Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi, all:

Not counting the recent Capitol Records' (American versions)remastering-- why haven't the BRITISH versions of Beatles Cds been re-mastered.

I bought both Capitol versions-- but I would love to have it the way the Beatles intended it.

If you really want to hear the early beatles as they intended, be sure to listen in mono.

Karl: This topic has been discussed in several previous threads. As I understand it, Apple is almost done remastering the entire UK catalog. Until this material is released, the Capitol versions are a very good start. The Beatles (and George Martin) concentrated on the mono mixes and treated stereo mixes as afterthoughts. At the current time, these mono mixes can only be heard on the Capitol CD releases. The current UK releases of the first four albums are in mono, but they were remixed by George Martin for CD, so they aren't authentic. Hopefully, Apple will do a better job this time. For all the criticism that Capitol receives, they have actually done Beatles fan a great favor with their latest releases.

Any bets on the format they'll use for the new remasters? Regular Compact Disc, CD/SACD hybrids like the recent Stones reissues, Dual Disc with 5.1 mixes on the flipside like the recent Talking Heads reissues, or DVD-A?

I doubt that they'll do any 5.1 mixes. Most of the original Beatles catalog (up until the White Album) was only recorded on two or four tracks. True 5.1 would be difficult if not impossible to accomplish.

That's true, although good stereo mixes of Pet Sounds were created in the last tens years. The engineers lined up the original session multitracks in the computer, rather than relying on mixes and submixes and bounce-downs that were created in 1966. (Bran Wilson being deaf in one ear, the album was orginally mixed to mono only.)

I'd think they could produce a similar sort of effect for Beatles recordings post, say, 1963. And then it might still be cool to hear the original two or three track recordings separated out. But you're right, it would (couldn't) be done in true, full 5.1 surround. And it wouldn entail a LOT of work!

I don't even have a 5.1 system, but I might be persuaded if I could hear the Beatles like that.

Many of the songs that were included in the Anthology DVD were in fact remixed into 5.1 by George Martin. While the mixes are not as complex as 5.1 remixes of more recent stereo releases by other artists, if you listen on a good surround system, they are pretty amazing compared to the EMI CD releases. To name a few: In My Life, It Won't Be Long, This Boy....

THE CD'S BETTER BE REMIXED AS WELL, NOT JUST REMASTERED. LISTEN TO HOW GREAT THE SOLO LENNON ALBUMS SOUND NOW. THE YELLOW SUB SONGTRACK AND LET IT BE NAKED BOTH SOUND GREAT AND ARE THE BEST SOUNDING BEATLE ALBUMS AT THE MOMENT.

Too bad Let It Be Naked is a joke.

I prefer the sound of "Snap, Crackle, and Pop" when I listen to Beatles tunes. I miss the old vinyls... "Roll over Beethov-Roll over Beethov-Roll over Beethov-ssscratch- and tell Tchaikovsky the news..."

QUOTE:
"Too bad Let It Be Naked is a joke".
END QUOTE

Tom, Just curious. I rather like 'Let it Be Naked"
Why do you feel it's a joke?

I like the records best also, especially the Capitol stereo mixes. I have good clean copies and they kill the CD's in many ways.

the long out of print Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs 1/2 speed masters of the Beatles on very limited edition vinyl were simply killers
(I have the complete set)

I don't know about Tom, but I felt certain songs were stronger on the original LIB. I've Got a Feeling in particular was a stronger track on the original. IMO.

Brian,

I'll buy that observation. Fortunately, we still have the "Spectorized version" to listen and compare so the LIBN simply offers us Beatles aficionados more options.

But, I really like the improved sonics of the LIBN.

I have (on vinyl) both the two separate unreleased Gyn Johns Olympic Sound Studios prepared masters of LIB that ALMOST went out. I truly think if either of these two had been released (as originally planned) in 1969 or 1970, the public reaction would have been exponetially far worse then what it was when the demonized Phil Spector version was when it went out to the public.

Even so, let's not forget that LIB (original release) produced 3 (count 'em!) number one top forty tunes! Not at all shabby!