Gentle Giant - Free Hand - alternative mix

[The Twickerman]

Hi folks,

an alternative mix of Free Hand slipped out accidentally, when One Way records re-released Free Hand, back in the 90s. Below is some info on it (quoted from https://www.blazemonger.com/GG/Free_Hand).

I wonder will this version ever again see the light of day?

This text also references issue 3 of Proclamation magazine. I don't have access to that, can anyone here shed further light?

- Nick.

The second One Way release has much better sound than the first, but it was created from a very unusual master tape. Rich Goodhart reports the tape "is a quickly made rough mix tape of the finished multi-tracks, never intended to be a master tape and shouldn't even be thought of as one. How One Way got ahold of it is a mystery to me, though I am glad they did for the alternate view." Some of the instrumental and vocal parts are different from those of the original album!

• Some of the lines in "Time To Kill" are sung by Derek Shulman instead of Kerry Minnear; for example, "And with no questions then, he finds his way."
• The drums in "On Reflection" enter half a verse earlier than in the original.
• And worst of all, at the climax of "On Reflection," when the full band comes CRASHING in, the drums are barely audible!

In addition, there are a few extra measures on the guitar/drum break of "Just the Same." Finally, if you have a good stereo system, you can hear some background noise like lip smacks and breathing. Details on this master tape can be found in issue 3 of Proclamation magazine.

[Sputnik]

For many years, this was my version of Free Hand as it was the only one I could find on CD. Mine has the mis-printed cover listing the alum as 1972. I haven't played it much since I got the 35th Anniversary edition, which I think sounds vastly better. The actual differences between the two versions are relatively minor, I hardly notice them. At this point, I doubt there would be much interest in doing a reissue of that version. Plenty of cheap copies of it on Discogs.

Bill

[pb2015]

Was it the quad mix folded to stereo? I thought I read that.

[Steve F.]

Was it the quad mix folded to stereo? I thought I read that.

No, it isn't that because as already stated, there are different lead vocals and different instruments appear at different times than on the original mix.

[pb2015]

But sometimes quad mixes have that.

[Steve F.]

But sometimes quad mixes have that.

If a string quartet normally comes in on the 3rd time the chorus comes up and you have a version where it comes in on the first time, that would not be a folded down quad mix UNLESS the quad mix was made completely differently than the stereo mix...

[pb2015]

Quad mixes can have different vocal takes, different solos, even whole different song versions (like "Wind-Up" in the quad release of Aqualung) compared to the stereo mixes.

[rcarlberg]

The second One Way release has much better sound than the first, but it was created from a very unusual master tape.

"Free Hand" was never my favorite GG, which is why I picked up a cheap CD when I found it. As it turns out, it's on One Way (CDL-57338, 1990), which is THE ONLY One Way release listed on Discogs. Are you sure there's a second one?

I don't have the original vinyl anymore so I can't tell if this is the reputed "alternate mix" or not. It might be: when the drums come in at 4:52 on "On Reflection" they're totally out of phase. As is the guitar on the title track. Either crap mixing or a ham-fisted quad reduction.

Wait, I stand corrected. Discogs lists a CEMA/One Way release (matrix: E5K1 <010> CDL57338) and a One Way/CEMA release (matrix: AM6/CDL-57338), both listed as 1990 so don't know which was first. As usual, Discogs is wrong -- the E5K1 release is listed as having the incorrect 1972 copyright date, but the AM6 release has it too.

Listening to the tracks on iTunes and Amazon -- both of which are listed with three live bonus tracks not on the One Ways -- they have the same mixing errors as mine. However, the videos linked on the Discogs page do not have the same errors -- they have different errors! The out-of-phase guitar is now in-phase but mixed almost to inaudibility.

I should sit down with both editions, like I did with "Watercourse Way," and make a list of the variances.

[rdclark]

It turns out the 1990 One Way CD is the only version I've ever owned or listened to extensively. Amazon has the 35th Anniversary release for $7. Should I just buy that, or is there yet another release to look for?

[Conti]

This is the only cd version I actually own, even though Free Hand is my favorite GG album. I remember I gave my vinyl to a friend in the mid-nineties even before ever listening to the cd. When I did so, I was puzzled by the differences. It actually sounded wrong to me, but I was unable to A/B with the vinyl edition because it was no longer under my possession. Many years later this friend moved abroad and gave me the vinyl back. Lucky me, as the vinyl version is vastly superior to these years. I still wonder what should be the cd version I should buy to get the same mixing as the vinyl edition. Maybe the 35th anniversary one?

[Sputnik]

It turns out the 1990 One Way CD is the only version I've ever owned or listened to extensively. Amazon has the 35th Anniversary release for $7. Should I just buy that, or is there yet another release to look for?

Always a loaded question, you'll probably get many opinions and it's all terribly subjective. I got the DRT remaster because I wanted to hear the "correct" mix. The reissues prior to that which had the correct mix were the Terrapin Trucking/RGF versions. I had other GG albums in that series, but was never that knocked out by them (actually REALLY wish I'd held onto my original Capitol CD pressing of P&tG). So I'd passed on the RGF Free Hand. The DRT's I felt were better, particularly IaGH, which was very thin sounding on the RGF CD. The low end is better and it has a nice full sound.

So I bit on the DRT version of Free Hand, and I've been happy with it. It definitely sounds way better than the One Way, and is the "correct" mix, which isn't a huge issue, but in a few places it does make a positive difference to me. It meets my needs. I'm not an audiophile and I've long since given up on buying every wave of reissues that come out. But for some albums I really love I'm willing to take a chance if I think there will be an improvement, and in the case of the DRT versus One Way Free Hand, there was definitely an improvement to me. That's the best I can say, not having heard any versions released after that.

Bill

[rcarlberg]

Listening to a half dozen different mixes online, it would appear there are two different MASTERS and a lot of variations (in stereo placement and frequency balance). No idea how many variations there are overall among the 51 recorded versions (according to Discogs) -- but the 2nd edition of One Way is by no means the only "alternate" mix out there.

[pb2015]

I don't have the original vinyl anymore so I can't tell if this is the reputed "alternate mix" or not. It might be: when the drums come in at 4:52 on "On Reflection" they're totally out of phase. As is the guitar on the title track. Either crap mixing or a ham-fisted quad reduction.

The phased drums are there in the "correct" mix that is on the original Capitol LP I own (same mix also in the version on Spotify). Just sounds to me like they thought it was a fun quasi-psychedelic effect. I haven't heard the quad mix or the "alternate" One Way CD mix. I will say that since "Time To Kill" is one of my favorite GG songs I'm curious to hear the other mix with Derek singing some of Kerry's parts.

[pb2015]

This text also references issue 3 of Proclamation magazine. I don't have access to that, can anyone here shed further light?

I had that magazine once, but alas it is long gone. As I recall it mentioned the strange mix variations in the One Way CD but at the time no one had a conclusion about how or why it happened. The magazine also had an interview with Gary Green mentioning it and he didn't know either.

[Fracktured]

Back when the one way version was released I snatched it up like anything released of GG on cd. I not only didn’t care for the dull lifeless sound quality but also didn’t care for the alternate mix which just didn’t sound right. When I found an import version I dumped the one way version like a sack of moldy potatoes.


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[adap2it]

I had that magazine once, but alas it is long gone. As I recall it mentioned the strange mix variations in the One Way CD but at the time no one had a conclusion about how or why it happened. The magazine also had an interview with Gary Green mentioning it and he didn't know either.

I happened to mention to Gary at Gorgg recently, about the alternative mix of Free Hand, and he had no idea there was another mix. BTW, I have Proclamation magazine...

[adap2it]

Alternate master tape
The second One Way release has much better sound than the first, but it was created from a very unusual master tape. Rich Goodhart reports the tape "is a quickly made rough mix tape of the finished multi-tracks, never intended to be a master tape and shouldn't even be thought of as one. How One Way got ahold of it is a mystery to me, though I am glad they did for the alternate view." Some of the instrumental and vocal parts are different from those of the original album!

Some of the lines in "Time To Kill" are sung by Derek Shulman instead of Kerry Minnear; for example, "And with no questions then, he finds his way."
The drums in "On Reflection" enter half a verse earlier than in the original.
And worst of all, at the climax of "On Reflection," when the full band comes CRASHING in, the drums are barely audible!
In addition, there are a few extra measures on the guitar/drum break of "Just the Same." Finally, if you have a good stereo system, you can hear some background noise like lip smacks and breathing. Details on this master tape can be found in issue 3 of Proclamation magazine.

Defects
The first One Way release has terrible sound quality. It is very muddy and lacks treble. Supposedly, it was not mastered from an original master tape. After complaints from listeners, One Way recalled the disc from stores, remastered the disc, and rereleased it.

Both One Way discs used incorrect or poorly chosen master tapes. Both One Way discs incorrectly say that the album was made in 1972.

The second One Way disc is missing the drum roll at the very end of the album.

[Dok]

Defects
The first One Way release has terrible sound quality. It is very muddy and lacks treble. Supposedly, it was not mastered from an original master tape. After complaints from listeners, One Way recalled the disc from stores, remastered the disc, and rereleased it.

I was one of those that bitterly complained to One Way about the sound of the original. I threatened to complain loudly to anyone that would listen, which was a letter to Goldmine magazine and to other record labels at the time to see if there was any interested in reissuing it properly. I told them just to compare the sound of the then recent Capitol release of The Power and The Glory to see the difference. I still have the one sentence letter Terry Wachsmut sent me from One Way with the so called 'corrected' remaster.

[yesstiles]

Avoid the DRT remasters though. They are compressed and EQ'd crap.

[Progbear]

I have the Beat Goes On 2-on-1 release which definitely uses the right master. Supposedly one of the interviews from Interview is missing, but I never really noticed that.

[The Twickerman]

"Free Hand" was never my favorite GG, which is why I picked up a cheap CD when I found it. As it turns out, it's on One Way (CDL-57338, 1990), which is THE ONLY One Way release listed on Discogs. Are you sure there's a second one?

From the details on the Blazemonger page (details above):-

One Way Records, CDL-57338. "AM6/CDL-57338" is printed on the inner rim of the disc. (Out of print and recalled due to poor quality)
One Way Records, CDL-57338. "ESK<010>CDL57338" is printed on the inner rim of the disc. Fans report that some discs are labeled 57388, 01<block> 94, and either 1 1-1-2 EMI JAX, 1-1-3 EMI JAX, 1-1-4 EMI JAX, or 1-1-5 EMI JAX."

You'll note that BOTH these releases share the same matrix number and are threfore difficult to tell apart. I can assure you that this info is correct, however, as I have both editions.

It turns out the 1990 One Way CD is the only version I've ever owned or listened to extensively. Amazon has the 35th Anniversary release for $7. Should I just buy that, or is there yet another release to look for?

The two-disc edition (with the quad mix on DVD-A) is the best version - IMO. In fact I usually just listen to the quad mix!

[The Twickerman]

Listening to a half dozen different mixes online, it would appear there are two different MASTERS and a lot of variations (in stereo placement and frequency balance). No idea how many variations there are overall among the 51 recorded versions (according to Discogs) -- but the 2nd edition of One Way is by no means the only "alternate" mix out there.

I doubt that very much. Different masters - for sure - but only 3 mixes I believe. The stereo, this alternate stereo and the quad.

Of course I stand to be corrected. Can you point at any links to different mixes?

[rcarlberg]

I doubt that very much. Different masters - for sure - but only 3 mixes I believe. The stereo, this alternate stereo and the quad.

Of course I stand to be corrected. Can you point at any links to different mixes?

Well I'll try. Let's see what I can find online that is shareable.

I'll use the title track as an example, since the differences here are near the beginning and obvious (on headphones).

1. Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/album/08D72lc7ZkFMSoMUjqTFKq) = At 0:34, just before the vocal starts, the Clavinet comes in mixed far left. At 0:58, just after the first vocal section, the guitar chop chords come in mixed out-of-phase. This is the same mix as my One Way CD and iTunes and Amazon

2. Iomio (https://www.iomoio.com/album/27698_g...3download.html) = When the clav enters, it's mixed monaurally to the center. The guitar chop chords are mixed completely out.

3. Iomio 2012 Chrysalis Remaster (https://www.iomoio.com/album/230810_...3download.html) = same mix as Spotify

4. Iomio 2009 Alucard 24-bit Remaster (https://www.iomoio.com/album/230808_...3download.html) = everything's mono. Otherwise it matches the 1st Iomio (no guitar).

5. Iomio 35th Anniversary Edition DRT (https://www.iomoio.com/album/230931_...3download.html) = same mix as Spotify

6. YouTube 2012 Chrysalis Remaster (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk7HntT82hE) = same as 2012 remaster above

7. YouTube Alucard (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfgGaGqzF8c) = same mix as Spotify

8. YouTube 2012 Remaster (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wtN_V8SrJY) = same mix as 1st Iomio

9. YouTube Swedish music students cover "Free Hand" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCdvHyMt75k)

That's all I can find online, sorry.

[soundsweird]

I kept my One Way CD though I now have the Alucard remaster.

[rcarlberg]

Do you hear any difference between them?