The
dB’s
Stands
for deciBels REVISITED
the debut album in alternate mixes & live
versions
sound quality: variable, but none less than VG
BIG THANKS to lilpanda and others who uploaded or shared live shows I used for this post
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Cover of The dB's iconic debut; still amazing after 30 years.
Stephanie Chernikowski photo; Victoria DeVeraux tinting |
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01 Black and White (alt. mix)
02 Dynamite (live)
03 She's Not
Worried (live)
04 The Fight (live)
05 Espionage (live)
06 Tearjerkin' (alt. mix)
07 Cycles Per
Second (live)
08 Bad Reputation (alt. mix)
09 Big Brown Eyes (live)
10 I'm In Love (alt. mix)
11 Moving In Your
Sleep (alt. mix)
12 [blank – 10 secs. of nada]
13 Judy (live)*
*Judy did not appear on the album as originally issued. It was first released on the “Judy” 7-inch single, and later added
as a bonus track to some versions of “Stands for deciBels.”
Sources
1, 6, 8, 10, 11 – from Stands for deciBels rough/alt. mixes production cassette
2 – Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC 1981-10-24
3, 5 – Philosopher’s Club, Winston-Salem, NC 1979-12-28
4 – The Ritz, NYC 1982-02-22
7, 9 – The Ritz, NYC 1981-06-12
13 – Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ 1982-02-26
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| front & back cover art included in the download |
The dB’s:
Chris Stamey – guitar & vocals
Peter Holsapple – guitar & vocals
Gene Holder – bass
Will Rigby – drums
BUY Stands for deciBels / Repercussion (the group's first two albums on 1 incredible disc) here and support the band's official web site.
I had a great time putting this one together. The main inspiration is
a special share from lilpanda. He has a collection of tracks tagged “Pre-Signing
Demos” (c. 1980). However, after listening to them many times over, I
came to realize they sounded a lot like the finished masters for Stands
for deciBels, but with interesting differences. Certain instrumental
passages I was hearing in these versions aren’t on the masters, or have sounds
that are much less prominent on the final mixes.*
I decided the collection was probably from a work-in-progress production cassette, created as the debut was being recorded. It’s common for artists and
producers to create collections of rough mixes before final mixing
and mastering. I’m guessing this passed from a friend to a friend, etc., until
it was eventually shared with other fans. Some versions in the collection
sound so much like the masters that I chose not to include them here. (One, a great
demo of “Dynamite,” was released later on Ride the Wild Tom Tom -- so go listen to it there!). For the live versions, I tried to pick tracks that
married good sound quality with a great and/or aurally interesting performance. The live tracks are effective reminders how amazing Will and Gene are as The dB's rhythm section — definitely the group's secret weapon and unsung heroes...
Stands for
deciBels was released in January 1981
— more than 30 years ago.
ENJOY!
*Geeky observations about the alternate studio mixes,
for fellow obsessives:
1. BLACK AND WHITE - You can hear the difference right off the bat in the extra reverb on the vocals and the prominence of the electronic (?) hand claps from the opening notes. In the master, however, the hand claps fade in & out, alternating with an additional double-time percussion part, like a fast-ticking watch. In the master, the acoustic guitar track is much more prominent in the mix (I'm not sure it's there at all in the alt. mix). There are other differences you can find, in this & the other alt. mixes (if you're the trainspotter type). For example, there's a tambourine part beginning in the alt. mix version at 2:38 that lasts about 15 seconds. It's not in the master mix, which instead has Will thrashing away on the cymbals in the same part of the song.
6. TEARJERKIN' - The difference between this alt. version & the master lies in which instruments are emphasized in which mix. One example: the main keyboard part is less prominent in this one than on the master, where the keyboard's edgy tone is put in the foreground. You can also hear it in the bridge starting at the 3:00 mark: in the master, there are added sound effects missing from this version.
8. BAD REPUTATION - Like some other alt. mixes in the "Pre-Signing Demos" collection, this one's differences present themselves after repeated A-B comparisons to the master version. Some differences lie in the mix, which has less reverb overall in the master version. The rhythm guitar part is much more prominent in the master as well. Other distinctions are more immediate, such as the guitar solo at 2:18. It's also there on the master, but a different take is used instead of the one featured here.
10. I'M IN LOVE - The biggest difference between this alt. mix and the master can be heard in the bass lines. In this version, it's a standard electric bass sound throughout the track (albeit played with Gene's incredible technique). In the master, however, the familiar bass sound is rarely heard. Instead, a rhythmic bass part played on (what sounds like) a keyboard is heard on most of the track. Also, a squealing electric guitar line is heard in the background at several points in this version, but very little on the master.
11. MOVING IN YOUR SLEEP - This one has the most subtle and hardest-to-detect differences. You can hear them mainly in the bass parts (some later sections were re-done for the master) and the mix (the acoustic guitar is far more prominent in the master than in this alt. mix). Almost didn't use this one, but then I realized The dB's never seemed to have played this song live -- so here ya go!
Critics have noted that Stands for deciBels stood the test of time and today is widely considered a classic. One of the main reasons for its well-deserved reputation can be heard in these alt. versions: at nearly every point when additional parts or sounds were considered for the debut album, the band and their collaborators chose the more classical path, shunning trendy "New Wave" techniques and effects.
