In Hollywood - once again

Discussion of history's greatest guitar player.

Re: In Hollywood - once again

Postby GaryL » Sun Sep 04, 2011 7:59 am

Pat,
Thanks so much for the details you have posted. What a great story. Please let us know when your book is available.
Thanks,
GaryL
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Re: In Hollywood - once again

Postby Vidar Lund » Sun Sep 04, 2011 9:18 am

I just found out that one of the violinists on the second session of the recording (October 23, 1958, 8:00 pm to 12:00 midnight), is a Leonard Atkins! Two Atkinses for the price of one. Quite a coincidence.
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Re: In Hollywood - The differences

Postby cwhowell2 » Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:29 pm

Some time ago, a good friend asked me how to identify the two versions. I was calling the studio recording the "remake" at the time. This was my response to him:

Although I can hear the difference in all songs, there are two easy ones to tell. On "The Three Bells" original version,
Chet's lead starts out with heavy delay and each note is effectively doubled. On the remake, he just plays single notes.

The second difference is a bit more subtle. On "Meet Mr. Callahan" original, Chet slides from the 1st to the 2nd note. On the remake, he plays two distinct notes. There are tons of other subtle differences but those are the easiest to find.

Regards - Bill
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Re: In Hollywood - once again

Postby jean-luc » Fri Dec 06, 2013 6:18 pm

For Pat Kirtley,
Chet In Hollywood upgrade : 3 new CD releases

2011 Chet Atkins Long Play Collection 3CD Goldies / IMC Music LTD GLD 25493 (from UK) : Nashville revision stereo
2012 8 Classic Albums 4CD Real Gone Music RGMCD018 (from UK) : Nashville revision stereo
2013 Chet Atkins In Hollywood plus The Other Chet Atkins CD Blue Moon BMCD 837 (from Spain) : original studio version stereo (but with the Nashville revision night scene cover)

Best Regards, Jean-Luc
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Re: In Hollywood - once again

Postby mark reinhart » Sat Dec 07, 2013 5:34 am

This is quite a coincidence for me that this topic came up at this particular moment. I'm the one who is writing a book about Chet's greatest recorded songs, and I just finished researching and writing about several IN HOLLYWOOD tracks for the book. I'm afraid that I am going to have to say here that Pat's recounting of the events that led to two separate versions of the album does not make sense to me, because it is obvious that Chet's guitar tracks found on the 1961 version are far more polished than his guitar tracks found on the 1958 version. How could the much more polished guitar tracks released in 1961 possibly be Chet's original scratch tracks that he had never planned on releasing? Let me discuss just one of the album's tracks in detail to back up my thinking here.

On the 1961 version of "Jitterbug Waltz," Chet embellishes a portion of his melody playing with simultaneously-played harmony notes. He also works in some other embellishments to the song's melody, such as octave jumps and variations of the superlick. Chet's guitar track on the 1958 version of the song does not contain these adornments -- in fact, it is on the whole much more straightforward than the 1961 version.

Furthermore, Chet himself picked out the recordings that he wanted to be included on his 1992 CD box set THE RCA YEARS, and the 1961 version of "Jitterbug Waltz" was the version of the song he picked for that project. If the 1958 version of the song was Chet's final, definitive take, why wouldn't he have picked that one for the CD set? I feel that Chet picked the 1961 version for the set because THAT was the version he considered to be his final, definitive take.

Earlier in his career, Chet had already shown that he was anxious to re-record his songs for album re-releases -- for example, he re-recorded most all of the tracks found on his 12-inch version of STRINGIN' ALONG WITH CHET ATKINS. So it seems very likely to me that he decided to re-record his guitar tracks for the 1961 re-release of IN HOLLYWOOD. (Incidentally, the discussion of IN HOLLYWOOD found in the book released with Bear Family CD set supports my opinion on this.) So it is going to take some very compelling evidence to ever convince me that the 1961 version of IN HOLLYWOOD is somehow Chet's first, "rough draft" version of the album.

One last thing -- I should point out that I love BOTH versions of IN HOLLYWOOD. I do think that the 1958 version is a bit more straightforward than the 1961 version, but each version is beautifully done.
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Re: In Hollywood - once again

Postby Norm » Sat Dec 07, 2013 10:13 am

There was an excellent article in Mister Guitar about this whole affair. Part of the problem is what happens when suits get to assembling reshuffled tracks and being unconcerned about their documentation.

The "Best Of..." compilations come to mind. Designed to spook the consumer into thinking he needs to buy the compilation to make sure he has every recording instead of just issuing straight reissues

It's ultimately about money. Particularly when the main contributor is deceased
...that's how it looks to me...The opinion expressed above is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of this station. Your mileage may vary...

Audio samples: http://www.youtube.com/user/acountrygent/videos
That should do it.
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Re: In Hollywood - once again

Postby jean-luc » Sat Dec 07, 2013 7:24 pm

Interesting, but i'm not a recording engineer ...
Who is right, who is wrong ??
Jean-Luc
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Re: In Hollywood - once again

Postby Mike Detlefsen » Mon Dec 23, 2013 8:42 pm

I'll throw my thoughts on the subject out there... and they are worth exactly what you're paying for them. :lol:

I listened to random tracks of both albums today.The 1959 album has a bit more "country flavor" than the corresponding racks from the 1961 version, which sound a good deal smoother and more polished to me. I could almost look at the two versions of this work as the transition between his "country sound" and his possible attempt to break out of the "country guitar player" label and appeal to a wider audience. Or just a reflection of his changing personal taste.

I may be reading too much into the differences, but to me there is a distinct before and after sound to the albums produced at this time.

Mike
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