You maybe remember what I was talking about the same kind of issue before with Somethin’ Else Liberty RVG pressing.This time, as you can see the picture above, UA dark blue label of Midnight Blue by Kenny Burrell. It was at our eBay but was already sold out.What is funny about this copy is that…
I have already talked about the history of Riverside reissues here in Japan sometime in last year in 2022.VICTOR MUSIC JAPAN has been reissuing almost all Riverside titles from 60’s upto 90’s. Many many titles indeed.BUT!Not many jazz collectors especially outside of Japan know that Polydor Japan also did reissue Riverside titles in the early…
Welcome back again to JBJ Jazz lab!This time, I did an insane sound comparison!John Coltrane Blue Train, Toshiba LNJ, Toshiba BLP, King Record GXF, King Record GXK, and King Record Premium reissue!!Yes! all 5 audio samples at the same time!Insane right?Just watch the video above and listen to those 5 audio samples! And, judge by…
Art Blakey released many albums, especially on Blue Note as you know. But there many others he released other than Blue Note and are great as well.In the past I featured some but this title isOne Of The Most Underrated Titles of Art Blakey!The title is A Night In Tunisia – Art Blakey on RCA VictorAs…
Nowadays, I get many SMJ titles…Prestige and Riverside reissues by Victor Music Japan.In the past, I did a sound comparison between SMJ Series and VIJ Series of the same title by Victor Music Japan. I said VIJ sounds much clearer than SMJ.That is true,BUT!I think…as I listen to many SMJ titles like this Blue Mitchell…
Sawano DID IT AGAIN!!Yeah, that is the word I want to put when I listened to these 2 Jazz reissues, really.I already talked about Mr. Yoshiaki Sawano. He was a heavy Jazz collector when he was young. – actually up to now, he is a heavy Jazz lover and collector!!With his younger brother, in the…
Hi Takeshita, I think the mystery records might be a Scorpion music from New Jersey . Should have 304 Park Ave South on label or back cover and in etched should have S- xxxx. Hope that help you. Thanks Richard.
Richard
Thank you for your contribution!
I now understood that!
Thank you very much!
Regards,
Takashi
o again Takashi
Thank you for that interesting discussion!
Hloo again Takashi
Thank you for that interesting presentation!
In my opinion, the Blue Note Sonny Clark 1588 Cool Struttin’ LP, that you showed us, is a US Scorpio reissue.
To the best of my knowledge, Scorpio LP’s are produced legitimately in the USA , the company pays a fee to the owner of the label. They use CD stereo masters which explains why the supposedly MONO record to which you were listening is in fact STEREO.
By way of identification, Scorpio Blue notes do not have any indication on the back of the sleeve such as ‘licensed by Manhattan Records, a division of Capitol Records’ or similar statement.
Then again, the centre label of the Sonny Clark 1588 that you showed us is evidently of poor quality and has no reference such as ‘Manhattan Records, a division of Capitol Records’ or similar. Also, the use of a BN code is unusual and probably an error. ‘BN’ was not used on Blue Note’s 12”LP sleeves nor on their centre labels – it was used for all 78 rpm releases. ‘BN-XW’ code was used for some United Artists (UA) manufactured 45 rpm’s.
As no doubt all serious collectors know, US Blue Note 12”LP codes were either BLP (Mono) or BST (Stereo) or, in later years, BN-LA (UA Series), B1 (US special issues, BT (New Series). Blue Note 12”LP reissues manufactured outside the USA had many different codes (but not ‘BN’) – for instance, BNS (England) BLJ (Canada), for Japan BNJ, LNJ (Toshiba/EMI) GXF (King), GXK (King) and other codes.
Finally, the address on the label 304 Park Avenue South is used only by Scorpio Records. Scorpio Records have since 2000 licensed and manufactured in New Jersey many Blue Note and other collectible LP’s such as Prestige etc. For instshce, the Hank Mobley LP Dippin’ you held up in your video was produced by Scorpio in 2002. Also, if I recall rightly, Blue Note/Manhattan Records operations are no longer based in New York – as part of Capitol Music Group, its offices are in Hollywood California.
Enough said. In my opinion Scorpios are in effect ‘fake’ Blue Notes that I would not wish to purchase. On the other hand, others – say, newcomers to our jazz vinyl scene – may choose to take a different view, namely that Scorpios sound OK and they are cheap, giving them the possibility of starting their own Blue Note collection at low cost.
Hope this helps!
Kind regards
Eric
Eric
What a report!!
I totally understood now. Some others also commented the same Scorpio.
Really thank you!
Regards,
Takashi
Eric
Right, I agree with you.
I might not recommend this Scorpio series to the serious Jazz lovers but as a starter, maybe good to go.
Thank you for your great info!
Regards,
Takashi
Hi Takashi! Looking at discogs there’s only 5 US pressing for the Dippin’ album. None of them are from the early 2000, the only one from the 2000 is 45rpm 2LP. In my opinion, this record will not be a US pressing. Could you give us the matrix?
Take into account that there are a lot of labels in Europe that are pressing these albums with no author right infringement, of course without the master tapes, and years after they had to change the covers. As you say: is not that bad, but not that good…
Fernando
Thank you very much for your contribution!
It seems that this pressing was from Scorpio in the US as Eric stated.
I really appreciate for your time and effort!
Regards,
Takashi
Hello again Takashi
Please note: this is my second sending – edited to include Blue Note 5000 Series which did use the BN code.
Thank you for that interesting discussion!
In my opinion, the Blue Note Sonny Clark 1588 Cool Struttin’ LP, that you showed us, is a US Scorpio reissue.
To the best of my knowledge, Scorpio LP’s are produced legitimately in the USA , the company pays a fee to the owner of the label. They use CD stereo masters which explains why the supposedly MONO record to which you were listening is in fact STEREO.
By way of identification, Scorpio Blue notes do not have any indication on the back of the sleeve such as ‘licensed by Manhattan Records, a division of Capitol Records’ or similar statement.
Then again, the centre label of the Sonny Clark 1588 that you showed us is evidently of poor quality and has no reference such as ‘Manhattan Records, a division of Capitol Records’ or similar. Also, the use of a BN code is unusual and probably an error. ‘BN’ was not used on Blue Note’s 12”LP sleeves nor on their centre labels – it was used for all 78 rpm and for all 5000 Series LP’s. ‘BN-XW’ code was used for some United Artists (UA) manufactured 45 rpm’s.
As no doubt all serious collectors know, US Blue Note 12”LP codes were either BLP (Mono) or BST (Stereo) or, in later years, BN-LA (UA Series), B1 (US special issues, BT (New Series). Blue Note 12”LP reissues manufactured outside the USA had many different codes (but not ‘BN’) – for instance, BNS (England) BLJ (Canada), for Japan BNJ, LNJ (Toshiba/EMI) GXF (King), GXK (King) and other codes.
Finally, the address on the label 304 Park Avenue South is used only by Scorpio Records. Scorpio Records have since 2000 licensed and manufactured in New Jersey many Blue Note and other collectible LP’s such as Prestige etc. For instance, the Hank Mobley LP Dippin’ you held up in your video was produced by Scorpio in 2002. Also, if I recall rightly, Blue Note/Manhattan Records operations are no longer based in New York – as part of Capitol Music Group, its offices are in Hollywood California.
Enough said. In my opinion Scorpios are in effect ‘fake’ Blue Notes that I would not wish to purchase. On the other hand, others – say, newcomers to our jazz vinyl scene – may choose to take a different view, namely that Scorpios sound OK and they are cheap, giving them the possibility of starting their own Blue Note collection at low cost.
Hope this helps!
Kind regards, Eric Robinson