The Hollyridge Strings - The Beatles Songbook 5.1 DTS Upmix by Sansdancer (SBU)

This is a re-up by request of one of my very first upmixes. I have learned much more about methods and audio tricks since I made this. If I were to do it again I would do it on DVD/Blu-ray with a higher resolution. Maybe someday I will re-do it, but for now you can enjoy this.

The Hollyridge Strings "The Beatles Songbook" (complete) upmixed to 5.1 DTS by Sansdancer using the Spec method as found on www.surroundbyus.com. This upmix can only be played on PCs and HT/audio systems capable of decoding and playing DTS files. You can also play this with Foobar 2000 (with the DTS dll installed) or burn it to CD blanks using the cue files and Imgburn or similar program. There are three discs and accompanying cue sheets in the file plus the complete track list and artwork from the 6 volumes of LPs. To be clear, burn them to CD-Rs but play them on your DVD or blu-ray player, not a CD player.

This collection contains (to my knowledge) every Beatles song The Hollyridge Strings recorded across six albums plus a few songs on other albums. Considering how popular The Hollyridge Strings Beatles albums were, it is surprising how rare their CDs are today. None of the albums have been issued on CD in their original form and the few collections that have been issued are out of print. A single disc 'Best Of" was briefly available in the US and CEMA Special Products issued a three disc set (the source for much of my upmix). There are two or three Japanese import collections that contain a few of the songs that did not appear on the US CDs. Some of the songs are not available on CD, so those songs come from my own vinyl rips. Two of the vinyl tracks come from an SQ Quadraphonic sampler Capitol issued to promote Quadraphonic albums. Strangely, none of the Hollyridge Strings albums were issued in quad - they seem like obvious choices.

There are actually two methods to properly listen to these songs:
The first method is at a moderate volume (a bit lower than you listen to Rock/Pop) using a high quality 5.1 audio system with full range, sonically balanced and time phase correct speakers. Before pressing the play button, put on pajamas and a smoking jacket (preferably red satin), prepare a dry martini or highball and a billiard style pipe. (What you put in that pipe is up to you.) Occasionally use the pipe stem to point at the speakers and say things like "That's catchy" and "Those cheeky Brits".

The second method is to set your amp to 'mono', the treble to 'flat' and bass below 'flat'. Turn the volume up just loud enough so that if you concentrate for a moment you can identify the melody. Open a Golf Digest magazine from last year (unless you like golf in which case a Lady's Home Journal will substitute). As you listen to the music, slowly leaf through the magazine and try to find anything of interest. Have your wife, roommate or friend come in the room every twenty minutes or so and say "It's going to be a little bit longer".

Enjoy the upmix and let me know what you think.

The Beatles Songbook - 5.1 DTS Upmix by Sansdancer

"The Hollyridge Strings"

"The Beatles Songbook Disc One"

TRACK 01 "Love Me Do"
TRACK 02 "P.S. I Love You"
TRACK 03 "Please Please Me"
TRACK 04 "I Want To Hold Your Hand"
TRACK 05 "I Saw Her Standing There"
TRACK 06 "All My Loving"
TRACK 07 "Can't Buy Me Love"
TRACK 08 "Do You Want To Know A Secret"
TRACK 09 "A Taste Of Honey"
TRACK 10 "A Hard Day's Night"
TRACK 11 "And I Love Her"
TRACK 12 "I Feel Fine"
TRACK 13 "She's A Woman"
TRACK 14 "Eight Days A Week"
TRACK 15 "From Me To You"
TRACK 16 "She Loves You"
TRACK 17 "If I Fell"
TRACK 18 "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You"
TRACK 19 "I'll Cry Instead"
TRACK 20 "Things We Said Today"
TRACK 21 "I'll Be Back"
TRACK 22 "Norwegian Wood" (SQ Quadraphonic mix)
TRACK 23 "We Can Work It Out" (SQ Quadraphonic mix)


"The Beatles Songbook Disc Two"

TRACK 01 "Ticket To Ride"
TRACK 02 "I'll Follow The Sun"
TRACK 03 "I'm A Loser"
TRACK 04 "Help!"
TRACK 05 "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away"
TRACK 06 "Norwegian Wood"
TRACK 07 "Michelle"
TRACK 08 "I've Just Seen A Face"
TRACK 09 "Yesterday"
TRACK 10 "Drive My Car"
TRACK 11 "Act Naturally"
TRACK 12 "We Can Work It Out"
TRACK 13 "Day Tripper"
TRACK 14 "No Reply"
TRACK 15 "The Night Before"
TRACK 16 "Girl"
TRACK 17 "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
TRACK 18 "She's Leaving Home"
TRACK 19 "When I'm Sixty-Four"
TRACK 20 "A Day In The Life"


"The Beatles Songbook Disc Three"

TRACK 01 "Nowhere Man"
TRACK 02 "Taxman"
TRACK 03 "Eleanor Rigby"
TRACK 04 "Good Day Sunshine"
TRACK 05 "Yellow Submarine"
TRACK 06 "Penny Lane"
TRACK 07 "Strawberry Fields Forever"
TRACK 08 "Hey Jude"
TRACK 09 "Here Comes The Sun"
TRACK 10 "Let It Be"
TRACK 11 "The Long And Winding Road"
TRACK 12 "My Sweet Lord"
TRACK 13 "It Don't Come Easy"
TRACK 14 "Something"
TRACK 15 "Magical Mystery Tour"
TRACK 16 "The Fool On The Hill"
TRACK 17 "Your Mother Should Know"
TRACK 18 "I Am The Walrus"
TRACK 19 "Hello Goodbye"
TRACK 20 "Baby You're A Rich Man"
TRACK 21 "All You Need Is Love"
TRACK 22 "Another Day"
TRACK 23 "Imagine"
TRACK 24 "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey"
TRACK 25 "Bangla-Desh"