Sylvers - Boogie Fever

Nothing magical to report here, just a little mastering history.

The oldest CD to include the song is Priority's Mega-Hits Dance Classics Vol. 4 (1989). It's mastered a little loud and clips quite a bit, but doesn't sound too bad here.

I think the same source tapes for the Priority disc are used for Razor & Tie's 2-CD Disco Fever (1991). Here, it's got plenty of headroom (no clipping), and a more reasonable EQ that brings out the high end. The song wasn't mixed with a whole lot of bass, so there's not much low end. Still, this is an improvement over the Priority disc.

Then, Bill Inglot did a new analog transfer for Rhino's Disco Years Vol. 3 (1992), which is better than both of the earlier discs. The same analog transfer is used for:

• Rhino's cheapie Disco Hits Vol. 5 (1994; digitally identical)
• Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 39 Pop Nuggets Late '70s (1995; differently-EQ'd digital clone with some added compression; avoid)
• Time-Life's Solid Gold Soul Vol. 11 1976 (1996; differently-EQ'd digital clone)
• Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 44 '70s Dance Party 1975-1976 (1997; digitally exactly 0.304 dB quieter than Solid Gold Soul Vol. 11 1976)
• Time-Life's 2-CD Seventies Music Explosion Vol. 4 Magic (2005; differently-EQ'd digital clone)

Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 27 Dance Fever (1992) uses the same analog transfer as Disco Years Vol. 3, but shortens the fade by a few seconds. That's not good; avoid these if you can find the longer versions listed above. The same analog transfer is used for:

• JCI's Only Rock 'N Roll 1975-1979 (1994)
• Waner Special Products' Eighteen Disco Superhits (1996)
• Madacy's Rock On 1976 (original 1996 release; digitally exactly 4 dB louder than Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 27 Dance Fever)
• Madacy's Rock On 1976 (2004 reissue; differently EQ'd digital clone of Dance Fever with addidiotnal compression; avoid)

There's one other disc that I have, which features a different analog transfer than every listed above, has a terribly muffled high end, and runs significantly shorter than everything listed above: Cema's Rock-N-Roll Greatest Hits Vol. 5 (1995). Based on Cema mastering history and the listed times in the database, I'd guess that this disc is based on Razor & Tie's Boogie Fever Best Of. If it's truly a digital clone, then "Boogie Fever" sounds pretty bad on that Best Of - avoid.

My recommendation: Go with Rhino's Disco Years Vol. 3 (1992).

Edited by crapfromthepast