PROMISES, PROMISES - OCR NEW 2 CD SET HEAD'S UP- Page 4

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/1/10 at 4:05pm

Nope... "You've Got it All Wrong" wasn't at all in the original 1968 Broadway production (nor the current Broadway revival). I guess they chose to include it in both Encores! Concert Series productions (Los Angeles and New York).

Now... the song I wish WAS in the show (and used in the current Broadway revival) is "Tick Tock Goes the Clock", which was sung by the office men's 'other women'. It was only heard during the show's out-of-town tryout. All that survives from this cut number is a vamp section still heard in the Overture.

[newintown]

Posted: 7/1/10 at 4:16pm

"Tick Tock Goes the Clock" is recorded on the Lost in Boston series. I believe the liner notes says that it was a song that came and went throughout the show, performed by three secretaries (the Turkey Lurkey gals?) as Greek chorus; when it was cut, one of the actresses performing it quit, too.

[sondhead]

Posted: 7/1/10 at 4:24pm

ya but.. some people are already turned off by the misogynist qualities of the plot and that song (tick tock goes the clock) is even more sexist then the material that stayed in.

For those who haven't heard the song, it's basically about how the time is ticking away that they will be able to get married. Not exactly a feminist notion.

By the by.. does anyone know how "Let's Pretend We're Grown Ups," also cut from the show, fit into the plot?

[bk]

Posted: 7/1/10 at 5:21pm

"bk, it isn't clear by the liner notes, were you at "three Frans in one performance" performance? "

Yep, I was at the performance.

Also, as noted, I recorded Tick Tock for the first Lost in Boston album - I love the number and we tried to make it sound exactly as if it was a cast album recording - the arrangement and orchestration (Alex Rybeck and Larry Moore) are quite exact in that regard.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/1/10 at 6:33pm

It's always bothered me that Orbach was flat on several of his songs. Seriously flat. Almost a half step, at times. I got more used to it with repeated listenings, but some of his held notes still make me wince.

So I was surprised and relieved at how wonderful the auto-tuned and remixed clips sounded on your site, bk. I ordered the CD right away today. At last! I don't have to have pitchaphobia anymore.

His performance was always wonderful. It was only the pitch that bothered me.

The clips of "Basketball" and "Half As Big As Life" sent me right to Paypal.

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 7/1/10 at 6:50pm

^^ My thoughts exactly! I'm so glad to hear they've shipped already, and can't wait to hear it.

Thank you for this "labor of love."

[sit&dither]

Posted: 7/1/10 at 6:59pm

bk, ordered mine on day 1 and am so excited that it has already been shipped!

Besty, thanks for the info. I haven't listened to the clips yet, but it's nice to hear that the correction of Orbach's pitch in places has been nicely done (I too shared your pitchaphobia!). Not that I would have expected otherwise, bk.

[binau]

Posted: 7/1/10 at 10:38pm

You guys picked a good time to release it. (I wouldn't have bought if I didn't hear the revival recording - I haven't heard anything else).

[bk]

Posted: 7/1/10 at 11:16pm

The timing turned out well - we were originally going to do it late last year but the Varese Sarabande license wasn't up until May - so we had to play that waiting game. As it happened, it was a good thing :)

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 12:30pm

Just ordered mine this morning. Can't wait!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 1:08pm

I'm hoping to see mine in the mailbox today. Fingers crossed!

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 3:06pm

we were originally going to do it late last year but the Varese Sarabande license wasn't up until May...

Has the V/S edition been recalled or are stores allowed to sell it until their stock runs out? It was in B&N in NY when I was there in June but I knew this new edition was coming so I didn't get it.

Since your edition sill not likely be in stores, this will make Sony's new recording the only PROMISES generally available?

[philcrosby]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 4:02pm

My copy arrived today. I am almost finished listening to CD 2. All I can say is WOW. Bruce Kimmel, if you did nothing else of value in your life (and we know what a silly thing to say THAT is!), this CD would be enough.

One of my favorite scores, sounding better than ever .. THANK YOU!

(PS, if this sells out before you order it, BOY are you going to be sorry.)

[philcrosby]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 4:11pm

And WAIT ... I just got to the hidden track!!! Bless you, BK!

[bk]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 4:40pm

Thanks, Phil!

I had such a blast doing the remix.

Front Row: Varese has six months to sell off their existing stock, although since it's not the original mix.I don't know why anyone would want it. :)

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 5:04pm

Just got my copy! Gonna get ready to rip the shrink wrap off this sucka and pop it into my player!

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 5:07pm

Thanks Bruce. My point was that in the next 6 months their remaining stock will be depleted and they cannot press any more. Your stick will be depleted and you can't press any more, so the OBCR of PROMISES, PROMISES will be unavailable.

Heads up everyone: You might want to buy an extra of the Kritzerland edition as an "investment."

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 5:17pm

I have to give props to Doug Haverty over at Art and Soul Design he did a beautiful job with the packaging! Everything from the booklet to the artwork gracing the two discs! Listening to the Overture on Disc 2 and it NEVER sounded better! Thanks bk and the folks over at Kritzerland for making this happen!

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 5:36pm

Oh man, Jill O' Hara really nailed that title song! What a treasure to have after all these years of only hearing about it!

[philcrosby]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 6:01pm

Agreed, Carlos! But has anyone ever been as well cast vocally as Jill O'Hara? That sound IS Fran Kubelik. And she can navigate the Bacharach rhythms like its the easiest thing in the world.

I cannot say enough about this CD ... I am glad to have the remastered original (the first CD) but the second one has stolen my heart.

[bk]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 7:00pm

I'll tell you a little story - as I've mentioned, I've had the tapes sitting here since last October, but we didn't actually start doing anything until about three months ago, at which point I actually went through each box - I had everything, the eight track edited session masters (from which the LP was mixed) and all the other eight track session tapes with all the other takes. And I had no idea how the thing was recorded and whether there'd be enough separation on the vocals to do what we needed to do for the pitch correction. Then I saw the Ryko digital remix tape, and that's when I first knew that they hadn't actually released the original album mix. By looking at those track sheets I saw the vocals were on a separate track, so I knew I was probably safe.

We then had everything transferred into Pro Tools. Then I said to my engineer, "Start with 'A Young Pretty Girl Like You' - if we can fix A. Larry Haines and Mr. Orbach in THAT song, then we can fix everything." So, he pitch-corrected that track, line by line and word by word, only doing notes that were off (the problem with using pitch correction is that you can't just turn it on and leave it on, like many do - that doesn't work), and I went over and listened - and burst into big stupid tears when I heard everything in that song on pitch for the first time ever. What a treat. And doing the rest was equally emotional because I love this show and score so much. Taking our time, moving the instrument placement in the sound field to get wider, more spacious sound and to give more clarity to things - all of it.

So, hearing people are enjoying it is making me REALLY happy! :)
Updated On: 7/2/10 at 07:00 PM

[castlestreet]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 8:34pm

1st time posting-

I was soooooooooooooooooooo happy when I saw the CD in the mail today- and this has far exceeded my every hope for this release. FrontRow was right- buy extra copies.

As I listened to the Overture I actually had a small tear or two creep up on me.

You guys did a amazing job with this disc, and for a score that I have been listening to over and over since I first discovered it 15 years ago, I felt like I was hearing it for the very first time.

This will be in the CD player all summer- it would be on my iPod if apple would only fix the new itunes release so I could sync again!

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 9:48pm

Okay, I've finished listening to both discs and even disc 1 is a significant improvement over the Ryko and Varese releases so I urge anyone who loves this show and loves this score to get your hands on this before they are history.

I am just amazed by what Kimmel was able to achieve with his mixes on disc 2. Everything sounds so crisp, the sound really breathes and the clarity of the orchestra and especially the pit singers...It's like listening to this for the first time.

With all due respect to the new cast, that recording cannot touch this original. This is the DEFINITIVE Promises, Promises recording to have, everything else is second best.

And yes philcrosby, Jill O'Hara *is* the DEFINITVE "Fran Kubelik", her vocal delivery evokes all the emotion of the character she is playing. No one, not even Kristin Chenoweth can hold a candle to her.

[bk]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 10:30pm

Thanks, CarlosAlberto! History this will be by Sunday, I'm afraid. Fifty copies or so left.

Someone who'd worked for Ryko amusingly said that my saying the Ryko (and Varese) releases were a remix was a total fabrication and wanted to know the source of the accusation. a) I don't accuse, I just state what I know are the facts. In this case, the first tapes I found when I opened the first of the many boxes of tapes I had pulled from the vault, were a Mitsubishi forty-eight track digital tape - on the tape had been transferred the original eight-track edited session masters (which we also used for our remix - although not from the Mitsubishi - we went back to the originals) - those took up eight tracks, obviously. On two other tracks was a transfer of the OCR from "cassette" to use as a guide, and on two other tracks was the new mix they created. Those two tracks were then transferred to another Mitsubishi digital tape and that is what was used for their release. Sorry, Mr. Ryko, facts are facts. I gave him the name of the man who did the remix (clearly listed on the digital track sheets) - someone who was involved in a lot of MGM soundtrack releases.

So, there you have it.

[notabb]

Posted: 7/2/10 at 10:31pm

I saw the original production and it was so much fun. Naturally , I was looking forward to the cast album and was sorry to hear the audio problems. It really is wonderful to have both before and after. Thanks , Bruce. You might be able to answer my question . I heard the London cast once and remember it being very dynamic and well done. Was it , or is the memory playing tricks ? And is it available?