Jackie Wilson - Lonely Teardrops

Just adding some mastering info for this 1959 hit.

45 and mono LP version

The oldest CD I have with the mono version is Sessions/Warner Special Products' 2-CD Bop (1989). This collection uses a relatively high-generation source tape, and sounds fairly muffled. Plus, it truncates the fade to digital silence in the middle of the last word of the song, "back". The same analog transfer is used on:

• Time-Life's Rock 'N' Roll Era Vol. 20 1959 Still Rockin' (1989, both the original release and the RE-1 reissue)
• Time-Life's Rhythm And Blues Vol. 3 1959 (1990) - shortens tail of fade by about 8 beats; avoid
• Time-Life's Solid Gold Soul Vol. 21 1959 (1990) - shortens tail of fade by about 8 beats; avoid
• Time-Life's 2-CD Classic Rhythm And Blues Collection Vol. 1 1955-1959 (2000) - shortens tail of fade by about 8 beats; avoid
• Time-Life's Classic Rhythm And Blues Collection Vol. 6 Heroes And Legends (2001) - doesn't shorten fade
• Time-Life's 2-CD Classic Love Songs Of Rock 'N' Roll Vol. 1 (2003) - shortens tail of fade by about 8 beats; avoid

There's a much better analog transfer on Rhino's Jackie Wilson box set Mr. Excitement! (3 CDs, 1992). This set clearly uses a lower-generation tape than Bop, and extends fully to the end of the last word of the song, "back". There's a little click at the end of the word where the song runs out. It runs 2:41. The same analog transfer is used on:

• The Brunswick Years Vol. 1 (1995) - has extremely quick fade at end of "back" to mask the click
• Razor & Tie's 2-CD Heroes Of Rock And Roll (1995) - has click intact

Based on Rhino's track record with multi-disc box sets and single-disc greatest hits released shortly thereafter, I'd bet a shiny new nickel (but can't confirm firsthand) that the mastering from Mr. Excitement! (1992) is digitally cloned on:

• Rhino's single-disc The Very Best Of Jackie Wilson (1994)
• Rhino Special Editions' cheapie best-of Higher And Higher (1995)

Stereo LP version

It sounds great on Rhino's Billboard Top R&B Hits 1958 (1989). Excellent source tape, great dynamic range, nice EQ, no evidence of noise reduction on the fade. It runs 2:31 here, although the last words "right now baby" are barely there, at a volume of about -75 dB. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Rhino's Billboard Top R&B Hits 1955-1969 Sampler (1989, PRO2 90026)
• Time-Life's 2-CD Glory Days Of Rock 'N' Roll Vol. 9 R&B Legends (2000) - fades out the last words (insignificant, since they're down at -75 dB)
• Time-Life's 2-CD Rock And Roll The Legendary Years 1959-1961 (2004) - also fades out the last words
• Time-Life's 2-CD Teen Years Vol. 4 My Special Angel (2011) - also fades out the last words

There's one outlier, and it's a doozy. A Rhino disc called Dick Clark's American Bandstand Concert Tour Greatest Hits Collection (1989, Rhino R2 90906) has the stereo version running out to 2:43, which is a full 12 seconds longer than the Billboard disc, and about 6 beats longer than the mono version (that's 6 beats after the word "back")! It's clearly a higher-generation tape source than Billboard, so it doesn't sound nearly as good as Billboard, but... 12 seconds longer!

My recommendations

For the mono version, go with any of Rhino's Jackie Wilson collections if you want a single-artist disc, or the Razor & Tie disc if you want a multi-artist compilation.

For the stereo version, go with Rhino's Billboard Top R&B Hits 1958 (1989). If you want a curiosity that doesn't sound as good but extends much longer, go for that Rhino Dick Clark disc.

The aforementioned Dick Clark Rhino disk
abruplty switches to mono after the word
"back".

Why??

I dunno...

Andy