AAA 100% Analogue This LP was Remastered using Pure Analogue Components Only from the Master Tapes through to the Cutting Head
Speakers Corner / Columbia - C2X 36270 - 180 Gram Virgin Vinyl
AAA 100% Analogue - Audiophile Mastering - Pressed at Pallas - Limited Edition
Speakers Corner 25 Years Pure Analogue This LP is an Entirely Analogue Production
Talk about ambitious. This two-LP set finds guitarist Al di Meola performing with his quintet of the time (featuring keyboardist Philippe Saisse), with studio musicians, solo, in a reunion with pianist Chick Corea, singing a love song, and welcoming veteran Les Paul for a version of "Spanish Eyes." it shows that di Meola (best-known for his speedy rock-oriented solos) is a surprisingly well-rounded and versatile musician.
Just how much creative gunpowder had Al Di Meola ignited in his early career? First of all there was the flamenco firework in the best-seller "Elegant Gypsy", and secondly his mega-successful live album resulting from a summit meeting in San Francisco with Paco de Lucia and John McLaughlin. After this great start it was no wonder that such prominent colleagues as Jan Hammer, Chick Corea, Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson and Les Paul were eager to participate in the present album "Splendido Hotel". This great line-up of musicians produce a rich, saturated sound and create numerous 'flavours' in this cocktail of sounds, which - as a double LP - can be likened to a fantastic long drink, as it were.
Di Meola's idea of fusion starts off in the opening number as a slow, sluggish oriental-like melody, which develops to take on a rock rhythm. High-speed and lovingly detailed flamenco such as is found in "Splendido Sundance" alternates with subtle rhythms ("Two To Tango") and good-humoured lighter numbers with an electronic undertone such as "Roller Jubilee" and a funky version of Bert Kaempfert's "Spanish Eyes". With this great mix, the musicians create a wonderful atmosphere in which every Latin aficionado will feel at home.
Recording: 1979 at CBS Recording and Electric Lady Studios, New York, by Dave Palmer and Love Castle Studios, Los Angeles, by Bernie Kisch
Production: Al Di Meola and Philip Roberge
Musicians:
Al Di Meola, guitar, vocals, drums, percussion
Chick Corea, piano
Les Paul, guitar
Jan Hammer, synthesizer
Anthony Jackson, bass
Mingo Lewis, conga, bongo, percussion
Philippe Saisse, keyboard, marimba
Steve Gadd, drums
Eddie Colon, percussion
Selections:
LP 1
Side A:
1. Alien Chase on Arabian Desert
2. Silent Story in Her Eyes
Side B:
1. Roller Jubilee
2. Two To Tango
3. Al Di's Dream Theme
LP 2
Side C:
1. Dinner Music of The Gods
2. Splendido Sundance
3. I Can Tell
Side D:
1. Spanish Eyes
2. Isfahan
3. Bianca's Midnight Lullaby
25 Years pure Analogue
Are your records completely analogue?
Yes! This we guarantee!
As a matter of principle, only analogue masters are used, and the necessary cutting delay is also analogue. All our cutting engineers use only Neumann cutting consoles, and these too are analogue. The only exception is where a recording has been made – either partly or entirely – using digital technology, but we do not have such items in our catalogue at the present time
Are your records cut from the original masters?
In our re-releases it is our aim to faithfully reproduce the original intentions of the musicians and recording engineers which, however, could not be realised at the time due to technical limitations. Faithfulness to the original is our top priority, not the interpretation of the original: there is no such thing as a “Speakers Corner Sound”. Naturally, the best results are obtained when the original master is used. Therefore we always try to locate these and use them for cutting. Should this not be possible, – because the original tape is defective or has disappeared, for example – we do accept a first-generation copy. But this remains an absolute exception for us.
Who cuts the records?
In order to obtain the most faithful reproduction of the original, we have the lacquers cut on the spot, by engineers who, on the whole, have been dealing with such tapes for many years. Some are even cut by the very same engineer who cut the original lacquers of the first release. Over the years the following engineers have been and still are working for us: Tony Hawkins, Willem Makkee, Kevin Gray, Maarten de Boer, Scott Hull, and Ray Staff, to name but a few.
At the beginning of the ‘90s, in the early days of audiophile vinyl re-releases, the reissue policy was fairly straightforward. Companies such as DCC Compact Classics, Mobile Fidelity, Classic Records and others, including of course Speakers Corner, all maintained a mutual, unwritten code of ethics: we would manufacture records sourced only from analogue tapes.
Vinyl’s newfound popularity has led many other companies to jump on the bandwagon in the hope of securing a corner of the market. Very often they are not so ethical and use every imaginable source from which to master: CDs, LPs, digital files and even MP3s.
Even some who do use an analogue tape source employ a digital delay line, a misguided ’80s and ‘90s digital technology that replaces the analogue preview head originally used to “tell” the cutter head in advance what was about to happen musically, so it could adjust the groove “pitch” (the distance between the grooves) to make room for wide dynamic swings and large low frequency excursions. Over time analogue preview heads became more rare and thus expensive.
So while the low bit rate (less resolution than a 16 bit CD) digital delay line is less expensive and easier to use than an analogue “preview head”, its use, ironically, results in lacquers cut from the low bit rate digital signal instead of from the analogue source!
Speakers Corner wishes to make clear that it produces lacquers using only original master tapes and an entirely analogue cutting system. New metal stampers used to press records are produced from that lacquer. The only exceptions are when existing metal parts are superior to new ones that might be cut, which includes our release of “Elvis is Back”, which was cut by Stan Ricker or several titles from our Philips Classics series, where were cut in the 1990s using original master tapes by Willem Makkee at the Emil Berliner Studios. In those cases we used only the original “mother” to produce new stampers.
In addition, we admit to having one digital recording in our catalogue: Alan Parsons’ “Eye in the Sky”, which was recorded digitally but mixed to analogue tape that we used to cut lacquers.
In closing, we want to insure our loyal customers that, with but a few exceptions as noted, our releases are “AAA”— analogue tape, an all analogue cutting system, and newly cut lacquers.
Audiophile Vinyl - Made in Germany For over 60 years the family business in the third generation of the special personal service and quality "Made by Pallas" is known worldwide. Our custom PVC formulation produces consistently high pressing quality with the lowest surface noise in the industry. Our PVC complies with 2015 European environmental standards and does not contain toxic materials such as Lead, Cadmium or Toluene. Our vinyl is both audiophile and eco-grade!
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