Disco 2 question - mixed from vinyl?

[Ramzy]

Evening campers,

Got a question about everyone's least favourite track on everyone's least favourite Pet Shop Boys record.

Danny Rampling did the Disco 2 DJ mix live from vinyl, right?

But I realised this evening that the infamous E Smoove mix of Liberation was never released on vinyl, even as a promo. So what did he use to do the mix? Did they perhaps produce an acetate for this sole purpose? Or could the DJ mix have somehow involved a hybrid vinyl and CD setup that allowed for both?

The mixed-from-vinyl thing is funny in itself because I'm listening to Disco 2 on vinyl, but the signal almost certainly went through a digital desk at some point, and Very itself was either recorded or mixed on tape (according to that Sound On Sound feature from around the time it came out) but then presumably digitised. So potentially the signal chain here, at least for the vocals, is analogue tape - digital master - 12" vinyl - digital recording - vinyl LP. Astonishing it sounds as good as it does with that many bounces back and forth!

[tottenhammattspurs]

The liberation e smoove mixes were on the double vinyl 12” weren’t they?

But yes, it was a vinyl only mix.

[Gabby]

Pet Shop Boys - Liberation (The E Smoove & Murk Remixes) / Young Offender (The Jam & Spoon Remixes)

Url: https://www.discogs.com/release/86629-P ... on-Remixes

Shared from the Discogs App

[ChoonHound]

In 1994 there was no other way to mix but vinyl. Pitchable CD players weren’t out yet. There were pitchabke tape decks, I suppose. But it was definitely vinyl.

[Ramzy]

Thanks, and yes, for my sins, I've got the 12" double pack you're both referring to. But as the tracklist on Discogs shows, it doesn't include the 12min E Smoove mix - only the much shorter so-called E Smoove 7" mix, which has Neil's vocal and runs to about four minutes. Disco 2 has a ~6min extract of the longer mix.

[Sandy Shaw]

AI result:

Yes, DJs could and did mix from CDs in 1994. Pioneer DJ, a major manufacturer of DJ equipment, released their first dedicated DJ CD player, the CDJ-500, in 1994, which included features essential for mixing like a jog wheel and pitch control for beatmatching.
While many DJs still preferred and predominantly used vinyl records at the time, the introduction of the CDJ-500 provided a viable alternative for mixing music.
Key aspects of CD DJing in 1994:
Equipment: Dedicated DJ CD players (CDJs) were emerging, with the Pioneer CDJ-500 being a significant model.
Functionality: These early CDJs had pitch control (typically +/- 10%) and basic looping functions, allowing DJs to beatmatch and perform transitions, similar to how they would with vinyl.
Popularity: The format became standard among the general public for music consumption, and a number of influential DJ mix albums, such as Sasha & John Digweed's Renaissance: The Mix Collection, were released on CD in 1994, further popularizing the medium in club culture.
Limitations: Early CDJs did not allow for scratching in the same tactile way as vinyl, so many hip-hop DJs, in particular, remained loyal to turntables.
Ultimately, 1994 was a pivotal year, marking the beginning of the transition from a purely vinyl-dominated DJ scene to one where digital formats like the CD began to gain traction as a legitimate, mixable medium.

[ChoonHound]

Now, could a famous DJ havehad access to a pre production unit? Of course. But DJs had been having acetates made for decades at this point and that’s a far more likly what happened.

[lalolalo]

I'd bet my house and all my belongings this was not mixed live using neither vinyl or cd, I mean using a proper dj gear live.
In fact, even the site says "edited together".
This was mixed in the studio. Plus I don't think Danny Rampling did it himself.

[scousepsbfan]

I'v always hated the lower speed and pitch of the fabulous Coconut 1 remix of Yesterday. I remember adjusting the speed on my deck to make it faster. i can't listen to the CD, just bugs me.

[popfreak]

I think it could be live vinyl mixing plus edits to tidy it up.
I can hear needle static/crackle towards the end (when its minimal instrumentation) of So Hard (red zone mix) and start of Can you forgive her (Rollo Dub).

[Ramzy]

I think it could be live vinyl mixing plus edits to tidy it up.
I can hear needle static/crackle towards the end (when its minimal instrumentation) of So Hard (red zone mix) and start of Can you forgive her (Rollo Dub).

Yeah that's the place I hear it too. So I guess the E Smoove mix must have been an acetate? Surely has the bizarre honour of being both one of the rarest and one of the least desirable PSB items if it still exists!

[tottenhammattspurs]

Liberate, liberate, liberate, liberate,