Dexter / Steeplechase box errors

[Jim R]

There was a thread about this new Dexter Gordon box set recently, but I decided to start a new thread to announce a couple of errors. Here's the deal. For those of us who already own all of Dexter's Steeplechases, and are mainly interested in this new set for the 28 p.i. alternates, there's a minor problem I've discovered, with the help of a friend who bought the set. I've spent some time comparing my 1990 STABLE MABLE CD to the corresponding box set material (involving disc 3), and I've found a couple of errors.

Here's how the box set data reads for the March 10, 1975 session:

Rosenberg Studios, Copenhagen, Engineer: Freddy Hansson - March 10, 1975

DISC 3

[1] Just Friends, take 1 8:07

[2] Just Friends, take 2 7:57* (previously unissued)

[3] Just Friends, take 3 8:10

On my "Stable Mable" CD, the "issued" take (the one that was on the original LP) is 7:58 in length, while the "previously unissued" 1990 CD bonus track was listed as 8:07. I compared the "7:57" take with my "7:58" version on my CD, and as expected, they're identical. It looks like the take that had remained in the can and is now being released for the first time in the box is either #1, or #3 above. I suspect it's take 3, but I can't be sure, because the actual length of my CD bonus track is 8:09, not 8:07. I haven't heard takes 1 and 3 from the box yet, so it remains to be seen which take is actually seeing the light of day here for the first time (but they're incorrect to say it's take 2).

The same type of error occurs in their notations for "Misty":

DISC 3

[4] Misty, take 1 8:17

[5] Misty, take 2 7:42*

[6] Misty, take 3 7:24

The regular take on the 1990 STABLE MABLE CD is 8:18, but the CD bonus track is listed as 7:42. I compared their Disc 3/track 5 with this bonus track on my CD, and they're the same. So, they should have their asterisk next to #6, the 7:24 take.

To sum up, it looks like anybody who wants to gather up the 28 "previously unissued" alternate takes from this set needs to include take 3 of "Misty" and most likely take 3 of "Just Friends".

[Chuck Nessa]

Nils Winther, owner/producer of SteepleChase is a VERY canny marketer. I would not put it past him to list the wrong takes on purpose, to screw up the cd burners. On the other hand, he's a sloppy producer, and they may be "real" errors.