Yearbook 1997

[ted.trembinski]

So recently, I had an alumni drop off a box of CD's he had, and along with the ones that were still selling, he had a copy of the Yearbook 1997 disc. While I've heard the complaint "Another yearbook album?!" so many times from more than a few people, I have to say, I love this disc. Granted, I'm not going to play it for my family or friends, but c'mon! How often do you get a slice of what a cappella sounded like live, across 35 different groups all on one disc?! I'm sure BOCA just bought out all need for this disc to be produced in the future, but it's going to hold a place in my heart. Personally, my favorite recordings from the groups I've been have all been board dumps from our live shows. They hold more memories and are more fun to listen to than 90% of the produced music I've done.

Plus, Washington U Pikers have a really fun version of Flashdance - where the audience was clearly involved and enthralled. It might not be the flashiest sounding or even on pitch the whole time, but it just brings a smile to my face!

[drellz]

AND it has one of the best hidden tracks ever put on a cd.

"Did you ever wonder..."

[dekesharon]

Wow - blast from the past!

It is indeed a snapshot, and a very intentional one at that. Untuned, unpolished, area micing direct to 2 track DAT.

The Yearbook 97 album was the cornerstone of a new project Adam Farb and I pulled together that year called "Spring Thing"

The idea was a college-only summit-like event with classes, events, and a fun Saturday Night event called the a cappella gong show. Much stupidity, etc.

However, college groups, notoriously cheap, would likely not pony up the money to come to the event, so we hatched a plan: Each group that attends gets 1/2 hour of recording on-site (in a quiet lecture hall) where audience members are invited to listen. They could sing one song several times and choose a best take or record a bunch of different music...

And then the chosen track was placed on the Yearbook 97 CD and each group got a certain number of copies (50?) which, when they sold them all, would not only cover their costs for the weekend (including album pressing) but result in a profit. Win-win all around.

Adam was pretty burned out on event production by the second year and it didn't really happen a second time (he soon thereafter sold the NCCA and BOCA to Don Gooding), but I've always thought it was a good idea, and I have plenty of great memories around it.

If someone's interested in getting that ball rolling again, say the word - wouldn't be hard to revive, and it would be great to have a yearbook 2010 CD (which would stand in greater contrast with today's recordings than 97 did).

[Jabbermusic]

Wait, where's the hidden track?! Guess I missed that one. I also found Yearbook while sifting through an old box of CDs, and this is one of my favorite compilations, a lot of groups that I'd never get to hear otherwise, not the same groups heard every year on studio recordings.
And this version of Zombie by The Claremont Shades is probably my favorite ever of that song, the soloist goes wild, and it sounds like it would have been so much fun to sing with them on stage. Book of Days by the Toons is pretty awesome, too.
Here's hoping for Yearbook 2010!

[tekay]

ZOMG. I have to pull out my stacks and find this one. Yearbook was one of the first times that non-loreleis, 'forks and OOTB from north carolina were present on a compilation.

[kevin47]

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