OBCR of FOLLIES remixed and remastered!

[newintown]

I'd like to give a shout out to the incomparable John McMartin, who has been the only Ben I've seen who convinces you that everyone would want him.

The rest only know how to play his nasty unhappiness, they forget to give him effortless charisma and charm.

[gcal]

BK- I felt that Bernadette played the end from the very beginning, but I felt that Victoria Clark caught that sparkle that Sally needs. I saw much more deterioration in Clark's Sally than Bernadette's-- there's nowhere to go when you start at crazed.

[bk]

Was sorry to have not seen Vicki. And newintown is absolutely correct about McMartin - his world-weary, blase, and very amusing first half of the show was absolutely charming and winning. In other words, he left himself someplace to go.

[Scripps2]

And Scripps takes the Gold in the Follies international postal Olympics.

Haven't played it yet but just had to get this post in before Dev.

[3bluenight]

i'm in portland and still haven't received mine. argh. that being said, i think the war on the post office is very uncool.

there was a nice piece on NPR or democracy now about the u.s. postal service. check it out if interested.

back on topic, i too have always loved john mcmartin's Ben. I think that for me, Victor Garber came closest to satisfying in the role after McMartin.

[GavestonPS]

newintown gets no argument from me about John McMartin, unless it's to say I had no problem believing women were fighting over Ron Raines.

But McMartin for "Most Charming"? Sounds right to me.

[bk]

Obviously anyone in Portland who ordered through us should have gotten it by now, I should think. We do have delivery confirmation on every package and therefore can track them - if anyone needs us to do that just drop us an e-mail at kritzerland at gmail dot com. Again, we have no control over the USPS - I wish we did.

However, if it was ordered through someone else (only a couple of online dealers are selling it), I can tell you for sure that one online dealer only got theirs today and the other won't get theirs for another five days.

[3bluenight]

thanks, i'll send along an email.

incidentally, i am in total support of the u.s. postal service. i believe government should be about providing services. i think that changing with time is necessary for any institution, but problems with the expression doesn't negate my enthusiasm haha

[BDrischBDemented]

So out of curiosity, how long is it generally taking people to get it from the date it ships? I just ordered mine yesterday morning so clearly I'm not expecting it right away, but I was just curious about a ballpark figure because I really, REALLY want to listen to this. I haven't even listened to the samples yet just because I want to hear it for the first time on a really nice sound system.

[My Oh My]

I received my copy last week, approximately 7-8 days after it was announced that it was being sent to the pressing plant and that the process from there would take an estimated 5 or so days, then they'd be shipped. I'd say 2 of those days likely were taken up by shipping. I'm in California so, yep, 2 days.

[GottaHaveAGimmick]

Pacing question: Some of the performances ("Could I Leave You?" and "The Road You Didn't Take") sound rushed when compared to the recent revival recording. For those who saw the original production: were these songs sung at this pace during performance, or only for the recording?

BK-Congratulations on this obvious labor of love. I wonder if any of the musicians or performers on this original recording have sent you comments on your work.

[EricMontreal22]

The soundboard (which some have argued was slightly speeded up, but this is a big controversial thing to say on here ) has most of the tempi relatively the same. Cast albums of course were notorious for speeding up music to SOME degree--especially dance music (as you prob know, Godard Lieberson infamously did this, saying, perhaps rightly, that without the visuals they needed more excitement), but I don't remember any real huge differences with Follies.

[qolbinau]

I have noticed that for example the tempo of IN BUDDY'S EYES in the recent revival better reflected the tempo published in the piano/vocal score than the OBC recording. I thought it was interesting because I remember people complaining either here on ATC that it was too slow.

[bk]

Follies will be sold out within the hour.

[best12bars]

Congratulations, bk! Well done, all around.

[GavestonPS]

bk, will you then do another press? (This isn't a complaint: I didn't take any chances. I got my copy early and have played it often.)

I'm just curious if this obviously successful release had to be limited for legal or financial reasons, or was that a marketing strategy? (I'm not criticizing you, either way.)

***

BTW, if the 1500 copies are indeed all that will ever exist, my son tells me the smart thing to do is to copy it to my computer so I have a back-up copy in case the disc ever fails.

***

ETA, oh, and I want to second best12bar's sentiments. I hope you are very proud of your accomplishment, bk. I really do!

[bk]

I'm very proud of this, believe me. In my contract I have the right to do another 1000 if I so choose - a second edition (it would be named so) - after that no. So, if there's enough people needing it, I might do it. Right now, since announcing the sell-out, I haven't had any e-mails from people screaming they missed out. So, I think we did the right number - or perhaps it hasn't sunk in yet that at least for the next three years nothing else can be done with this version unless I do it.

[ljay889]

oOps... I was going to finally order this tonight. I'm honestly not a big fan of the original recording, but as a Follies fanatic, I figured that I should own it.

Looks like I just missed out....lol.

[EricMontreal22]

...any Follies fanatic needs this... Not to try to to rub it in, or force it. The performances come through so much better and are definitive.

[bk]

It's funny how everyone says "I was JUST going to order it tonight" - this after it's been available for purchase for four weeks. I have emergency copies left and as soon as I know that all copies have arrived safely we'll sell those - so if anyone has missed out just e-mail me and I'll put you on the list.

[ljay889]

Sorry, as a full-time graduate student with a part-time job and multiple bills, I've had to get my priorities in order. Although, I was definitely going to order this tonight, lol.

[GavestonPS]

...any Follies fanatic needs this... Not to try to to rub it in, or force it. The performances come through so much better and are definitive.

Amen! And I would add that those who don't like the OBCR should give this new release a listen (even if you have to borrow it from someone who ordered early).

***

Thanks for response, bk. I'm glad for once I didn't procrastinate!

[chewy5000]

After three years, do you then no longer hold the rights? At that point, would Angel revert to their masters, or would other companies be able to use your work?

I've always been intrigued as to how this kind of thing works copyright-wise.

[bk]

Capitol, of course, owns the recording. We're evolving how this will work in terms of my work. But it's not an issue for three years.

[EricMontreal22]

The existing recording of Promises, Promises (not your release) is out of print, I realized recently. Is that why you can still sell your mix, or is that limited still, too?

[bk]

Promises was, thus far, the only time I've done a second edition - I did it because one of the previous CD companies who released it was already nosing around and I wasn't about to let that happen. I knew the second 1000 would take a while to sell and so far it has - and again, I simply tied it up for three years. And I have the option to do it again. Believe me, I don't put forth this much work to let others benefit - Capitol is one thing - they own the album - but another label licensing my work? No. And that's what's evolving here - how that will be handled.