Steve Hoffman and the missing master tapes

[king of anglia]

I've been recently reading some rumours on the internet about Steve Hoffman being fired from MCA in the 1980s for "misplacing" some Buddy Holly master tapes.
I followed it up a bit, trawled some forums and read some more stuff - turns out there's some suspicions about some Roy Orbinson and Tom Petty master tapes too.

Now I was wondering; the Pet Sounds master tapes are missing at the moment. They've been missing since about 1994 is it? Not too long after Steve Hoffman mastered this album. I wonder if there is any link.

Go to the talk page on the Steve Hoffman Wikipedia page for references.

[The Heartical Don]

That is one daring theory, Sir! So mr. Hoffmann is, um, collecting pop history?
By the way, I did not know that the master tape of Pet Sounds is missing. That is most shocking. But how could Mark Linett remaster the album in 2001 then for the version that landed on my 'fuzzy cover' 40th anniversary edition?

[Andrew G. Doe]

That is one daring theory, Sir! So mr. Hoffmann is, um, collecting pop history?
By the way, I did not know that the master tape of Pet Sounds is missing. That is most shocking. But how could Mark Linett remaster the album in 2001 then for the version that landed on my 'fuzzy cover' 40th anniversary edition?

The original masters are missing, and have been for some time. Everyone's been using safety masters of varying generations.

[The Heartical Don]

That is one daring theory, Sir! So mr. Hoffmann is, um, collecting pop history?
By the way, I did not know that the master tape of Pet Sounds is missing. That is most shocking. But how could Mark Linett remaster the album in 2001 then for the version that landed on my 'fuzzy cover' 40th anniversary edition?

The original masters are missing, and have been for some time. Everyone's been using safety masters of varying generations.

Thank you again, mr. Doe. Still, it seems unnatural to let a vintage pop artefact like the original master tapes for a legendary album go AWOL. There should be a law against it.

[king of anglia]

That is one daring theory, Sir! So mr. Hoffmann is, um, collecting pop history?
By the way, I did not know that the master tape of Pet Sounds is missing. That is most shocking. But how could Mark Linett remaster the album in 2001 then for the version that landed on my 'fuzzy cover' 40th anniversary edition?

The original masters are missing, and have been for some time. Everyone's been using safety masters of varying generations.

True, but did Hoffman have access to the original master tape?

Fuzzy cover: The 40th Anniversary version was made using a 1988 DAT copy of the original master tape.

[c-man]

According to a recent post by Lee Dempsey, "The DCC release of PS used the same LA master in 1991 (“they lent it to us for about two hours, we made one digital and one analogue transfer and the tape was messenger-ed back to Capitol”)", then the LA mater went missing around 1992.

Does seem very coincidental that all those other masters also went missing following Hoffman's possesion of them.  Maybe there's a crooked messenger out there?  Didn't Bob Dylan write a song on this topic ("The Wicked Messenger")?

[grillo]

Either Hoffman has cajones the size of Jupiter or he's being railroaded. Isn't he about to Re-Remaster PS again? Might be a good time to drop in on him...

[king of anglia]

Yes it is. Doesn't make any sense.
What master is he going to use?

[c-man]

Yes it is. Doesn't make any sense.
What master is he going to use?

Probably one of the copies of the L.A. master (either analog or digital) that he made in 1991.
Or the actual L.A. original master, if indeed he still has it.   

[Alex]

I have a dumb question. Are Steve Hoffman's remasterings legitimate reissues commissioned by the labels that own the masters? Or does Hoffman like to remaster stuff just for the hell of it?

[The Heartical Don]

I have a dumb question. Are Steve Hoffman's remasterings legitimate reissues commissioned by the labels that own the masters? Or does Hoffman like to remaster stuff just for the hell of it?

I can't believe that he just remasters stuff without consent. Although it would make a good movie: a serial remasterer steals original tapes here and there and does what he wants to do with them. Then, after having experienced orgasm whilst listening to his achievements, he burns the master tapes. I think I will phone Kevin Spacey now.

[Andrew G. Doe]

His remastering is commissioned by the companies concerned - as he stated re: one PS remaster, Capitol couriered the tape to him for two hours, during which time he made one digital and one analog copy, then the courier took the tape back.

One aspect of his work I found disturbing is the tinkering he did to "GV" on one project - the song has a slightly different fade, and when asked why he said that he spliced the ending on... or in other words, he messed with the original master as approved by Brian. That's fucking with history (and there's no notation on the reissue to say this), and from someone of his stature, I'd expect better.

[Smilin Ed H]

I'm surprised you're not getting hate mail from his legions of fans!   

[The Heartical Don]

I'm surprised you're not getting hate mail from his legions of fans!   

He he. This joke I get. Once I was at a website where some funny guys not only linked to the more, shall I say, obsessed threads in the Hoffman forums, but they also became 'moles' once in a while. A particularly funny instance was when someone proposed in a Led Zep thread that this band might possibly have used blues song structures that were present in American music for very long, e.g. Robert Johnson. He got banned after writing such an immodest and hurtful accusation.
Another Hoffman classic is the ever-returning 'I won't let my wife near my hi-fi' subject. It could interest psychologists for the rest of their lives.

[Smilin Ed H]

I'm surprised there isn't a thread about this thread over on his board.  When I first saw King's comments I could imagine lawyers rubbing their grubby little hands in glee.  By the way the best version of anything in the whole wide world is the one mastered by Steve 

[The Heartical Don]

I'm surprised there isn't a thread about this thread over on his board.  When I first saw King's comments I could imagine lawyers rubbing their grubby little hands in glee.  By the way the best version of anything in the whole wide world is the one mastered by Steve 

Yes. Wot he said. Steve H. is the best remasterer, and the most likeable, and the most generous, and the most knowledgeable, and the most honest, and the most potent person in the world, not to mention his superb capacities in the fine arts, in calligraphy, in architecture, in cookery, in writing, in maths, in physics, and in classical languages.
He also invented the internet, contrary to popular opinion.

[king of anglia]

There's actually a message board dedicated to "hatin" on the Hoffman:
http://stereocentral.tv/phpbb/index.php

Some of it's pretty hilarious, although they seem to obsess about hating Hoffman as much as the Hoffmanites love him.

I will say that he is a superb mastering engineer though. His Pet Sounds is the best CD version, likewise most if not all of his remasterings sound better than the alternatives.... that's because no one else has access to the orginal masters because Hoffman nicked 'em!

Disclaimer - Steve Hoffman did not nick any masters.

[c-man]

His remastering is commissioned by the companies concerned - as he stated re: one PS remaster, Capitol couriered the tape to him for two hours, during which time he made one digital and one analog copy, then the courier took the tape back.

One aspect of his work I found disturbing is the tinkering he did to "GV" on one project - the song has a slightly different fade, and when asked why he said that he spliced the ending on... or in other words, he messed with the original master as approved by Brian. That's friggin' with history (and there's no notation on the reissue to say this), and from someone of his stature, I'd expect better.

Wow...where was that version of "GV" released?  Sounds distrubing, indeed!

[Roger Ryan]

His remastering is commissioned by the companies concerned - as he stated re: one PS remaster, Capitol couriered the tape to him for two hours, during which time he made one digital and one analog copy, then the courier took the tape back.

One aspect of his work I found disturbing is the tinkering he did to "GV" on one project - the song has a slightly different fade, and when asked why he said that he spliced the ending on... or in other words, he messed with the original master as approved by Brian. That's friggin' with history (and there's no notation on the reissue to say this), and from someone of his stature, I'd expect better.

Wow...where was that version of "GV" released?  Sounds distrubing, indeed!

Was it on a remaster of ENDLESS SUMMER? I don't remember myself, but what Hoffman did was extend the fade on GV by using a portion of the sessions included on SMILEY SMILE CD release. It does make me uncomfortable that he would do this without adding a disclaimer to the release, but I would agree that the original fade is far too brief!

[sockittome]

I don't remember myself, but what Hoffman did was extend the fade on GV by using a portion of the sessions included on SMILEY SMILE CD release. It does make me uncomfortable that he would do this without adding a disclaimer to the release, but I would agree that the original fade is far too brief!

Hmmm.  I do find that disturbing, considering that the Church of Hoffman preaches that you don't mess with history.  Stereo remixing, eq, and any slight bit of NR are SINS!!   I've argued before that if you want something that close to the original release, why not just get the original release (the vinyl)?

My disclaimer: Not a Hoffman hater, I have a lot of respect for him; I just don't agree with all the commandments...er I mean rules.

[Andreas]

One aspect of his work I found disturbing is the tinkering he did to "GV" on one project - the song has a slightly different fade, and when asked why he said that he spliced the ending on... or in other words, he messed with the original master as approved by Brian. That's friggin' with history (and there's no notation on the reissue to say this), and from someone of his stature, I'd expect better.

The intro to Wouldn't It Be Nice was remixed from the multis for both the 1990 (single CD) and the 1997 (box set) Capitol release of the Pet Sounds mono mix. Messin' with history, in my opinion. By the way, All Summer Long on the Hoffman mastered "Endless Summer" CD is a complete remix in mono.

[Andreas]

Hmmm.  I do find that disturbing, considering that the Church of Hoffman preaches that you don't mess with history.  Stereo remixing, eq, and any slight bit of NR are SINS!!   I've argued before that if you want something that close to the original release, why not just get the original release (the vinyl)?

You don't know what you are talking about. Many of of the Steve Hoffman mastered releases were remixes:
Nat King Cole - Greatest Hits
Nat King Cole - The Very Thought Of You
Jazz Samba
several Ray Charles compilations
The song All Summer Long on the Endless Summer Gold CD
Most songs on the Chuck Berry rarities CDs

Several songs on the (superb sounding) Bad Company Gold CD have added intros or count-ins from the session tapes.
He also asked to do a Pet Sounds stereo remix in 1992 or 1993, but it was denied by Brian.

[Exapno Mapcase]

The Gorts are watching... 

[chris.metcalfe]

His Pet Sounds is the best CD version,

Dumb question - which version (year of CD release) are you talking about?

[king of anglia]

The DCC version. 1993.