🎵 AotW Jack Daugherty - THE CLASS OF 1971 (SP-3038)

[Harry]

This just found its way to me today, the single 45 release of "Brothers and Sisters" and "Feel So Good". I'd expected this to just be fold-down mono mixes, but they're actually dedicated single mixes, shortened for radio. Pretty cool!

Here's "Brothers And Sisters":

 

[Harry]

And here's "Feel So Good" in its single mix:

 

[Mr Bill]

"Feel So Good" has always sounded to me like it would be a great theme to a 70's era cop/buddy TV show...

--Mr Bill

 

[Chris May]

"Feel So Good" has always sounded to me like it would be a great theme to a 70's era cop/buddy TV show...

--Mr Bill

I agree! Great record!!

 

[Harry]

This rabbit hole just keeps getting deeper.

A month or so ago, I wanted to have the totally "complete" Jack Daugherty A&M output. I had the album, and I found the "Save Your Self" single. So all I needed was the "Brothers And Sisters" 45. I had assumed that the tracks would just be fold downs of the stereo recording.

So I found a seller on Discogs with a "Very Good+" copy of the promo single for "Brothers And Sisters" with "Feel So Good" on the flip. It arrived and I was just about to dub it when I noticed a hairline crack in the styrene. The seller returned my funds without a problem, and I was off to buy another copy. The one I found was also "VG+" but it had the stock, ochre label. That's the one that I cleaned up and posted above with the two dedicated mono mixes.

Today, I got to wondering if there was any difference at all in the promo version, so I dug out an old cartridge/stylus to play it through once and dub it. Darned if it isn't different too. On the promo version of "Brothers And Sisters" the length is shorter than the album version, but longer than the stock single edit which is the shortest of the three. The white-label mono promo begins the same way as the album version, features some different instrumentation in the mix (like a more prominent guitar in the soft middle). It also fades a bit sooner than the album version, and is sped up just a tad.

I believe the two "Feel So Good" sides are the same mono mix.

So it's the two "Brothers And Sisters" that are different from the album and each other. Both are Monarch pressings on styrene.

White label promo has a label timing of 3:13, etched matrix of A&M 2230 (RE-1) - M2
Ochre label mono has a label timing of 2:47, etched matrix of A&M 2230 - RE-2 M3

Both "delta" numbers are the same in the two Monarch pressings.

The two "Feel So Good" sides look like the same stamper and matrix numbers.

So what does all of this information tell us? It would seem that when Jack Daugherty was preparing for a single release from his CLASS OF 1971 album, he (or someone at A&M) chose "Brothers And Sisters" for the a-side and "Feel So Good" for the b-side. As this was still the era of sometimes mono singles, sometimes stereo singles, a choice was made by someone at A&M to release this in mono, so two mono mixes had to be made. And as singles were more intended for radio, a dedicated mono mix that would sound good on that medium was needed.

Then it appears that after a promo single was pressed and sent out to radio, a change of heart was had, or a choice/suggestion from someone that the single needed to be shorter. So Jack - or someone - eliminated much of the softer opening and started the record at the build-up. And it wasn't just a chop of the beginning either, a new mix with a shorter opening was made and pressed to both a stock single (and according to Discogs) another promo single.

Identifying marks on the earlier single is the RE-1 designation in the etched matrix, and/or the timing on the label of 3:13.

Personally, I think the first edit is the better of the two, with a less-abrupt start.

 

[Rudy]

I've watched a couple of interviews about drummer Jeff Porcaro, and it turns out that this album was the result of a studio rehearsal band that gathered weekly at A&M Studios (organized by Jack Daugherty) so the musicians could keep their chops up. It's mentioned in this interview with Jeff's father Joe Porcaro, who at the time was a well-known session musician in town (having started on the Glen Campbell TV show, hired by Marty Paich for the gig). The video's main topic is Jeff but hearing how he was discovered is interesting. Jeff does appear on this album, BTW.

 

[Harry]

Here's BILLBOARD's little blurb on CLASS OF 1971 album when it was new. They pigeon-holed it into "Pop". Interesting.

 

[Rudy]

Going by the year, Jeff Porcaro would still have been in high school when he played on this album. And per Joe Porcaro's interview, Jeff left high school early (but with enough credits to graduate) before going on the road with Sonny & Cher and later, sat in with the band on their TV show.