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Subject:      Re: Another "Guitars Kissing ..?"
From:         "Steven Mazur (SAR)" 
Date:         1996/09/05
Newsgroups:   rec.music.dylan

Bob Meyer  wrote:

> After Months of searching I finally received "Guitars Kissing & The
> Contemporary fix" in the mail today. Having had the electric part of
> this show on vinyl for quite a long time, I was shocked at the quality
> of the sound. Wow Stereo!!!   To my surprise, it contains at the
> beginning of disc #1 a 1:08 soundcheck of "Just like Tom Thumbs blues".
> It is also on the label "DISC HITS"(no number). Label just reads "free
> trade hall" "For promotional use only".  Also on back cover says "Made
> in Yugoslavia". Front and back cover in black and white. Is this a
> pirate of the "original" bootleg?


Only a few days ago I too received this same pair of discs in the mail.
It does indeed contain the 1:08 soundcheck of "Tom Thumb," but it has not
been speed corrected.  I compared it to the recording on "Sings The Body
Electric" to verify that they are in fact the same recordings; they are,
except for the speed correction.  Bob Meyer's description of the discs is
accurate.  I will add that the label "DISC HITS" appears only on the
actual discs, not the cover.  Also, the "free trade hall" and "For
promotional used only" comments are on the actual discs only.  The rear
cover contains the "Made in Yugoslavia" label, and a small graphic of some
type of beetle, possibly the DISC HITS logo (?).  On my copy, the matrix
numbers have actually been scratched out.  I'm not sure if this is the
doing of DISC HITS or of the mail order company through which I bought the
CDs.  It irks me nevertheless.  Does anyone know why the manufacturer or
dealer would do this?  Craig?  Bob, can you tell us if your copy of these
discs are also missing the matrix numbers?

I noticed that at the 7:22 mark of "Mr. Tambourine Man," there is a *very*
brief sound dropout.  It lasts for only a split second.  Can someone with
the original "Guitars Kissing" confirm whether or not this is a flaw in
the source tape, or if it is only on this "new" "Guitars Kissing"?

Additionally, I compared the artwork of these discs with that of the
original (found in Joe Cliburn's Flintcreek page).  The pictures on the
front and back cover are the same, but are in black and white on the new
discs (printed on a heavy, woven paper).  The layout of the title on the
front cover may be different, but I cannot say for sure, as I do not have
the discs in front of me.  The insert is only a single sheet; it does not
open up (thus, the insert picture is missing from the new copy).  There
are no notes, only the track listing on the back cover.

My guess is that this is a pirate of the original set of discs, with the
"Tom Thumb" soundcheck added on to give us the 5/17/66 Manchester show in
its entirety.

-Steve


From: Roserut@aol.com Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan Subject: Help Identify Please Date: 10 May 1997 08:52:13 -0700 Recently I was just goofing off and ran into a shop and found Guitars Kissing & The Contemporary Fix and I had read so much great stuff on it - I listened to the first disc and bought it. Well I remembered vaguely somewhere back there being a list of identifying numbers. This CD boot has no numbers anywhere except on the two disks - SCO-8 for disk 1 and SCO-9 for disk 2. Disk 1 is black and disk 2 is white. The only thing identifying the label is an picture of an Scorpion on the back. No dates, no identifying numbers - is there anything unusual about this import. Disk 1 includes: She Belongs To Me Fourth Time Around Visions of Johanna It's All Over Now, Baby Blue Desolation Row Just Like A Woman Mr. Tambourine Man Disk 2 includes: Tell Me Mama I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) Baby, Let Me Follow You Down Just Like Tom thumb's Blues Leopard Skin Pill-Bopx Hat One Too Many Mornings Ballad Of A Thin Man Like A Rolling Stone How does one identify this "import" without having any numbers or anything to identify it by. Another interesting thing is that both CD's say The Lampost Stands With folded Arms - which I understand is an line from Gates of Eden - why is there lyrics from a song not on this import on the CD - wouldn't have lyrics from a song actually on the CD should have been used.
From: whorton@worldnet.att.net (W.H. Horton, Jr.) Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan Subject: Help Identify Please Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 13:53:49 GMT Roserut@aol.com wrote: :Recently I was just goofing off and ran into a shop and found :Guitars Kissing & The Contemporary Fix and I had read so much :great stuff on it - I listened to the first disc and bought :it. Well I remembered vaguely somewhere back there being :a list of identifying numbers. This CD boot has no numbers :anywhere except on the two disks - SCO-8 for disk 1 and :SCO-9 for disk 2. Disk 1 is black and disk 2 is white. :The only thing identifying the label is an picture of an :Scorpion on the back. No dates, no identifying numbers - :is there anything unusual about this import. :How does one identify this "import" without having any :numbers or anything to identify it by. Another interesting :thing is that both CD's say The Lampost Stands With folded :Arms - which I understand is an line from Gates of Eden - :why is there lyrics from a song not on this import on :the CD - wouldn't have lyrics from a song actually on :the CD should have been used. The EDLIS notes for Guitars Kissing http://www.edlis.org/twice/threads/guitars_kissing.html#edlis_notes describe a 1996 pirate which is similar to variant you purchased: "A 1996 2-CD jewel case pirate of the bootleg. Matrix: 601013X SCO-8 IFPI L602, 600993X SCO-9 IFPI L602. The total playing time of each disc is within one second of the original release, but the individual track times vary considerably. There is a fault on Desolation Row [06:31] absent in the original release. The label of disc one has a solid black background and is titled in white print "The Lampost Stands with Folded Arms". The label of disc two is the inverse, that is a white background with the black print title "The Lampost Stands With Folded Arms". The inserts appear to be taken from the 1996 gatefold sleeve reissue which has "Bob Dylan & The Hawks" on the cover and the picture of Bob Dylan in a checked suit with Danko in the background on the cover (which was on the left side of the inside gatefold of the original release). The front insert when opened is similar (but of noticeably lower Dylan in a checked suit with Danko in the background on the cover (which was on the left side of the inside gatefold of the original release). The front insert when opened is similar (but of noticeably lower quality) to the inside of the 1996 reissued gatefold (when spread open it is in black and white and has a picture of a pair of Manchester tickets on the left hand side and the concert review from the original on the right). A 1996 2-CD pirate of the bootleg in a cardboard gatefold sleeve cover with two cardboard sleeves holding the CDs. Matrix: 601013X SCO-8 IFPI L602, 600993X SCO-9 IFPI L602." Please send any further details regarding this variant to matrix@edlis.org --Larry EDLIS Things Twice agent http://www.edlis.org/twice/
From: Ed Ricardo Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan Subject: Guitars Kissing Question Date: 21 Jun 1997 05:46:30 -0700 In article <19970620202101.QAA11798@ladder01.news.aol.com> eighte1@aol.com (EightE1) wrote: : What is considered the "best" version of "Guitars Kissing & the : Contemporary Fix?" A local record store has a copy with an imprint from : New Zealand; it's in one of those big 2-disc jewel boxes, with B&W cover : art. I found another copy in a different store in a more "contemporary" : single-disc-sized 2-disc jewel box, with full-color artwork (sorry, I did : not get the name/location of the imprint). : Since there are doubtless many versions of this title out there, I'm just : concerned I might get an inferior copy and make an expensive mistake. : Rob Guitars Kissing & The Contemporary Fix (51766A, 51766E, 1995, GZ GB 1633 SIAE: 51766A, GZ GB 1632 SIAE: 51766E) is the original if you like originals. There are many versions. Never heard of one which disappointed anyone, all buyers seem happy. Many are of course pirates of the original boot! You may have ethical views on that. Complex area with many opinions... No one has reported a New Zealand imprint! Full details in e-mail please. You might want to purchase that one for its oddity value. New Zealand is not the world's centre for the production of boot CDs. Maybe it is to become that though? (The words on a CD do not necessarily relate to reality of course. But they do help identify it.) http://www.edlis.org/twice/threads/guitars_kissing.html#edlis_notes is where most buyers look when considering versions of Dylan's best album. If you see any error or omission there, e-mail immediately. All serious buyers of Dylan albums keep in touch with bdbdb@edlis.org but you probably already do that. Returning to your question, it is very much a matter of taste which is best, but many choose the variant with the extra track: ----------------------------------------------------------------- A 1996 version on the label "Disc Hits", "Made in Yugoslavia", "Free Trade Hall", "For promotional use only". "1996 DPP". Beetle logo. Front and back cover in black and white on a heavy woven single sheet paper. There are no notes, only the track listing on the back cover. At the beginning of disc 1 is the sound check Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (1:08)! Cf T-041 (with this same track, but "speed corrected"). So the CD is 50:17. The matrix numbers have been scraped off and are rough to touch. ----------------------------------------------------------------- It is best to buy any version you see and sort them out later. They make great gifts for anti-bootleg people or people just discovering Bob Dylan. And all versions are very very tradeable. Anyone sensible buys it when they see it. Again and again... And whenever you see a CD in a shop, note the matrix number, that helps a lot in commenting on a unique pressing. Of course now many are buying the enhanced CD version, a disc format also known as "CD Plus", "CD Extra" or "CD+" which allows the inclusion of multimedia tracks in addition to standard audio to today's music CD's. This exciting new format can be played on an audio CD player for music only, or in most Windows CD-ROM drives. Stereo owners need not worry about compatibility problems; Enhanced CD's play on regular CD players, unveiling the extra multimedia features only when put into a PC's CD-ROM drive. When played in a PC they include really cool stuff like video, Liner Notes, slideshows, band biographies, Lyrics that highlight as the song plays and much more. This is the wave of the future in music! (How's that for advertisement-speak??? Multingual me! [Or do the cut and paste marks show?]) http://www.spyr.com/klose/ecdinfo.html Ed ed@edlis.org -- Nowadays folk's brains're bamboozled an bowled over by categories labels an slogans an advertisements that could send anybody's head in a spin It's hard t believe anybody's tellin the truth for what that is I swear it's true that in some parts a the country folks believe the finger-pointers more'n the President
Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan Date: Sun, 22 Jun 1997 17:43:23 -0700 From: Peter Gilmer Subject: Re: Guitars Kissing Question Rob wrote: > > I'm kinda new to the group, so if this has been asked before, please > > forgive. > > > > What is considered the "best" version of "Guitars Kissing & the > > Contemporary Fix?" A local record store has a copy with an imprint from > > New Zealand; it's in one of those big 2-disc jewel boxes, with B&W cover > > art. I found another copy in a different store in a more "contemporary" > > single-disc-sized 2-disc jewel box, with full-color artwork (sorry, I did > > not get the name/location of the imprint). > > > > Since there are doubtless many versions of this title out there, I'm just > > concerned I might get an inferior copy and make an expensive mistake. > > > > Any help is appreciated. Many thanks. Chad Morelli wrote: > i bought the b&w version for $30 and the quality is good, but it was in > single disc sized box. i was really pleased with it. i can't speak for > the other one, but the my B&W artwork copy is great. I may be wrong, but this is how I understand it. All copies of Guitars Kissing are essentially clones of each other. Apart from the first Japanese version, all others are pirated copies of the original. When a copy is made of a digital recording, there is no generational loss at all, unlike analogue recordings. Thus, all versions of Guitars Kissing will sound exactly the same. The only difference is that some versions have the incomplete rehearsal version of Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues added to them. Since this version is available elsewhere, it is not necessary. And in my opinion, actually detracts from the disc which should be just the concert. It all comes down to what packaging one prefers. For myself, I would rather have got the original gate-fold cover, but it is an amazing disc whatever version you get. Peter Gilmer ,-_|\ / AUS \ \_,-._/<--Sydney v peter.gilmer@pobox.com
From: ferv0r@hotmail.com (Exiled on Main Street) Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan Subject: Re: Gtr's Kissing and the Contemporary Fix Date: Sat, 18 Oct 1997 18:54:42 GMT In article <628h9t$aje$1@news.fsu.edu>, dave@nws.fsu.edu (David Faciane) wrote: >In article <627j04$joh$1@newbabylon.rs.itd.umich.edu>, >w evans wrote: >> >>I've seen this CD on more than one record label, can anyone tell >>me which one sounds better? And hows the sound, anyways? >> > >AFAIK "Guitars Kissing.." it is only on the Scorpio label. Any others are >bound to be digital copies of the original, i.e, little sonic difference. >The sound is excellent BTW. > > I A-B compared my copy of Guitars (a later version) with his original version and I couldn't tell much of a difference. The only real difference both of us could discern is a very short gap (maybe a second) in Desolation row. Other than that, there is no real discernable difference IMO. -Tim
From: "TurnItUp!" Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan Subject: Re: Gtr's Kissing and the Contemporary Fix Date: 18 Oct 1997 20:35:58 GMT > >> > >>I've seen this CD on more than one record label, can anyone tell > >>me which one sounds better? And hows the sound, anyways? > >> There is also the addition of Tom Thumb soundcheck on some of the later ones. Mine is Scorpio in cardboard gatefold and doesn't have it. Soundwise, little difference.
From: dave@nws.fsu.edu (David Faciane) Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan Subject: Re: Guitar Kissing? Date: 12 Nov 1997 19:11:28 GMT [posted and mailed to author] In article , wdevil@aa.net wrote: >"Jonathan W. Wolf" wrote: > >> what is this boot? is it going to be an offical realease, can somebody >> explain it to me? Jonathan W. Wolf > >It is a beautiful (2 disc) recording of the May 17, 1966 show at the Free >Trade Hall show in Manchester, England. One edition has a soundcheck on it >which runs about 5 minutes and I have compared this to the edition without >the soundcheck. The edition without the soundcheck has better audio >overall. What's the matrix number of the version with soundcheck? Haven't seen this around at all. Thanks, Dave -- David Faciane |web: http://www.nws.fsu.edu/~dave NOAA National Weather Service |Real-Time Worldwide Marine Weather Reports Tallahassee, FL | http://www.nws.fsu.edu/buoy
From: blackbox@erfurt.thur.de (Schwarz) Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan Subject: Re: Bootlegger & Taper Date: Wed, 24 Dec 1997 00:02:30 GMT On Sun, 21 Dec 1997 23:15:53 +0900, Masato Kato wrote: > It seems that a lot of people regard "Guitars Kissing & The > Contemporary Fix" as one of the greatest bootleg albums, but > I dare say this is yet another TRASH. Does your copy have > a dropout during 'Mr. Tambourine Man'? My copy has. I am sure > all the copies have this flaw. If you like the flaw, you have > every reason to call this album excellent. The tape copies > from the CDs are also trash. They are the last thing that I > want. My copy of GK&TCF has that drop out too, but I like that show though. The drop out annoys me too. I understand what you mean, but since I don't know many *kind tapers* so I have to take what I find anyhow otherwise. I mostly I can't resist if someone holds such CDs beyond my nose. I recently bought under a kind of *snake/rabbit effect* a set called "Hear The Document", which hasn't that drop out. - ev "If I'd lived my life by what others were thinkin', the heart inside me would've died." (Bob Dylan "Up To Me")
From: alan.fraser@mcmail.com (Alan Fraser) Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan Subject: Re: Guitars Kissing.. Date: Wed, 28 Jan 1998 09:22:17 GMT On 27 Jan 1998 23:38:22 GMT, hw61@aol.com (HW61) wrote: >Any truth to the rumor that Sony/Columbia is putting out Guitars Kissing and >the Contemporary Fix officially? > >Thanx >Patrick > Last year it was reported this was possibly scheduled for late 1998. I've since heard that Bob doesn't like the idea because he thinks the sound is "too clean", and doesn't reproduce the experience of those who were at the concert. So it may never appear officially - unless he gets the engineers to grunge it up :-). Hang on to that GK&TCF! BTW, the Hear The Document clone does _not_ have the dropout in the harmonica solo in Mr Tambourine Man. And it hasn't been edited out, either, so HTD must come from a different DAT source from GK&TCF. (DAT trader Masato Kato recently reported his copy doesn't have the dropout.) Alan
Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 01:59:52 +0000 From: Nicole Walter Subject: Re: "Guitars Kissing" Reissue Question On Tue, 10 Feb 1998 09:19:21 GMT, Alan Fraser wrote: >...I was going to direct you to >http://www.edlis.org/twice/threads/guitars_kissing.html >where all the information you require about the different versions of >this set can be found, but other interested readers may be glad of >this information and go there for it. Thanks for the helpful posting: it went a long distance toward identifying a variant of "Guitars Kissing" with which I am familiar, but perhaps someone could clarify the rest. This version closely resembles the pirated reissue mentioned on the EDLIS page: a nested 2-CD set with inverted black-and-white CD designs, each bearing the quote "THE LAMPOST STANDS WITH FOLDED ARMS," and with a flaw in "Desolation Row." On the cover there is the standard checked-suit image, and on the back the set list and close up photo + Scorpio emblem lower right. The interior design seems different, however, than that described in reference to the pirated version: here the inside sleeve has a collage that includes three photos taken -- I am guessing -- from the European press conference at which Dylan introduces a doll as his companion. That's it for artwork or text. Discs numbered SCO-8 and SCO-9. I am a rank amateur at such matters, and it could well be that I am missing something very obvious. Have pity on the curious, though; any information would be much appreciated. Stephen D. Walter ----- "And I'm still carrying the gift you gave, It's a part of me now, it's been cherished and saved"
From: KYYP25A@prodigy.com (Alan Friedman) Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan Subject: Re: "Guitars Kissing" Reissue Question Date: 14 Feb 1998 17:13:26 GMT Message-ID: <6c4jbm$4t9i$2@newssvr04-int.news.prodigy.com> This is all getting quite fascinating, as there are obviously numerous editions of "Guitars Kissing" floating about. To answer Alan Fraser's earlier post and questions, my copy (with serial numbers SIAE 51766A and SIAE 51766E) has "BOB DYLAN" in large red type on the front cover, with "Guitars Kissing & the Contemporary Fix" below that in smaller white type. The picture of Bob shows him with acoustic guitar in the checked suit and pants outfit and he is pointing with his right hand. The back cover lists the songs in small white type and the pix of Bob shows him blowing on harmonica. Spine of CD says "Bob Dylan & the Hawks" in white and "Guitars Kissing & the Contemporary Fix" in red. Inside, there are four head shots of Bob, one of which looks to me like a Daniel Kramer photo, and three others which appear to be from a press conference. In one of these, the head of some kind of doll can be seen. What's the deal with this doll? This edition does not include the soundcheck (presumably of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues," which I believe also appears on "Sings the Body Electric") and does indeed have a dropout during the harmonica solo during "Mr. Tambourine Man." Alan
From: Joe Cliburn Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan Subject: Re: "Guitars Kissing" Reissue Question Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 17:38:16 -0600 Message-ID: <34E62AE7.522F@datasync.com> According to an exhaustive poll of GK&TCF owners who've registered with the EDLIS Who Has Which Boot agency, the 51766A/E matrix number is considered to be the original Scorpio release. The 1st to be sighted were marketed in cardboard sleeves; the same matrix # in a slimline-double jewel case followed several months later. The Scorpio re-issue SCO 8/9 came out almost a year later in slimline-double case. In the meantime, an alternate content version including the soundcheck (Tom Thumb's Blues) appeared. This one is on the Disc Hits label & bears the inscription "made in Yugoslavia". The matrix numbers on this one are scratched out. Here are the Bob Dylan Bootleg Database (BDBDB) records: Guitars Kissing & The Contemporary Fix / Bob Dylan [17 May 66] Scorpio 51766A/E (orig) & SCO-8/9 (re) 2CD [T-024a] {Q} Guitars Kissing & The Contemporary Fix (soundcheck version) / Bob Dylan [17 May 66] DPP - Disc Hits 2CD [T-024b] {Q} My guess is that there are probably some 51766A/E reissues floating around along with the SCO-8/9s & the Yugos. Boxes sit in warehouses, CDs may stay unnoticed in a store, on & on... The EDLIS Who Has Which Boot agency is a simple referral service: Folks who own vinyl & CD boots list 'em in the Bob Dylan Database (BDBDB) & volunteer to provide assistance. When folks have questions about specific boots, they can be directed to a known owner who (presumably) would have the answers. Details are in the agency mini-FAQ http://www.edlis.org/bdbdb/bdbdbfaq.htm or via email to -- Joe Cliburn "Obviously, I'm not an IBM computer any more than I'm an ashtray." - Dylan
Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan Message-ID: <86dea2ce.34e6ef7b@aol.com> Date: Sun, 15 Feb 1998 08:36:57 EST From: Lovinmj23@aol.com Subject: Guitars Kissing.......yet another Alan Friedman wrote: Subject: Re: "Guitars Kissing" Reissue Question >This is all getting quite fascinating, as there are obviously numerous >editions of "Guitars Kissing" floating about. >To answer Alan Fraser's earlier post and questions, my copy (with serial >numbers SIAE 51766A and SIAE 51766E) has "BOB DYLAN" in large red type on >the front cover, with "Guitars Kissing & the Contemporary Fix" below that >in smaller white type. The picture of Bob shows him with acoustic guitar >in the checked suit and pants outfit and he is pointing with his right >hand. The "latest" front cover has the picture that was originally inside the booklet, with Dylan in the checked suit w/electric guitar, holding his right hand in the air while standing at the microphone. The lettering is all red at the bottom (on either side of his legs). The inner left side of the booklet now shows an ad for the show and what appears to be a ticket, while the right side has the original "notes" in black. The back booklet pic remains the same (Bob blowing on the harp. The back cover is as you describe below... >The back cover lists the songs in small white type and the pix of Bob >shows him blowing on harmonica ...... and also playing guitar. This pic was not included in the original issue. >Spine of CD says "Bob Dylan & the Hawks" in white and "Guitars Kissing & the Contemporary Fix" in red. Ditto for the one I describe above w/the "new" cover. The original issue came housed in a gatefold jacket w/individual sleeves for the disks, each with pictures. These are not included in the "recent" re-issues. Most importantly, the sound remains unchanged on all - fantastic. Moe