‘Dark Side of the Moon’ is to be an SACD release, that’s the indication from EMI sales representatives who manage the inventories of on-line specialist retailers.

Ajay Pancholi, Customer Services Manager for the UK’s leading on-line SACD and DVD-Audio store EuphoricSounds.com, contacted High Fidelity Review to let us know that earlier this morning (January 7th), his company was notified by EMI that ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ would be an SACD.

An EMI representative wrote to Mr. Pancholi:

“…no definite information at present, but it looks as if our first SACD of 2003 (in March) will be Pink Floyd ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’”.

When making our own enquiries about the disc, EMI PR representatives have been tight-lipped, but there are definite inferences that the disc is to be released as an SACD. An EMI contact said:

“I can’t comment on the ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ title on SACD at this time… there will be more information available in the coming weeks.”

We do know however, that the disc has been engineered and mastered by James Guthrie, not Alan Parsons as was widely expected. “To say that I am angered by that would be an understatement,” Parsons told High Fidelity Review at Surround 2002, pausing to weigh his words carefully. Parsons’ fiancée, Lisa Marie Griffiths, offered a more frank and colourful characterisation which she encouraged us to print, but we’re a family site.

Many thanks to Ajay for passing this news along to us, but does this rule out a DVD-Audio release? Watch this space.