Stereo Action Goes Hollywood - Marty Gold

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Stereo Action Goes To Hollywood
Marty Gold and His Orchestra

Arrangedments by Marty Gold

Cover Photo by David B. Hecht

Recorded at Webster Hall, New York City

Recording Engineer: Bob Simpson

Mastering: Dick Gardner
RCA LSA-2381
1961

From the sleeve: The Story Of The Album

Marty Gold quite justifiable has been called a Flying Sorcerer of Sonic Surprises – now firmly in orbit and not likely to come down to earth very soon. Marty was in attendance when RCA Victor's Stereo Action recordings technique was developed and was one of the first to recognize its potential as an existing new medium of recorded entertainment. He was a prime mover in bringing it into reality – as anyone who has heard his album It's Magic (LSA-2290) will attest and a lot of people have already purchased this initial Stereo Action release.

In Stereo Action Goes Hollywood Marty has taken some of the film capital's best and most popular soundtrack themes and has bien then a compelling new sense of movement and dimension that never could have been attained by any of the various 3-D see screen films that were shown on motion picture screens. Where each selection was originally underscored to enhance the movie's motion through sight, Marty Gold has found music with natural affinity for Stereo Action's unique sound-in-motions. Even without a scenario to guide him, Marty found that each one practically arranged itself; it was just a matter of selecting the material with the widest range of musical content, tonal color, motion and emotion.

To capture every facet of the Stereo Action potential, Marty has utilized three different instrumental groups. One features a full string ensemble (of violins, violas and cellos), three reeds doubling on everything from piccolo down to bassoon, French horn, harp, accordion, two guitars, bass, drums, celesta and chromatic bells. Another has violins, soprano voice, four trombones, French horn, four reeds, harpsichord, two guitars, rhythm drums and percussion. The third group presents four trumpets, four trombones, three reeds, harpsichord, two guitars, accordion bass, rhythm drums and percussion.

Engineer Bob Simpson seated the musicians in the studio for the best possible spatial effect. Though the musicians changed positions from selection to selection, the close microphoning on the instruments never changed. Separate RCA 77DXs were used on the French horn, guitars, bass, harp and percussion instruments. The accordion, harpsichord, toy piano, celesta and chromatic bells were each picked up by RCA 10,001 microphones. An RCA BK5 was used on the rhythm drums and the reeds were picked up by an RCA 44BX. Trumpets and trombones were recorded by separate Telefunken U49 condenser mikes while U47s were used oil the soporano voice, violins, violas andcellis. For distant brass pickup as well as for added stereo depth, two Telefunken KM56 condenser microphones were placed about fifteen feet apart in the back of Webster Hall, where this album was cut.

From Billboard - May 29, 1961: In a brief period of several months, RCA Victor has successfully established its line of Stereo Action albums. It is known that each of the first four packages which were released during February and March sold about 35,000. – The Stereo Action line was RCA Victor's concept of Music In Motion and entails a deliberate effort to move the sound of instruments or voices from speaker to speaker to suspend the sound between speakers, etc. The packaging is deluxe, with detailed notes on studio equipment and a track by track breakdown of the music. – I recently debuted lines based on a concept of sound, it has been customary for the manufacturer to establish a monaural counterpart of the stereo version. RCA Victor has decided not to do this with Stereo Action.

Around The World
The Children's Marching Song
Song Of The Barefoot Contessa
Song From Moulin Rouge
The 3rd Man Theme
Gigi
Coloney Bogey
Moonglow and Theme From Picnic
The High And The Mighty
Tara's Theme
Baby, It's Cold Outside
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