Gene Vincent Bootleg Vinyl?

[Matt The Cat]

In 2008, I bought a reissue of "Gene Vincent & The Blues Caps", Capitol T811. I knew Capitol was reissuing a lot of their back catalog on vinyl, the price was right at $11.99 and so I bought it. When I got it home, I was immediately disappointed in the sound quality. It just didn't sound up to Capitol's standards, especially since nearly everything they recorded during the 1950s sounded awesome (they were recording at 30 ips). So disappointed, I put it away.

I just took this LP out again last night, gave it another listen and still feel that it doesn't sound very good. Then I got an idea. Could this be a knockoff or a bootleg? There are no other label marks on it, no bar code and the photos on the back cover do look scanned. I checked out the 180g slab for the "Mastered By Capitol" stamp in the dead wax and it's not there. I think I have a bootleg. It's very similar to those Blue Note and Vee-Jay reissues done by Scorpio for $10/piece.

Does anyone know anything about this?

Thanks in advance.

Matt

 

[beatcomber]

I know that Norton Records was licensed to reissue some of Gene's Capitol albums, but this sure sounds like a grey area Scorpio release.

 

[Matt The Cat]

Yeah, this release doesn't have any Norton markings on it at all and it sounds like a bad transfer. There's just too much high end distortion and no umph in the bass. It's not unplayable, just like the Blue Note Scorpio releases, but it also doesn't have any of the pleasing sound that makes vinyl listening so special.

Does anyone know anything about Scorpio for real?

Matt

 

[cactuscowboy]

Matt,

I've also got a recent reissue of T-811. I bought my copy a couple years ago for a similar price. My copy came with a Norton Records hype sticker on the shrink. Period correct repro of cover and label. To my ears, it sounds pretty good for a 50 year old recording/reissue, although I don't have the original LP to compare to. The vinyl on my copy is not 180 gram, just normal weight.

Here's the deadwax on mine:

1) 3972 T-811 - 1 (A) S-51834
2) 3972 T-811 - 1 (B) S-51835

 

[Matt The Cat]

Thanks cactuscowboy,

Those are the same dead wax numbers that I have. I guess that clears up that mystery. If mine isn't 180g, it's got to be at least 150g. It's def not a regular weight 120g. The repro label is nice, but then Scorpio repros the Blue Note labels pretty good too.

The sound isn't terrible, but the other Gene Vincent stuff on Capitol sounds so damn good and dynamic that this is just flat and lifeless in comparrison.

Again, thanks for your help, man.

Matt