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Great Gypsy Soul reissue
Tommy Bolin & Friends album Great Gypsy Soul is going to be reissued in August on Cleopatra Records. The album, originally released in 2012, was a project that brought together major players who recorded alongside Tommy Bolin’s tracks from the outtakes of Teaser. The new edition expands it with 6 bonus tracks, features new artwork, and also adds a vinyl release.
CD only bonus tracks not on the 2012 release:
- Crazed Fandango
- Teaser
- Homeward Strut
- People, People
- Marching Powder
- Can’t You See feat. Carmine Appice
It is due on August 23, 2024, and can be pre-ordered via the label.
Thanks to BraveWords for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
That album was already a dubious pleasure in 2012, doubtful whether adding six tracks is going to change that. No matter, it will go into the collection.
I only learned recently that Tommy’s mom had Lebanese roots, from Wikipedia:
QUOTE:
Bolin’s father Richard was of Swedish descent and his mother Barbara was the daughter of Lebanese immigrants from Ferzol, Lebanon. His maternal grandfather Abraham “Abe” Joseph was a recording musician in Lebanon before immigrating to the US. The Bolin estate has about 15 records of his grandfather in the safe vault. He had two younger brothers: Johnnie (drummer with Black Oak Arkansas), and Rick (a singer).
In a 1975 article, Bolin called himself an entirely self-taught guitarist who plays by ear, stating, “I only ever had four lessons. I don’t know any scales at all. I know what to play, but don’t know any scales because I never bothered to learn any.”
UNQUOTE
I always wondered where his – certainly not entirely Scandinavian – looks came from, Lebanon kinda fits. So maybe that is where also his sense for world music rhythm stemmed from.
July 31st, 2024 at 03:10Yo,
It’s hard to get excited about a release like this imo, & yet I welcome it. As long as the tunes aren’t bogus-throwaway-2nd-rate-jams such as what plagued many Jimi Hendrix releases after his death.
RIP Tommy, we do miss you !
Peace !
July 31st, 2024 at 06:32I wish there was a proper, definitive multi-disc overview of Bolin’s career, on a major label. Kind of an updated and expanded version of The Ultimate.
He deserves that, and not exploitative rubbish like Great Gypsy Soul.
August 1st, 2024 at 06:29True. His brother Johnnie is meanwhile well into the wood of the barrel being scraped.
August 1st, 2024 at 13:45Uwe @1 & Gregster @2, I have that Gypsy Soul boxset from 2012 too. Found it somewhat wanting. Am tempted to order this new edition only because the completist in me compels it; but, my sensible side says to wait and hear feedback first as to the quality of the new bonus tracks. Am leaning towards waiting.
August 1st, 2024 at 13:56Talking of Tommy Bolin & I just purchased the Come Taste The Band 2010 double cd remix edition. Sitting in a locally owned little record store all on it’s lonesome. I couldn’t resist & it is also nice to have the booklet. Only the Roger Glover MH remix to go now & all the initial ‘classic’ era DP re releases will be completed. Will listen to the remix cd with extras on the weekend & pass judgement. Cheers.
August 2nd, 2024 at 07:25Kevin Shirley‘s remix is a cracker, but so was the whole original Martin Birch production. Much better than the somewhat lifeless, flat and tame production of the Rainbow debut by him – even though that took place around the same time + in the same studio. Tommy was at ease and a natural in the studio (probably from all the home recording he did) while Ritchie always suffered from recording red light angst, maybe that had to do with the different outcomes.
August 2nd, 2024 at 13:17Another similar rave coming up…………………you have been warned! Why do these recent remixes & recordings by certain producers mess with the original natural drum sound?????? As soon as Paice hit that intro to the CTTB album, well my eyes rolled & rolled again & again. I listened to the remix in full, the extended & different endings to a few songs are interesting. Also Bolin’s guitar bits & pieces are more audible I thought. Although his rhythm guitar at times is a little too loud. Oh well, another producer to add to the list. That dreaded list of producers who ‘don’t like drums it seems’ or how they originally did & should still sound. I then proceeded to read other aficionados comments & yes the drums are mentioned quite a lot as being disappointing. Ezrin, Zappa & Shirley. I have just about had enough of them. Cheers.
August 3rd, 2024 at 07:29Regarding the remix cd of CTTB, I enjoyed the two previously unheard of tracks. The jam with Bolin & Paice is a blast and the song Same in LA good for any Jon Lord aficionados. Cheers.
August 3rd, 2024 at 09:38I am not familiar with Kevin Shirley’s production work other than on Dream Theater’s ‘Falling Into Infinity’ album. He was an engineer on the Rush album Counterparts. That is all I know of his work from hearing anything that I am familiar with until this CTTB remix.. Dweezil’s ‘production’ I only know through the recent MH Atmos box set & listening online. So of course it is Uncle Bob who I am much more familiar with. It is what it is in a modern day setting, that is probably the only way to look at it for me. Life rolls on. Cheers.
August 3rd, 2024 at 12:03I think you guys are all somehow stuck in your listening habits with the extremely dead, clinical, but prominent drum production sounds of the 70ies and early 80ies, you’re always complaining about the same thing. That sound is regarded as dated nowadays. Drums haven’t become less loud, especially not in Kevin Shirley productions, to the contrary. But they are made to sound less hifi.
August 3rd, 2024 at 12:31@ 11- that is humorous Uwe coming you. One who also keeps going on about certain things over & over. It happens ole son, we all or most of us do it. Things that annoy, that should be a song title perhaps. Regarding the reference to being ‘stuck in the past’, well unless all that past is wiped out, which in time it very well could be. And then the only thing left standing are these modern remixes & worse that is probably still to come, then yes, people listening or referring to the original, will be stuck in the past. All those ‘old’ records & cd’s must go. Get rid of them, they do not exist. “with the extremely dead, clinical, but prominent drum production sounds of the 70ies and early 80ies” Hmmmmmmm, that comment says it all. Cheers.
August 3rd, 2024 at 22:28I meant to say LATE 70ies! I liked that drum sound too, but it’s no longer a sonic reference.
But everything goes in cycles, maybe it will return.
August 3rd, 2024 at 23:10It is a frustration of sorts, however I do like ALL instruments to sound good & well balanced, not just the drums. While Yes are not a hard rock band & mixing their music may be easier in that aspect, especially with todays technology. Steve Wilson’s remixes from the two early 70’s albums with Alan White drumming sound good to my ears. The drums still sound like the original albums & are also quite prominent in the overall mix. The two Purple albums (MH remix & CTTB remix) are a different beast as are some other artists. I don’t hold out good hope as I have said recently for Sabbath’s Born Again remix sounding ‘better’. It as we know is already muddy & muffled in it’s overall sound. It could be better & time will tell or it could end up worse. While on about Iommi in particular, I listened to his new ‘instrumental’ track last week & the drums are, well as to be expected I suppose in todays hard rock recordings. Everything else is prominent though, well the guitars are, ha ha ha. The bass guitar (Laurence Cottle) could have been a little higher in the mix. However Sabbath & or Iommi do have that clarity & balance issue at times. Heavy distorted riffing guitar gets in the way of other instruments as do powerful vocals at certain times. I will buy the Roger Glover MH remix & that has always been the one I was interested in. Todays technology thankfully wasn’t around back then, hence Purpendicular’s nice sound. And as we all know he was there in 1972 & most probably at the mixing desk with Martin Birch & Ian Paice. They know more than anyone what it should sound like. By 2010 things had advanced somewhat & now days even further. Do I unfairly blame the producer or mixer guy in these modern times? Not really but I suppose it can look like that. They just happen to be the ‘bearer of bad tidings’ for want of a better description. Ezrin, Dweezil & Shirley have a job to do. It is the modern way of things in a studio these days as Ian Paice laments in that interview. We continue to evolve & move forward & sometimes still look at the past. Cheers.
August 4th, 2024 at 01:44Pink Floyd’s remix of Animals sounds wonderful. I forgot to mention that one. Everything sounds very nice including the drums. James Guthrie at the helm, long time Floyd collaborator. Cheers.
https://www.birdland.com.au/pink-floyd-animals-hybrid-multichannel-sacd
August 4th, 2024 at 05:59Cleopatra Records have also recently released a remaster of Tommy’s debut Teaser:
https://cleorecs.com/products/tommy-bolin-teaser-cd?_pos=2&_sid=a043d02b6&_ss=r
This is actually to my knowledge the first time that the album has been remastered from its original state. Previous Teaser re-releases from the Tommy Bolin Archives worked with alternative takes (probably because they didn’t have the rights to the original takes) and tried to recreate the album that way, but they didn’t have the takes of the original release available. I’ve ordered it, will report how it sounds compared to the original CD release which was a hissy affair (as was actually the vinyl in 1975). The two bonus tracks are alternative studio takes of Teaser and Wild Dogs.
Maybe Private Eyes will see a remaster then too.
September 5th, 2024 at 01:42Dein Wort in Gottes Ohr, Uwe! I never understood why Teaser was re-released, expanded, played on with by current guitar slingers and what not while Private Eyes remained untreated to this day. As far as I know. It is one of those releases from the golden post-Purple year of 76/77 that made the bunch sigh in relief and release some of their best work ever, free from the chains of having to stick to a formula…chains they were soon to put on again in most case as we know. Due to financial issues … Never again have we seen a wealth of first class releases like Private Eyes, Clear Air Turbulence, Mailice in Wonderland, Play me out, Sarabande, White Snake, Northwinds, On Stage … (ok, give or take a year or two).
September 5th, 2024 at 11:57Should the Teaser re-release sound better I am tempted to get it, so I am waiting for your trustworthy judgement on this one. Alternate takes of the title traack and Wild Dogs do sound interesting anyway.
“This is actually to my knowledge the first time that the album has been remastered from its original state. Previous Teaser re-releases from the Tommy Bolin Archives worked with alternative takes (probably because they didn’t have the rights to the original takes) and tried to recreate the album that way, but they didn’t have the takes of the original release available.”
(My own) Bullshit, apologies, I just looked at (and am currently listening to) the 2012 release of Samson Records “The Ultimate Teaser 3 CD’s” and that does feature an audibly good remaster (and even remix?) by Greg Hampton of the original recording. At least they claim that on the cover credits and it sounds like it too to my ears.
https://darkerthanblue.wordpress.com/review-pages-%E2%80%A2-cd-dvd/tommy-bolin-%E2%80%A2-ultimate-teaser-3cd-5cd/
Still interesting how the new remaster will compare. I’ll report.
September 5th, 2024 at 16:22Well, Max, I received it yesterday, it has a sticker with “2024 REMASTER OF THE 1975 CLASSIC” on it, but CLEOPATRA don’t say where the remaster was done or who did it, no mention of it in the credits of the booklet either which does however print the lyrics in full.
But the remaster is a good one, powerful yet clear, lots of oomph, but no distortion.
I listened to it
[since Doc Gregster is always adamant in knowing: over my Panasonic SC-TMAX50, a bass-heavy standalone active 20 kilo “party cab” with onboard CD player,
https://www.testberichte.de/imgs/webp/p_imgs_supersize/1553348.jpg,
hardly detailed true sound hifi equipment, I know, but rather something to put bums on the dance floor at loud volumes; I use it to listen to music in summer near my sturgeon and catfish pond (it is humidity proof) where I do most of my home office work]
in comparison to
– my original Greg Calbi CD remaster Sony Music/Epic/Nemperor CD which to my knowledge was the first release of Teaser on CD at all,
– a Japanese “SUPER 1600″ remaster from the late 90s which I picked up on a whim hoping it might sound better (and boy it did!),
– the 2012 ‘The Ultimate Teaser 3-CD’s” version remastered by Greg Hampton (with Johnnie Bolin helping), not to be mistaken with his mix of “Teaser Deluxe” a year earlier, scroll down to end for details.
The original Greg Calbi remaster shows its age, it’s a rather flat and nondescript affair though better than the original vinyl pressing I had which hissed like hell – those lousy oil crisis US pressings back then.
The Japanese remaster is already a huge improvement, much more direct and attention-grabbing, jumps at you.
The Greg Hampton remaster sounds warm if slightly muffled in the presence range.
The 2024 CLEOPATRA remaster has more presence and subwoof oomph plus has Tommy’s voice stand out clearer. It’s just more transparent overall.
The two bonus tracks are simply the backing tracks to Teaser and Wild Dogs without Tommy’s vocals. They are interesting to hear because without his vocal distraction you concentrate more on what is happening instrumentally, all his tasteful guitar overdubs. But not really a must even for a Bolin nerd like me.
So where does that leave us? The new 2024 remaster is the most hifi’sh sounding of them all, it is also how you remember Teaser having sounded on vinyl – just with the (major) improvements of CD quality and the new remaster boost. That makes it different to ‘Teaser Deluxe’, that 2011 release where, again, Greg Hampton recreated Teaser from alternative tracks/takes from the recording sessions back then, i.e. did not employ the same individual tracks/takes the original 1975 release used (which means Grege Hampton’s ‘Teaser Deluxe’ 2011 ≠ Greg Hampton’s ‘Ultimate Teaser’ 2012, I only realized this now, always thought they were the same recordings repackaged). ‘Teaser Deluxe’ 2011 sounds completely different, earthier with different vocal and solo takes, a bit like a very good monitor mix, without the gloss of a final mix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPg2i9kh5zc
September 13th, 2024 at 21:43