The three vocalists are distributed in different locations throughout the listening space, with Patti Labelle in front center and the other two singers hard-panned in the back corners. The opening track, “Phoenix (The Amazing Flight Of A Lone Star),” is a surround sound tour-de-force. Though the quadraphonic mix of Nightbirds was issued on Super Audio CD by Audio Fidelity in 2015, Phoenix never received a digital release until now. The quadraphonic mix is an incredibly immersive experience, with individual horns, strings, vocals, and percussion each appearing in different quadrants of the room.īest known for their hit single “Lady Marmalade,” female R&B soul/trio Labelle’s Nightbirds(1974) and Phoenix(1975) albums for Epic Records were also issued in quadraphonic versions. The quadraphonic 8-track tape of this album cost me around $40 USD and doesn’t sound nearly as good as the new Dolby Audio transfer. Though Dutton-Vocalion managed to reissue MFSB’s other quadraphonic release, Philadelphia Freedom (1975), on Super Audio CD several years ago, fans continued to clamor for Love Is The Message (1974) as it contains a fantastic surround sound remix of “TSOP,” the Soul Train theme song. Since CBS records acted as their distribution partner, quite a few of these albums were remixed and reissued in quadraphonic. Philadelphia International Records enjoyed immense success in the mid-to-late 1970s, due to the popularity of artists such as The O’Jays, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and Billy Paul. The 5.1 surround mix drops the listener right in the middle of the performance, with supportive elements like the harmonica and background vocals mostly isolated in the rear speakers. The long out-of-print SACD remains in-demand today, routinely selling for upwards of $100 USD on the used market. If you’re a classic rock fan interested in surround sound, you won’t want to miss this.īlue guitarist Kevin “Keb’ Mo’' Moreland's 1996 grammy award-winning Just Like You was remixed in 5.1 surround and issued on single-layer mulitchannel SACD in 2002, as part of Sony’s short-lived foray into that audiophile format. The quadraphonic mix blasts the album wide open, with the rhythm section and lead vocal nailed down upfront while the rears showcase rhythm guitars, synthesizers, backing vocals, and percussion. Though one song (“7 Screaming Diz-Busters”) appeared on Audio Fidelity’s The Collection: An Adventure In Sound Multichannel SACD sampler from 2016, they instead chose to reissue the follow-up album, Secret Treaties(1974), on SACD with stereo & quadraphonic layer that same year. Tyranny & Mutation, Blue Oyster Cult’s second studio album, was originally issued on quadraphonic LP & 8-track tape by Columbia Records in 1973. If you’re subscribed to Apple Music and enjoying the spatial audio offerings, be sure to check out the five titles listed below. Though many quadraphonic mixes have been reissued on modern optical formats like Super Audio CD or Blu-Ray by reissue labels like Dutton-Vocalion in the UK or Rhino in the US, there are still hundreds that can only be heard on vinyl or tape via vintage equipment.įor longtime fans and collectors of surround sound music, this represents an amazing opportunity to hear these long-lost and/or out-of-print surround titles. Whereas “Dolby Atmos” refers to object-based surround sound with height channels, “Dolby Audio” indicates a traditional channel-based approach of either 5.1 surround or quadraphonic. In yet another unusual development, they also appear to have quietly reissued dozens of quadraphonic mixes from the mid-1970s and 5.1 surround mixes from the early-2000s in another format called “Dolby Audio” on Apple Music. Nearly one year ago, Apple shocked the immersive audio community by making dozens of new Dolby Atmos remixes available via their streaming platform.
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