STEELY DAN, Aja [ABC AA-1006] PROMO USA EXCELLENT- LP

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21

  Steely Dan ?– Aja Label: ABC Records ?– AA-1006 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Repress, Santa Maria Press, Gatefold  Country: US Released: 1978 Genre: Rock Style: Soft Rock, Jazz-Rock TracklistHide Credits A1 Black Cow Backing Vocals – Clydie King, Rebecca Louis, Sherlie Matthews, Venetta Fields Bass – Chuck Rainey Clavinet – Joe Sample Drums – Paul Humphrey Electric Piano – Victor Feldman Guitar – Larry Carlton Lead Vocals, Synthesizer – Donald Fagen Tenor Saxophone – Tom Scott 5:07 A2 Aja Backing Vocals – Timothy B. Schmit Bass – Chuck Rainey Drums – Steve Gadd Electric Piano – Joe Sample Guitar – Denny Dias, Larry Carlton, Walter Becker Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Synthesizer – Donald Fagen Percussion – Victor Feldman Piano – Michael Omartian Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter 7:56 A3 Deacon Blues Backing Vocals – Clydie King, Sherlie Matthews, Venetta Fields Bass – Walter Becker Drums – Bernard Purdie Electric Piano – Victor Feldman Guitar – Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour Lead Vocals, Synthesizer – Donald Fagen Tenor Saxophone – Pete Christlieb 7:26 B1 Peg Backing Vocals – Michael McDonald, Paul Griffin Bass – Chuck Rainey Clavinet – Don Grolnick Drums – Rick Marotta Electric Piano – Paul Griffin Guitar – Steve Khan Guitar [Solo] – Jay Graydon Lead Vocals – Donald Fagen Lyricon – Tom Scott Percussion – Gary Coleman, Victor Feldman 3:58 B2 Home At Last Backing Vocals – Timothy B. Schmit Bass – Chuck Rainey Drums – Bernard Purdie Guitar – Larry Carlton Guitar [Solo] – Walter Becker Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Synthesizer – Donald Fagen Piano, Vibraphone – Victor Feldman 5:31 B3 I Got The News Backing Vocals – Clydie King, Michael McDonald, Rebecca Louis, Sherlie Matthews, Venetta Fields Bass – Chuck Rainey Drums – Ed Greene (2) Guitar – Dean Parks Guitar [Solo] – Larry Carlton, Walter Becker Lead Vocals, Synthesizer – Donald Fagen Piano, Vibraphone, Percussion – Victor Feldman 5:03 B4 Josie Backing Vocals – Timothy B. Schmit Bass – Chuck Rainey Drums, Percussion – Jim Keltner Electric Piano – Victor Feldman Guitar – Dean Parks, Larry Carlton Guitar [Solo] – Walter Becker Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Synthesizer – Donald Fagen 4:30 Companies, etc. Recorded At – The Village Recorder Recorded At – Producers Workshop Recorded At – Warner Bros. Recording Studios Recorded At – ABC Recording Studios Recorded At – Sound Labs, Hollywood Recorded At – A&R Studios Mastered At – A&M Mastering Studios Pressed By – Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Santa Maria Published By – ABC/Dunhill Music, Inc. Phonographic Copyright (p) – ABC Records, Inc. Copyright (c) – ABC Records, Inc. Credits Arranged By [Horns] – Tom Scott Composed By – Donald Fagen, Walter Becker Engineer – Al Schmitt, Bill Schnee, Elliot Scheiner, Roger Nichols Engineer [Assistants] – Ed Rack, Joe Bellamy, Ken Klinger, Lenise Bent, Linda Tyler, Ron Pangaliman Engineer [Executive] – Roger Nichols Liner Notes – Michael Phalen, Steve Diener Mastered By [Credits] – Bernie Grundman Mastered By [Runout Etch] – G.B.* Producer – Gary Katz Notes ?© 1977 ABC Records, Inc. Santa Maria Pressing, with "Eighth Note" ABC logo on "Target" label, but variant cat#; AA-1006 on label, rear sleeve and spine. Original glossy gatefold; custom (cardstock) inner sleeve contains lyrics/credits. Recorded at: Village Recorders, West L.A. Producer's Workshop, Hollywood Warner Bros. North Hollywood Recording Studios ABC Recording Studios Sound Labs, Hollywood A&R Studios, N.Y.C.  

USA PROMO STAMPED PRESSING VINYL ALBUM IN GATEFOLD SLEEVE WITH ORIGINAL PRINTED INNER SLEEVE.

This particular pressing is the first MCA pressing run for Aja after buying the ABC label in 1979, two years after the album had been released.  The matrix/laquers for this pressing indicate it is the third pressing of this album, the first had AB-1006 1006 RE-3 stampers, the second pressing two weeks after release was enormous due to teh big selelr it had become and had AA-1006 RE-3 stampers, and thus this pressing had new stampers cut for Side A, being RE-4, although Side B retained the 2nd set of stampers with the AB crossed out and an RE-3 matrix.  As a promo, this would be one of the very first copies pressed by MCA under their new ownership, making it a splendidly hot stamper audio-wise. It is increasingly hard to find original clean playing copies for this classic album, 90% of the copies we come across are rejected as not fit for an audiophile's turntable.

Why buy a first or early pressing and not a re-issue or a ‘re-mastered’ vinyl album?

First pressings are made from first generation lacquers and stampers. They usually sound vastly superior to later issues and re-issues (which are often pressed from whatever tapes or digital sources are currently available - many so-called 'audiophile' new 180g pressings are cut from hi-res digital sources…why buy an expensive CD pressed on vinyl and experience the worse elements of both formats?)

First or early pressings nearly always have more immediacy, presence and dynamics. The sound staging is wider.  Subtle instrument nuances are better placed with more spacious textures. Balances are firmer in the bottom end with a far-tighter bass. Upper-mid ranges shine without harshness, and the overall depth is more immersive.  Inner details are  clearer.

On first and early pressings, the music tends to sound more ‘alive’ and vibrant.  The physics of sound energy is hard to clarify and write about from a listening perspective, but the best we can describe it is to say that you can 'hear' what the mixing and mastering engineers wanted you to hear when they first recorded the music.

MATRIX:  SIDE A:  IS AA 1006-A (RE-4) 1C  I4 /  SIDE B:  S2 AA[B crossed out] 1006 (RE-3)-B xx IB CNS.

SLEEVE: VERY GOOD+, JUST LIGHT SHELF, CORNER, EDGE AND RING WEAR.  CORNER BUMPS. GOLD PROMO STAMP. INNER SLEEVE[S] VERY GOOD+ WITH NO SEAM SPLITS.

DISC[S]: EXCELLENT MINUS. NO SCRATCHES, JUST A FEW LIGHT HAIRLINES. CLEAN LABELS.

 
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