Regarding the new official version of “Sunshine Woman” and that annoying glitch at 0:55…
Warner clearly didn’t use the best available source.
Here is a little investigation conducted over the last few days to support that statement…
The sources
First of all, let’s present the four different versions that were used for this investigation:
Version A
This version was taken from a 2006 Empress Valley release called Led Zeppelin – The Complete British Broadcasting Corporation Radio Sessions; probably zero mastering effort on this version; a lot of noise above 7k; sounds 100% like a flat transfer; this version does NOT have the glitch around 0:55. Empress Valley claim that they obtained this transfer from an “aircheck master” that was taped from a shortwave broadcast. That claim sounds perfectly plausible. This is a full-length version of the song and, as with every other version here, there is practically no music above 7k due to the limits of the technology used for the original broadcast.
Version B
This version was found on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWEqOtYQyUQ. It was originally uploaded on June 1, 2010. This version shares the same analogue-to-digital transfer as Version A, as they both stay perfectly synchronized until the end when played simultaneously in a digital multitrack session; EQ has been drastically modified (for the better), with the huge amount of noise above 7k totally removed; however, a continuous and constant interference noise located around 11.1k makes its appearance on this version. Wisely, a little more than one second of silence (with tape hiss) has been edited out from the very beginning of the digital track. The dynamic range value is the same for both versions (DR 8) with only a slight variation of 0.03—let's say untouched. The glitch IS THERE at 0:55, and the end of the song has been abruptly chopped off without any fadeout! Therefore, approximately 1.5 seconds of music is missing, mainly harmonica and drums. Overall, this version sounds better than Version A, thanks to the EQ. In fact, I strongly believe that this version (Version is nothing more than a tweaked version of Version A.
Version C
This version is the new 2016 official release from Warner. It sounds exactly like Version B: very similar EQ choices (almost untouched); same analogue-to-digital transfer as Version A and Version B; no significant change in the DR value—and yes, the audible glitch IS THERE at the very beginning of 0:55. As with Version B, the last 1.5 seconds of music at the end is missing, but Warner has applied what I would call “a not very smooth fade-out” to hide the abrupt ending heard in Version B. The continuous interference located around 11.1k in Version B is still there, but to be honest, it is present at a very low volume, and is totally inaudible unless you isolate the frequencies. But because it was a crucial element in demonstrating the connection between Version C and Version B, it has its importance in this investigation.
Version D
A brand new mastering that I made myself, using Version A as a master and Version B as a direct reference. The result? I was able to recreate a version that sounds exactly like Version B and Version C, but without the annoying glitch at 0:55; without losing the last 1.5 seconds of music; and without having to apply an unorthodox fade-out to hide the abrupt cut, as Warner had to do on the new release. No interference has been introduced at 11.1k, and it took me 10 minutes to complete the entire process.
The mastering
Here are the EQ changes that need to be applied to the Empress Valley version (Version A) to achieve the sound of Version B and Version C:
Conclusion
It is now clear to me that the new official version from Warner (Version C) was created from a previously altered source that was encoded at least six years ago (Version B): a source that is nothing more than a tweaked version of the same analogue-to-digital transfer used by Empress Valley four years earlier in 2006, but with the addition of an unwanted and audible glitch at 0:55, and that is missing 1.5 seconds of music at the end of the recording.
Unanswered questions
Does the CD version or lossless file that was used to encode Version B contain the same glitch at 0:55, or is it “exclusive” to this specific YouTube upload? The glitch is somehow reminiscent of the sound that results from a digital error generated when something goes wrong in the encoding process of an MP3. I don't want to say that MP3 encoding is definitely the source of the glitch, but that’s what it sounds like to me.
And what about the 1.5 seconds of music missing at the end? Is this edited ending present anywhere else than on the 2010 YouTube version or on the new official release?
As a fan and as a customer who pre-ordered the new release, I would be very disappointed to learn that the official product was sourced directly from a 2010 YouTube upload, while at the same time, an unaltered, undamaged version of the same digital transfer (Empress Valley) was very easy to find (and it still is) in lossless format on the internet. Sadly, once you’ve heard the glitch or the comparison with the inappropriate fade-out, it’s like a curse... It will keep distracting you and it will tarnish the playback experience of the track.
I think that Warner should act immediately and at least replace the file for the official online distribution of the new BBC Sessions release. It would be a very easy thing to do, and honestly, I think it has to be done.
This song might be the last original creation from Led Zeppelin’s catalogue to see an official release; it is therefore of historical value and does not deserve a defective production.
BBC sessions deluxe out September 16!!!!
in Led Zeppelin Reissues
Posted
Has anyone checked the Last Stand Disc boot to see if the glitch/early fade is on that version?