A&M Quad Releases

[Rudy]

An acquaintance of mine, Jon Urban, has put together an excellent site on Quadraphonic and surround-sound recordings. Check this out:

http://www.quadraphonicquad.com/

Over on the right, there is a link to an A&M Quad LP reference table, wherein it lists all of the titles that A&M released in this format. This is the most comprehensive list available online, folks. Interestingly, A&M was one of the few to release quad titles in all three quad formats (QS, SQ and CD-4). A&M had unique label designs for some of the quad releases (pictured on his site), and some distinctive album cover art as well. A list of Q8 quadraphonic 8-track tapes is in the works as well, and there is a very active quad forum covering just about everythhing about quad and surround sound that you could imagine.

I've added the Quadraphonic Quad website to our links database, accessible from our home page.

 

[W.B.]

Interestingly, A&M was one of the few to release quad titles in all three quad formats (QS, SQ and CD-4).

That A&M would release titles in SQ may not be surprising in retrospect and hindsight, given that Columbia (which pushed SQ) pressed for them.

 

[JonUrban]

Hello all, and thanks to Rudi for pointing me here and you all there!

I am stumped by the A&M numbering system. I am compiling a quadraphonic discography for most major labels, as I did for A&M.

However, the A&M numbering system has me befuddled.

Here is my list of quad albums:

• QU-53041 Quincy Jones/You've Got it Bad Girl SQ 1973 1979
  QU-53519 Carpenters/Now & Then SQ 1973 1979
  QU-53601 Carpenters/The Singles SQ 1973 1979
  QU-53617 Quincy Jones/Body Heat SQ 1973 1979
  QU-53621 Rick Wakeman/Journey to the Center of the Earth CD-4 1974 1979
  QU-53623 Cat Stevens/Buddha & the Chocolate Box SQ 1974 1979
  QU-54339 Joan Baez/Come form the Shadows QS 1972 1979
  QU-54361 Rick Wakeman/Six Lives of Henry the VIII SQ 1973 1979
  QU-54391 Cat Stevens/Foreigner SQ 1973 1979
  QU-54515 Rick Wakeman/Myths & Legends of King Arthur CD-4 1975 1979
  QU-54518 Chuck Mangione/Chase the Clouds Away CD-4 1975 1979
  QU-54519 Cat Stevens/Greatest Hits CD-4 1975 1979
  QU-54526 Quincy Jones/Mellow Madness CD-4 1975 1979
  QU-54527 Joan Baez/Diamonds and Rust CD-4 1975 1979
  QU-54530 Carpenters/Horizon CD-4 1975 1979
  QU-54552 Captain & Tennile/Love Will Keep Us Together CD-4 1974 1979
  QU-54557 Chuck Mangione/Bellavia CD-4 1975 1979

The list above shows number/artist/title/format/release year/cut-out year

What puzzles me are the 53xxx series titles. Why are they out of sequence with the 54xxx series. They seem to be fairly major titles, I cannot understand why they are numbered as shown.

Of course, the stereo numbers omit the "5".

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

:-jon

 

[LPJim]

The original album catalog number is contained within the Quad number. For example, Carpenters Now & Then was SP 3519 and Joan Baez' COME FROM THE SHADOWS was SP 4339. During the early '70s both series were in use.
The 3500 series distinguished discount prices from regular prices, and there's some overlap. BURT BACHARACH (SPX 4290) also exists as SP 3501. Michel Columbier WINGS is both SPX 4281 and SP 3503. Self-titled CARPENTERS SP 3502 was also assigned SP 4289, but the latter version wasn't released.
JB

 

[Rudy]

Hello all, and thanks to Rudi for pointing me here and you all there!

Hi Jon! Glad ya made it!

 

[Steven J. Gross]

I lived through the quad days and had an SQ adapter, etc, but has anyone experienced a state of the art system ever? Can you describe the effect- was it really 4 seperate things out of 4 seperate speakers, or more an ambient deal??

 

[Mr Bill]

The original album catalog number is contained within the Quad number. For example, Carpenters Now & Then was SP 3519 and Joan Baez' COME FROM THE SHADOWS was SP 4339. During the early '70s both series were in use.
The 3500 series distinguished discount prices from regular prices, and there's some overlap. BURT BACHARACH (SPX 4290) also exists as SP 3501. Michel Columbier WINGS is both SPX 4281 and SP 3503. Self-titled CARPENTERS SP 3502 was also assigned SP 4289, but the latter version wasn't released.
JB

Jim is right. A&M's letter prefix for the Quads was QU. Each LP maintained its original SP# but simply added a "5" before it so, in Jim's example, SP 4339 became QU 54339.

I found the list to be very useful, but I swear as a teenager when I almost bought a Quad system I SAW both Whipped Cream and the TJB Greatest Hits on vinyl -- one of the reasons I was even considering such a purchase.

--Mr Bill

 

[Rudy]

I've wondered about the "quad-ability" of the early A&M recordings, but seeing that they were more or less recorded as "3-track" (bass/drums on one side, piano/guitar on another, brass dead center), it would have been difficult to get a 4-channel presentation out of this. Once A&M went multitrack with Brasil '66's Equinox, at least they would have had a better multichannel source.

 

[JonUrban]

What I am wondering is the numeric sequence. For intance, Cat Stevens:

QU-54391 Cat Stevens/Foreigner

came out in 1973, followed by

QU-53623 Cat Stevens/Buddha & the Chocolate Box

in 1974, followed by

QU-54519 Cat Stevens/Greatest Hits

in 1975.

Yet, in the numeric sequence, even stripping out the quad QU-5xxxx prefix, the number for "Buddah" (SP-3623 or QU-53623) in not in sequence with the earlier LP (SP-4391 or QU-54391) and later (SP-4519 or QU-54519).

It seems to me that the number for "Buddah" should have been between 4391 and 4519, not 3623.

There are inconsistencies in the Carpenters stuff too!

:-jon

 

[JonUrban]

I lived through the quad days and had an SQ adapter, etc, but has anyone experienced a state of the art system ever? Can you describe the effect- was it really 4 seperate things out of 4 seperate speakers, or more an ambient deal??

The SQ system suffered as the 4 channels were mixed together, then the listener was at the mercy of whatever decoder they had. Even with the state of the art SQ decoders that came out after quad died (Tate, Space & Image Composer), the decoded signal could never be completly separated again.

That is why A&M changed from QS/SQ to the CD-4 system.

The quad 8 tapes were totally discrete, as there were 4 totally separate channels. On the whole, the A&M quad tapes reveal only modest separation. Some titles kept the vocal in the fronts, but most spread it around to all four speakers.

Interested parties with DTS decoders should check out the many DTS conversions done from A&M Q8 tapes. These can be found around the net.

:-jon

 

[Rudy]

It seems to me that the number for "Buddah" should have been between 4391 and 4519, not 3623.

There are inconsistencies in the Carpenters stuff too!

:-jon

I think the key is that A&M wanted "Buddah" at a different price point, putting it in the "special" 3300 series vs. the standard 4000-series at regular price.

 

[LPJim]

Logic would indicate a later release would have a higher catalog number than an earlier one, but A&M's system sometimes departs from that. Take for example the 3100 series, which began in the '80s when many albums originally issued in the '60s were reissued both on vinyl and eventually on CD.
RIVER DEEP- MOUNTAIN HIGH by Ike & Tina Turner came out as SP 4178 in 1969. The '80s reissue # was SP/CD 3179. Many record collectors might assume the lower catalog number was the original pressing and therefore was more valuable as a collectors item.
That's true with most labels, but not necessarily with A&M.
JB
(attempting to be coherent, online)

 

[Rudy]

That's where it gets tricky. Anything in the 3100 and 3200 series was considered a "midline" series, reissues. 3300 and up wasn't midline, but still was a different price point than the "standard" LPs from 4100 thru approx. 5300. And 3000's were the jazz/A&M/CTi series.

 

[Steven J. Gross]

Thanks Jon.
I think that I resist the surround sound of today because of my disapointment with the Quad.
I'm a two speaker, traditional stereo person.

 

[Mr Bill]

What I am wondering is the numeric sequence. For intance...

You're right, it is rather confusing. The issue arose as price points changed in the early 70s. A&M actually ended the "classic" 4100 series in the early 44xx, replacing it with the 3600 series. As plastic prices were tied to the oil industry prices fluctuated out of control and eventually A&M revived its classic number series with 4500.

In other words, multiple number series existed at the same time, the difference being a $4.98 list vice a $5.98 list, or whatever the list price was at any given time...

There are LPs that exist with both 44xx and 36xx numbers and completists will have one of each. Same with launch of the 3500 series launch around the time A&M got to SP4290. Different series #s made it easier for shops and rack jobbers to correctly price items.

--Mr Bill
number obsessive himself...

 

[DRAWER L]

I think the whole thing about surround sound/DTS/quad is kinda dumb.You only have two ears & I hate to have to stay in one spot to listen to something.
On the other hand,I actively pursue Quad releases for the different mixes,same as I collect monos.Has anybody ever seen TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN or TAPESTRY on vinyl.I know they came out on 8track,but I've never seen vinyl(AND I'VE BEEN LOOKING!)

 

[W.B.]

Self-titled CARPENTERS SP 3502 was also assigned SP 4289, but the latter version wasn't released.

And while there was no quad LP release of Cat Stevens' Teaser and the Firecat (which would no doubt have been QU-54313, however there was a reference on the Quadraphonic Quad website to a quad 8-track release of 8Q-54313), the original SP-4313 was initially assigned SP-3506 (albeit never released as such) before the latter number was affixed to Humble Pie's Performance: Rockin' The Fillmore -- which had no known quad release either (LP or 8-track) -- and Cat's third A&M offering was shifted from the 3500 to the 4100 series -- the reverse of Carpenters.

Now, as for The Captain & Tennille's Love Will Keep Us Together: In the tradition of the Colombier and Bacharach albums, this record also had two catalogue numbers; in this case, initially issued as SP-3405. Evidently the quad release came out after Love . . . was reassigned SP-4552, otherwise there'd've doubtless been a QU-53405 . . .

 

[Harry]

Now, as for The Captain & Tennille's Love Will Keep Us Together: In the tradition of the Colombier and Bacharach albums, this record also had two catalogue numbers; in this case, initially issued as SP-3405. Evidently the quad release came out after Love . . . was reassigned SP-4552, otherwise there'd've doubtless been a QU-53405 . . .

One could then argue a third catalog number for this Captain & Tennille album, SP 4561, the Spanish language version, titled POR AMOR VIVIREMOS.

Harry
...who has both a 4552 and 4561, online...