Different versions of the Buckingham Nicks vinyl?

[guitarchick82]

Yesterday I was in Berkeley and decided to stop in to Amoeba Music to see if they happened to have the Buckingham Nicks album. I went to the Fleetwood Mac section and low and behold, the BN album is the first one in the stack! They only had one copy and seeing as it was only $20, I decided to buy it. It looked to be brand new and sealed. Once I got back to my car and opened it, I started noticing some things. For one, it doesn't say Polydor on it. Instead it says Anthem. It is a gatefold and it looks identical to the original Polydor gatefolds I've been people post pictures of. It's got the lyrics, the credits, the picture of Lindsey and Stevie smiling and goofing around, etc. When I took the vinyl itself out, I was surprised. Instead of the standard black vinyl, it's a green marble color! Very pretty but it definitely made me think, "Hmm, what is this that I've got here?" I did some research online to see if maybe this was some kind of later release version or something.

Does anybody on here own one of these or at least know where they're from/when they were released? I'm puzzled!

[becca]

I see them mint in quantity on ebay all the time (LP and CD). Supposedly made in Australia, I'm thinking it's pretty likely to be unauthorized. For what it's worth they are ten dollars more (plus postage) on ebay. Amoeba rules!

[secret love]

Originally Posted by guitarchick82

Yesterday I was in Berkeley and decided to stop in to Amoeba Music to see if they happened to have the Buckingham Nicks album. I went to the Fleetwood Mac section and low and behold, the BN album is the first one in the stack! They only had one copy and seeing as it was only $20, I decided to buy it. It looked to be brand new and sealed. Once I got back to my car and opened it, I started noticing some things. For one, it doesn't say Polydor on it. Instead it says Anthem. It is a gatefold and it looks identical to the original Polydor gatefolds I've been people post pictures of. It's got the lyrics, the credits, the picture of Lindsey and Stevie smiling and goofing around, etc. When I took the vinyl itself out, I was surprised. Instead of the standard black vinyl, it's a green marble color! Very pretty but it definitely made me think, "Hmm, what is this that I've got here?" I did some research online to see if maybe this was some kind of later release version or something.

Does anybody on here own one of these or at least know where they're from/when they were released? I'm puzzled!

This vinyl Buckingham Nicks LP you purchased appears to be a bootleg (ripped from the original, then onto a computer then a blank vinyl disc or some similar process) or taped from the radio on cassette then transferred to vinyl. Possibly even downloaded from YouTube and put on vinyl ...I mean the origin of this thing you have: who knows? Not me.

But if it contains the songs from the original album in reasonable quality that would be enough for me.

Just a note, of course, Buckingham Nicks vinyl LP (the original) is extremely rare. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think only 50000 copies were originally released before it got shelved? And most of those have probably already been bought by fans unwilling to part with their treasured records!

[becca]

Someone with a decent copy of the original LP could make a new mold from it, which would be pretty lousy quality, but they probably made a new master to press so many.

[KarmaContestant]

I've got five or six copies. Most are the gatefold, a couple are the later single sleeve reissue. One is framed, the cover and the vinyl.

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by becca

Someone with a decent copy of the original LP could make a new mold from it, which would be pretty lousy quality, but they probably made a new master to press so many.

In all likelihood, Polydor still has the the original lacquer and acetates which could be used to press new copies whenever they desire. Master tapes are used to create a lacquer, which in turn is used to press the records. Unless they're using the same lacquer to press hundreds of thousands of copies, it is not likely that a new one needs to be created.

When an album is remastered, either for vinyl or digital, the master tapes are needed. Differences in sound from one pressing to another are often the rsult of different lacquers being used, from different mastering engineers. It is also normal for European, Asian and American releases to all be made with different lacquers, cut from different masters.

If you're curious about record-making, here's a great writeup. It is absurdly complex. There are also some videos on youtube.

http://eil.com/explore/guide/vinyl_making.asp

[Macfanforever]

I picked up a CD copy years ago at a used CD shop in town.It sound ok.I would not throw anymore money out on these boots and just wait for them two to release it on CD.

If I hold my breath on that my face will be blue for good.LOL.....

I hope it will be a CD hardcopy and not a crappy iTunes releases.

That seems to be the name of the game on releasing new music these days.

I got a couple of the vinyl copies here that are in good condition.

What I've been reading and hearing on the radio .Vinyl might be on a comeback.

I hope so.

[guitarchick82]

Thank you guys for all the replies! So the general consensus is that this is a bootleg version? Bummer. I haven't been able to listen to it yet because I'm not home, so I don't know the quality. Well, for a bootleg, it is very well made!

[becca]

A bootlegger can make a new master from any source. My bf runs a recording studio and has a disc cutting lathe on the premises. We made a one-off LP on it from some of my Dad's old band tapes that can be replayed on any old record player, and he has released various 7" singles from local groups over the years, usually in a run of 500. It's been awhile since he put on an LP, 1989 or 1990 I think.

I've heard that this B-N bootleg sounds pretty good actually. I'd probably have gotten one if I didn't already have some fine rips from the original Polydor releases. I wonder why there's never been a legitimate reissue in all this time unless there is some insurmountable legal issue with Polydor nobody outside of the inner circles seems to know about? They have lost literally a hundred thousand to these bootlegs easily I would think. I thought for sure once that it would happen before a legitimate reissue of the Christine Perfect stuff, but it and outtakes are all available on legitimate Blue Horizon and other releases.

Just looking over things I noticed Jimmy Wachtel is credited with the design on the original LP... a relation of Waddy, or his proper first name I wonder?

[Eponymous]

Originally Posted by becca

...Just looking over things I noticed Jimmy Wachtel is credited with the design on the original LP... a relation of Waddy, or his proper first name I wonder?

Jimmy is Waddy's brother. He made a name for himself in the record design and packaging business before the digital age rendered those things less important.

[SorcererJP]

Originally Posted by secret love

Just a note, of course, Buckingham Nicks vinyl LP (the original) is extremely rare. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think only 50000 copies were originally released before it got shelved? And most of those have probably already been bought by fans unwilling to part with their treasured records!

Wasn't there a second pressing re-issue back in 1976, after the succes of the white FM-album.

I have two copies of the BN-album, in storage, to my believe one is from 1973 the other of 1976.

[secret love]

Originally Posted by Macfanforever

I picked up a CD copy years ago at a used CD shop in town.It sound ok.I would not throw anymore money out on these boots and just wait for them two to release it on CD.

If I hold my breath on that my face will be blue for good.LOL.....

I hope it will be a CD hardcopy and not a crappy iTunes releases.

That seems to be the name of the game on releasing new music these days.

I got a couple of the vinyl copies here that are in good condition.

What I've been reading and hearing on the radio .Vinyl might be on a comeback.

I hope so.

Skip, let me tell you just quietly the name of the game on releasing new music is iTunes/digital download. However, I never pay a cent for music I like - if I can't afford a CD single or an album, I ask for a copy from a friend or I access free copies online through file sharing software such as "Lime Wire".

The truth is this illegal because the official line is these actions "support the music piracy industry". The truth is, it is just friends sharing music with each other on a grander scale, online. One person still has to buy the record, upload it to their computer then upload it online to the cloud. Then other Internet users can access it.

The truth is struggling musicians do not earn any money in the process except from the person who bought the original CD. But Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham are not struggling musicians and I do not feel sorry for them if their record do not sell or make money. They do not need any more money. They have enough already. I think most people would agree with me on this one, though I don't know.

I still buy music from artists through iTunes, and occasionally Compact Discs, but I am fed up with rich musicians complaining about music sharing and branding it as piracy. If a musician is genuinely struggling to survive financially then this is fine, I will buy their records if they're good. But Fleetwood Mac charge exorbitant ticket prices to their concerts. And to buy Fleetwood Mac's Extended Play cost me $6.96 on iTunes Australia while in USA it cost $3.96. Why do I have to pay more? This was during a time when the US dollar was at parity or thereabouts with the Australian dollar.

[Macfanforever]

Originally Posted by secret love

Skip, let me tell you just quietly the name of the game on releasing new music is iTunes/digital download. However, I never pay a cent for music I like - if I can't afford a CD single or an album, I ask for a copy from a friend or I access free copies online through file sharing software such as "Lime Wire".

The truth is this illegal because the official line is these actions "support the music piracy industry". The truth is, it is just friends sharing music with each other on a grander scale, online. One person still has to buy the record, upload it to their computer then upload it online to the cloud. Then other Internet users can access it.

The truth is struggling musicians do not earn any money in the process except from the person who bought the original CD. But Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham are not struggling musicians and I do not feel sorry for them if their record do not sell or make money. They do not need any more money. They have enough already. I think most people would agree with me on this one, though I don't know.

I still buy music from artists through iTunes, and occasionally Compact Discs, but I am fed up with rich musicians complaining about music sharing and branding it as piracy. If a musician is genuinely struggling to survive financially then this is fine, I will buy their records if they're good. But Fleetwood Mac charge exorbitant ticket prices to their concerts. And to buy Fleetwood Mac's Extended Play cost me $6.96 on iTunes Australia while in USA it cost $3.96. Why do I have to pay more? This was during a time when the US dollar was at parity or thereabouts with the Australian dollar.

I understand what you mean about that.It seem like you guys in the other parts of the world got to pay trough the nose for products then us in the states get it cheaper.

[justdreamin]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

I've got five or six copies. Most are the gatefold, a couple are the later single sleeve reissue. One is framed, the cover and the vinyl.

I have a question for you. I have 3 copies, all 1973, all gatefold. One has the word "stereo" right under "polydor" on the red record lable. It has errors in the matrix notes that are scratched out and re-etched. It feels heavier than the other two.
The other 2 are both "sterling" stamped but the matrix on one is very narrow, only half as wide as the other one. All three covers are a slightly different hue. On the one that has "stereo" on it, the cover has a lot of color in Stevie's hair that the other 2 don't have.
Do you know anything about these differences? I'm really curious about them.
Thanks!!

One other note, the first lp with "stereo" I purchased in 1974 at a record store in the Bay Area.

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by justdreamin

I have a question for you. I have 3 copies, all 1973, all gatefold. One has the word "stereo" right under "polydor" on the red record lable. It has errors in the matrix notes that are scratched out and re-etched. It feels heavier than the other two.
The other 2 are both "sterling" stamped but the matrix on one is very narrow, only half as wide as the other one. All three covers are a slightly different hue. On the one that has "stereo" on it, the cover has a lot of color in Stevie's hair that the other 2 don't have.
Do you know anything about these differences? I'm really curious about them.
Thanks!!

One other note, the first lp with "stereo" I purchased in 1974 at a record store in the Bay Area.

When I get home today, I'll check my copies for comparison. I don't know much about these differences in pressings, but I believe that 'sterling' is the person who mastered the pressings with his name etched into them.

Alos, for anyone looking for more information on various versions and pressings, you'll find a lot of info here: http://www.discogs.com/Buckingham-Ni.../master/119900. It looks like there are at least 2 differnet U.S. pressings (1973, 1975), 2 different German pressings, and 9 different vinyl pressings in all including Australia, Netherlands, U.K., and Canada. Plus an 8-Track. Keep in mind, this is all user-submitted info.