The Very First Title Pressed at Quality Record Pressings Is… “Low level previously buried detail exposed on dead quiet, beautifully pressed vinyl from QRP!” — Michael Fremer, Editor, musicangle.com, Senior Contributing Editor, Stereophile hen word got out that we were be- appropriate then that we should go back to W ginning a pressing plant, custom- Sterling for this monumental reissue. Using ers began to call with questions. the original tapes, George Marino handled And the most common and full-of-antici- the mastering this time. He used an Ampex pation question was inevitably: What will be ATR-102 tape machine, another significant the first title that you press? Well, we couldn’t point of interest. While Ampex has long possibly imagine hitting a bigger home run been revered for their sound, they had never than to open Quality Record Pressings (QRP) made a preview version so that a mastering with one of the all-time most classic audio- engineer could cut a lacquer from an Ampex phile records, Cat Stevens’ Tea for the Tiller- machine. Mike Spitz at ATR Services made a man from 1970. unique preview modification for Sterling so that they could cut this record using an Am- There are so many things perfect about this pex. Marino then used a Neumann VMS 80 release. First and foremost, it’s a master- lathe with a Neumann SX 74 cutterhead. piece of a record. It’s that rare record that Original mastering engineer Lee Hulko at Sterling Sound. couples breathtaking sound with hit after “I think we’ve gotten something quite a bit hit after hit. In fact, to list the hits would be better than what was originally issued,” Ma- to list the entire song list. We couldn’t pick rino says. “I think this version is much more a better vehicle for which to show off what representative of what was on the tape. And we’re so confident will be the highest quality that’s not a criticism of what was originally records ever pressed. done.” But here’s something else that’s cool: We Marino points out that since the original scored the absolute original analog mas- issue there have been advancements in ters, and the tapes were in impeccable con- cutting lathe technology that make the im- dition. It took an unbelievable amount of provements of this reissue possible. digging and research – and luck – to get this project done to the standards of Analogue “You didn’t have the same number of op- The original mastering equipment used at Sterling Sound. Productions. But, wow, was it ever worth it! tions that you have in the new Neumann The tapes were last used in December 1999 electronics,” Marino says. “With the new when Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, along one, they give you more variations to work with producer Paul Samwell-Smith, remas- with. Let’s say there’s a nice kind of present tered the Cat Stevens catalog for CD. sounding acoustic guitar on the left chan- nel and then all of the sudden there’s a drum In 1970, Lee Hulko at Sterling cut Tea For The peak with cymbal crashes and stuff and that Tillerman for A&M Records in the U.S. and stuff happens to be on the left channel. Be- Island Records in the UK using a Telefunken ing the vocal is down the center, you can M10 tape machine and a Neumann VMS 66 drive the high frequency limiter from the lathe with a Neumann SX 68 cutterhead. right channel (to eliminate vocal sibilance). Hulko started Sterling in 1968 and was its So you can set a threshold on the right original mastering engineer. He’s consid- channel and grab the vocal without wiping ered among the first engineers to advance out some of the musical peaks on the left mastering from just transferring music from channel. This is what I talk about when I say tape to lacquer to an art where attention is that we have technical advantages that they paid to all the details that result in better didn’t have.” sound. We actually found Hulko’s original mastering notes from more than 40 years Marino also chose to use a wide-track stereo ago. It’s incredible, but Sterling still has all head for this project, which he said allows of their notes filed away. for better signal-to-noise than the normal stereo head. So, it was originally cut at Sterling – as were all of the early original Cat Stevens albums – He says that he is very pleased with the re- Lee Hulko’s original mastering notes from and the tapes were last used at Sterling. How sults. Tea for the Tillerman. “A great record. A classic,” Marino says. “And ing that we’ve been working on for more those tapes were in excellent, excellent con- than a year. Among those innovations are dition. Musically, I think we’ve got some- the installations of microprocessors on the thing that sounds richer and more natural. presses so that all of the presses’ functions It sounds more correct. I had to do very, very are performed with absolute precision. For little to the tape regarding EQ processing or example, we’ve developed a die with an im- anything.” bedded temperature sensor that we can use to cycle the presses. Rather than having the To package this reissue, we’ve decided to presses close and open based on time, these do a facsimile of the original British Island presses will close and open based on tem- gatefold jacket rather than the non-gatefold perature, the far more accurate indicator U.S. version. This British jacket also has a of when the record is ready. We also have a textured paper stock on the inside and is plating department in QRP, run by the best glossy on the outside. Additionally, we’re us- plating man in the business, Gary Salstrom. ing the original pink Island label. George Marino, Senior Mastering Engineer Still to come from Analogue Productions at Sterling Sound. So there you have it. QRP is off and pressing pressed at QRP will be the Cat Stevens clas- in a big, big way! Finally, we’re ready to un- sics Teaser and the Firecat and Catch Bull at veil the many innovations in record press- Four. The original 1970 Island master tapes of Gary Salstrom, General Manager and Plating Technician at Quality Record Pressings. Mark Huggett, Master Pressing Technician at Quality Record Pressings. Verve Reissues THE FIRST SIX TITLES ARE: Stan Getz and The Oscar Ella Fitzgerald and Joao Gilberto Peterson Trio Louis Armstrong Getz/Gilberto We Get Requests Ella and Louis AVRJ 8545 AVRJ 8606 AVRJ 4003 45 RPM 45 RPM 45 RPM Billie Holiday Ella Fitzgerald Ben Webster Meets Body and Soul Like Someone Oscar Peterson AVRJ 8197 In Love AVRJ 6114 45 RPM AVRJ 6000 45 RPM 45 RPM And the hits just keep coming! Look for these newly reissued Analogue Productions titles, pressed at Quality Record Pressings. Muddy Waters Dusty Springfield Ben Webster Tony Joe White Ray Charles Jimmy Witherspoon Folk Singer Dusty In Memphis Gentle Ben Homemade Ice Cream Genius + Soul = Jazz with Ben Webster AAPB 1483-45 • 45 RPM AAPP 8214-45 • 45 RPM AAPJ 040 • 33 RPM AAPP 2708 • 33 RPM AAPP 2 • 33 RPM Roots AAPP 6057 • 33 RPM QualityRecordPressings.com analogueproductions.com Freddie King Freddie King Cat Stevens Cat Stevens Getting Ready... Texas Cannonball Teaser and the Firecat Catch Bull At Four AAPB 8905 • 33 RPM AAPB 8913 • 33 RPM AAPP 9154 • 33 RPM AAPP 9206 • 33 RPM B0015570-01NS01.