flush with catchy hooks and pop accents, each song is treated as a potential anthem. Laden with depth and richness, Bell's savvy, wide-open arrangements frame the Spinners' satiny singing with sensual class and refined delicacy.

Heaven-sent voices do the rest. Making his first appearance on record as a member, Philippe Wynne treats the carefully honed material as a breakout session for his dulcet tenor on tracks such as "One of a Kind (Love Affair)." Not to be outdone, the equally measured Bobbie Smith mesmerizes with his deft phrasing, reedy timbre, and sparkling clarity, never finer than on the million-selling "I'll Be Around." Solo or paired together, Wynne and Smith's glorious leads run the gamut from upbeat and optimistic to sad and forlorn, forming the backbone of a masterwork that addresses romance ("Just You and Me Baby"), regret ("How Could I Let You Get Away"), and social ills ("Ghetto Child") with consummate passion.

• Numbered, Limited Edition
• Mastering by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
• Specially Plated and Pressed on 180 grams of High Definition Vinyl
• Special Static Free - Dust Free Inner Sleeve
• Heavy Duty Protective Packaging
• Mastered from the Original Master Tapes
• Pressed at RTI

Selections:
Side One:
1. Just Can’t Get You Out of My Mind
2. Just You and Me Baby
3. Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool You
4. I Could Never (Repay Your Love)
5. I’ll Be Around
Side Two:
1. One of a Kind (Love Affair)
2. We Belong Together
3. Ghetto Child
4. How Could I Let You Get Away
5. Could It Be I’m Falling In Love

 

 

GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ is a proprietary cutting system built and designed by legendary design genius Tim De Paravicini, with consultation from one of MFSL’s founding fathers – Stan Ricker, an audio engineer responsible for many of MFSL’s most heralded past releases.

The GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system is comprised of a Studer™ tape machine with customized reproduction electronics* and handcrafted cutting amps that drive an Ortofon cutting head on a restored Neumann VMS-70 lathe. (*It is worth noting that independent studies have confirmed that the GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system can unveil sonic information all the way up to 122kHz!)

First and foremost, we only utilize first generation original master recordings as source material for our releases. We then play back master tapes at half speed enabling the GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system to fully extract the master’s sonic information. Our lacquers are then plated in a specialized process that protects transients in the musical signal. (Due to this process, there may be occasional pops or ticks inherent in initial play back, but as the disc is played more, a high quality stylus will actually polish the grooves and improve the sound). We further ensure optimum sound quality by strictly limiting the number of pressings printed for each release. These limited editions, in addition to being collectors’ items, ensure that the quality of the last pressing matches the quality of the first.

As you can imagine, all these efforts involve a tremendous amount of time, technology, cost and effort. The introduction of GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ maintains Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s position as the world’s leading audiophile record label, where a passion for music with extraordinary sound quality matters most.

 

 RTI 180 HQ Vinyl

Record Technology is a world class record pressing plant located in Camarillo, California. We have been operating since 1974, pressing for most audiophile record labels and for many quality minded independent and major record labels from around the world.