The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Monday April 21st is Record Store Day here in the UK so there's a special post today.

This album, Piper At The Gates of Dawn, goes back a good while with me buying my first copy in March of 1981 from Mike Lloyd Records Newcastle under Lyme branch but that copy left the collection in the late 1980's.

There is something else though that made today's release special, namely that that copy I originally had was in stereo but this is in Mono.

The packaging is a bit weird in that the actual record in its sleeve goes in this special envelope that also contains a poster  

Yip, rather like that with a period poster included to no doubt to tempt record buyers and collectors to pick it up.

Record company and distribution changes can be hard to keep track of but the original lp was made by an EMI company in the UK called Columbia not to be confused with Columbia Records in America who became part of the Sony Music Group in 1991 and who now have the rights to the Magic Notes logo.

In 2013 EMI was split up after making losses with most of it going to Universal Music Group and this might of been heading that way except for Pink Floyd having the rights and licensing them to Warner Music in the UK and Europe and Sony Music in North America.

They managed to make arrangements so the historic Magic Notes Logo could be used for this issue although the original label was Black with a blue background on the Logo and "Columbia"

The reason I wanted this was because the mono mix was more complete with organ underdubs on Interstellar Overdrive a  eleven and a bit minute instrumental that I heard in junior school when it was played to us in 1974 when our teacher had taped it from his mono lp and other mix  differences abound.

There had been a mono cd reissue in 1997 but while welcome it was made louder overal than it should plus sounding a bit harsh.

This record version is much better.

In many respects the main lyricist was in a very child-like frame of mind writing this with some tracks being more like lullabies, children's stories and in the case of Astronomy Dominé, virtually a list of space systems recanted to music.

Remaking the Pink Floyd Collection

Recently Pink Floyd Records, the groups own label have started a new vinyl record campaign with newly cut versions of their albums.

This suited me as I had over the years lost a number of my Pink Floyd lps so here's a little about my collection.

Meddle released in late 1971 was an example of an album with a main work spread over one side and shorter pieces on the other.

My copy is a original Canadian one I bought from a friend.

My older brother had a copy of Obscured By Clouds from 1972 which broke the Pink Floyd on American FM stereo radio and I recently bought this 1978 copy and cleaned it using the clean I wrote about.

Dark Side of The Moon is the 1973 multi-platinum selling album, home of the track Money, often played at hifi shows that came with stickers and two posters.

My late 80's copy got it's jacket clawed so I bought this 2016 new copy which sounds just great.

Wish You Were Here from 1975 was an album I borrowed a lot, and is really about how the music business exploits musicians and I bought this for the first time on vinyl a month ago in this 2016 edition.

Animals, the 1977 album looks at conformity, small town small mindedness and how societys values are shaped by those who run it.

I did have this on record in the early 80's but lthat went so I bought this newly cut version that came out last month.

The Wall was a massive seller looking at the effects of losing a father during WW2, the way some schools abused any child who had a genuine spirit, how playing in a band location to location for months on end takes its toll on the mental well-being of stars.

This is the first vinyl copy I have owned and is this years newly mastered version which sounds most vivid.

Jessops and HMV closures

I guess it had to happen really and was more question of when rather than if but the UK photography chain Jessops went into receivership as of January 9th brought about by an inability in the part of directors, creditors and suppliers to extend credit to this long established but ailing concern that goes back many decades.

It's my understanding some suppliers had during last year offered credit to them to enable their products to be sold as it was the #1 high street outlet for their goods.

Jessops was the first chain in the UK I established a relationship with as a consumer, a place where at the time you could get all manner of advice connected with photography, the virtues of different lenses, filters, film etc over the sales counter. 

My local branch would root out stuff for me to try instore without obligation. They also run a photography residential school with industry experts providing tuition.

Two things probably did for this type of retailing, the first being digital photography has  less repeat custom after buying a camera and maybe a spare memory card and for Dslr users an additional lens or two. You sure wouldn't be buying a new memory card each week in the way you bought film and although they'd invested in instore printing, a lot of casual users either print at home or don't even print their images so you wouldn't be getting much of an income stream from that!

 
As a traditional film slr user I saw reductions traditional products in stock to the point while on vacation I couldn't get medium speed print film and ended up visiting a well known drugstore that had better stocks off the shelf!

Also many users use smartphones as cameras leading to a drop in demand for digital compacts that come on contracts while professionals users would use online stores that held larger 'to go' supplies with rapid delivery 

Last week, he said trying desperately not to come over all smug, it's finally happened, music retailing has moved from the high street.  Poor ol' Nipper.

Well okay, I know that's Birmingham Bull Ring, not Broad Street, but you know what I mean -our town and city centres - with the shock announcement late last night (January 14th) the national music and video retailer HMV was planning on going into administration following poor Christmas sales.

Sounds familiar, eh? And rather like with Jessops they also were being bankrolled by the suppliers who provided much of the January 25% off "Blue Cross" sales stock as did two state owned banks who to put things with my usually matter of factness, want their money back.

Some other similarities include high rents, failure to capitalize on online sales, poor in store stocks (I mean just seven studio albums by the Stones in the branch in a large city branch near me???), uncompetitive online store pricing (Amazon often cheaper).

HMV potentially could of gotten into downloading but after a brief messy store attempt, partnered up with 7Digital who run that for them which would be fine except 7Digital are a big brand in their own right so most would of gone straight to them.

As much as I feel for for all the staff I'm expecting nearly all the branches to go simply because it seems to me you can't run a big chain anymore because of the overheads and also your immediate best sellers, new albums, are stocked by both supermarkets such as ASDA and Tesco cheaply and the likes of Amazon for those who want cds but many more  prefer to download and these can obtained cheaply from the big three Amazon, iTunes and 7Digital.

You can do niche cd selling from a small side street location with an internet presence backed by a warehouse.

Hmv failed also to capitalize on the "Vinyl revival" by stocking few new and re-issue titles that many who like a physical album buy which was the tipping point for me becoming fed  up of having to order run of the mill cd titles only to return later at my expense to collect, getting an account at Amazon  ordering from them. I guess I wasn't alone in that!

I get the nostalgia many are feeling, remembering the first time I visited HMV Oxford Street London and the Manchester store still having those records and the many BritPop vinyl  titles on 7" and 12" lp I bought new that are most collectible.

I just feel by years end the high street will be that much the poorer.

Meddle

I've always had a soft spot for the Pink Floyd but most of my albums went by the late 80's. Recently Todber (Dan) let me have this the Canadian copy (Harvest/Capitol SMAS 832) for free as it needed a bit of a clean and he had 3 other copies of this title ready to sell.
This copy uses American stampers with JAM "Mastered By Capitol" and while not being quite as open as say a good UK pressing, is pretty good actually with impressive bass. Canadian vinyl is very quiet because they use better quality materials compared to that in the States.
I'd play grade the first side VG+ as there are a small number of minor scuff marks that leave the odd 'pop' during One Of These Days while side two is EX (I'm using Goldmine grading)

A Collection of Great Dance Songs

I've always liked The Pink Floyd and that is one reason why I decided to post this album on my blog(s) as I bought this in 1981 from W H Smiths as it has a selection of the songs featured on their albums which are really best listened to in their entirety.

One thing about it is it has a new recording of Money which was issued as a single originally in 1973 on it and the other is there's a special edit of Another Brick In The Wall Part II from the massive selling The Wall album which was a number one single here.

The arrangement of Wish You Were Here is a special edit for this album  so actually it both summarizes their output and at the same time gives you something different.

Also printed to my Friends Reunited Blog