Mono and Stereo Mixes: The Differences

joelcrowservo · Jul 27, 2003, 03:27 AM

I know the pain. You think, "What the heck do I know about Pauls hair color". Well, heres a topic us techies can get into hopefully. OK, FIRST, a bit of shameless plugging. If you need some basic info on mono/stereo mixes, please click on my link below, go to 'Reading Room', and read the article "You Cant Do That".End of plug.
Now, some people just cant seem to hear the differences. Indeed, in many tracks, there IS no difference. But in some, its night and day. I'll start with some off the top of my head, you folks add on!
"Help!"- The BIGGIE for me. The mono(single)is almost totally a different recording. After the intro, which is just spliced on from the stereo mix,its complete different vocals. Maybe instruments as well. The complete recording of the mono version, with original intro intact, can be found on original Help filmprints, as well as Masterfractions "Help! Alternate Mixes,Outtakes and Acetates". The mystery is in this: all 12 takes of Help are available. This take isnt among them, and Lewisohn ignores the matter. So where did the mono come from?

"Back In The USSR"- In mono, the differences lay in the guitar in most places. The 3 chords leading into the solo are missing, for instance. Theres a shout just before the first guitar note in the intro. The plane sound effects come in at different times. And it appears to have only ONE drum track, opposed to the stereos two. Which I beleive to have been a 'compromise' track, some of Johns drums, some of Pauls.

"Sgt.Pepper Reprise"- Many mono differences!! The intro beat goes on longer. The crowd noises are done differently. Paul goes NUTS at the end, shouting gibberish not heard in stereo. Theres also an audible drop in volume close to the end, much the same as in "LSD". Several louder spoken things in the intro. The last beat meets the first beat of "A Day in the Life", this isnt done in stereo.

"Got To Get You Into My Life"- George Martin used a trick to double the brass on this track, making it much beefier. Something you'll notice with many mono tracks around 66 and 67, they just sound punchier. Could it be, as with this track, the drums are WAY off on one side, the bass WAY off on the other in stereo, and here, a neat concise mono mix? Also, a different take was used for Pauls ad-libs at the end, resulting in him singing different words into the fade out.

OK, thats all I can think of right now...I'm very tired! And...Beatles Bootleg Reviews WILL return next week! Think of this as a 'special' in its place!

[size="1"][ Jul 27, 2003, 04:28 AM: Message Edited By: joelcrowservo ][/size]

FPSHOT · Jul 27, 2003, 03:50 AM

I love the looks of the mono recordings [img]graemlins/laugh5.gif[/img]

In many cases I prefer the original mono versions, like the period 1962 - 1965.

Then came the experimental period so that is where stereo had its use. What is Abbey Road without stereo. Thé example of stereo, specially side 2.

I must check those differences soon - off for vacation now - but I have also experienced odd ones.

Cool topic.

joelcrowservo · Jul 27, 2003, 04:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted By FPSHOT:

I must check those differences soon - off for vacation now - but I have also experienced odd ones.

Cool topic.

I thought you might like it. Have a great vacation!

joelcrowservo · Jul 27, 2003, 08:04 PM

I looked it up in "Complete Beatles Chronicles" (one DOLLAR at Barnes and Noble!!) and Lewisohn claims the mono of Help is the exact same thing as the stereo, just with deft mixing from Sir George Martin. Hes also claimed the mono vocal is just a single track of the double tracked stereo. This is plainly not right. There was an initial mono mix done on April 18th, I believe this to be the film version. The other LP mono and stereo mixes were done June 18th. Its said there was problems with the mixes, so a second mixing session was done. I think this was grafting the mono reduction of the stereo mix onto the single version. But where is it, as far as session tapes go? Does anyone know where to get the entirety of John Barretts notes? This has answered other questions, it could this one too.

Jerry · Jul 27, 2003, 10:26 PM

I'm a complete mono/stereo junkie, so this is a topic I can get into. I still say the stereo versions of the first 4 CDs are absolutely essential, and of course so is the mono White Album. Other than the White Album, I don't really have the mono versions of any LP after Beatles For Sale. I do have a bunch of tracks that have huge differences like Help, Sgt. Pepper's Reprise, etc. that appear on bootlegs here and there. One of these days maybe they'll release nice new versions of each LP with both sets of mixes. I know I would buy them.

Legs · Jul 28, 2003, 01:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted By joelcrowservo:
I looked it up in "Complete Beatles Chronicles" (one DOLLAR at Barnes and Noble!!) and Lewisohn claims the mono of Help is the exact same thing as the stereo, just with deft mixing from Sir George Martin.

Thanks, that's what I've read to but couldn't remember where, probably also in "Chronicles". The back of my Rarities cover reads "There are two versions each with different lead vocal". But what do these capitol boys know? So here is what Dough (Supply) has to say about it.

"The stereo mix has a tambourine playing in the chorus which is missing from the mono version, the main difference is that the two feature different lead vocals by John. An easy way to tell the two vocals apart is that John rushes through the words 'changed my mind' in the stereo version but euncites each word cleary in the mono mix. It should be noted that the session outtakes feature the "stereo" vocal, leading me to believe the "mono" vocals comes from al ater take where the vocal was re-recorded."

Legs · Jul 28, 2003, 02:09 AM

Some other ones

"Helter Skelter" Different "noises" throughout the song and the song doesn't fade back in. Tho you could also just get the stereo version and stop the song after the last fade out to create your own mono version!

"Blackbird" different bird sounds, sure enough I've heard the diference.

"Don't Pass Me By" Ringo's voice is in a higher pitch, and the end is somewhat diferent, the violin playing.

The mono white album is important to get. The important mono mixes I've got on cd, and the complete mono white (excluding "Revolution 9") on tape.

Also the mono version of "She's Leaving Home" plays in a higher pitch.

Paolo Meccano · Jul 28, 2003, 02:22 AM

Off the top of my head...

The stereo version of 'Please Please Me' has a fluffed lyric, the stereo version of 'From Me to You' has less harmonica, the mono 'Tomorrow Never Knows' has a longer fade-out, the stereo 'A Hard Day's Night' has additional percussion (by whom, Lewisohn doesn't know) and I think one stereo version of 'And I Love Her' has an additional vocal track - isn't there a website that does all this work for us..? [img]graemlins/wink3.gif[/img]

Legs · Jul 28, 2003, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted By Paolo Meccano:
isn't there a website that does all this work for us..? [img]graemlins/wink3.gif[/img]

That's to easy it's more fun to get out the lp's, cd-s and bootlegs and listen to the differences.

Paolo Meccano · Jul 28, 2003, 02:34 AM

Spoilsport... [img]graemlins/wink3.gif[/img]

Tim · Jul 28, 2003, 07:10 AM

I have all of the mono CD's from Help! thru White Album. YS is a mere reduction of the stereo into mono.

Jerry · Jul 28, 2003, 07:49 AM

Yeah, besides the White Album, those are the ones I'm looking for. Where did you get the CDs, are they real bootlegs or compilations you made up yourself? How about a trade? Anything out there you want?

Tim · Jul 28, 2003, 08:13 AM

I grabbed them off of WinMX,made sure they fit right and did them that way.

PM me,Jerry,with he info,will make up a set. Also have the mono Capitol MMT mixes and the mock stereo ones.

Paolo Meccano · Jul 29, 2003, 05:02 AM

Something I've always wondered...

When George was in America in late 1968, he happened to hear Capitol's stereo mix of 'The Beatles' and he was so appalled by it that he oversaw a new stereo mix himself: are there any differences between this and the UK version?

joelcrowservo · Aug 01, 2003, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted By Paolo Meccano:
Something I've always wondered...

When George was in America in late 1968, he happened to hear Capitol's stereo mix of 'The Beatles' and he was so appalled by it that he oversaw a new stereo mix himself: are there any differences between this and the UK version?

Apparantly this didnt happen. And it actually doesnt make sense: why would Capitol have the mix tapes? It seems he did oversee some compression on some mixes, and there is a dropout on one track, but other than that, theres no difference. To further put to rest that limping dog of a story that the Beatles preferred mono, there exists memorandum from EMI asking that John and Paul be supplied with stereo copies of the new LP (White Album) per their instructions. By the way some talk, they'd only want mono. Further comments on the above:
I think its finally been figured out the mono "Shes Leaving Home" is actually at regular speed. The string section sounds more natural compared to stereo.
Its "Cant Buy Me Love" that has extra percussion. Seems EMI paid an unknown drummer to come in and sweeten the track for stereo mix while Ringo was away! Scoundrels.
I think the mono "Help" vocals come from whatever would be the 'original' version. The intro on this version (from the film) is very 'weak' sounding, not as fully realized as the stereo. That just brings it all back to the madness: where IS this take? Lost like the harmonica edit pieces were when it came time for the stereo mix of "Please Please Me"?
And I agree with the looks of mono Rob, but its the overall smell of monoural that does it for me. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Paolo Meccano · Aug 03, 2003, 04:06 AM

You're right Joelcrowservo, it was 'Can't Buy Me love' and not 'A Hard Day's Night' so, sorry about that (well it was off the top of my head...)

joelcrowservo · Aug 03, 2003, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted By Paolo Meccano:
You're right Joelcrowservo, it was 'Can't Buy Me love' and not 'A Hard Day's Night' so, sorry about that (well it was off the top of my head...)

Ah, no worries. You were pretty much there, same LP, same film, right? [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Jerry · Aug 14, 2003, 05:49 AM

I'm broadcasting the first 4 LPs in stereo on the radio broadcast. Please Please Me is already up.

onosideboards · Aug 14, 2003, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted By Jerry:
I'm broadcasting the first 4 LPs in stereo on the radio broadcast. Please Please Me is already up.

i was wondering if these stereo versions are the dr. ebbetts mixes.

Jerry · Aug 14, 2003, 09:07 AM

I don't think so. They come directly from that MSFL or MFSL or whatever set that came out a long time ago.