Bogus Warner Mack CD

Peter Dollard · Post by **Peter Dollard** » 25 Jul 2002 3:48 pm

The other day I purchased a Warner Mack CD featuring 20 "Hits". It turned out they were performed by Warner's road band and are not worth buying. The version of "Bridge Washed Out" is particularly appalling with some half-hearted steel in a few places. the title of this imported CD is called Warner Mack Twenty Country Hits....caveat emptor!Pete[This message was edited by Peter Dollard on 25 July 2002 at 04:50 PM.]

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 26 Jul 2002 5:16 pm

And they say that road bands never get to record!

What a strange cash-in attempt.
Peter, what label perpetuated this rather scandalous product, I'd like to check out if all their releases are this suspect.

Eddie Lange · Post by **Eddie Lange** » 3 Aug 2002 12:43 pm

I have never heard the record in question, but you guys are tearing on the road band like they were sub par for gig at hand. [This message was edited by Eddie Lange on 03 August 2002 at 01:44 PM.]

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 3 Aug 2002 1:57 pm

I haven't heard this record yet and I would say it would be hard to come up to par with the original 1965 recording of Bridge washed out but, Alot of these artists cut or re-cut there old hits to sell on the road when they work. If I were working with Warner Mack or whoever I wouldn't say you need to get the original players or buy your master from Decca, I would say thanks for the confidence in me and do the best I could.
If I couldn't play it like the original and Warner wanted it like the original I would get Lloyd to teach it to me just to make the boss happy. But as Lloyd would tell you,Why do it exactly the way he did it, put your own identity to it if the singer and producer will let you. I myself would have tried to get as close to that feel but keep it my own.
In short be happy some ol' boy is getting a little work that needs it when so many aren't.

Mike

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 3 Aug 2002 2:04 pm

One more thing. Unless it says ORIGINAL RECORDINGS on it they are NOT doing anything underhanded or unethical. I know of at least one instance where that has happened but it's rare.
Once again be happy these older artists are still getting it and letting their guys cut.
It shows me that they think if those guys are good enough to ride all over the place with me they are good enough to cut with me.

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 3 Aug 2002 4:29 pm

Well, if you read the original post Pete is giving his opinion of the quality of the Warner Mack CD, which apparently does not feature Warner Mack.
He suggests that it's a case of buyer beware, I don't think it's really a case of dissing the road band as such.

erik · Post by **erik** » 3 Aug 2002 6:14 pm

I addressed this issue previously. IMO, there are CDs on the market purposely designed to conceal important information on the outside of the package in a attempt to deceive the buyer. If the original artist perpetuates this deception it greatly decreases the chance i'll ever buy their product again. It's called "being taken". It should clearly state on the outside the intentions of the recording. Something like, "A new rendition". Or, "Remakes" in the title would suffice.

[edit spelling][This message was edited by erik on 03 August 2002 at 07:16 PM.]

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 4 Aug 2002 8:25 am

I rarely buy CDs by artists with a fair backlist of albums, unless I recognise the label and possibly the title.
I generally look for detailed sleeve notes, if there's none and the title is not one I recognise I generally think of it as a reissue of older tracks, possibly mixed in fake stereo, dubbed off second generation masters, etc.
A lot of artists recorded for smaller labels, then had hits, which were bought out or they re-recorded for a bigger label.

Generally the original recordings are leased out to various companies who do terrible transfers to tape or disc.
In some cases the hits are re-recorded many years later with a studio band, or maybe even the singers current band.
I got no complaint with that, but generally it's a hack job as quite a few labels want to mess with the formula. Or simply that classic studio sound that people are nostalgic for (which led to them buying the tracks) simply is not there.

Merle Haggard's series of re-recordings a few years back were actually quite outstanding and in many cases really showed how his material could stand up with re-arrangements. Merle has a crack band, and that's gotta help.

I don't think there's anything dodgy about a singer re-recording their old hits or faves, in many cases it's the only way their going to get them on CD and get some well deserved $$$ for their songs.
I do have a problem with misleading packaging and labels that are indifferent to treating the artists and fans to a quality release.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 4 Aug 2002 10:59 am

Is Warner Mack on the CD?

Peter Dollard · Post by **Peter Dollard** » 13 Aug 2002 8:32 am

Dear Participants,
I don't think that I made myself clear. I was looking for the AM hit version of the song "Bridge Washed Out" by Warner Mack. It featured some very unique(at that time) steel playing by Lloyd Green. What I got was a markedly different version with a different beat and some steel playing which in no way captured the spirit of the hit with Lloyd on it.
I would have been delighted if this steeler had delivered his own version of Lloyd's playing but there really isn't a steel break(just some incidental backup) on this record.It does have Warner Mack singing on it but that is about all. In general I have the greatest respect for road bands; in this instance they did not do justice to the spirit of the song. You should listen to Lloyd's version followed by this version if you really want to hear the difference. Sorry for the confusion I may have created...Peter

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 13 Aug 2002 4:07 pm

I,too, bought the album in question some time back thinking I was going to hear some hot Lloyd Green licks. Boy, was I disappointed. It would have been nice if some mention had been made of it being re-makes on the album. Instead it just says something like Warner Mack's greatest hits or something like that.

------------------
1985 Emmons push-pull, Session 500, Nashville400, 65 re-issue Fender Twin, Fender Tele

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 14 Aug 2002 8:11 pm

Okay, I mis-read the original post as well.

The problem with re-recordings is that the label generally doesn't market it in a positive way. This remains a real issue for me, and in many cases they seem quite tame compared to the originals.
The recent Merle Haggard one is the best one I've ever heard, they work their butts off to give the songs a nice new vibe.
I'm not saying that all the re-cut CDs I've heard are bad, most are dull, others are quite nice, but I feel Haggard and the Strangers really set the standard.

Colin Goss · Post by **Colin Goss** » 14 Aug 2002 10:57 pm

The cover is very misleading

It says "Warner Mack
The Bridge Washed out
20 Country hits.

Inside the sleeve notes say
The Bridge washed out - No 1 1965

Nowhere does it say it wasn't the hit version.

I got caught as well
The CD is on Country Stars and was made in Belgium.

Caveat emptor!!!!!!!!!

Peter Dollard · Post by **Peter Dollard** » 16 Aug 2002 11:13 am

Right on Colin, it does intimate that it contains the "original" version....Pete

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 17 Aug 2002 2:34 am

I recently bought a CD (Merle Haggard - 20 Hits) on the Curb label, and most all of the recordings were "re-takes". I do think the manufacturers owe it to the buyers to tell them us what we're getting...on the outside of the package. No, it didn't say "original version" anywhere, but that is what I was looking for!

You see, I'll take the original sound, the one that made the hit...the one everyone heard on the AM radio...the one that helped make the star a star...over a "quality remake" any day!

Howard Kalish · Post by **Howard Kalish** » 21 Aug 2002 4:49 pm

Dang! I bought this CD too. In fact, I bought it especially to hear Lloyd Green because I read an interview with him where he said that the session for Bridge Washed Out was one he remembered as a breakthrough for him. The packaging on this CD is deceitful at best. Though it does have liner notes, they never mention that these are not original recordings. And, as Colin says, the years listed beside the tunes more than imply that these are the original recordings.

Further warning - this company has CDs out by many 50's and 60's era stars. I'd watch out for any Country Star CDs, if you're looking for the original recordings.

With that said, I still enjoyed Warner Mack's singing on this CD. It is him and the tunes are great. The band plays well, especially the piano, and I always like to hear our compatriots. The steel ain't Lloyd (who is?), but it sounds good. Good guitar playing too. They could have spared the background singers and they use a synth for strings - an absolute sacrilege.

This was the only Warner Mack CD I could find on the web. I plan to contact the company I ordered it from and let them know that I don't like being fooled by these lies of omission. I hope they listen.

HK

------------------