Ed Komara did a nice job reviewing both the mono and stereo recent Beatles reissues. Published in
the past two issues of the ARSC Journal.
Since I bought the mono box set, that's become my go-to versions for everything up to "Revolver." I
like the stereo versions after that, but the mono versions of some songs are very interesting and
the mono mixes from the White Album present quite a different impression vs. the stereo that most of
us grew up listening to.
The really early stuff (pre-"Rubber Soul") does not sound good in the hard-panned stereo, in my
opinion. The mono mixes are much more cohesive and focus on the music instead of the sound.
-- Tom Fine
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Biel" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2011 2:00 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] First high-fidelity recordings released in 1944?
> On 4/18/2011 1:13 PM, Stewart Gooderman wrote:
>> It was my understanding that these early Beatles recordings were never intended
>> to be released in stereo. The multitrack recordings were done specifically to
>> produce a better mono master after the recording, rather than be stuck with the
>> balances if an actual mono-only recording was done.
>>
>> DrG
>
> It is true that the twin-track recording was set up to be able to make a post-mix of the voices
> with the backing, BUT George Martin LIED when he said they were not intended to be released in
> stereo on Parlophone, and that Capitol did it on their own. I have the Parlophone catalog
> supplements from 1963 that show the stereo LPs released on Parlophone ON THE SAME DAYS as the
> first two LPs. He was the label manager and had control, and not all Parlophone LPs in 1963 had
> both mono and stereo releases, but these DID. So he obviously DID APPROVE the Parlophone stereo
> releases. He also personally was responsible for OTHER records at that time that had vocals on
> one channel. Check out the Parlophone That Was the Week That Was LP he did that year. He pulled
> Milicent Martin singing over to one side so David Frost could talk in the center.
>
> Mike Biel [log in to unmask]
>
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