Universal Music has announced that Surround Sound SACDs by Elton John, Sting and Rush will headline their Fall 2003 Pop, Rock and Jazz SACD releases. The new listing of Universal Music SACDs was provided to key music dealers earlier this week as they prepare their orders for the Fall and Christmas selling season. While the August and some of the early September SACD releases were previously announced, this new list provides release dates for the SACDs slated after early September.
Highlights on the New List
Highlighting the list is a 5.1 Surround Sound Hybrid SACD of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John. The work on this Surround Sound SACD is apparently pretty far along as I’m already hearing some very positive comments on the sonics of the hi rez mix of this classic album.
Rush is also represented by 5 SACD titles on the list. Interestingly, their album “2112” is shown as a “5.1 Surround Sound Version” while there is no information on the other four as to whether they are Stereo or Surround Sound SACDs. (I presume we’ll hear more about that aspect of the releases shortly).
Sting will be represented by a 5.1 Surround Sound Hybrid SACD of his upcoming album entitled Sacred Love. Sacred Love is Sting’s first studio album in four years. I’m told that Nathaniel Kunkel who did the 5.1 Surround Sound SACD mix for James Taylor’s “JT” album is the engineer on Sacred Love. So it could be a very nice sounding 5.1 Surround Sound SACD when it is released.
Universal Music Fall 2003 SACD Release List
Here’s the latest SACD release schedule from Universal Music. As always, the in-store dates are subject to change. Also of note, unless listed as a “Non-Hybrid SACD”, all of the SACDs will be Hybrid discs with both an SACD and CD Audio layer for compatibility with CD Audio only players.
August 5, 2003 SACD Release
- John Hiatt – Bring the Family (A&M)
August 12, 2003 SACD Releases
- Dredg – El Cielo (Interscope)
- Shania Twain – Up! (Mercury Nashville)
August 26, 2003 SACD Releases
- Peter Frampton – Frampton Comes Alive (A&M) [Non-Hybrid SACD]
- Steely Dan – Gaucho (MCA Records)
September 9, 2003 SACD Releases
- Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On (Motown)
- Allison Moorer – Show (Universal South)
September 23, 2003 SACD Release
- 112 – Hot and Wet (Island Def Jam)
September 30, 2003 SACD Releases
- David Sanborn – timeagain (Verve)
- Sarah Vaughan – With Sarah Vaughan (Verve) [Non-Hybrid SACD]
- Count Basie and His Orchestra – April In Paris (Verve) [Non-Hybrid SACD]
- Aaron Neville – Nature Boy: The Standards Album (Verve)
October 7, 2003 SACD Release
- Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Island Records)
October 14, 2003 SACD Releases
- Michael McDonald – Motown (Motown)
- John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman – John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (Impulse) [Non-Hybrid SACD]
- Dinah Washington – What a Diff’rence a Day Makes! (Verve) [Non-Hybrid SACD]
October 21, 2003 SACD Releases
- Rush – 2112 (5.1 Surround Sound Version) (Universal Chronicles)
- Rush – All The World’s A Stage (Universal Chronicles)
- Rush – Caress Of Steel (Universal Chronicles)
- Rush – Fly By Night (Universal Chronicles)
- Rush – Rush (Universal Chronicles)
November 4, 2003 SACD Releases
- Herbie Hancock – Gershwin’s World (Verve)
- Joe Henderson – Lush Life: Music Of Billy Strayhorn (Verve)
November 23, 2003 SACD Release
- Sting – Sacred Love (A&M)