Star Club raw tape preview

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Sounds quite nice to these ears! Your mileage may vary.

A preview of samples from the “raw tape” version of The Beatles Live at the Star Club, Hamburg, 1962 was posted on YouTube yesterday. This is an auction preview, since the tape is due up for auction by Ted Owen & Co on April 1st. The audio sample is also available at the Ted Owen website. The website says: “Headling is the historic Beatles 1962 Hamburg Star-Club original master recording tapes, containing the complete collection of masters and stereo album mixes that became the top selling ‘Gold’ awarded LP ‘Live At The Star Club’.”

Beatles historians have no use for the fake stereo masters made in 1977, of course, but the full lot is described thusly:

  • The Original unedited mono Master 7″ safety reels.
  • The Original First Generation Master(s) for the double album LP.
  • A set of two 10½ reels USA version 15 ips DBX sides (C&D), (A&B).
  • The Original Studio Masters used for the matrix and subsequently the pressing of the Hamburg, Star-Club double album.
  • The complete DBX work reels, both edited and unedited consisting of 1 x 10½ reel 15 ips 2 TR (mono) DBX edited, 1 x 10½ reel 15 ips Mono DBX master, 1 x 10½ reel 15 ips Mono DBX safety and 1 x ½ reel ¼ tr. Unedited mono work reels (1&4), (2&3) and All in plain white / black ink marked cartons.

    • I’d say the real deal here is item #1: The original unedited mono Master 7″ safety reels. The bidding starts at £40,000 and the estimated sales price is £100,000 – £150,000.

    Link to the auction.

    Meanwhile, bootlegger Misterclaudel have just released what they claim is a CD version of the raw, unedited tape.
    Misterclaudel’s press release in Japan says it is the 1973 raw tape (made from transferring the contents of the damaged 1962 reel tape to a new reel tape, or several new reel tapes). We are awaiting the release to reach us.

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    7 Responses

    1. db says:
      March 27, 2015 at 6:22 pm

      It does sound clearer than I've heard it previously, a bit, shame about the Pete Best-era photo…

      Reply
    2. S e as garotas que erraram says:
      March 27, 2015 at 7:49 pm

      how's it compared to the Hobnail's version? Thanks

      Reply
    3. Unknown says:
      March 29, 2015 at 12:20 am

      The "panel of experts" on which I rely has already scrutinized and dismissed the new 5 Disc set. It doesn't appear to add a single new burp or fart, let alone any new Beatle music at all. Not a millisecond. Sonic differences can all be accounted for by equalization variations.

      Reply
    4. Unknown says:
      March 29, 2015 at 12:24 am

      Previous comment relates to the falsely advertised misterclaudel CD set, not the feature of the story – The YouTube auction tape preview. It remains to be seen whether anything new will emerge there, but MC went way out of his way to disgust a lot of already jaded Beatle bootleg collectors.

      Reply
    5. Dog Style says:
      March 29, 2015 at 4:11 am

      Yes, the 5 CD Misterclaudel set is not worth getting as it's just a compilation of every Star Club versions that is already available with a bit of EQ!

      Reply
    6. wogew says:
      March 29, 2015 at 11:23 am

      I'm afraid you're right. And the Dominoes tracks are actually a genuine Star Club recording by Johnny and the Hurricanes.

      Reply
    7. Unknown says:
      April 1, 2015 at 5:50 am

      This is certainly a better listening experience than any of the 'processed' versions. All that garbage on the back cover about how much money they spent making them listenable. Should have issued them 'raw'…

      Reply

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