Question about Midnight Sun

Haven't been around here in a while, but I have a question and I'm hoping you guys can answer it. I came across a copy of Midnight Sun a week ago in a thrift store and bought it, but I came here looking for information/reviews/etc. just to see if it is considered one of his better solo albums to see how much of a steal finding it was (for the record, I already listened to it and enjoyed it immensely; was only looking to see what the consensus opinion was). So, anyway, I saw the link on the main page to a disclaimer about pirated albums and whatnot and how only copies that have the Herb Alpert Presents label on them are legitimate, so I am wondering, since the copy I found did not claim to be from that series but rather an A&M release, how do I know if it's an actual legit copy or some sort of pirated one?
 
I'd be pretty certain that if the copy looks legitimate it probably is. This is a sample of a legitimate disc:
3288

I don't think that MIDNIGHT SUN was a big target for counterfeiters as it remained in print for a long time.
 
By the way, I always enjoy MIDNIGHT SUN when I play it - I just don't play it that often. It's one of those where you sort of have to be in a "late-night" mood.

I remember when it came out, I asked our nostalgia radio station music director what he thought of it. His reply was a rather curt, "Not much." Oh well.
 
Unfortunately, that is not quite what my copy looks like. There are three differences between my new copy and the one in that picture:

1. The line in that copy on left-center that says DIDX 012941 is not present.

2. The markings in the very center, inside the circle of text, are not present.

3. Slightly below the stuff in left-center in that picture that is present, there are four extra lines of text that read as follows:

D100169
Mfd. for BMG
Direct Marketing, Inc.
under License

I'm assuming what this means is that this is a later reissue of the album from after Universal Music Group bought A&M, since I can't imagine a BMG marking would be on an illegitimate copy. I'm just trying to exercise an abundance of caution because I'm going to feel bad if I've even indirectly encouraged a pirater by acquiring one of their products, for how little difference it really makes when Alpert gets no royalties for a copy bought used in a thrift store anyway.

To your other point, I would definitely say Midnight Sun sounded different than what I was expecting from an Alpert album. Admittedly, the three albums from the solo era that I had ever heard before getting this one were Rise, Beyond, and Keep Your Eye on Me (I have the latter two on cassette only, though, so I haven't listened to them in awhile), and I have also heard the couple songs from Fandango that were on Definitive Hits, so I wasn't expecting it to sound like it did. I want to say that it sounded more like a light jazz recording is my impression, but I don't know much about jazz music, so that may be an incorrect classification. I really don't care how it's classified, though. It's different, but it's still great.
 
Your version is genuine. It's a BMG club version. Most labels licensed their stuff out to legitimate record clubs like BMG or Columbia in order to use those marketing arms to help sales. Theoretically there should be no difference between yours and a regular A&M copy.
 
Harry's on point. In the CD era, a "record club" disk is usually the same as a regular label copy, since they use the same masters.

In the heyday of Vinyl, "record club" records were often of awful quality -- the disks would be flimsy, or sound scratchy even when new, etc.
 
Glad to hear it's a legitimate copy. Guess that's one less album I'll have to consider ordering online if I ever decide I need to complete the set from the solo years.
 
Yep, there are a few examples of legitimate discs - some from other territories and countries - and this one, my copy of the promo disc sent to radio stations:

3289
 
Midnight Sun is one of my favorite albums. Herb's playing seems effortless. Every solo, every note is thoughtful. It's a terrific album to listen to when I want to just relax and let an hour drift by on a lazy afternoon or when I want to unwind at the end of a tough day. It's one of my "desert island" discs.
 
The late night feel couldn’t be more fitting for me. Not only does the album have that distinct feel, but I clearly remember being in the back seat of the family car when my dad put it in the tape deck for the first time after going to Sam Goody at the mall on a late Saturday night. Those haunting strings at the end of Taste of Honey! It’s the perfect mood album. I also remember him playing on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno right around the same time. Great memories! I was 3 years old when it came out.
 
Back
Top Bottom