Worst sounding/produced big hit

[unitron]

I was listening to the first Moments album, apparently released in 1968 and it has their hit from a couple of years later on it... "Love On A Two-Way Street". The copy I have is in very nice shape. No surface noise. I noticed how consistently mediocre the recording quality... or at least what made it to disc... is. The whole LP is a bit on the muddy side, for one thing. So that got me to thinking. What is the worst sounding and/or produced recording to make it as a big hit? I thought about "Love On A 2-Way Street", but then I've decided on "Quarter To Three" by Gary U.S. Bonds (Backed by The Church Street Five). Contrary to music legend, this was not accidentally recorded. According to "The Billboard Book of #1 Hits" compiled by Fred Bronson, Gary said in interviews that he started the tape machine. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if they only used one microphone.

I'm amazed "Quarter" ever got released.. it might have been the worst sounding record to hit #1. From what I read Bob Guidia's studio in Norfolk used 2-track home recording equipment. They did overdubbing by "bouncing" or copying from one machine to the other while adding more instruments or vocals.. creating a really muddy recording.

Another hit that sounded so bad but became a classic was the O'Kaysions "Girl Watcher" - it was recorded for a tiny regional label. Every version I've found on CD or Vinyl sounds distorted. It makes me wonder if ABC Records ever got the master tape and used a vinyl dub instead.

And I remember the Stray Cats "Rock This Town" and Bruce Springsteen's flipside "Pink Cadillac" were mono recordings.

The way I heard it, years ago, was that "Girl Watcher" was recorded at Pitt Sound Studios in Greenville, NC, which is in Pitt County.

 

[oldies76]

I Saw Her Again - Mamas & the Papas

Those vocals are so faint, compared to the instruments

 

[Fastphilly]

Some of the material issued on All Platinum/Vibration Records in the early 70's sounded horrible. If you can find a stereo version of "Shame, Shame, Shame" by Shirley & Co. I have not been able to find it. I have a clean 45 and it's cut in mono..and we are talking late 1974 here!

 

[rnigma1]

Another label infamous for re-recorded oldies is Highland Music/Hollywood Records (not the Hollywood Records owned by Disney). One of their cassettes featured what was supposedly "He's So Fine" by the Chiffons, but it sounded nothing like the original; it was more like a country arrangement complete with steel guitar...and only one vocalist.

 

[cd637299]

As far as #1's go, I too would give the nod to "Quarter to Three."

"Shame, Shame, Shame".....wow, haven't heard that one in ages. I seem to recall the album cover for it being kinda amateurish as well....wasn't it a drawing of them?

cd

 

[Fastphilly]

I've never owned the LP, but Vibration Records always pressed their 45's on styrene..yuck!

 

[johnbasalla]

I've never seen the Shirley and Company album for "Shame, Shame, Shame", but given the nature of the song, does it really need to be in stereo? I have a number of All Platinum/Stang/Turbo/Vibration records that are on ok quality vinyl. I liked the fact that this relatively small company had as many hits as they did. In 1978/1979 it appears that the All Platinum family of labels was retired in favor of Sugarhill records, whose first hit was "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang. If you notice, both labels had the same street address in Englewood New Jersey. Sylvia Robinson was one of the leaders of both concerns. The Sugarhill brand had/has good quality recordings making me believe that between the ditching of the All Platinum brands and the start of Sugarhill, they had notable equipment upgrades. I have a Vibration album from 1978.

 

[Fastphilly]

I've never seen the Shirley and Company album for "Shame, Shame, Shame", but given the nature of the song, does it really need to be in stereo? I have a number of All Platinum/Stang/Turbo/Vibration records that are on ok quality vinyl. I liked the fact that this relatively small company had as many hits as they did. In 1978/1979 it appears that the All Platinum family of labels was retired in favor of Sugarhill records, whose first hit was "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang. If you notice, both labels had the same street address in Englewood New Jersey. Sylvia Robinson was one of the leaders of both concerns. The Sugarhill brand had/has good quality recordings making me believe that between the ditching of the All Platinum brands and the start of Sugarhill, they had notable equipment upgrades. I have a Vibration album from 1978.

Thanks for the history on Sugarhill. I have an early pressing 12" of "Rapper's Delight" when the label layout was plain orange in color and had "Sugarhill Records" in black text. Similar in style to the Vibration labels in the early 70's except the Vibration labels were blue.

 

[johnbasalla]

All Platinum and Vibration labels were bare-bones with no real design. Stang and Turbo both had a design, essentially the same, with a little more "art" added to the Stang brand. Each label had a different base color... Purple for All Platinum, different shades of blue for Stang and Vibration, and reddish-brown for Turbo. However, the 1978 Vibration album has the label name in a kind of modernistic design. I have no idea what the base color of the Vibration album was because mine is a DJ (white) copy.

"Shame, Shame Shame" was a hit in the mid 1970s.

 

[rnigma1]

Of course, Sugarhill Records is not to be confused with Sugar Hill Records, the folk/bluegrass label (which was bought by Lawrence Welk's company, I think).

 

[Kent T]

Re: Love On A Two Way Street. The mono 45 RPM sounds hugely better than the Stereo mix. I Saw Her Again also sounds much better balanced in mono too. Not all 45 RPM discs sound like crap, many of my well cared for originals sound superb if not most. And my copies didn't get played on cheapie overweight changers tracking at 10 grams either.

 

[Les Stock]

"Do They Know It's Christmastime." Not opposed to the song or the sentiment, but considering it was recorded in the mid-80s, they could have made the recording sound so much better.

 

[Robert Bass]

"Do They Know It's Christmastime." Not opposed to the song or the sentiment, but considering it was recorded in the mid-80s, they could have made the recording sound so much better.

How so? It sounds fine to me.

R

 

[cd637299]

"Do They Know It's Christmastime." Not opposed to the song or the sentiment, but considering it was recorded in the mid-80s, they could have made the recording sound so much better.

How so? It sounds fine to me.

R

I also feel that when there are *that many* voices together (a la "We Are the World"), something's gotta give!

cd

 

[Robert Bass]

"Do They Know It's Christmastime." Not opposed to the song or the sentiment, but considering it was recorded in the mid-80s, they could have made the recording sound so much better.

How so? It sounds fine to me.

R

I also feel that when there are *that many* voices together (a la "We Are the World"), something's gotta give!

cd

What do you mean? It's basically a choir recording. If it bothers you that much, how about songs like "I Want To Know What Love Is" by Foreigner?

R

 

[Les Stock]

"Do They Know It's Christmastime." Not opposed to the song or the sentiment, but considering it was recorded in the mid-80s, they could have made the recording sound so much better.

How so? It sounds fine to me.

R

When I hear it on the radio in the middle of a sweep, it sounds like a worn cassette in the midst of CDs. According to Wikipedia, it was released three days after it was recorded in 1984.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

... I Saw Her Again also sounds much better balanced in mono too. Not all 45 RPM discs sound like crap, many of my well cared for originals sound superb if not most.

Assuming you're refering to The Mamas & The Papas version (or, has any other artist ever copied Saw Her...?). I recall finding the stereo separation too distinct for my tastes, like hearing two radios playing simultaneously. Didn't quite mesh. Some stereo Beatles numbers were suspect as well. I too preferred Saw Her's mono version.

Stereo technology today is much more advanced, given the enhanced quality offered by "surround sound".

 

[OldNumber7]

Heard The Waitresses "Christmas Wrapping" today and was reminded what a muddy recording it is. It's a shame because the vocals telling the story, if they were more audible, would have turned this marginal holiday tune into a bigger hit. And the horns are squashed, too.

 

[unitron]

"Do They Know It's Christmastime." Not opposed to the song or the sentiment, but considering it was recorded in the mid-80s, they could have made the recording sound so much better.

How so? It sounds fine to me.

R

I also feel that when there are *that many* voices together (a la "We Are the World"), something's gotta give!

cd

What do you mean? It's basically a choir recording. If it bothers you that much, how about songs like "I Want To Know What Love Is" by Foreigner?

R

There was some TV special several (or more) years ago where Foreigner, or at least the lead singer performed that song along with some black gospel choir that was also on the show, and it was mighty impressive on the chorus.

 

[johnbasalla]

Right now Jack White has a sizeable Alternative Rock hit with a song called "I'm Shakin'". He's the "Lo-Fi" king. Either he records analog or records digitally, but works to make many of his recordings sound old-school analog. "I'm Shakin'" is, production-wise, shaky. It's got a slightly overmodulated sound along with a constant buzz which sounds like something not hooked up right, or a failing tube. I'm sure it's all on purpose. Imagine WANTING a low level buzz on your recording and working to get it.