Maybe it was some grand artistic decision, or maybe it was due to technical issues at the start of a session once again, but I’m not sure that any spot mics are used on this track.  The bass isn’t very bass-y and the small percussion is extra small.  Oddly, the winds seem to be just a, for lack of a better phrase, big clump of sound coming from “somewhere over there.”  The richness of other tracks is missing somewhat, and I don’t want to overdo things here:  It’s not bad, but it’s lacking the richness and tone of the tracks that came before it.   Have a listen, and focus especially on the bass sound, which seems to be lacking in low extension, and the fact that nothing sounds “close” or “present” when compared to other tracks.  (All the spot mics were functioning just fine on the mono mix, by the way.)  (S&P sample from DJ Wilbur - Click to listen JustOneSPSample.mp3)

(I can’t help but wonder if technical problems caused some sort of “rush job” on this one to get a stereo take, such as the use of a “Stereosonic” [Blumlein pair, crossed figure 8 mics] system, but I think odds of that are small.  The sound is markedly different on this particular track, however, and we may never figure out why.)

Song #2 - “I Should Care”

Ah....rich, full, warm sound returns!  So do all the spot mics we have known and loved in the first two sessions:  

 

Left Channel

--Bass (full and rich again; welcome back!)

--Harp & Small Percussion

--Maybe guitar or piano -- doubtful

--Left Winds

 

Center Channel

--Nat

 

Right Channel

--Right Winds

 

Much superior sound compared to that sloppy-sounding first song from this session.  Here’s a clip from song #2.  Click IShouldSPSample.mp3. (The sample is from the S&P reissue, courtesy DJ Wilbur.)

Song #3 - “The Party’s Over” - Setup identical to #2.

Song #4 - “Just for the Fun of It”

Identical to above, but with a spot mic (likely an RCA 44) added in the right channel for

the impeccable trumpet of Harry “Sweets” Edison.  

One final note:  The Billy May Sessions set lists an alternate take of “Just for the

Fun of It” as originating on this date.  According to Steve Hoffman Music Forum

member “jtaylor,” this is an error, and the sonic evidence supports that, indeed, it

comes from the session of July 31, three weeks after this first session.  My sincere

thanks for this clarification on this point!