The Wright Way, Parts 1 & 2
It's time for a little switcheroo. Last year I shared the album above with you, some great Christmas music on the organ. Notice that the record says Stereo across the top. Well, I thought that was pretty odd for something recorded in 1956! I hunted and hunted, but I finally came across a copy of the original mono album. Look below and you can see that it sports a slightly different cover, with quite a bit more color to offset the hot pink. The music is ever so slightly different, too. I'm sure he took his original arrangements back into the studio when it was deemed necessary issue a stereo version of this LP, and followed them closely. Now if I could just figure out when this re-recording took place, I'd be happy. Anybody out there know how I could figure this out? I did want to show you the different covers, and, if you're interested, give you both versions. Here's the one I shared out last year, the stereo one, George Wright At The Wurlitzer Pipe Organ-Merry Christmas (HiFi SR706, later than 1956). And here's the one I got this year and recorded for you, George Wright At The Wurlitzer Pipe Organ-Merry Christmas (HiFi R706, 1956). Which one is better? I don't know. They're both pretty good. I think you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference, actually. But be sure you grab both covers. I like both of them in their own way. I screwed up and left the back cover out of the stereo version, though, but they're both the same. in fact, I scanned the back from the stereo one, then stuck it in the mono one. Don't tell anyone!-Smaller.jpg)
Update (13 Oct 08): This one is now available as a legal download! So go get it! Here's a link to Amazon, but it's also available elsewhere.
Wouldn't you know, the Amazon version is MONO.
ReplyDeleteI got a third version of this album, the stereo disc in the mono cover with a big silver colored sticker in the upper right corner saying: "This Is an Incomparable HIFI STEREO DISC by High Fidelity Recordins, Inc."
ReplyDeletedesigning a cover this ugly is quite an achievement I think
I think High Fidelity used that sticker a lot. They'd run out of Stereo sleeves, so they just stuck that sticker on there and called it good. I always kinda liked that cover. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment!
yeah, despite the glaring ugliness, or maybe because of it, I really like this cover too. That was after all the reason I bought it.
ReplyDeleteThe music is great, so overblown and bombastic. and you just gotta love the very technical liner notes on the back listing all the equipment used to record the album.