At Their Very Best...

[drakula63]

Looking somewhat like Santa Claus myself, the real Father Christmas bought me this on December 25th...

[drakula63]

Hard to believe that it's 30 years now since it first appeared. Time flies.

[drakula63]

I hope it sounds as good as it looks...

[LONGPLAYER09]

I was lucky as well. My son brought me the double LP "Throw Down A Line (a taste of hank marvin)". Long time since i used my record player - but good record (26 tracks)!

[Fenderman]

I didn't buy it for years as i thought it was just a compilation. I didn't realise it was re-recordings.
I actually prefer the version of 'Genie...' on this album.

[iefje]

Looking somewhat like Santa Claus myself, the real Father Christmas bought me this on December 25th...

I bought a copy of this edition as well, but already in November, 2017 when it was released and not in transparent red vinyl, but standard black vinyl. This double LP edition has two improved aspects: the vinyl itself is thicker and of a higher quality and the twenty tracks have been spread over two LP's, instead of just one like the original from December, 1989, so improving the sound quality. I also like the memorabilia inside the gatefold sleeve.

[Tigerdaisy]

I remember this album from when it came out and I thought it was a great set of re-recordings, something they rarely ever did.

[Iain Purdon]

They did it partly because they had changed record companies and could no longer rerelease material they had recorded for EMI.

[Didier]

They did it partly because they had changed record companies and could no longer rerelease material they had recorded for EMI.

And mostly with these new recordings, they could get royalties they didn't have with EMI, this was the main reason why they didn't renew their contract with EMI !

Didier

[JimN]

They did it partly because they had changed record companies and could no longer rerelease material they had recorded for EMI.

I'm not sure I follow that. As EMI-signed artistes, The Shadows (and Cliff Richard) had never had the right to release, re-release or otherwise exploit their EMI contractual recordings. Those belonged to EMI outright and the company had always been in control of them. What The Shadows were seeking in 1980 was a deal broadly similar to what certain other artistes had had for some years, which was a licensing deal whereby they made and owned their own new recordings and licensed EMI to release them, with the ultimate artistic control retained by the group. In effect, the deal would have been something like "Here's the master tape of our latest album, "Change Of Address" and you may release it and retain a lease on the rights for [say] five years".

After all, this was what The Beatles had done when they founded Apple. And people like Dave Clark, Elton John and even The Yardbirds had always had some control over their recordings, even though released on EMI-family labels.