Master Reels

nicksphan · #1 04-11-2010, 09:55 PM

I was going to put this in the Demo/Live Performance thread, but figured Master Reels could take on a life of their own. These have been around for a few years now so I am guessing most folks around here already have many of these and are familiar with how they came to be circulated. Since I'm just about ready to call it a night, I'm not going to go into the whole story right now (plus I'm sure Mike B. can do a much better job providing the details on the story behind the reels.)

In any event, I bought just about all of the available reels...well, not the actual reels, but CD's...from the individual(s) who purchased them and went through the costly and time consuming process of having them professionally transferred.

A few years ago, I made two compilations CD's of 25 or so of my favorite Master Reel tracks (the ones I recently posted in the Demos thread) and all of the Reel CD's went into storage. From what I understand though, the data stored on CDR's does not last forever and begins to deteriorate after only a few years. This happened to just about all of the Maureen Loftus CD's I bought and I decided it's time I uploaded all of the Master Reels to ensure I don't lose them as well. (Thanks again Dark Angel for sharing all of Maureen's CD's with us!)

So, as I upload the Masters to my Mac, I thought it was a good time to share them here. The great surprise for me has been discovering some great tracks that I never really noticed when I originally bought them. I got them at such a fast clip that I was too inundated to spend the time to really listen to them all and many of them I just scanned (especially the ones that were not tracked.)

Some of the reels are filled with gems while others have just snippets and false starts along with studio chatter that some people will love and others will find difficult to wade through. I will try to give some info to help you decide if it is worth your time to download each reel. I will try to post them in numerical order as best I can, but since I don't have all of them out of storage yet, there will be gaps in the sequencing (and I will try to post one reel a day.)

Hopefully there are some newer fans who will be hearing these for the first time or long time fans who don't have them in pristine quality (by the way, these files have never been compressed to MP3's and I am keeping them as wav files.)

Although I will be posting reels in their entirety, for this introduction post, I thought I would post one track that I heard earlier this evening that I don't recall hearing when I initially got the reels. It is a very stripped down version of the much-maligned Jane. Like most people on these boards, Jane is on my list of Least Favorites. But I actually love this version (despite the chimpanzee)...

Jane (from Master Reel 10)
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?0ziyhm1jtz1

SuiteShangriLa · #2 04-11-2010, 10:17 PM

oh cool a master reel thread now! thanks!
yeah...cd-r's dont last long. thats why long ago i uploaded everything to an external harddrive.

nicksphan · #3 04-11-2010, 10:22 PM

These tracks are VERY similar to the album tracks with some subtle differences. To me, it sounds like what they might sound like if Bella Donna is ever remastered. I think they have a richer and more layered sound, with a little different instrumentation and even some different vocals. I still haven't listened to all of them all the way through, so if you find anything interesting, please share.

Also, based on everything that is on this particular reel, I think this version of Julia is probably very close to what we would have gotten if it did make it onto the album.

Master Reel #2

Leather and Lace
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?nyimwvldtym

Julia
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?d3cdr2jzamj

Edge of Seventeen
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?htdojvz3yzy

In The Still of the Night (love the ending)
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?2jfmzj0mzjh

After the Glitter Fades
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?znilccz1jtn

Sleeping Angel (different vocal?)
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?wwjizonkj4j

nailatixela · #4 04-12-2010, 02:33 PM

Thanks for the time you are going to take to post all these reels. I amd others really appreciate it. I've got a collection of reels but not too much. I should upload my live stuff to mediafire so I don't lose it on CDs. That would really stink, but uploading all the files will be a chore.

Can't wait to see what you post! How many reels are there? I wasn't around when the reels were just first poping up.

whitesoxx · #5 04-12-2010, 03:36 PM

Thanks for putting these up! I've been meaning to make some master reel compilations but have been too lazy ;-)

starshine · #6 04-13-2010, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuiteShangriLa

oh cool a master reel thread now! thanks!
yeah...cd-r's dont last long. thats why long ago i uploaded everything to an external harddrive.

Ok now I don't know all techno stuff so...maybe this is an easy question to answer....why is it that cd-r's are different from regular produced cds by record companys?? Why do they not rot as well as cd-r's do?? Is there some special process they go through or film on the actual cd itself that protects it?? If thats the case than why aren't cd-r's the same way....or is it the recording machine itself???? Can someone answer this for me. Its stupid. They should make things to last a long time(well they did along time ago)....but than I guess we could say that about everything shrug: (like cars etc)......anyway.....just wondering thats all......Thanks....

nicksphan · #7 04-13-2010, 08:10 PM

Reel #26

This reel is a must have. These two versions of The Highwayman are incredible. They are both complete takes and have a raw, live kind of feel with two great vocals. As my friend said last night, they are "boxed set worthy."

IYWML and KOW are also terrific, both "harpsichordy" and, like the two Highwayman takes, I don't think I've seen either of them posted here before.

The acapella MLWCYM is interesting. Don't be surprised if the reach's in "maybe love will reach your heart" make you cringe. And can anyone (Mike B, I'm talking to you) tell me why there are so many reels that have Bella Donna tracks mixed with SA tracks?

Bell Flower is the same version we've heard before (without the "is this the right tempo, Ben?") and, like all the other tracks, is as crystal clear as you can get.

Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind (acapella)
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?mglek5dtnwd

The Highwayman - 1
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?njyzdumnikm

The Highwayman - 2
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?tnmma2t2tnm

Bell Flower
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?o00nnhfm1x2

If You Were My Love
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ynnzlojznmj

Kind of Woman
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?zw5ttfz2hgz

jeffd8382 · #8 04-14-2010, 12:01 AM

Nicksphan... thanks so much for doing this... truly a joy to listen to! For some reason, I

verlooked this thread when I posted something about master reels in the demos/live request thread... I can't tell you how many times I've done something like that on forums.. lol!

mikebise · #9 04-14-2010, 06:28 AM

LOL! And I answered you on the other thread without looking at this one!!! Sorry.

JeffB, I will help you once I move and have DSL. I will "try" to get the Reel numbers right, but, as I posted last week, my labeling system on my iMac is Easy Breezy Beautiful Cover Ghost, so mine don't say: "'Julia' Reel 11 Day Two False Start/Complete Take etc.". Mine say: "Julia 1", "Julia 2", ... "Julia 22". But I will try to match them up with my original CDs.

Also, I'm not going back and finding flubs, Stevie coughing, Stevie cussing, Stevie sending someone to get some weed, and all that cool stuff before the songs start. I edited that studio clutter off of the songs to make them able to be put on Stevie compilations. That would be way too much double work for me, after months of extricating songs.

As for the Street Angel and Bella Donna combined stuff: no clue here! Maybe whoever we bought these from had archived them somehow???

jeffd8382 · #10 04-14-2010, 03:28 PM

Haha... no worries. Thanks very much, though, in advance... I'm sure anyone checking out these threads will much appreciate your efforts.

I can't wait, can't wait, can't wait......... hehehe.

nicksphan · #11 04-14-2010, 06:56 PM

Jeff, since you asked for Dial The Number, here is Reel #24 with 7 different versions. I've never been a fan of the song and don't think I've ever listened to them all, but from what I have listened to, they all sound pretty similar. Let me know what you think...

Master Reel 24

Dial The Number - #1
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?qnmgkzizzzy

Dial The Number - #2
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?yy5qjywiniu

Dial The Number - #3
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?hdlnw3uwlnh

Dial The Number - #4
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?z2z4lyic4zt

Dial The Number - #5
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?cnkjmmilnmt

Dial The Number - #6
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ldz2zz5yydu

Dial The Number - #7
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?mwjrmtq5tnm

jeffd8382 · #12 04-14-2010, 07:47 PM

Wow.. thank you so much! These must be OSOTM outtakes with Kenny G on the sax. All these takes are similar, but the vocals are definitely different on each one. "Dial The Number" doesn't top my favorite lists either, but I do like it. It's fun to hear the difference between this version and the earlier one... I think the sax and overall production suits it nicely. Having just quickly listened to the takes back-to-back, I think maybe take #3 might be my favorite.

It's interesting to note it sounds like a finished track, minus any of the usual lovely backing vocals by Lori & Sharon... such a shame they aren't there.

Thanks again!