Saturday Deluxe / 9 March 2024
No Parlez Atmos Mix premiered in London
Paul Young in attendance, with other key contributors to the album
I was delighted to host a special Atmos playback at Dolby HQ in London on Thursday night with a group of selected guests including Paul Young, No Parlez producer Laurie Latham, guitarist Steve ‘Boltz’ Bolton and who created the immersive audio mix.
A selection of SDE readers were also present as we experienced David Kosten’s Atmos Mix in Dolby’s dedicated screening room, which has a capacity of around 65 people.
I spoke to David beforehand and then interviewed Paul and Laurie afterwards. Paul was stunned at the clarity and the separation present in the Atmos Mix, particularly enjoying the crystal clear backing vocals of Maz and Kim (aka ‘The Fabulous Wealthy Tarts’), while Laurie simply nodded in David’s direction and said “I don’t know how you did that”!
It was a family affair with my wife Anne present, along with daughter Esme who was keeping glasses filled and chatting to the various guests. Tim Young, the original mastering engineer for No Parlez was also there, along with various cohorts of Paul’s from back in the day. Michael Neidus, who has managed the reissue campaign for Demon Music was in also in attendance with a few colleagues.
It was fantastic to meet some SDE readers and chat, and a few people took the opportunity to get a photo with Paul. The Q&As at this event were filmed so we’ll be uploading some clips to the SDE YouTube channel soon.
Don’t forget you can own this immersive mix and experience it in your own home! The No Parlez SDE-exclusive blu-ray audio is released next week (15 March) and is now available again via the SDE shop. As a reminder the blu-ray contains the following audio streams:
- No Parlez 2024 Dolby Atmos Mix
- No Parlez 2024 5.1 Mix (48/24)
- No Parlez 2024 stereo mix (192/24 and 48/24)
- No Parlez Instrumentals 2024 Dolby Atmos Mix
- No Parlez Instrumentals 2024 5.1 Mix (48/24)
- No Parlez Instrumentals 2024 stereo mix (192/24 and 48/24)
- No Parlez 1983 mix remastered (96/24)
- No Parlez 1983 CD version (48/24)
To order this limited edition No Parlez blu-ray audio, simply visit the SDE shop via this link or use the buttons below.
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28 thoughts on “Saturday Deluxe / 9 March 2024”
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Paul congratulations on hosting an event like this, and look forward to whatever video you were able to capture from the night. Here’s to future listening events for future SDE releases, especially with musicians who were part of the original recordings! Seems like it could become quite the nice series for the SDE Youtube channel!
What was the system used for playback?
No idea, but it’s Dolby Atmos at Dolby HQ so presumably, pretty good… The specs might be on their website.
Hi Paul,
Will there be a transcription of the interview or a video?
I did go to Paul’s Behind The Lens tour where he talked about his life in music. Very enjoyable evening with plenty of funny anecdotes including recording ‘Toast’ if anyone remembers that little ditty. You could also leave a question in the box and fortunately, he answered mine about Pino Palladino and how he got to be on the record. The short answer being his girlfriend at the time was one of the ‘tarts’. On the night Paul gave quite a full in depth answer about Pino so I was glad I asked about him.
Both Boltz and Pino of course, went on to play in The Who.
Thanks for getting the surround version released with Demon, looking forward to hearing it.
There will be some video soon…
I can’t quite claim to remember Toast from the time – I don’t think I’d graduated to solid food yet. Great song though.
Wow, very impressive and good for you.
I’m curious, though: Had Paul Young heard the Atmos mix previous to the event? Your story gives the impression he might have been experiencing it for the first time. Also, was he able to listen from a surround ‘sweet spot’?
Congrats, baby!!
No he hadn’t and yes, he was very much in the sweet spot in reserved seats in the middle of the room!
Well, that’s… just… GREAT.
I mean, the idea that you get to be there when an artist hears his work revised to provide a new experience, and they dig it?
‘Cool’ is not a big enough word.
Was there any invitation? Have I missed this?
No you haven’t missed an invitation. A few random readers/shoppers were contacted directly, but there will be other opportunities in the future, no doubt :)
I didn’t know Bolton played on it. Fancy that. Was he sharing any Atomic Rooster anecdotes? The only thing missing from the Blu-Ray, I suppose, is a flat transfer of one of those crackly 50p vinyl copies that litter charity shops! :-D I jest – hats off for all these Blu-Ray endeavours and well done of the event!
Cheers Colin! Not only does Boltz play on it, he wrote one of the songs (Ku Ku Kurama).
Boltz from the blue there! Who knew? (Well, you did…) :-D
Thankyou so much for the invite Paul. I’ve already acknowledged privately as you know. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it. But I’m so pleased for you that it was a resounding success. Looking forward to hearing the mix!
Thanks John!
Looks like I missed out on a great night. My invitation must have gone to spam :)
Seriously though, this is a great credit to you Paul. I’ve watched SDE grow from humble beginnings in the early days to a ” must go to” site for many people on a daily basis. Now having expanded into exclusive blu-ray audio products and obviously recognition from the music industry is a huge feather in your cap. Congratulations Paul
It was a superb evening. I’ve been to London twice in a decade. Last time was Kate Bush and now Paul Young. Good reasons both.
You’ve even got the back of my head in the picture above Paul, which is excellent as it is by far my best side. I was so happy to have got to ask Paul Y. a question in the Q&A.
The take away from the evening was how strong the album tracks were. I thought that …. Wherever I lay my hat was the song to least benefit from the Atmos experience, along with Broken Man. There is a thread running through this whole Atmos mix and it is that the songs which featured The Fabulous Wealthy Tarts were strongest. The three podium / stand out tracks in some kind of order were Ku Ku Kurama, Come Back and Stay and Rough Spots, with a close fourth being Common People.
The quirkiness and joy, which the girls brought to the whole affair, shone out of those Dolby speakers. Ku Ku Kurama was utterly magnificent and to cap it all I was sat adjacent to Steve Bolton’s son. Kim and Maz deserved their round of applause.
It was plain to see how emotional Paul Y. was when the subject of Ian “The Rev” Kewley was brought up. Mr. Young came across as a really sweet bloke.
It is with fingers crossed that I hope The Secret of Association gets the same treatment and soon. I would imagine after hearing what David Kosten achieved with No Parlez that Secret would be even better and Playhouse should sound utterly immense, the bangs and crashes will have so much room to bang and crash. It was always with a sense of sadness, and I mean no disrespect to Jimmy or George, that the girls were jettisoned for a more “soulful” sound. No Parlez in Atmos is brilliant and a lot of that brilliance is because of the backing vocals. Paul can’t be faulted because Secret was a hit and the boys worked out well. But in Atmos? We shall see….hopefully.
Thank you to both Pauls for a terrific evening.
Thank you Chris! It sounds like an amazing evening. I’m jealousy you were able to be there. Good for you. I join you in hoping the Secret Of Association will get a similar release. I’m already salivating thinking about the instrumental version of I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down in Atmos with that amazing bass.
So lovely Paul to hear your family was there and helping out. Heartwarming. Thanks again for this amazing release. Looking at the bullet point list of what streams are on the blu-ray, it’s honestly incredible.
We have to play ‘where’s Chris’s head’!
It sounds like it was a fun evening. It would be interesting to know the comparison from the Atmos experience at Dolby HQ to the home experience?
That missing disc in your SDE collection would bug me Chris. I stupidly didn’t buy the first David Bowie 7″ picture disc, or perhaps more stupidly, bought all the others after that, before the record label couldn’t be arsed to carry the series on.
Well done to Paul for promoting and establishing the Pure Audio format in Dolby. It’s an opportunity to enjoy old albums, once played a lot, well remembered, but never played in decades. Just as exciting is the anticipation of new albums like the PSB and Mark Knopfler to hear for the first time as an Atmos mix. All in all – brilliant!
Since you mention “Bangs & Crashes”, I would pay good money for a sympathetically mastered blu-ray of Go West. Maybe when they conclude their boxed-set campaign we can get the Chrysalis albums in Atmos?
Chris I always enjoy your insightful comments. Especially enjoyed this one ! I only know Paul from the singles so will be hearing the album for the first time when the bluray arrives. Allow me to reminisce about my OE in London. Touching down in Shepherds Bush in 1998 and seeing a post for Paul with (a quick wiki search) Los Pacaminos, and I remember thinking so that is what he got up to now (having not heard much in NZ). Did see him live with Spike Edney’s SAS band in 2000. Another memory now comes to mind: I was the fellow that won the framed signed Freddie portrait, and Arthur Brown (singing “Fire”) came into the crowd and put his arm around my shoulders but the camera pans away then so you can’t seeme in the live video.
Ten versions of the same album [since 192/24 and 48/24 are different versions]?
I suppose technically, yes :)
Absolutely love the 8 audio stream options of No Parlez. Can’t wait to hear the Atmos mix and the interview clips from London. Btw, of all the Atmos mixes I’ve heard in Tidal and Apple Music, the best ones to my surprise are the Celine Dion ’93-’97. I don’t know who’s done them but they bring life to songs that I haven’t been able to listen to since the 90’s. I know it’s not optimal SDE Series target but have a listen if you can!
I was there, thank you! The mix was an astonishing listen, they have done a brilliant job in not just making it sound the way it should but even better. There were parts where there was such clarity and so much immersion that I was tempted to try and hold on to the notes! 5 stars!
And, what a superb album No Parlez is: Paul sounds just amazing and Laurie Latham really gives Trevor Horn a run for his money in terms of producer of the year. This is -as far as I’m concerned- the best surround mix I’ve heard, ever. I can’t wait for my copy to drop and listen again.
Paul Young also seems like a genuinely lovely bloke as does Laurie Latham. There were some great stories told and lots of fun banter between him and Laurie together with the odd valuable interjection from the audience. I didn’t know that Paul Young after Michael Jackson was CBS’s biggest seller in Europe that year.
I wish I could have stayed longer and talked but I’d like to say congratulations to all involved not just for the premier and Q&As but for the excellent mix and the amount of versions available. It’s a dream come true to get not just well mastered Atmos and Stereo album streams but also all the versions so I can hear the fab extended mixes in better quality!
Congratulations on the event Paul. I hope your efforts are rewarded and the website, blu-rays and events keep going from strength to strength.
Sounds like a great night. Can’t wait for the blu-ray to arrive next week.