Mono And Stereo Question

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 3:01 am

Does anyone know when UK singles switched from mono to stereo? Specifically, I'm interested in Beatles singles. Their early singles were all mono and their final single tracks were stereo (except 'You Know My Name' which was mono). Their 'Magical Mystery Tour' EP was available in both mono and stereo. Does anyone know which Beatles singles were issued in stereo? I have scoured my reference library and have been unable to answer this question myself.

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 3:26 am

Randy: I am going out on the limb and say that The Beatles' first stereo single was Get Back/Don't Let Me Down on Apple. I believe that it was released in May 1969. I am not a record collector though, so I am not completely confident about it.

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 3:40 am

Peter: I'm also fairly certain that the 1969 'Get Back' single was in stereo. What about 'Hey Jude' in 1968? That was a very important single for the Beatles, as it was on their new Apple label. The 'White Album' in 1968 and even the 'Yellow Submarine' album in 1969 were still issued in both mono and stereo versions. It's hard to believe that 'Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forver' in 1967 was issued in mono only and that no true stereo versions of these tracks were available in the UK before CD reissue of 'Magical Mystery Tour' in 1987!

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:06 am

It may be that albums and singles may have been treated differently Randy.

For me, with regard to playing 45s or LPs it just meant whether I would put one or two pennies on the arm of my record player. Some of those albums were quite warped.

I was just interested in listening to the songs and didn't consider stereo at all through my single speaker until 1969.

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:16 am

Although I've always been interested in recording anomalies on Beatle tracks, until recently I didn't think too much about mono and stereo mix differences. The latest 'Capitol' series set and the ensuing controversy really taught me a lot about the differences. The fact is that G. Martin and the Beatles spent a lot more time and energy on their mono mixes. Stereo mixes were dashed off or not done at all in some cases. I always thought that was true in the early days (i.e. 1963-1965), but in fact it extended into the later years as well. John Lennon once said something to the effect of "You haven't heard 'Sgt. Pepper' till you've heard it in mono". I guess that means I've never heard 'Sgt. Pepper'.

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:19 am

I think that we might be able to say with some confidence that a mono verison of Sgt. Pepper will surface at some point.

There is a bundle to be made from it and when it comes out there is a good chance that we will both buy it.

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:36 am

Several Beatle experts have recently hinted that Capitol/EMI/Apple will do something special in 2007 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of 'Sgt Pepper'. They may release a deluxe CD package including both stereo and mono versions, along with outtakes and/or a DVD.

espidog · Post by **espidog** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 5:41 am

Quoting Randyz: "The fact is that G. Martin and the Beatles spent a lot more time and energy on their mono mixes. Stereo mixes were dashed off or not done at all in some cases."

Absolutely. Back then, there was no concept of a "Stereo Mix" as such for pop records. The stereo versions of pop albums were really little more than a premium-priced gimmick to sell to those few buyers who had hifi equipment.

And we all know what those early so-called stereo albums sound like, don't we? After all, with only three tracks to play with, there was precious little to mix! About all they're good for is the amusement value of fading out one channel and hearing what just drums and backing vocals sound like!

I'm proud to say that I still have all my first-release Beatles albums and singles in good playable condition, and all of them are the mono releases.

I don't know whether these 'proper' mono mixes are available on CD nowadays, but I recall that throughout the 70s and 80s, the stereo versions were the only ones you could buy. It was infuriating! I wrote to EMI in the late 70s to ask if it was possible to obtain copies of the original mono versions. Their reply explained (rather patronisingly) that there was no need for me to buy a special LP just for this, as I could achieve my desired effect by pushing the Mono button on my hifi! I wrote back explaining that this would not re-create George Martin's mixdown. They never replied.

My favourite 'spot the difference' moment between mono and stereo versions is on Norwegian Wood. Forgive me if you've heard this one before - it's probably legendary! In the mono mix, you can hear someone coughing in the background just after "and she told me to sit anywhere". Recently I got a copy of the EMI stereo CD release of Rubber Soul (CDP 7 46440 2). I listened to Norwegian Wood... the cough was gone!

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 6:01 am

Ken: Until recently, I thought that the Beatles' mono mixes were simple mixdowns from stereo with a few notable exceptions that occured when different takes or edits were accidentally used. The latest 'Capitol' series taught me that this was not the case. Some American mono releases were simple mixdowns or fold-downs, but the UK mono releases were almost all special mixes. Although Capitol has been accused of added muddy reverb and creating fake stereo from mono, they actually didn't do this very often. In many cases, the new Capitol CD's are in fact the only way to listen to G. Martin's original true mono mixes.

Speaking of 'Rubber Soul', I just read that the original UK stereo version was mixed by G. Martin for extreme vocal separation. When the CD version was being readied for release, he opted to go back and remix it to center the vocals. Before the CD version of 'Help!' was released, G. Martin decided to remix it to add reverb for a more modern sound.

espidog · Post by **espidog** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 6:40 am

Phew! It's a complicated history, isn't it? I had no idea that the Capitol releases were different at all. What a dark, dirty, mercenary business pop music was back then - not that it's any better now!

As for George Martin's first stereo version of Rubber Soul: that must be the one I've got on CD (with the cough missing). It has all the vocals on left and right, with a great gaping hole in the middle (and some rather irritating reverb on John's Norwegian Wood vocal). Can't blame him for wanting to correct that, I guess.

I'm not sure I approve of adding reverb to HELP! though. After all these years, isn't it time to lay off? Being a perfectionist is all very well, and I'm sure he did it with the greatest subtlety, but some things were perfect (at least in mono) to start with. Besides, the original mixes are historical documents; each one a snapshot of a moment in 20th century music: of the artistic and technical decisions taken at the time the music was being created - and as such, they should be left well alone!

expomick · Post by **expomick** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 6:49 am

So...and I have "agonized" over this in the past...let's suppose that I want to start a complete Beatles' collection from scratch.

And, I want to collect THEE definite version of each song they officially released between 1962 and 1970.

Where would I turn for that? Is it possible to narrow down such a request? Is there even a definitive version for a song, when both mono and stereo mixes were made?

Help, I'm drowning!

(Having said all this, I bought my first Beatles' albums beginning in 1975, so the bulk of my vinyl collection spans the orange Capitol label to the beginning of the purple label).

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 6:55 am

Ken: According to the material I've read, the original stereo mix of 'Rubber Soul' that came out on vinyl had severe vocal separation. Martin remixed it for the 1987 CD issue. Perhaps it's still more separation than we're used to hearing.

I certainly don't like the idea of remixing for a contemporary sound. Remastering to clean up the sound is fine, but when I listen to old music, I wanna hear it the way it was!

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 7:37 am

I with you Randy, with the possible exception that sometimes a separation allows for learning specific parts that cannot be clearly appreciated on mono. I too like the original recordings though.

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 8:08 am

Mick: The definitive Beatles collection doesn't currently exist in digital format. For a British band, I always start with their domestic releases, so that would be UK tracks for the Beatles. I would also consider the mono mixes to be superior for the early tracks, and luckily the first (4) UK albums are currently available on CD in true mono. After that it becomes confusing. 'Past Masters' and other collections mostly provide stereo mixes of their hit singles. All of the later albums are only currently available in stereo. It bothers me to think how hard G. Martin and the Beatles worked to make incredible records like 'Revolver' and 'Sgt Pepper' jump out of the speakers with a mono mix, and to have only stereo mixes available on CD. The good news is that the new Capitol releases are making some of these rare mixes available, shortcomings aside. The next release in the series should include 'Yesterday And Today' and 'Revolver'. Be patient, eventually everything gets a digital remaster!

espidog · Post by **espidog** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 8:33 am

Mick: I echo Randy's sentiments entirely, and I'm very glad to hear that the first 4 albums are now back on sale in their 'correct' mono mixes.

Naturally, an old codger like me is bound to have his likings swayed by the fact that the UK mono versions are what I grew up with, album by album: the sound that leapt off the vinyl every time my elder brother came home with the latest precious 12inch under his arm and a gleam of excitement in his eye!

However, I believe there's another factor that makes the mono mixes SO much better to listen to. They have a homogeneity that no two-channel version can ever achieve. It's like...(WARNING: bad metaphor coming up)...the mono recording is a delicious, rich casserole, in which all the ingredients have been brought together in the same pot by an expert chef. The stereo version is the same chef obliged to put some of his ingredients in one pot, some in another, etc., with the result that, instead of one superb dish on the table, you get two or three inferior ones side by side. Not the same experience.

And do you know the really funny thing about all this? We only ended up with the mono LPs because my brother's pocket money wasn't sufficient for him to afford the expensive stereo ones!

In fact, when Sgt. Pepper came out, he was so broke that instead of buying it, he asked a college friend to record it onto reel-to-reel - and that was how we heard it, on my dad's old Vortexion tape machine, through a big Tannoy speaker. Unforgettable.