The Conquistador variations

Antonio Costa Barbé in dialogue with
Matthew Fisher and with Chris Copping

17 January 2002: Antonio Costa Barbé to Chris Copping

Hi Chris? How are you?

I've read about new songs from you: can you say to me some more?

By the way: did you remember if, circa 1972 (after Live in Edmonton), you did make a overdubbing of organ solo in the early studio version of Conquistador? in fact, it seems to me to hear your style and sound in the Conquistador version (precisely: only in the organ solo!) as flip side of 45 rpm AWSoP circa 1972 – and this version is present in many compilations!
Hope to hear from you; best regards to Vicky and family

All the best, shine on
Antonio (Costa Barbé) from Italy

Chris Copping to Antonio Costa Barbé

Hi Antonio!
Conquistador – there are only two versions recorded. The studio version with Matthew around 1967. And the live one in Edmonton in November 1971. The only overdub was Dave's guitar solo.

Then I sent to CC a CD with the both version of Conquistador: one from Italian LP, one from the single AWSoP circa 1972 (that was the normal version of Conquistador, of course)

Chris Copping to Antonio Costa Barbé

Hi Antonio
Your CD arrived just before we left to go on holiday. It sounds like two alternate takes from the first album.

They are both Matthew. The second version has an organ solo that begins on a high C. And quite often I would do this when I played in the band. That would explain why you thought it was me. But I did not use that sound.

Antonio Costa Barbé to Matthew Fisher

Please let me ask about a old recording question that I've discussed mainly with Frans Steensma.

In the PH compilations we find often TWO studio version of Conquistador:

• One I've heard in Italian LP from 1967 and it had a lively, crispy Hammond solo from you (so called stereo version, and it *seems* more rare ... but not to me, because RCA IL ITALIANA had released this version since 1967 in Italy!)

• The other had a solo that begins with a long note; this solo is more powerful, with some chords rather than lively singles-or-triplets notes, and had a *different* sound of Hammond, and it sounds just like an *overdub*. (I can send mp3s, just in case of

Can you explain please this last little mystery in the early recording of you with PH? 

13 October 2002: Matthew Fisher to Antonio Costa Barbé 

Hi, Antonio

Sorry for not replying before – things have been rather hectic lately, what with the new album and everything.

It's possible that one of the versions was recorded with Bobby Harrison and Ray Royer and later re-recorded with BJ Wilson and Robin Trower. There are two different versions of In the Wee Small Hours of Sixpence for this reason. If this other version of Conquistador is really stereo, it probably wasn't mixed by Denny Cordell since he wasn't interested in stereo at this time.

I'd rather you didn't send me any MP3's right now, as I'm having to use a slow connection while we're recording the album. It would, of course, be OK if you sent me them on a Saturday or Sunday as I'm at home on weekends and can use my broadband connection.

Antonio Costa Barbé to Matthew Fisher

Hi Matthew!

How about the arduousness of the new recordings?? __I hope :-) !

Here I will attach two mp3s (about 730 kb each one).
a) "conqmono" is part of the most common version of Conquistador recording studio in the reissue of the first album on CD and in many anthologies

b) "conqstereo" seems to be a rarity (here in excerpt), recently discovered and mixed in stereo by Nick Watson and Henry Scott-Irvine in 1998, BUT NOT FOR ME! In fact I use to listen at THIS version (and I did transcribe your crispy solo) since 1968, because this version was (in mono) in the first Italian release of first PH album (that was put out circa in February/march 1968 with Il Tuo Diamante in Italian language).

You will hear in "conqstereo" that your Hammond sound with the sound mainly present in the whole album, with organ accompaniment mixed more in front of sound; vice versa in "conqmono" the solo is different, performed with different Hammond sound (more vibrato) with one strange 'wosh' at the end of the solo, and the rest of the Hammond mix is towards the back...
Please: have you the patience to dig in the memory to solve this little mystery??

Thanks very much; I'm looking for your kind answer, best
Antonio (from Italy)

19 October 2002: Matthew Fisher to Antonio Costa Barbé

Hi, Antonio

I've listened to the MP3s and I must admit I'm puzzled. Firstly, it's obvious that although the sound is different in the two versions, apart from the organ track it's the same performance – the vocal is exactly the same and Dave Knights stops playing the riff at exactly the same point.

The mono version is the version I'm familiar with (from the first album). The stereo is obviously a different mix of the same tape – except there is a different organ solo! Since these recordings were made on four-track equipment I wouldn't have thought there were two different organ tracks. The track layout would have been:

1. Bass, Drums & Gtr
2. Piano
3. Organ
4. Vocal

So if there was a different organ track, the original would have to have been erased.

If it was mixed by Henry Scott-Irvine, then I suppose you'll have to ask him how it came about. However, I would say that it's definitely me on both solos – they didn't overdub a different organist!

Sorry I can't give any further information.

Best wishes
Matthew