Latest member - David Bendeth

I only worked on E1 cd and DVD, I know nothing of other releases. I never picked the material for E1, That was a committee between the USA and the UK,

I probably should go check on my prescription and take the right pills...

Don't know why, but I somehow got mixed up there...

You're not Rick Schmidlin, to put it that way...

Crossed the wires, so to speak!

Br
Kristian

No worries, I get em crossed all the time. I also had nothing to do with E2 that was all Ray Bardani and a few other characters. I though that sounded pretty good, Vic did a good job. I didnt think the song selection was as song as E1, but then again I dont think any record other than the Beatles has that many great songs. I started off as a non fan and ended up as a fan. My crossing point was listening to the outakes and hearing the real Elvis talk, He was really funny, made fun of himself. He had no super ego, He was a perfectionist. When I met the band all they did was tell me how great he was to them and how talented he was. Elvis just loved to sing. I only wish he could have written more songs. There was no question that he owned the lyrics to whatever he was singing. His lifes work will be hard to match by any artist ever.

I only worked on E1 cd and DVD, I know nothing of other releases. I never picked the material for E1, That was a committee between the USA and the UK,

I probably should go check on my prescription and take the right pills...

Don't know why, but I somehow got mixed up there...

You're not Rick Schmidlin, to put it that way...

Crossed the wires, so to speak!

Br
Kristian

Every record made today is LOUD. Whose fault is that? the label, the fans? who knows, its a tragedy. I had no control over the mastering because I am not a mastering engineer. I am a mixer and a producer.

I thought as Producer you would be able to approve or not the mastering since that is what the consumer hears. So it must have been frustrating to listen to what was done to your excellent mixes. Now what is being done is just the opposite. Good mastering of poor 70s mixes that have one generation loss since it is taken from the analog stereo master which is a copy (mix) of the multitrack. But at least there is no problem with the mono tracks which have excellent mastering using DSD which is our only option because of Sony.

David, whoops, about your last name...

I agree with you regarding "brussel sprouts" etc. I personally love
al the "different" mixes that exist of otherwise familiar tracks.

I think the issue with the fans was that this was nearly a "definitive"
collection with the "best ever" sound, or so we believed or wanted to
believe. If you go to a library, the CD section represents Elvis
often with this very set (E1). Many fans felt, as you know, that
alternates never should have been used, "rewriting history," etc.
For many in this era, it was the only Elvis disc they might ever own.


DB wrote:

My crossing point was listening to the outakes and hearing the real Elvis talk, He was really funny, made fun of himself. He had no super ego, He was a perfectionist.

You were in a unique posthumous sense, "'meeting" Elvis in the
studio and "working" with him in a way. With the old musicians around,
it must have furthered that sense.
What a privilege.

Last edited by Gregory Nolan Jr. on Thu Nov 03, 2005 6:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Please dont get me started on the mastering frustration, we mastered it three times.
You have no idea how hard it really is to match up 31 songs by 10 producers with 40 engineers, and 4 bands over a span of 30 years, I mean SOMETHING is going to ##$% UP right? You bet.

Truth be known, I have listened to E1 about 5 times since I mixed it. And I have to say I really like the DVD stereo channels, I love the vinyl because it crackles and I love the CDs we took out of the studio pre mastering. When I listened to the consumer CD it kind of reminded me that it was made for public consumption. This year I mixed 7 CDs and produced 5 CD.s Every time I work on a project I always remember what I learned from E1. I always knew that there were going to be some pissed off people. BUT, I also learned something else. No one really likes to "share" their favorite artist. Its kind of personal. When smaller bands today start to sell tons of records their harcore fans usually abandon them because they are no longer that "private" band. E1 brought Elvis back in the spotlight, I beleive the hardcore fans had to dissaprove, I mean why would they like a CD that everyone else liked? How blasphemous!!!
Real Elvis fans, I mean the diehards like live recordings, Bootlegs and rare things. E1 was not that.

Every record made today is LOUD. Whose fault is that? the label, the fans? who knows, its a tragedy. I had no control over the mastering because I am not a mastering engineer. I am a mixer and a producer.

I thought as Producer you would be able to approve or not the mastering since that is what the consumer hears. So it must have been frustrating to listen to what was done to your excellent mixes. Now what is being done is just the opposite. Good mastering of poor 70s mixes that have one generation loss since it is taken from the analog stereo master which is a copy (mix) of the multitrack. But at least there is no problem with the mono tracks which have excellent mastering using DSD which is our only option because of Sony.

David Bendeth wrote:

No one really likes to "share" their favorite artist. Its kind of personal. When smaller bands today start to sell tons of records their harcore fans usually abandon them because they are no longer that "private" band. E1 brought Elvis back in the spotlight, I beleive the hardcore fans had to dissaprove, I mean why would they like a CD that everyone else liked? How blasphemous!!!
Real Elvis fans, I mean the diehards like live recordings, Bootlegs and rare things. E1 was not that.

Fair point. Personally, I had "retired" many of this hit versions long
ago. I had heard them too many times. E1 made me listen (and buy ) them again. It did bring in new fans, no question about it.

Last edited by Gregory Nolan Jr. on Thu Nov 03, 2005 7:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Re writing history: I never wanted to re write anything. I wanted to get it all right. BUT we ran into some real issues with master tapes. Nothing was marked , music was missing and we had to thinl about the mono, stereo chronological thing, that came up a lot. Now the question is: Lets assume you are right, that this was not the consumate record, (which I agree with) There are many fans out there that are new that will listen to the real versions of the songs in question. Alot of the problems we had was at the end of the record, there wqas a mad dash to make the deadline. I made my decisions and I will have to listen to them. I listened to the Beatles best of the other day. I love the Beatles, I got pissed that some of the takes were wrong, edits were wrong and the mastering sucked....I know how you feel, But thats why I make my own mix cd's because I can always make what I want to hear. I make no excuses, I worked with what I had in front of me, sound could not be comprimised for contiinuity, that was my nemesis.

David, whoops, about your last name...

I agree with you regarding "brussel sprouts" etc. I personally love
al the "different" mixes that exist of otherwise familiar tracks.

I think the issue with the fans was that this was nearly a "definitive"
collection with the "best ever" sound, or so we believed or wanted to
believe. If you go to a library, the CD section represents Elvis
often with this very set (E1). Many fans felt, as you know, that
alternates never should have been used, "rewriting history," etc.
For many in this era, it was the only Elvis disc they might ever own.


DB wrote:

My crossing point was listening to the outakes and hearing the real Elvis talk, He was really funny, made fun of himself. He had no super ego, He was a perfectionist.

You were in a unique posthumous sense, "'meeting" Elvis in the
studio and "working" with him in a way. With the old musicians around,
it must have furthered that sense.
What a privilege.

I'm curious if in your budding fandom (or new appreciation) for Elvis
that you have sought out anything else by him?

I'm
thinking of landmark albums like "Elvis is Back" (now a 2-CD version
on the FTD label) or "From Elvis In Memphis" ...? Or perhaps
the decade boxsets? As you may
know, some of here think RCA/BMG overrelies on his well-known
hits. There's lots more there besides the hits.

By the way, I have the Beatles' ONE and I'm more of just a novice,
basic level fan of them. You mean that's not definitive either?

I have to confess that E1 did awaken some classic songs I hadn't "listened" to for years. I mean I'd heard them, playing somewhere in the background, but hadn't sat down and listened to them.

That's got to be common for many. I mean we do go outside the boundary as die hard fans looking for the more obscure, rare and sometimes unheard recordings and E1 made me refocus and remind me of why Elvis was Elvis (and is Elvis again).

There's a hall of fame presentation coming up this weekend with awards to the artists who have sold the most records since the year 2000. Well E1 alone is gonna put our man in with a more than reasonable chance, never mind any other sales he has achieved.

I listened to the Beatles best of the other day. I love the Beatles, I got pissed that some of the takes were wrong, edits were wrong and the mastering sucked....

Couldn't agree with you more. That cd sounds absolutely shite. I love the Beatles but the best of compilation is a record that I cannot listen. The old cd's even though mastered almost 20 years ago sound better. I don't understand how did they manage to do that.

I would love to have a copy of your own mix CD Mr. Bendeth.

In an interview a few years ago for our friends at a "down-under"
Elvis site, David Bendeth was quoted as saying:

I kept saying, “We're going to get crucified by someone for this. We're messing with the Mona Lisa — like putting longer hair on her and better makeup.”

I dare say you have taken your licks. By and large, the glass is
pretty full from the vantage point of 2005. I was amazed
how well E1 did. I feel E2 (and even an E3 as proposed by Rockin'
Rebel here on FECC) should have done better given proper
promotion.

A song like
"I Forgot To Remember to Forget" was a significant c&w hit
but really dampened that set at the get-go. Otherwise, it seems
the latter half of E's career - on both sets, were somewhat neglected.
I still think it was a fine follow-up and the sound on songs like
BOSSA NOVA BABY, VIVA
LAS VEGAS (longest version ever), DON'T CRY DADDY,
and others were terrific to these ears.

Last edited by Gregory Nolan Jr. on Thu Nov 03, 2005 6:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I listened to the Beatles best of the other day. I love the Beatles, I got pissed that some of the takes were wrong, edits were wrong

Wrong takes and edits? Really?

Any more detail, David?

Jules

The only compilations I own other than E1, Is Earth Wind and Fire and the Beatles. I dont think most artists deserve compilations. Some artists today put out a compilation after three records!!!!

I did search deeper, I LOVE the Sun recordings, AMAZING and I really love the 69 live video and recording. I would kill to mix the Madison square garden in surround. Elvis recorded hundreds of songs, I always thought his best work was when he really related to the lyric. He put everything he had into those songs. I think Elvis had his favorites too and his tastes were eclectic. I wager that if he were alive today many fans would be arguing with him about why he liked certain things, he was an artist, a vocalist, not just a perfomer. He lived to sing, he lived to entertain. He knew no other way from an early age. I have to admit that some of the later work lost me completely, but then again I dont like recent Prince or Macca either. Some artists just shut down after time, Elvis was the eveready bunny, he kept going. But there were moments of greatness and moments of confusion. Everyone has their difference of opinion on the greatness. That is why he keeps selling records, because you want to make sure you didnt miss anything.
I love the fact that there are missing takes and versions, he will be alive forever as we look for the holy grails in search of more new ground. It keeps the mystery alive.

I'm curious if in your budding fandom (or new appreciation) for Elvis
that you have sought out anything else by him?

I'm
thinking of landmark albums like "Elvis is Back" (now a 2-CD version
on the FTD label) or "From Elvis In Memphis" ...? Or perhaps
the decade boxsets? As you may
know, some of here think RCA/BMG overrelies on his well-known
hits. There's lots more there besides the hits.

I did search deeper, I LOVE the Sun recordings, AMAZING and I really love the 69 live video and recording.

Pleeeeeeease elaborate on the 69 live video and recording.

I meant the 68 comeback special. The two disc set, sorry

I did search deeper, I LOVE the Sun recordings, AMAZING and I really love the 69 live video and recording.

Pleeeeeeease elaborate on the 69 live video and recording.

You mean besides all the typo mistakes on the lyrics? The strawberry filelds edit, The noisy mastering all bright and hissy, the crossfades on Sgt pepper, the different levels of songs...please dont get me started.

I listened to the Beatles best of the other day. I love the Beatles, I got pissed that some of the takes were wrong, edits were wrong

Wrong takes and edits? Really?

Any more detail, David?

Jules

So much for my Beatles' "1" set! I want the blue and red CD-boxes
as I first had the LP's of both anyway...

David, how about those apparently "moldy" Elvis tapes which
had been stored at Iron Mountain and used for E1?

Do you have any idea if RCA ever improved their storage
after that? The actual tapes should still be kept and cherished,
no matter the digital "masters" they may have created!

Also, I noticed you praised the sound (naturally ) on the new
HITSTORY, which repackages E1 , E2 and other material.

How do you feel about their "fixes" on disc one?

Thanks for clearing that up about 68 and not 69.

The Beatles sound was in part down to the mix and the edit. Martin wasn't known as the 5th Beatle for nothing. So to destroy the original song from that angle is disappointing to say the least. Strawberry Fields had that complex edit with one take being run at a different speed to compensate for the other take being done in a different key, people who get given the job or working with things like that should know the history of the product they are handling.

David, what you did with E1 onto CD hadn't been done before as far as making those Elvis sounds sound that way - the way they probably sounded to Elvis when he recorded them (loudness excepted) but those Beatle songs sounded better on vinyl! I'm not kidding either.

Maybe its me doing my "things ain't what they used to be" in my old age, I can cope with changes, I welcome them, but for the better, not for worse

Gregory,
The tapes were never moldy..the boxes were. They were cardboard boxes. Iron Mountain has always been a great storage facility for media. I am sure these boxes were screwed up long before they got to PA. Most of the tapes were surprisingly intact. As far as the "original tapes" go I have no clue what Sony/BMG are doing. We called up the masters, It was insane, there were tapes all over the floor for days. Angel in my office seperated everything out, she did an amazing job, she had the experience with this kind of thing. I am sure it was too much of a pain in the ass to do this before. I am surprised they didnt. They had no one with studio experience and the patience to go through all of this. It was confusing, like a treasure hunt. And for the record you would be mouldy too if you were a cardboard box from 1956. The tapes were intact thats all that matters.

So much for my Beatles' "1" set! I want the blue and red CD-boxes
as I first had the LP's of both anyway...

David, how about those apparently "moldy" Elvis tapes which
had been stored at Iron Mountain and used for E1?

Do you have any idea if RCA ever improved their storage
after that? The actual tapes should still be kept and cherished,
no matter the "digital" masters they may have created!

Also, I noticed you praised the sound (naturally ) on the new
HITSTORY, which repackages E1 , E2 and other material.

How do you feel about their "fixes" on disc one?

If you want to destroy a couple of good speakers all you have to do is crank up Come Together from that #1s compilation. I know I have !! I want to thank you Mr. Bendeth for talking to us and for the most part replying.

Last edited by Juan Luis on Thu Nov 03, 2005 8:34 pm, edited 2 times in total.

I'd heard stories of the tapes having to be baked to stop them crumbling. This was not so I take it.

They played the original master tape from Queens Bohemian Rhapsody in the original studio to the remaining members not too long back, this was recorded in 1973 and even that had to be baked, so Iron Mountain does do a good storage job considering some of those Elvis tapes are from the 50's.

E1...went on to make/help Presley break records in the UK charts,when they issued the 18 no1"s.

E1 one sold like there was no tomorrow,on this small island off ours...with it still been a big seller in store like HMV etc.

History?...to right it made history...be proud off that fact MR BENDETH.

It is the 70s tapes that cause problems because of their chemical make up. Not really about age Steve.

Is that my age or the age of the tapes JLGB ?

Those tapes wouldn't want my chemical make up that's for sure

Thanks for the info.