On this page are scans of the production master tape boxes as used on the infamous 1983 AUDIOPHILE release and 1987 red vinyl release.
The tape boxes are rather straight forward to interpret. Prepared in the UK on 22 October 1981 (and notated on EMI UK's master tape boxes), both sides were mastered by Don Bartley on 15 April 1982. Side 1 was then recut by Don on 8 July and again on 15 July. These cuts would ultimately be released one year later. Labels from the release have been stuck onto the back of the boxes, which contained 1/4" BASF tapes. Please visit the album's "Audiophile Pressing" page for more information about this release.
The same tapes were used by Otto Ruiter in October 1982 for recuts of the 'standard' release. These copies carry -2/-2 matrices. This pressing flies under the radar as no fuss was made about either the source tapes or the recuts.
And, lastly, the boxes carry the MX numbers of the Festival cut, made by Warren Barnett in 1987 for the red vinyl release. Presumably mastering details were recorded in Festival documentation.
EMI continued to use the Festival cut on its 1988 black label pressings although at some point they reverted side 1 back to Otto's 1982 -2 cut. At the end of the year they introduced new digital remasters, cut from CD over the 12/13 November weekend by Allan Parsons.
