Rhino Records’ acclaimed “Quadio” series of classic and rare 1970s quadrophonic album mixes continues with four new titles just hitting store shelves. Billy Cobham’s Spectrum (1973), Aretha Franklin’s Live At Fillmore West (1971), Curtis Mayfield’s Roots (1971) and The Spinners’ Pick Of The Litter (1975) have all been mastered from the original analog four-track Quad mixes and reissued on Blu-ray.
Each disc includes quadraphonic and stereo mixes presented in 24-bit/192kHz fidelity. Currently available exclusively from Rhino.com (and select Warner Music Group stores worldwide), each title retails for $24.98, or can be purchased as a money-saving bundle of all four titles for $79.98. You can click here to order them here. We suspect these will eventually be available on Amazon and other retailers as we have seen with past titles in the series.
For those reading here not familiar with the history behind “Quadraphonic” sound, it is the arguable grandfather to modern day 5.1 surround and Dolby Atmos immersive audio. In the 1970s, four-speaker, Quadraphonic playback systems and media were unsuccessfully introduced. After many years, the format failed due to system complexities and competing format wars. Releases were available in two different incompatible LP formats, 8-track cartridges and even reel-to-reel tape!
However, the original “Quad” recordings made were often quite stellar and at times sounded very different than the regular stereo mixes. Quadraphonic sound, or 4.0 surround sound, utilizes four audio channels connected to four speakers positioned at the corners of a listening space. The multi-tracked audio is mixed dimensional, immersing the listener in an expansive soundscape.
Rhino Entertainment has thankfully been repurposing these lost-for-decades recordings for a new generation to discover and enjoy on modern Blu-ray Disc players and home theater systems. I have reviewed a number of new Quadio Blu-ray Discs elsewhere on the web and they have generally been excellent. One of them even made my surround music “Best Dolby Atmos Music of 2024” list last year!
Here is a quick rundown of what’s coming:
Aretha Franklin’s Live At Fillmore West celebrates her three night run at San Francisco’s legendary Fillmore West. Packed with powerhouse performances, the record reached #1 on Billboard.
Billy Cobham’s Spectrum found the now-legendary jazz-rock fusion drummer stepping out as a leader after stints with Miles Davis and John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra. This is widely considered one of the classics of the jazz-rock form.
His second solo album from 1971, Roots is considered one of Curtis Mayfield’s best, reaching #6 on Billboard soul charts at the time.
The Spinners sixth studio album, Pick Of The Litter was their last to be produced by Philly soul icon Thom Bell, reaching #2 on Billboard. Effectively marking the end of the band’s peak period, the album includes “Games People Play” which was featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV.
Once we get our samples in hand, I’ll be reviewing these new titles so keep an eye out for more in-depth insights to come.
Where to buy Quadio Bundle #7: $79.98 at Rhino Records
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.
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ORT
February 9, 2025 at 7:33 pm
The Spinners (or as they were know in Great Britain, “The Detroit Spinners”) are the group with my all time favorite song:
“Could It Be I’m Falling In Love”. The first crush I ever had on a girl that song was on the radio. She was a year older (I prefer older womenz!) and even now, over 50 years later that song still stirs what is left of my soul. Oddly enough the girl and the woman I married share the same name and all of the feeling when I hear that song transferred to my wife.
The Spinners music makes me remember my life.
ORT