(It sounds like) FTLOSM was RE-RECORDED

[Vladan]

Um people. Did u ever think this might be Steve's "audition" to see if people still loved his voice?.

Nope. I just don't see this album selling all that much to be honest, it's a great album but... fans might buy these re-issues, not all the fans are bothering with the re-issues from what I read, since they are not (re-masterd) just re-packaged and most the songs you can get on other compilations apart from a few. Perry has nothing to prove, you would think. Somebody like that, can just come back and sing again and people will buy the tickets, and at the end of the day there are always going to be people who don't dig it, for whatever reason that may be.

[jestor92]

My friend who works a lot with Pro Tools said it's probably a Pro Tools thing, I haven't heard the song in question, but the vocals aren't right in your face so what he says on the remasters and whats on the original probably sound different because of that, he also said that Pro Tools could make him sound like Freddie Mercury so that should give you an idea of how powerful they are.

[Jeremey]

I'm willing to bet that in the remastering process, they pulled up tracks and tracks of vocal takes and reviewed them with Steve, and maybe adjusted a few here and there just to screw around with things. I can't see any reason why anything would have been rerecorded, plus that would have taken a good amount of cash and preparation. Perry's legendary for doing a hundred vocal takes in the studio and comping together the best ones. This is just an example of someone going through production archives and changing things a little here and there.

[TRAGChick]

I'm willing to bet that in the remastering process, they pulled up tracks and tracks of vocal takes and reviewed them with Steve, and maybe adjusted a few here and there just to screw around with things. I can't see any reason why anything would have been rerecorded, plus that would have taken a good amount of cash and preparation. Perry's legendary for doing a hundred vocal takes in the studio and comping together the best ones. This is just an example of someone going through production archives and changing things a little here and there.

Jeremey, as a fellow Musician / Singer, I respect your opinion.

With that being said - could you please clairify this for me?

Is my "timeline" correct - or am I way off-base:

If I remember correctly, back in 94, music was still recorded "reel-to-reel" - on those big tape spools...they only last so long, and it would take quite a while to "clean and remaster" them, according to what Mark told me...from his old Studio days...

Today, everything is "digital" - and you can "warm it up" and flesh it out with all sorts of "enhancement" - Chorus, Delay, Echo, Reverb - that's how TRAG's CD was recorded; you can't tell the difference, really, between the old analog and new digital.

Perhaps you ARE correct....or maybe Steve wanted this done fresh and new.

IMO, as a singer - If I was remastering something I did 10+ years ago, and I really didn't like my delivery (in part or in all,) I would totally redo it...but that's just me.

I mean, isn't it just pulling up the Master, erasing/turning down the main vocal you want changed, and adding a new one?

...or is it harder / more time-consuming than that?

[jabber]

I'm thinking he recorded several takes of the songs way back when. Then, for the new CDs, he decided to mix a few of the alternate vocals in there. Perhaps listening 10 years or so later, he realized he liked X inflection here better than Y inflection there. We know he likes to keep his fingers in a studio, he likes tweaking stuff, and he's a perfectionist (at least in what he creates and how he wants it to sound).

I think he's playing, having fun with it.

[Jeremey]

In 1994, there was digital technology, and though it may have been before ProTools, I'm willing to bet that the recording was done to ADAT tape and mastered on regular 2" tape...Even if there were reels and reels of real magnetic tape, though, it would be as easy as loading all of those tracks back into ProTools in 2006 and reviewing all the different vocal takes, and selecting new ones to punch in here and there. It'd be the same technology as they used to enhance the Houston Summit show last year. I can't imagine that Perry would have gone in and rerecorded anything....

Also, the typical "remastering" process would have just involved resampling the original master to a higher fidelity, maybe possibly doing some eqing or something. But to go back in and basically re-arrange a multitrack with existing vocal takes - if this is what happened & it sounds like it did - is a pretty big undertaking as well, so I am surprised that he would have gone to the trouble to do that, without any more fanfare than there has been about it.

[TRAGChick]

In 1994, there was digital technology, and though it may have been before ProTools, I'm willing to bet that the recording was done to ADAT tape and mastered on regular 2" tape...Even if there were reels and reels of real magnetic tape, though, it would be as easy as loading all of those tracks back into ProTools in 2006 and reviewing all the different vocal takes, and selecting new ones to punch in here and there. It'd be the same technology as they used to enhance the Houston Summit show last year. I can't imagine that Perry would have gone in and rerecorded anything....

Also, the typical "remastering" process would have just involved resampling the original master to a higher fidelity, maybe possibly doing some eqing or something.

But to go back in and basically re-arrange a multitrack with existing vocal takes - if this is what happened & it sounds like it did - is a pretty big undertaking as well, so I am surprised that he would have gone to the trouble to do that, without any more fanfare than there has been about it.

OK...thanx, Jeremey

But I have to add:

It's not like he tried to take on this "massive undertaking" while on a World Tour....the man's got all the time in the World...
...you know?

[TRAGChick]

From "Listen to your Heart":

1994:
"Every word I said
Every word is true..."

2006:
"Every word I say
Every word is true..."

Not only that....he ends on a high tone on the word "said".

He drags the tone down at the end of the word "say".

Here's what I'm talking about....from the VH1.com Steve Perry page:
http://www.vh1.com/shared/droplets/util ... d=13448877

[Shadowsong]

They had dig recording in 94 but it was at it's infancy
but I;m not sure even the best studios would have had all the tech then.
There's always that transition stage
esp with all the formats coming and going as they were.

Ilt's like you get beta max for $1000 and
then there is VHS & you can't get tapes for the dinosaur BM.

To say that Steve has "All the time in the world"
Is sort of an injustice.
He's doing this on his own time.
He's like the rest of us
Time is very important
and now matter how much we have
IS there ever really enough?

He gets up has things to do
Might like to read the paper.
He likes to take in baseball games.

There are so many ways he could spend his time
& he himself has said before
that this process is labor intensive
He spends hours and days and months in studio's getting it right.

The original FTLOSM probably was on RR
but I;m sure at some point in time he had it transferred digitally to preserve it as the lifetime of all tape is not that good.

I'd like to see him enjoying his life
but I also appreciate how he feels about his lifetime of musical treasures
and how important it is tro him that they are maintained & presented in the best format...

I think he did it for the music to make sure it survives the best as it can be.
A labor of love...

[Abitaman]

Hey there is nothing wrong with Perry spicing up those great old songs, and he also gave us some "new ones" to hear too. I can't wait to get mine!!

Lori

IMO, the whole cd needed to be redone. It WAS a poor effort for Steve. Still an ok cd, but for Steve poor. Don't think anything NEW was recorded. just remastered or maybe an alternate voice track added. But the cd does sound better, IMO the best improvement of the remasters.-ERIC

[Marc S]

They could absolutely do this in '94, a band I have been in for years, we were doing this very very basically on Steinberg/Cubase and with AMS samplers in '88/89. Lange's done it with DL for years and years. Pro tools just made in easy for anyone. Check out Bruce Fairbairn in '85 with Honeymoon Suite's The Big Prize, BJ's Slippery and Aerosmiths Permanent Vac in '87. Check them against something like Coverdale's 1987 - it sounded terrible apart from a massive guitar sound as it was less messed with - check the non-existent drum sound.

[brywool]

Wish Perry would quit re-recording/remastering old stuff and record some NEW stuff...
I already bought FTLOSM. I won't buy it again and I think it's lame that bands do the "remastering" thing to get more dough out of their fans.
I am curious to hear the "new" tracks and the rerecorded stuff, but I'll find it and download it before buying it again.

[Kaj]

Deano you´re a joke,first you hated SP then you said you love him and now you hate him again....hahahahaha.
In about a year we can expect you to love Augeri more than ever.
That´s the cycle of Deano Demeanour!

[TRAGChick]

Noticed another one today...

Here's another one:

From "Anyway"

1994:
"...Still I can't do it...

Whoa I've tried...
Oh I've tried...

Anyway...."

2006:
"...Still I can't do it...

Whoa I try...
Oh I try...

Anyway...."

[Johnny Mohawk]

tragchk

Noticed another one today...

Here's another one:

From "Anyway"

1994:
"...Still I can't do it...

Whoa I've tried...
Oh I've tried...

Anyway...."

2006:
"...Still I can't do it...

Whoa I try...
Oh I try...

Anyway...."
_____________________

Gotta disagree with you here. Besides the extra couple measures in "Young Hearts Forever", I do not believe that any of the vocals were changed in any way.
I listened to a couple of your examples ("Anyway" and "Listen To Your Heart"), and they seem to be the exact same vocal line. The overall sound has changed from the original 1994 version, but that it due to the re-mastering.

I am very familiar with this entire album and have memorized every vocal nuance from repeated listenings, and to me, the new re-issue has not been re-recorded just re-mastered.

That said, I still do believe that it is a worthwhile purchase and improves the record.

[PROPERRY]

tragchk

Noticed another one today...

Here's another one:

From "Anyway"

1994:
"...Still I can't do it...

Whoa I've tried...
Oh I've tried...

Anyway...."

2006:
"...Still I can't do it...

Whoa I try...
Oh I try...

Anyway...."
_____________________

Gotta disagree with you here. Besides the extra couple measures in "Young Hearts Forever", I do not believe that any of the vocals were changed in any way.
I listened to a couple of your examples ("Anyway" and "Listen To Your Heart"), and they seem to be the exact same vocal line. The overall sound has changed from the original 1994 version, but that it due to the re-mastering.

I am very familiar with this entire album and have memorized every vocal nuance from repeated listenings, and to me, the new re-issue has not been re-recorded just re-mastered.

That said, I still do believe that it is a worthwhile purchase and improves the record.

I haven't heard the re-issues yet, STILL waiting for the mail person to deliver the CDS to me. To ME, it's very much worthwhile to buy the CDS, just for the ''new music", plus isn't there a picture booklet too?


Lori

[Red13JoePa]

I'm not saying it's newly recorded, in fact I would not like that at all.....don't need 2 different versions of albums.
But there seem to be another 35 or so seconds tacked onto the end of the title track...like listening to it in the car it ends at like 5:16 or something then those negative, between song numbers countdown comes up while the song continues on?

[amaron]

Speaking of FTLOSM, I used to have a 'Missing You' CD that had a different version of the song than the final album cut. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I've been looking for the song forever.

[ohsherrie]

I'm not saying it's newly recorded, in fact I would not like that at all.....don't need 2 different versions of albums.
But there seem to be another 35 or so seconds tacked onto the end of the title track...like listening to it in the car it ends at like 5:16 or something then those negative, between song numbers countdown comes up while the song continues on?

Hmmmm, I didn't notice that. I'll have to give it another listen. The things I force myself to do.

[*Laura]

Speaking of FTLOSM, I used to have a 'Missing You' CD that had a different version of the song than the final album cut. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I've been looking for the song forever.

I think you mean the studio session of 'Missing You',Amaron.

Here you go.

http://download.yousendit.com/851497176C45A534

[amaron]

Speaking of FTLOSM, I used to have a 'Missing You' CD that had a different version of the song than the final album cut. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I've been looking for the song forever.

I think you mean the studio session of 'Missing You',Amaron.

Here you go.

http://download.yousendit.com/851497176C45A534

You're awesome! Thanks!

[*Laura]

You're welcome,A.
Anytime.

[Journeyman2122]

Hey andrew, Do you have the album? If so could you listen to it so i can hear your thoughts on whether its a new vocal or not?

[Saint John]

Hey andrew, Do you have the album? If so could you listen to it so i can hear your thoughts on whether its a new vocal or not?

If it indeed was, I bet Sony would be touting it as a selling point. Then again, Perry is a "private" person. I doubt it is.

[Journeyman2122]

Hey andrew, Do you have the album? If so could you listen to it so i can hear your thoughts on whether its a new vocal or not?

If it indeed was, I bet Sony would be touting it as a selling point. Then again, Perry is a "private" person. I doubt it is.

True.

[squirt1]

John Kalodner talks about the remasters on his Q & A 8-30-06. Maybe his explanations will help answer most of the questions here at MR.

[Red13JoePa]

Hey andrew, Do you have the album? If so could you listen to it so i can hear your thoughts on whether its a new vocal or not?

If it indeed was, I bet Sony would be touting it as a selling point. Then again, Perry is a "private" person. I doubt it is.

Who the hell knows?


I just got the Departure "reissue" and was pleasantly surprised to find it was a new, 2006 remaster. So I assume that both bonus tracks, Little Girl and Natural Thing are remastered (1st time as I think Time3 is all original masters) as well. Why not promote that on the packaging that it is indeed a fresh state of the art remaster?