Pink Floyd BBC radio sessions 1967-1971 - creating the best possible compilation

[neonknight]

The purpose of this thread is to identify the current best original and remastered sources for the various dates and make suggestions for how a researcher could improve upon them. I will amend it if folks would like to suggest corrections. It’s a work in progress.

[neonknight]

1. The Gnome - neonknight
2. Scarecrow - 2010 MP3
3. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun - 2010 MP3
4. Matilda Mother - neonknight
5. Reaction In G - 2010 MP3
6. Flaming - 2010 MP3

1 - Use AC 3rd gen (neonknight collection) for intro and outro to The Gnome
2,3,5,6 - ask Ken Garner for help http://peel.wikia.com/wiki/Ken_Garner because he should have a tape. Ken got his tape from Bernie Andrews.
1,4 - In October 2017 I acquired a new recording of these two songs, carefully taped off the radio in October 1967 by a guy who went on to become a BBC engineer. They’re better than previous versions.
4 - Use Bernard White’s reel source (neonknight’s collection) for the outro to Matilda Mother for the time check and for rest AC because it sounds better. For intro use AC source.
3 - The 2005 rebroadcast, which would have also been lossy, does not sound as good as the MP3
3,5,6 - HRV used the 2005 rebroadcast as their source for their 2006 release.
5 - The MP3 sounds better than the 2005 rebroadcast and is also longer
6 - Go to my transfer of 1967-11-05 to restore a clean intro to the MP3 (but I don’t think this is necessary).

[neonknight]

7. Vegetable Man - cassette from BBC donated reel
8. Scream Thy Last Scream - cassette from BBC donated reel
9. Pow R Toc H - cassette from BBC donated reel
10. Jugband Blues - cassette from BBC donated reel

This session was rebroadcast on 11 February 1968 and on that occasion featured an interview with Nick Mason which a number of collectors have. Like the Roger Waters interview below it could fit nicely in the set. Tommy Vance co-presented this show with John Peel.

[neonknight]

Radio 1 Archive - 5668 (for the complete but damaged reels of the programme)

11. The Murderotic Woman or Careful With That Axe, Eugene - neonknight's minidisc (not circulating yet)
12. The Massed Gadgets Of Hercules - neonknight's minidisc (not circulating yet)
13. Let There Be More Light - neonknight's minidisc (not circulating yet)
14. Julia Dream - neonknight's minidisc (not circulating yet)

My minidisc came from the BBC archive in about 2006 and appears to be sourced from a largely undamaged backup from the master reel. All the John Peel comments are present.

11,13,14 - The BBC recording of the complete 1968-08-11 programme has been damaged since at least 1996 and the tape wear can be clearly heard on the jonsatticuk transfer to DAT from the master, the 2016 official release and my recording that I made at an archive. Try Julia Dream from 20-35s for a good example.

There is a Westwood LP that was pressed nine years earlier in 1987 and it plays fine. You can find my transfer of this LP here on Y.

The June 25, 1968 session was first broadcast on Top Of The Pops during week 31 of 1968 (end of July/beginning of August), presented by Brian Matthew. It included Julia Dream, Let There Be More Light and "Murderistic Women" (called that way by Brian Matthew). Top of the Pops transcription disc 192 could also prove to be a useful addition for this date (a link to what we currently have is below).

I would also introduce the interview with Roger Waters by Brian Matthew that was only broadcast on Top of the Pops. It’s available on BBC documentary The Story of Pop, part 26 and on the BBC Top of the Pops transcription disc http://yeeshkul.com/forum/showthread...cs-(1968-1970)

The BBC’s written archives show that the music was recorded in the afternoon of 25 June from 2.30pm and the Roger Waters interview with Brian Matthew for the 'Top Of The Pops' overseas radio programme was recorded separately at 6pm.

For further info about Top of the Pops see http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/arti...op-of-the-pops and
http://totp.torbenskott.dk/

For an interesting explanation of how MOB created the HRV version of this date see post #77: http://yeeshkul.com/forum/showthread...pilation/page8

[neonknight]

15. Point Me At The Sky - swanlee January 2017
16. Baby Blue Shuffle In D Major - neonknight and careful53’s as yet unreleased new source 1
17. Embryo - swanlee January 2017 and the ending from neonknight’s as yet unreleased new source 1
18. Interstellar Overdrive - neonknight and careful 53’s as yet unreleased new source 1 mixed with Doinker’s German trading tape to deal with the bursts of AM interference

15,17 - These were pressed to vinyl by the BBC for its Top of the Pops series for broadcast on overseas radio stations. Seek out programme 218. See http://totp.torbenskott.dk/aspmaker1...st&show_no=218 It’s possible that this vinyl was the source for the official release in 2016.

A fresh transfer of TOTP has improved on the official release.

The BBC Radio 1 archive reference for these two songs is TW2. They have a copy of OOTD from September 1971 stored under the same reference. I have a an excerpt of the 1971 disc featuring OOTD (I didn’t get it from the archive). It is introduced by Brian Matthew and mentions Top of the Pops. The disc is wrongly attributed to 1970 in the torbenskott database and was first broadcast in December 1971.

Careful53’s new source 1 and others featuring John Peel’s introductions all appear to be a combination of the first and second broadcasts.

[neonknight]

An off air home reel to reel recording of the Radio 1 Club exists and a handful of collectors have copies. Only Point Me At The Sky and Careful With That Axe, Eugene were recorded.

[neonknight]

19. Daybreak - master reel 24/96 transfer
20. Nightmare - master reel 24/96 transfer
21. The Narrow Way - master reel 24/96 transfer (currently only available in 16/44)
22. The Beginning - master reel 24/96 transfer
23. Beset By Creatures Of The Deep - master reel 24/96 transfer

This one’s simple. Content-wise the band need to restore the missing nine seconds of the opening to The Beginning which they inexplicably removed when transferring the Radio 1 Archive 5" spools. Then they should do a much better job of the remastering because the HRV version currently provides serious competition.

19,20,22,23 - If you want these tracks in 24/96 now go to the Pink Floyd 2016 The Early Years 1967-72 Cre,ation (Remastered) available from sites such as www.highresaudio.com. The tracks sound slightly better than the versions on the box set. The 24/96 of Daybreak has a fragment of sound at the beginning that should have been trimmed off. There are also digital clicks during the first part of both versions which can be removed.

A very nice unprocessed version of the session missing Daybreak circulated amongst collectors in 2004 in 16/44 shn format.

[neonknight]

24. The Embryo
25. Fat Old Sun
26. Green Is The Colour
27. Careful with that Axe, Eugene
28. If
29. The Atom Heart Mother

The band need to do a better job with their 24/96 transfer of the BBC’s mono master reels (Atom Heart Mother is on reel two).

In the meantime the best copy is either my 24/96 transfer with falbrav’s restoration of The Embryo or jonsatticuk’s ‘mono master’. If any collectors have a DAT 48kHz of this version it could be slightly better.

Completists - don’t forget the 1970s KSJO broadcast for a different mono mix.

I think the simulated stereo version should be avoided.

Probably the best vinyl version, which nobody seems to have, is the BBC Transcription Disc 12FPM 13325/6 S two 1-sided 12” LPs mentioned in Record Collector, along with the 1971 transcription discs, in March 1989.

[neonknight]

Stereo

30. Fat Old Sun - BBC Transcription LP > 48kHz/24Bit Wave (digitally captured with ProTools) or Arnold_Layne DSD
31. One Of These Days - BBC Transcription LP > 48kHz/24Bit Wave (digitally captured with ProTools) or ArnoldLayne DSD
32. Embryo - neonknight / Kbrubaker WNEW broadcast
33. Echoes - BBC Transcription LP > 48kHz/24Bit Wave (digitally captured with ProTools) or Arnold_Layne DSD
34. Blues - neonknight / Kbrubaker WNEW broadcast

Mono

35. Fat Old Sun
36. One Of These Days
37. Embryo
38. Echoes

30,31,33 ArnoldLayne’s DSD files from his 1978 BBC 7" 7.5ips 2 track stereo reel are unlikely to be surpassed as a raw source but might benefit from some light remastering. Arnold_Layne also produced a PCM version which has the advantage of being easier to remaster.

32,34 - I would happily hand over my uncorrected tape transfer. Kbrubaker’s source has his reel / cassette in storage.

35,36,37,38 - again the band need to do a better job of their remaster of their 24/96 transfer. Until then the best source is the jonsatticuk version. If any collectors have a 48kHz DAT of the jonsatticuk version it could be slightly better.

Completists - don’t forget the OOTD alternative mix I released in August 2013… but it might not be genuine: http://yeeshkul.com/forum/showthread...tive-mix-24-96

In September 2017 it came to light that the BBC produced a transcription disc featuring Blues: BBC Transcription Disc 12 FPM 129476/8 SA, three 1-sided 12” LPs. It’s possible that WNEW used this version.

[jimfisheye]

This is the thread I was waiting to see.
And a more impressive rendition than I would have imagined!