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A Classic vinyl LP is now available on compact disc

The following is a press release from Now See Hear from 1994: 

May 1994 marks the release of one of the most eagerly awaited Compact Discs in Canadian music history. Black Noise by the group FM is available once again. Originally released to instant acclaim in 1978, the recording has been out of circulation since 1983. Songs such as One O'Clock Tomorrow, Black Noise, and the hit single Phasors on Stun can be heard again in state of the art acoustic reproduction. 

The reasons for the disappearance and re-emergence of Black Noise are as convoluted as the history of the history of the vinyl version and the group itself. In the five years during which it was available, the record was produced by no less than four different record companies in Canada alone. And while it sold over 100,000 copies during this time, the group never received the royalties it was due. And yet it was, and still is, a collection of songs that stands out as a favorite in many a music lover's collection. With the demise of Passport Records in the US in 1984, the FM catalog became inactive, and missed out on the massive transfer from analog vinyl to digital Compact Disc. 

    · "We knew that the manufacturing rights to Black Noise had reverted back to the original producer: the CBC," said Cameron Hawkins, keyboard player and vocalist with the trio, "And our concern was that it might fall into the wrong hands. There was still a strong demand for the album, and sooner or later someone else was going to track it down and put it out. There are a lot of re-released CD's out there in which the original artists don't get their fair share of the royalties. Considering that we missed out the first time, this was an opportunity we couldn't let slip by." 

Together with original FM manager Malcolm Glassford, Cameron began to negotiate with the CBC for the rights to manufacture and distribute Black Noise. Their idea was to take the concept of 'Desktop Publishing' and apply it to a record company; using a personal computer to reproduce the graphics, re-master the CD, produce a short video, and organize the administration and distribution. Negotiations with the CBC were on track and the 'Desktop Record Company' was established. Then things began to go wrong. They were shocked there was another bidder for the rights to Black Noise.

 
    · "I think the CBC was shocked too," Cameron recalls. "I don't think they realized that both parties were after the same thing. But to their credit, they suspended both negotiations immediately, and stated that the rights would only go to the party that had the support of the original artists. Reassured, I called Nash the Slash (violin, mandolin, and vocals), and Martin Deller (drums and percussion), told them of the competing bid, and got a letter authorizing myself, and my company Now See Hear to complete the agreement." 

With the legal problems over with, the next step was to transfer the analog recording to digital and create a Compact Disc master. There was only one problem; the master tapes were gone. Passport Records had disappeared. The last company to press it in Canada couldn't find it. The recording studio didn't have it. And the CBC had lost it. 

    · "I even scrounged through the basement of Sterling Sound in NYC (which mastered the original vinyl) to see if they had an EQ'd master, but it had been over 15 years and there was no trace. Our only hope was to find an existing vinyl record in good condition, transfer it to digital tape and restore it using some sort of computerized noise reduction system. Once again the CBC were able to help. They had a state of the art No-Noise system deep in the bowels of their Broadcast Centre which they offered to me. There was only one catch. It was being used to restore a series of transcription recordings of Glenn Gould playing all the Beethoven Sonatas. It had taken over 4 months to secure the rights to Black Noise and now it looked like we would have to wait several more. It was exasperating!" 

Then the tide began to turn. By sheer coincidence the Compact Disc mastering software that Cameron was using at Sonic Science, Toronto to edit and master Black Noise was completely compatable with the CBC's No-Noise digital noise reduction system. This allowed him to take the hard disk drive from Sonic Science over to the CBC where a 'No-Noised' Black Noise could be generated without disrupting the Glenn Gould project. 

    · "It was a weird feeling", recalls Cameron, "Walking the few blocks between the CBC and Sonic Science with a digital rendition of a 16 year old recording in a small metal box under my arm. But the real question was: would it sound good? The answer was: it sounded better! The original mastering to vinyl took over a week and the sound is far superior to the original mixes which were done in 2 days. The fact that we had to work from vinyl actually results in a better sounding CD!" 

With the music taken care of the next step was to repackage the LP jacket into the confines of the CD package. Paul Till's original cover photo was scanned into computer, re-scaled and presented as the front cover. The original issue also included a lyric sheet and band photo (including one of Nash in his pre-bandaged days). These were included in the re-issue. The back cover was completely redone. A 3D rendition of the original layout was created using computer imaging. The goal was to create the best possible edition while remaining to the original. 
Almost a year after the project began, Black Noise is now back on the airwaves and back in the music stores. Considering its long and varied history, one hopes it will be here to stay. But one shouldn't let the circumstances surrounding the original release and reissue detract from the fact that it was the music inside, not the packaging or the playback format, that captured the hearts of music lovers all over the world. 

And that has made it worth the while. 

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