looking for a classic audiophile vinyl "benchmark" recording

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

How many guesses do you want ? No suggestions as to type of music ?

I immediately thought of
Rickie Lee Jones album 1979, Joan Armatrading Me Myself I 1980 but these are
probably too early. Mid to late eighties you might be thinking of Suzanne
Vega 1985 and the Tracy Chapman 1988. Sure there will be loads of
suggestions.

"Tyrone Slothrop" <lttyroneslothrop@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:cvcsrj071m@news2.newsguy.com...
> Back in the late mid-80's, I was shopping for some audiophile
> equipment, including some Apogee speakers and went to a specialty
> salon. There the owner demonstrated the various qualities of the his
> equipment using a vinyl recording of a female singer. He mentioned
> that this recording was one of several standard benchmarks used in the
> audiophile community for demonstrating various qualities, such as
> "sound stage", imaging, etc. Unfortunately, I've forgotten the name of
> the artist and album title.
>
> Does anyone know what this recording might have been, or failing that,
> might be able to give me a point to a list of audiophile benchmark
> recordings?

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

>> Back in the late mid-80's, I was shopping for some
>> audiophile
>> equipment, including some Apogee speakers and went
>> to a specialty
>> salon. There the owner demonstrated the various
>> qualities of the his
>> equipment using a vinyl recording of a female
>> singer. He mentioned
>> that this recording was one of several standard
>> benchmarks used in the
>> audiophile community for demonstrating various
>> qualities, such as
>> "sound stage", imaging, etc. Unfortunately, I've
>> forgotten the name of
>> the artist and album title.
>>
>> Does anyone know what this recording might have
>> been, or failing that,
>> might be able to give me a point to a list of
>> audiophile benchmark
>> recordings?
>
> "Famous Blue Raincoat" by Jennifer Warnes?

That was in the '90's I believe (I first thought of her
"The Hunter" album). How about Amanda McBroom on
Sheffield Lab?

-Tip

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

In article <cvdf6a0l78@news1.newsguy.com>,
"Tip" <Tip_Johnson@comcast.net> wrote:

> >> Back in the late mid-80's, I was shopping for some
> >> audiophile
> >> equipment, including some Apogee speakers and went
> >> to a specialty
> >> salon. There the owner demonstrated the various
> >> qualities of the his
> >> equipment using a vinyl recording of a female
> >> singer. He mentioned
> >> that this recording was one of several standard
> >> benchmarks used in the
> >> audiophile community for demonstrating various
> >> qualities, such as
> >> "sound stage", imaging, etc. Unfortunately, I've
> >> forgotten the name of
> >> the artist and album title.
> >>
> >> Does anyone know what this recording might have
> >> been, or failing that,
> >> might be able to give me a point to a list of
> >> audiophile benchmark
> >> recordings?
> >
> > "Famous Blue Raincoat" by Jennifer Warnes?
>
> That was in the '90's I believe (I first thought of her
> "The Hunter" album).

1986. Perfect timing for the anecdote.

> How about Amanda McBroom on Sheffield Lab?

Sure. Recorded 1980.

Stephen

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

MINe 109 wrote:


> In article <cvdf6a0l78@news1.newsguy.com>,
> "Tip" <Tip_Johnson@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> > >> Back in the late mid-80's, I was shopping for some
> > >> audiophile
> > >> equipment, including some Apogee speakers and went
> > >> to a specialty
> > >> salon. There the owner demonstrated the various
> > >> qualities of the his
> > >> equipment using a vinyl recording of a female
> > >> singer. He mentioned
> > >> that this recording was one of several standard
> > >> benchmarks used in the
> > >> audiophile community for demonstrating various
> > >> qualities, such as
> > >> "sound stage", imaging, etc. Unfortunately, I've
> > >> forgotten the name of
> > >> the artist and album title.
> > >>
> > >> Does anyone know what this recording might have
> > >> been, or failing that,
> > >> might be able to give me a point to a list of
> > >> audiophile benchmark
> > >> recordings?
> > >
> > > "Famous Blue Raincoat" by Jennifer Warnes?
> >
> > That was in the '90's I believe (I first thought of her
> > "The Hunter" album).
>
> 1986. Perfect timing for the anecdote.
>
> > How about Amanda McBroom on Sheffield Lab?
>
> Sure. Recorded 1980.
>
> Stephen

Another great Sheffield female vocalist recording of note, although
perhaps recorded in the late 70's, would be the Thelma Houston
(Whitney's aunt) & Pressure Cooker release of "I've Got The Music in
Me". This LP was certainly used a lot in audio salons as a
demonstration record.

(For a great CD female vocalist demonstration recording, I'd recommend
Jacintha's release of "Here's To Ben" (which is also available on vinyl
and worth owning).

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

Tyrone Slothrop wrote:
> Back in the late mid-80's, I was shopping for some audiophile
> equipment, including some Apogee speakers and went to a specialty
> salon. There the owner demonstrated the various qualities of the his
> equipment using a vinyl recording of a female singer. He mentioned
> that this recording was one of several standard benchmarks used in
the
> audiophile community for demonstrating various qualities, such as
> "sound stage", imaging, etc. Unfortunately, I've forgotten the name
of
> the artist and album title.
>
> Does anyone know what this recording might have been, or failing
that,
> might be able to give me a point to a list of audiophile benchmark
> recordings?

Pressure Cooker

Thelma Houston

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

Tyrone Slothrop wrote:

> Does anyone know what this recording might have been, or failing that,
> might be able to give me a point to a list of audiophile benchmark
> recordings?

There are a couple of recordings which I find very useful
in terms of evaluation. They aren't what you'd call
exceptional audiophile, direc-to-disc recordings. But
they are very, very useful for evaluating audio gear
nonetheless.

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman - Impulse Records
=====================================================
The voice of Johnny Hartman is particularly revealing
of mid-range colorations. And besides, whenever you
take this recording to an audio show and listen to it
for evaluations, people keep asking, "Who *IS* that?"
This is one of the all-time great recordings that is
a *must have* for any music lover's collection.


Scott Hamilton is a good wind who is blowing us no ill
Concord Jazz
======================================================
This recording is very interesting for the 3D quality
of imaging and instrument placement. You'll also find
that the timbre of the tenor sax is also revealing of
mid-range anamolies. I have this recording on both
vinyl and CD. There is a striking difference in imaging
between the two with the vinyl being far superior in
both imaging and tonal balance. This could be quite
useful for evaluations of various kinds.


British Band Classics - Eastman Wind Ensemble
Mercury Records/Mercury Golden Classics
=======================================================
A fine recording of great concert band literature
from Mercury's great 50's vintage efforts. Good
imaging and tonal balance. And it's great music
besides. I first heard this recording being used
by Tom Norton back in the 70's when I knew him during
my days in the Air Force. Tom was an Air Force pilot
at the time and pubilished his own audio magazine
called Stereopus.

If you were to work in an audiophile shop, you'd hear
people always bringing the same recordings - Amanda McBroom
or some Telarc recording of The Planets. People are always
playing Mars or some other loud, complex orchestral track.
Go into a shop with these recordings and you'll get a great
reception from the dealer who will be pleased to hear great
music that is unfamiliar.

Russ Button

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

Tyrone Slothrop wrote:

> Back in the late mid-80's, I was shopping for some audiophile
> equipment, including some Apogee speakers and went to a specialty
> salon. There the owner demonstrated the various qualities of the his
> equipment using a vinyl recording of a female singer. He mentioned
> that this recording was one of several standard benchmarks used in the
> audiophile community for demonstrating various qualities, such as
> "sound stage", imaging, etc. Unfortunately, I've forgotten the name of
> the artist and album title.
>
> Does anyone know what this recording might have been...
====================================================

Harry Pearson of The Abso!ute Sound always had a soft spot for Dusty
Springfield in "The Look Of Love" from "Casino Royale."

-GP

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

"Russ Button" <russ@button.com> wrote in message
news:cvebdb01rvq@news1.newsguy.com...
> Tyrone Slothrop wrote:
>
> > Does anyone know what this recording might have been, or failing that,
> > might be able to give me a point to a list of audiophile benchmark
> > recordings?
>
> There are a couple of recordings which I find very useful
> in terms of evaluation. They aren't what you'd call
> exceptional audiophile, direc-to-disc recordings. But
> they are very, very useful for evaluating audio gear
> nonetheless.
>
> John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman - Impulse Records
> =====================================================
> The voice of Johnny Hartman is particularly revealing
> of mid-range colorations. And besides, whenever you
> take this recording to an audio show and listen to it
> for evaluations, people keep asking, "Who *IS* that?"
> This is one of the all-time great recordings that is
> a *must have* for any music lover's collection.
>
>
> Scott Hamilton is a good wind who is blowing us no ill
> Concord Jazz
> ======================================================
> This recording is very interesting for the 3D quality
> of imaging and instrument placement. You'll also find
> that the timbre of the tenor sax is also revealing of
> mid-range anamolies. I have this recording on both
> vinyl and CD. There is a striking difference in imaging
> between the two with the vinyl being far superior in
> both imaging and tonal balance. This could be quite
> useful for evaluations of various kinds.
>
>
> British Band Classics - Eastman Wind Ensemble
> Mercury Records/Mercury Golden Classics
> =======================================================
> A fine recording of great concert band literature
> from Mercury's great 50's vintage efforts. Good
> imaging and tonal balance. And it's great music
> besides. I first heard this recording being used
> by Tom Norton back in the 70's when I knew him during
> my days in the Air Force. Tom was an Air Force pilot
> at the time and pubilished his own audio magazine
> called Stereopus.
>
> If you were to work in an audiophile shop, you'd hear
> people always bringing the same recordings - Amanda McBroom
> or some Telarc recording of The Planets. People are always
> playing Mars or some other loud, complex orchestral track.
> Go into a shop with these recordings and you'll get a great
> reception from the dealer who will be pleased to hear great
> music that is unfamiliar.
>
> Russ Button

Nice post, Russ. Interestingly, at least two of these (the Johnny Hartman
and the Eastman) are/will soon be out in SACD. The Scott Hamilton may be as
well; I'm just not sure.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

"Per Stromgren" <per.stromgren@telia.com> wrote in
message news:cvdrhb01er2@news2.newsguy.com...
> Thelma Houston & Pressure Cooker, I've Got The Music
> In Me on
> Scheffield, perhaps?

Yes - that's it, I bet!

Speaking of direct-to-disc vinyl, my favorite is "Big
Band Jazz" with Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass on the
Umbrella label (it's sitting on my Sondek right now).
I now wish I had bought a couple of them - it's the
best Big Band jazz performance/recording I've ever
heard.

Tip

Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (More info?)

One recording that was outstanding was "The King James Version". This
had Harry James and his band on a Direct to Disk recording (Sheffield?).
I doubt if you could find a clean copy now.


---MIKE---

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On 11 Mar 2005 20:38:40 GMT, "Pete KE9OA" <p.gianako@worldnet.att.net>
wrote:

>That's the one I was thinking about.............that Thelma Houston had a
>good low end.

Ummmm, never mind.

Kal

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On 12 Mar 2005 15:39:29 GMT, "Harry Lavo" <harry.lavo@rcn.com> wrote:

>"Kalman Rubinson" <kr4@nyu.edu> wrote in message
>news0t37p022ii@news2.newsguy.com...
>> On 11 Mar 2005 20:38:40 GMT, "Pete KE9OA" <p.gianako@worldnet.att.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >That's the one I was thinking about.............that Thelma Houston had a
>> >good low end.
>>
>> Ummmm, never mind.
>>
>> Kal
>
>Not even a smiley face, Kal?

Was one needed?

Kal