FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Mark Fox · Post by **Mark Fox** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 7:36 pm

To introduce a 'X'FACTOR contestant from Russia(who was awful)Matt sang from Russia With Love.

Lena & Harry Smith · Post by **Lena & Harry Smith** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 7:51 pm

Yes we're watching it Mark, some comparison eh

Michele Monro · Post by **Michele Monro** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:18 pm

You guys are amazing, everytime I come on to post something, someone has always beaten me to the punch.

Well done

ROBERT M. · Post by **ROBERT M.** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 11:54 pm

The contestant introduced himself to the panel by saying that he was from Russia with love

very funny. Now if only one of the X Factor hopefuls could sing HALF as good as Matt

Lena & Harry Smith · Post by **Lena & Harry Smith** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 12:52 am

We reckon he'd had a few vodka's.

No one sober could move around like that.

ROBERT M. · Post by **ROBERT M.** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 1:21 am

Smirnof vodkas

Mark Fox · Post by **Mark Fox** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:46 am

Don't watch as a rule but we were child-minding and the program appeals to our 6year-old Grandson.
I read in The Sun(forgive me),that Tony Bennett is to appear in (perhaps)the 'X' Factor finals(judging)later-no confirmation officially from SONY BMG!
Tony recently took part in the 'CANADIAN POP IDOL' show.

Lena & Harry Smith · Post by **Lena & Harry Smith** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 9:36 am

No Robert, SMIRNOFF vodkas

tee hee hee

Well Mark, the older Tony gets the braver he becomes

ROBERT M. · Post by **ROBERT M.** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 5:14 pm

Did I miss an f off Smirnoff, well flipping eck

joe waller · Post by **joe waller** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 3:54 pm

I WAS ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING HE WAS SO BAD

Gray · Post by **Gray** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:56 am

Hi All

I wonder if anyone else has noticed this, there are different 'mixes' of this song spread across the different albums that the song appears.

I'm sure it isn't my imagination, but the 'panning' of the instruments, particuarly the strings in the introduction, is different depending on which album you listen too.

Try 'The Best of EMI', 'The Ultimate' & 'James Bond 13 Original Themes' (if you have it!) if you would like to see if I am correct.

I wonder if Richard could explain how several mixes of the same song are released?

Gray

Rmoore · Post by **Rmoore** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:51 am

I thought there was only two stereo mixes of this available and both originate from the same mix as far as i'm aware.

The original stereo mix has the strings panned hard left (or right I can't remember). Someone obviously thought that as they start the song and there is nothing else happening in the other channel until Matt starts to sing that they should centre them - you will then notice they then pan back to the side!

It was common to mix things twice back in the 60's too. Sometime mixes used in the USA and those used in the UK are slightly different but i've never come across that with Matt.

Richard

Gray · Post by **Gray** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:00 am

HI Richard

Thank you for replying, you are correct, I have listened hard to all the versions of From Russia With Love I have and there are two mixes, not three (oops), sorry about that, my mistake.

But you are right, it is the strings that are panned to the right or placed centrally in the intro that is the difference.

How interesting that there was more than one mix available for different countries, I didn't know this.
I wonder why?

Thanks again Richard

Gray

Lee Wilkins · Post by **Lee Wilkins** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:44 am

Hi Gray

I don't if you've heard the LP/cassette Hits of Yesterday, but it contains a mono version of 'From Russia with Love'. This was actually recorded in the studio in mono and is not just a 'copy' of a stereo mix re-recorded monaurally.

If you get the chance to hear it, you will notice that Matt has re-phrased some of the lines when he came to record the track in stereo.

Although the Hits of Yesterday LP was not released until December 1965, the track listing states that 'From Russia with Love' was recorded in 1963, the same year as the stereo version.

I seem to remember Cliff Richard saying some time ago, that in the late 50s/early 60s, he would record a song in mono and then go across to a studio with stereo capabilities and re-record the song again, this time in stereo. Since both Cliff and Matt were with EMI, I assume the same was true of Matt, hence different mono and stereo versions of 'From Russia with Love' (and other tracks). Perhaps Richard can confirm whether or not this was the case?

Regards

Rmoore · Post by **Rmoore** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:38 pm

Actually Matt only recorded "From Russia With Love" once on 3rd September 1963. The session tape has 12 takes but as the orchestra was recorded on a different occasion this is probably 12 orchestral takes rather than vocals. I haven't finished all my research yet but it may well be that the best backing track was dubbed with two different vocals. The session was recorded on 4 track tape and as the orchestra appears to have been recorded on to just two of those tracks so there is room on the tape for two vocal attempts.

If they used differnt sections of both vocal takes then the Mono may have some differences (this does occasionally happen as the stereo and mono mixes would often be mixed weeks or even years apart). The version on that album SHOULD be the original mono single mix but might not be.

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the mono mixes so i can't say anymore at this point.

As for Cliffs story this isn't really the case. Before multitrack tape came into general use at Abbey Road (in around March 63) If there was an intention to issue a track in stereo then they would actually run two tape machines at the same time. One recorded in Mono the other Stereo (this happened nearly all the time for Matt's recordings too!) The differences in many of Cliffs recordings are that sometimes different takes would be used for each format.

It was sometimes the case that an earlier hit that was once recorded only in Mono would be re-recorded in stereo (and this might I suppose have happened to Cliff once or twice - although I can't think of any re-recorded hits of his). It did happen with Frank Ifield's I Remember You which was only recorded in Mono as all his previous releases had failed and because EMI thought this one probably would too, they'd save money by recording in mono only (tape was expensive in those days!)

It's interesting to note that in most cases only Stereo session tapes for this period of Matt's career exist as the mono master takes were usually cut straight out of the session master and the rest of the tape either re-used or discarded.

As for different mixes for different countries the reason often was that it was mixed quickly for US markets so that the tape could be flown out as quickly as possible (pre computer or even jet age)! They took their time a bit more for the UK mixes! I don't think this ever happened on any of Matt's records but certainly did on the Beatles albums and several other 'Beat' acts of the 60's

Richard

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