The Stephen Desper Thread

[RONDEMON]

WOW - Steve - where is that "Warmth of the Sun" from that's credited to Bruce? It's fantastic. Closest we'll get to the Four Freshmen singing a BBs song.

[Stephen W. Desper]

WOW - Steve - where is that "Warmth of the Sun" from that's credited to Bruce? It's fantastic. Closest we'll get to the Four Freshmen singing a BBs song.

COMMENT:  Answer to your question >>> http://www.amazon.com/Symphonic-Sounds-Music-Beach-Audio/dp/B00GG3NHEQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1458159277&sr=8-3&keywords=symphonic+sounds+music+of+the+beach+boys

I would appreciate some feedback on how the re-mastering sounded to you -- improvement? worsening? Vocals easier to hear? Hear anything new? More spacious or not? What are you listening over? I value your comments to see if my efforts are meaningful.

Thanks, ~SWD

[Stephen W. Desper]

New Study-Video for the Profound Beach Boy Fan

If you are interested in exploring the artfully subtle yet radically complex nature of Brian’s arrangements, Michael’s lyrics, and the resulting group harmonies, then you are invited to experience a new sonic interpretation of the classic hits.

Provided you follow the playback instructions, when finished listening to this Study-Video you will emerge with an expanded appreciation of these familiar melodies and the satisfaction of finally hearing everything the tracks have to offer . . . IMHO

http://swdstudyvideos.com   Button: “Beach Boy Surfing Hits”   1 hour plus  

~swd

[DRM]

Excellent work, Mr. Desper.  The sound is up front and present.  Right there with me, the way I love it.  And yet you manage to, simultaneously, create spacious/dimensional/layered "musical" sound.  Superb dynamics and stereo separation.  Along with "just right" blending of sound.  I especially love the multi-dimensional effect.  An excellent sound stage.  Transcendent.  What the earlier work needed and deserves.  Sound that deserves to be "relived"...check out the spelling at the 3:09 mark... rather than "reviled", since audiophiles and Beach Boy lovers will be thrilled with your one of a kind mastering.  You hit the "sweet spot". Highest accolades.  You now stand alone, with the passing of Sir George, in the world of sound recording.  Thank you for your efforts and artistry.  Sir Stephen.

[Stephen W. Desper]

Excellent work, Mr. Desper.  The sound is up front and present.  Right there with me, the way I love it.  And yet you manage to, simultaneously, create spacious/dimensional/layered "musical" sound.  Superb dynamics and stereo separation.  Along with "just right" blending of sound.  I especially love the multi-dimensional effect.  An excellent sound stage.  Transcendent.  What the earlier work needed and deserves.  Sound that deserves to be "relived"...check out the spelling at the 3:09 mark... rather than "reviled", since audiophiles and Beach Boy lovers will be thrilled with your one of a kind mastering.  You hit the "sweet spot". Highest accolades.  You now stand alone, with the passing of Sir George, in the world of sound recording.  Thank you for your efforts and artistry.  Sir Stephen.

COMMENT:  Appreciate the good review and in-depth points your make. Also thanks for the spelling error heads up. Will correct. ~swd

[RONDEMON]

WOW - Steve - where is that "Warmth of the Sun" from that's credited to Bruce? It's fantastic. Closest we'll get to the Four Freshmen singing a BBs song.

COMMENT:  Answer to your question >>> http://www.amazon.com/Symphonic-Sounds-Music-Beach-Audio/dp/B00GG3NHEQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1458159277&sr=8-3&keywords=symphonic+sounds+music+of+the+beach+boys

I would appreciate some feedback on how the re-mastering sounded to you -- improvement? worsening? Vocals easier to hear? Hear anything new? More spacious or not? What are you listening over? I value your comments to see if my efforts are meaningful.

Thanks, ~SWD

The remaster of "California Girls" sounds fantastic. I never noticed the sax in the verses and I like the organ panning yet the drums are centered, which is nice.

The vocal levels are good too. Maybe a little loud in comparison to the released mixes but hey, it's The Beach Boys and the vocals are the most important element after all. It's interesting to hear these vocals without all the plate verb on them too (esp. in "Don't Back Down"). "Girls on the Beach" sounds great too. So nice to hear the vocals so prominent.

I really love that acapella version of "Warmth of the Sun" as well and the Four Freshmen style. I feel like the BBs got further away from the FF sound later in their career.

[jiggy22]

These sounds excellent Mr.. Desper, hearing those remasters of "Girls on the Beach" and "In My Room" make me feel like I'm rediscovering the group's early hits all over again. I'm not sure if you noticed, but in the first verse of "Our Car Club", Mike's vocal cuts at the word "awhile". Just thought I should let you know. Great work as always though!

[bringahorseinhere?]

hi Steve.  I was wondering if you were involved or how much you were involved in the recording of beach boys 'live in london'?
I think it is the best of all of their live albums and wanted to know if you engineered it or had a hand in it, as for all my releases,
which is only 3 or 4 copies, have no mention of the original recording engineer, mix down engineer etc.
I think this is such a beautiful sounding live recording so was curious if you were involved, how was the recording made, the setup etc
what machines were used, mics etc.
I had a search but could not find any information on the actual recording conditions of the show.
If think is in another link 'smiler's', please advise as to not waste anybody's time and repeat. Thanks
A great live sound on this record.

[c-man]

hi Steve.  I was wondering if you were involved or how much you were involved in the recording of beach boys 'live in london'?
I think it is the best of all of their live albums and wanted to know if you engineered it or had a hand in it, as for all my releases,
which is only 3 or 4 copies, have no mention of the original recording engineer, mix down engineer etc.
I think this is such a beautiful sounding live recording so was curious if you were involved, how was the recording made, the setup etc
what machines were used, mics etc.
I had a search but could not find any information on the actual recording conditions of the show.
If think is in another link 'smiler's', please advise as to not waste anybody's time and repeat. Thanks
A great live sound on this record.

From my research for the forthcoming "Made In California" sessionography, I learned that the original tape box track sheet for the London Palladium tapes has an annotation on the line for engineer's name - the initials "G.E.". Given that EMI reportedly sent a mobile truck down to the venue for recording the show, I'm wondering if that remote engineer wasn't the soon-to-become legendary Geoff Emerick. By the end of '68, Mr. Emerick had temporarily parted was with The Beatles (walking out of the recording sessions for what became "The White Album", out of frustration at the bickering), but was still an EMI employee (although that would soon change). Mr. Desper, any recollections of working with Mr. Emerick for this live in London recording?

[Stephen W. Desper]

hi Steve.  I was wondering if you were involved or how much you were involved in the recording of beach boys 'live in london'?
I think it is the best of all of their live albums and wanted to know if you engineered it or had a hand in it, as for all my releases,
which is only 3 or 4 copies, have no mention of the original recording engineer, mix down engineer etc.
I think this is such a beautiful sounding live recording so was curious if you were involved, how was the recording made, the setup etc
what machines were used, mics etc.
I had a search but could not find any information on the actual recording conditions of the show.
If think is in another link 'smiler's', please advise as to not waste anybody's time and repeat. Thanks
A great live sound on this record.

From my research for the forthcoming "Made In California" sessionography, I learned that the original tape box track sheet for the London Palladium tapes has an annotation on the line for engineer's name - the initials "G.E.". Given that EMI reportedly sent a mobile truck down to the venue for recording the show, I'm wondering if that remote engineer wasn't the soon-to-become legendary Geoff Emerick. By the end of '68, Mr. Emerick had temporarily parted was with The Beatles (walking out of the recording sessions for what became "The White Album", out of frustration at the bickering), but was still an EMI employee (although that would soon change). Mr. Desper, any recollections of working with Mr. Emerick for this live in London recording?

COMMENT TO BRINGAHORSEINHERE & C-MAN:

I have commented else were and several times to this same question. As far as I know and I'm fairly well certain that what is on the "Live in London" LP is the feed from the console doing the house mix, i.e. my console. I say this for several reasons. (1) Only my house mics were on stage. I know this because at all London concerts I had to deal with the very stringent London Theater Fire Regulations and with the London Fire Department Officials and several fire fighters. They regulate and inspect each and every cable, its route, where it crosses any pathway, and how it may prevent fire fighters from doing their job should there be a fire. (Recall your history of theater fires in 1800 and 1900 London.) Even buckets of sand had to be placed in strategic places on stage among the many guitar amplifiers. Finally, the massive fire curtain that separates the stage from the audience had to be lowered so that the audience could see it was functioning properly. This proof required the frontline be behind the fire curtain line. So if there were other mics on stage in any London show I would know it as I spent hours preparing the stage mics and cables, speaker cables, and power cables to meet everyone's demands. (2) No one ask me or did, in fact, insert or split microphone feeds from the stage at any London or show in England. With all the fire safety inspection going on, I would have noticed any abnormality in connections or extra cables during my many inspections of all equipment and power lines between the console, amplifiers, mics and speakers. (3) I was ask to supply a 2-channel feed to someone from EMI, which I did, on two occasions, once at the Palladium and once at Royal Albert. Both times I was told it was for a recording. That is all they said or needed to say. They were from EMI, The Beach Boys' European record company and parent to Capitol. I don't know to whom I spoke nor was there time to chase down the cable. I was handed a cable, ask for a feed. I plugged it into the back of the console and forgot about it. Later the stage hands told me that EMI had a couple of tape machines permanently installed in the basement or under the stage at the larger theaters, which were used from time to time. I suppose these recorders were used to record this show and other shows as The Beach Boys were sighed with EMI in Europe. Two machines are used so that nothing is missed as one reel ends and the other starts -- during this time the two machines overlap each other as they record, and the two reels are spliced together at a later time. I never saw the recording machines, I was only ask to supply a signal. So I have always assumed they took my feed and made the album. Maybe this guy "G.E." was manning the machines. I have no idea however. I would note that he "Live in London" is a simple issue, even cheap. No special inserts, not much is really written on the jacket which is made from a file photo. It seems to me they had a chance to make a concert album on the cheap -- just send an engineer over the venue, take the tapes to a simple editing session, and cut some masters. Not many production costs, nor art costs went into this album. It's issued on the Bovema EMI label. N.V.Bovema is in Holland. I think it's one of those EMI companies that handles their more (shall we say) inexpensive record lines. At some future date I will re-master this LP so we can really hear what's on the record, whatever its mysterious history.

In the meantime, if you are a fan who has read this thread so far, do yourself a favor and go to my website to hear "Beach Boy Surfing Hits" the latest study-video. You will be presently surprised and your time will be rewarding.   http://swdstudyvideos.com
 
~SWD

   

[bgas]

hi Steve.  I was wondering if you were involved or how much you were involved in the recording of beach boys 'live in london'?
I think it is the best of all of their live albums and wanted to know if you engineered it or had a hand in it, as for all my releases,
which is only 3 or 4 copies, have no mention of the original recording engineer, mix down engineer etc.
I think this is such a beautiful sounding live recording so was curious if you were involved, how was the recording made, the setup etc
what machines were used, mics etc.
I had a search but could not find any information on the actual recording conditions of the show.
If think is in another link 'smiler's', please advise as to not waste anybody's time and repeat. Thanks
A great live sound on this record.

From my research for the forthcoming "Made In California" sessionography, I learned that the original tape box track sheet for the London Palladium tapes has an annotation on the line for engineer's name - the initials "G.E.". Given that EMI reportedly sent a mobile truck down to the venue for recording the show, I'm wondering if that remote engineer wasn't the soon-to-become legendary Geoff Emerick. By the end of '68, Mr. Emerick had temporarily parted was with The Beatles (walking out of the recording sessions for what became "The White Album", out of frustration at the bickering), but was still an EMI employee (although that would soon change). Mr. Desper, any recollections of working with Mr. Emerick for this live in London recording?

COMMENT TO BRINGAHORSEINHERE & C-MAN:

I have commented else were and several times to this same question. As far as I know and I'm fairly well certain that what is on the "Live in London" LP is the feed from the console doing the house mix, i.e. my console. I say this for several reasons. (1) Only my house mics were on stage. I know this because at all London concerts I had to deal with the very stringent London Theater Fire Regulations and with the London Fire Department Officials and several fire fighters. They regulate and inspect each and every cable, its route, where it crosses any pathway, and how it may prevent fire fighters from doing their job should there be a fire. (Recall your history of theater fires in 1800 and 1900 London.) Even buckets of sand had to be placed in strategic places on stage among the many guitar amplifiers. Finally, the massive fire curtain that separates the stage from the audience had to be lowered so that the audience could see it was functioning properly. This proof required the frontline be behind the fire curtain line. So if there were other mics on stage in any London show I would know it as I spent hours preparing the stage mics and cables, speaker cables, and power cables to meet everyone's demands. (2) No one ask me or did, in fact, insert or split microphone feeds from the stage at any London or show in England. With all the fire safety inspection going on, I would have noticed any abnormality in connections or extra cables during my many inspections of all equipment and power lines between the console, amplifiers, mics and speakers. (3) I was ask to supply a 2-channel feed to someone from EMI, which I did, on two occasions, once at the Palladium and once at Royal Albert. Both times I was told it was for a recording. That is all they said or needed to say. They were from EMI, The Beach Boys' European record company and parent to Capitol. I don't know to whom I spoke nor was there time to chase down the cable. I was handed a cable, ask for a feed. I plugged it into the back of the console and forgot about it. Later the stage hands told me that EMI had a couple of tape machines permanently installed in the basement or under the stage at the larger theaters, which were used from time to time. I suppose these recorders were used to record this show and other shows as The Beach Boys were sighed with EMI in Europe. Two machines are used so that nothing is missed as one reel ends and the other starts -- during this time the two machines overlap each other as they record, and the two reels are spliced together at a later time. I never saw the recording machines, I was only ask to supply a signal. So I have always assumed they took my feed and made the album. Maybe this guy "G.E." was manning the machines. I have no idea however. I would note that he "Live in London" is a simple issue, even cheap. No special inserts, not much is really written on the jacket which is made from a file photo. It seems to me they had a chance to make a concert album on the cheap -- just send an engineer over the venue, take the tapes to a simple editing session, and cut some masters. Not many production costs, nor art costs went into this album. It's issued on the Bovema EMI label. N.V.Bovema is in Holland. I think it's one of those EMI companies that handles their more (shall we say) inexpensive record lines. At some future date I will re-master this LP so we can really hear what's on the record, whatever its mysterious history.

In the meantime, if you are a fan who has read this thread so far, do yourself a favor and go to my website to hear "Beach Boy Surfing Hits" the latest study-video. You will be presently surprised and your time will be rewarding.   http://swdstudyvideos.com
 
~SWD

Stephen--  
While I, of course wasn't there and you were:  
  Fairly certain this release has been discussed previously (in a thread which I didn't attempt to find); what I would add/correct, from a collector's viewpoint:
    While the original release was definitely inexpensively packaged, it was a UK( Great Britain) release( May 1970), which was probably simultaneously released in Holland/Germany/ other countries. It wasn't released in the USA until November 1976 and even then, with incorrect concert dates. ( LP covers below)
  If I remember the previous discussion correctly( and I may not) the recordings used for the release were pulled from the shows at the Finsbury Park Astoria( December 8th 1968) and not the London Palladium ( December 1 1968)   It would seem, however, all 4 shows were recorded and  I believe it's been mentioned that all 4 shows are available on boot CDs, tho I don't have them to verify that information.

covers:  
Great Britain ( Capitol/EMI  ST-21715)
 

Holland  ( N.V. Bovema  5C054-80 627 )  
 

USA  ST-11584  ( November 1976)  
 

[bringahorseinhere?]

Thankyou Mr. Desper.
I was really surprised how little engineering for the album went into making that.  I've always found a house mix usually is off one way or another. but this is amazing to hear how great this sounds.  The history of this is quite a mystery with the tape machines in the basement and not multitracked as one would think by 1968.  I wonder if other artists used this procedure to make live records.  I wish over the years further info had been put onto liner notes or record sleeves, hence I wouldn't have raised the topic and question something that should be easily public domain.  Record companies eh? attention to detail eh?
I've seen all your study videos and always hang on to see the next one.  I wish my setup was a little better to appreciate the sonics more, but that's the way it is for now.  Thankyou for everything that you have contributed.  It is much appreciated.

[c-man]

One of the two Finsbury Park shows was indeed used for the actual album...the live version of "All I Want To Do", as included on the 1983 Rarities LP and the 2013 Made In California box set, is from one of the Palladium shows.

Perhaps the track sheet bearing the annotation "G.E." is not from the actual remote recording (made in the basement of the venue) but from the subsequent mixdown session (which would have involved little more than balancing the discrete tracks, as the tape source itself was Mr. Desper's already-mixed live house feed).

Incidentally, the guitar sounds are great on this album - listen to "Sloop John B.", for instance - crisp, clear guitar sounds.

[Stephen W. Desper]

COMMENT:

      Friends – the album

     A new Study-Video is now available featuring the Friends album re-mastered using advanced technology and techniques, which I call Transformative Re-Mastering.
I think this you will find this procedure gives a new sound to the Friends album, not necessarily what you may hear from the recent high-resolution releases, but a re-mastering that stresses the musical elements over the technological spin. However I must say that when you strive to bring out the music, the technology follows.
     If you are not a fan of the Friends album, give a listen to this Study-Video. It may change your mind. And, if you like the Friends album, I think you will hear a freshness and come away with a renewed fondness for this Beach Boy creation.   
     Available now by pushing the “Friends – the album” button. The demo has been removed. I would love to hear your feedback -- what you think.

     You may also find the Study-Video, via the “Beach Boy Surfing Hits” button, a good listen and well worth your time. It features 25 early songs re-mastered in the Transformative technique, which is designed to bring out subtleties in the harmonies that are sometimes lost. In addition, the vocals are brought forward in an expanded sound field.  As always,

Good Listening,  ~Stephen W. Desper

[RONDEMON]

The version of Busy Doing Nothing is really interesting! I've never heard that guide vocal in there not to mention any reverb on anything as the track is normally dry.
Thank you Steve!!!

[JK]

I generally get tongue-tied when trying to explain stuff, so I'll just say that I had never really "got" Friends----until now.

That phased brass in the closing track is really something else!

Thank you, sir.   

[drbeachboy]

I always liked Transcendental Meditation, but I like even more after hearing the backing track on MiC. That track has a great groove. A really rare track for Brian to write, as he never did the dissonant chord thing in a Beach Boys song quite like that.

[Stephen W. Desper]

I always liked Transcendental Meditation, but I like even more after hearing the backing track on MiC. That track has a great groove. A really rare track for Brian to write, as he never did the dissonant chord thing in a Beach Boys song quite like that.

COMMENT:  So drbeachboy, what did you think of the Study-Video Transcendental Meditation version with its enhanced dissonant chord sections? ~swd

[king of anglia]

Thanks Mr Desper!

I should be able to have good listen at some point this week.

[jiggy22]

Fantastic work as always Mr. Desper! I love the remixes of Meant For You, Diamond Head, and Transcendental Meditation! You mention an alternate title for Busy Doin' Nothin' as "Bel-Air Bossa Nova". Was this an original, vintage name suggested for the song? What about Diamond Head, were those opening storm sounds originally part of the track? Thank you again!

[Stephen W. Desper]

Fantastic work as always Mr. Desper! I love the remixes of Meant For You, Diamond Head, and Transcendental Meditation! You mention an alternate title for Busy Doin' Nothin' as "Bel-Air Bossa Nova". Was this an original, vintage name suggested for the song? What about Diamond Head, were those opening storm sounds originally part of the track? Thank you again!

COMMENT to jiggy22:

Thanks for the praise.  Just to be clear, these are not remixes, they are re-masterings -- big difference.
Questions:
     Bel-Air Gossa Nova was a tongue-and-cheek comic nickname sometimes used on the inside. Nothing official, but thought I'd put it there for the fun of it.
     I've never liked the spring-reverb substitute for thunder used on the original of Diamond Head. This was produced by shaking a Fender Guitar amphead making the spring used for echo generation produce vibrations up and down the spiral of the spring. I decided to replace it with the real thing, which I believe compliments the song much better and would have been used had it been available at the time.
    I also added a ring modulation effect to the dissonant parts of Transcendental Meditation as I thought it enhanced what Brian was trying to achieve -- IMO.
~swd   

[sixtiesstereo]

Stephen, thanks for all of the terrific study videos, especially the "Sunflower"and "Surfin' Hits" ones,
really sensational.
  About two weeks ago I started a thread over on the Hoffman board about the "Surfin' Hits" video.
It wound up being only one page,but you might want to check it out and/or comment over there.
(One of the users there had some, well, "disparaging" remarks that you might be interested in. I completely
disagreed with him.)

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/beach-boys-new-stephen-desper-study-video.513917/

[DRM]

Mr. Desper's work is excellent.  Regarding the Steve Hoffman Forum, I do think that if you create a thread there about remastering and you are not praising Steve Hoffman but someone else,  there are enough loyalists on that site who will...how can I say this nicely...blindly...and possibly without even listening...give a bad review.  Because they might think they need to be like that to stay in Steve's good graces.  I know good music and I know good mastering.  And I know that Mr. Desper's work is quite superior in quality.  Additionally, some people are so called "purists" and they just are unable to accommodate and assimilate ANY derivation from what they grew up with and deem "what the artist intended".  It's like mono and Pet Sounds.  There are posters on the SHF forum that totally trash the stereo Pet Sounds, which I think is quite wonderful and a major step up from the mono.  Brings it into a whole other dimension of sound.  And Brian Wilson DID approve the stereo Pet Sounds.  But that's not good enough for some "purists".   Keep up the good work, Mr. Desper.

[Stephen W. Desper]

Mr. Desper's work is excellent.  Regarding the Steve Hoffman Forum, I do think that if you create a thread there about remastering and you are not praising Steve Hoffman but someone else,  there are enough loyalists on that site who will...how can I say this nicely...blindly...and possibly without even listening...give a bad review.  Because they might think they need to be like that to stay in Steve's good graces.  I know good music and I know good mastering.  And I know that Mr. Desper's work is quite superior in quality.  Additionally, some people are so called "purists" and they just are unable to accommodate and assimilate ANY derivation from what they grew up with and deem "what the artist intended".  It's like mono and Pet Sounds.  There are posters on the SHF forum that totally trash the stereo Pet Sounds, which I think is quite wonderful and a major step up from the mono.  Brings it into a whole other dimension of sound.  And Brian Wilson DID approve the stereo Pet Sounds.  But that's not good enough for some "purists".   Keep up the good work, Mr. Desper.

COMMENT to DRM:

Thanks for the heads-up on posts at the Hoffman board. Those folks over there tend to be more interested in technology than music or as you say "purists."  These are people who keep their bass and treble controls at "flat" and would never use them even though it may make the music sound better. I rarely post over there as it usually winds up in some stupid technical argument that makes little difference in the sound of the record. However, as per your posting, I did offer a response on the Hoffman Board, which may be of interest to you for what it is. Please continue to believe in what you hear as the source of true enjoyment. In the end, it's all an illusion. ~swd
   

[Misterlou]

Hi Stephen, I'm really digging the study videos! They are amazing! I listened to Friends in its entirety last night and heard things I've never heard before. And I can't get enough listens of CCW and Cabin Essence. The immersion into the music just blows me away... I've never heard anything like it, even with surround sound. I'm looking forward to diving into the surfing hits next.

My daughter, who is a masters level flutist, and lead singer/songwriter in a small band in the northwest, said she learned a lot about song production and mixing just from watching the above study videos.

Anyway, many thanks for sharing your immense talents, and keep up the great work you are doing!