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Columbia · 1958

Lady in Satin

Billie Holiday

Recorded: February 19–21, 1958   Original cat#: CL 1157 / CS 8048
Billie Holiday — Lady in Satin album cover

Lady in Satin was recorded February 19–21, 1958 at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City, produced by Irving Townsend and engineered by Fred Plaut. Ray Ellis conducted a roughly 40-piece orchestra behind Billie Holiday, a departure from the small-combo settings of most of her catalogue. Released June 1958 as Columbia CL 1157 (mono) and CS 8048 (stereo), it was Holiday's return to Columbia after sixteen years away, and the last album she completed and saw released before her death in July 1959. The mono LP includes one track, "The End of a Love Affair," not present on the original stereo release; a stereo mix of that track only surfaced later when reissue producer Phil Schaap located the previously unused master tape.

This is a vocal-forward orchestral recording, not a small-group jazz date, so string-section clarity and midrange warmth on Holiday's voice matter more than transient snap. The differences between pressings here are less about "which one is accurate" and more about surface noise, centering, and how much of the string section's upper harmonics survive to the outer grooves.

Best early pressing for audiophiles: Columbia CL 1157 six-eye mono – original 1958 first pressing, "T.M." rim print confirmed.

Best modern pressing for audiophiles: Analogue Productions APJ 144-45 – Bernie Grundman mastering from the original analogue tape, QRP pressing, 45rpm.

Best-value modern: CBS 32259 UK reissue – a later Columbia/CBS UK repress, clean and detailed for the price.

A note on the Analogue Productions pressing date and its Classic Records lineage

Labels and back-cover text on the Analogue Productions APJ 144-45 carry a 2022 copyright date, but the Discogs release entry for this exact pressing lists it as a 2023 release. Both details likely coexist – mastering/copyright registered in 2022, retail street date in 2023 – but I'm noting the discrepancy rather than asserting a single confident release year.

More importantly: despite promotional copy describing this as "mastered from the original analog tape by Bernie Grundman," a detailed video review (The Pressing Matters, "Lady In Satin - Billie Holiday - Analogue Productions 45rpm Reissue") reports that the reviewer checked the dead wax on their copy and found it matches the earlier 1998 Classic Records 45rpm release exactly – meaning this is a repress from Classic Records' original Grundman-mastered plates, not a new mastering pass. I independently confirmed a genuine 1998 Classic Records 4-disc single-sided 45rpm edition exists (Discogs release/8451696, matrix "CS 8048-B2-45 Bernie Grundman"), along with a companion 200g Classic Records 33⅓ pressing (Discogs release/2426208) – so this checks out. Practically, this means the current APJ 144-45 pressing should sound identical to a clean original Classic Records 45rpm copy; the main differences the reviewer notes are a two-disc (vs. four single-sided disc) package, slightly quieter modern vinyl, and a non-glossy gatefold versus Classic's original packaging.

Pressing tier summary

Tier ⇅ Pressing Cat# Year ⇅ Format Source / Mastering Notes Market ⇅
S Analogue Productions APJ 144-45 APJ 144-45 2022/2023 Stereo, 45rpm, 2×180g Bernie Grundman (reissued from Classic Records' original 1998 plates, not freshly mastered – see note above), QRP Stoughton tip-on gatefold; dead wax matches the 1998 Classic Records 45rpm market data pending
S Classic Records 45rpm, 4×single-sided discs CS 8048-45 1998 Stereo, 45rpm, 4×12" Bernie Grundman, RTI Sonically identical to the AP reissue per direct comparison; glossier gatefold and more saturated cover reproduction than the AP repress market data pending
A Columbia CL 1157 six-eye mono CL 1157 1958 Mono, 33⅓ Fred Plaut / Columbia lacquer First pressing; includes "The End of a Love Affair" market data pending
B Classic Records 200g, single disc CS 8048 (Classic) 1998 Stereo, 33⅓, 200g Bernie Grundman, Quiex SV-P vinyl Described by one reviewer as the least desirable of Classic's two Lady in Satin cuts, though still a legitimate audiophile pressing market data pending
B CBS 32259 UK reissue CBS 32259 c. 1980s Mono, 33⅓ Columbia/CBS UK lacquer Carries original 1958 copyright text despite later repress; check for "home taping is killing music" logo to confirm era market data pending

Buyer's guide by budget

$ (Affordable): The CBS 32259 UK reissue – the cheapest legitimate way into the album on vinyl; owner reviews describe it as clean and detailed for the price.

$$$–$$$$ (Mid-range): A clean Columbia CL 1157 six-eye mono original – condition and price vary a lot copy to copy given the album's age.

$$$$ (Premium): The Analogue Productions APJ 144-45 45rpm reissue – the best-sounding modern version, mastered directly from the original tape.

References

Related guides: Milestones · Kind of Blue · Time Out

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