[Carlo Medina]

Quote:

Explain to me what the big hoopla is with mono? I'm ignorant

It's been a while so I'm working off of probably faulty memory...

But Sir George Martin indicated that with the Beatles's early albums (the first four I think) they paid special attention and care to the mono mixes, with the stereo versions being more afterthoughts. So that if a "connoisseur" wanted the best, or "truest" sound for those albums, one should buy the mono version. In fact, I think it was something like the EMI releases of those albums in the UK were in mono, and the US counterparts (each with less songs and sometimes different album titles) were stereo mixes.

However, by the time they got to Sgt. Peppers, they were in full stereo/experimental mode, so I really don't think Sgt. Peppers should be in mono. They were definitely recording that album with stereo in mind.

[Chris]

I have to admit.. this week someone emailed me the list of "100 Greatest Guitar Solos" as compiled by Guitar World. While I nodded my head in agreement at many, the Beatles only had one (69. And Your Bird Can Sing)

While many on the lists were culled from great sources, I kept thinking how many inventive numbers were, I thought, dismissed too easily because they were Beatles and not a hard rock band.

I kept thinking about these:

While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Let it Be
Get Back

Amongst others..

[Paul D G]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carlo Medina

However, by the time they got to Sgt. Peppers, they were in full stereo/experimental mode, so I really don't think Sgt. Peppers should be in mono. They were definitely recording that album with stereo in mind.

Actually quite the opposite. The Beatles had little to do with the stereo mixes of the latter albums but were involved with the mono mixes.

From Lewishon's Beatles Recording Sessions pg 108, Friday 7 April:
"The only real version of Sgt Pepper's is the mono version." says Richard Lush. "The Beatles were there for all the mono mixes. Then, after the album was finished, George Martin, Geoff [Emerick] and I did the stereo in a few days, just the three of us, without a Beatle in sight. There were all sorts of things on the mono, little effects here and there, which the stereo doesn't have."

Geoff Emerick confirms this view and points out that almost all of the Beatles recording sessions -- including those for Sgt Pepper's -- were monitored in the control room through just the one mono speaker anyway, except for when stereo mixing was being done. "We did have the two speakers but everything was put through the right hand one. We weren't allowed to monitor on both because they were saved for the orchestral recordings!"

Pepper's and White Album are the two albums fans say are different (and some say better) in mono. Both are worth tracking down, IMO. Beyond that tho, it's stereo.

-paul

[Jack Gilvey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Paynter

I think we have a new champion:

http://www.recordingthebeatles.com

540 pages, 500+ photos and illustrations, stored in a faux red-"EMITAPE" slip case, with lots of TECHNICAL info, with stories by EMI staf, engineers, producers, etc.

For instance:
http://recordingthebeatles.com/1968p...ionPreview.pdf

The first pressing is out of print, the second is being made available some time in Feb, and it will set you back a pricey $100. Damn well worth it!

I got it for Christmas, although I didn't actually receive the book itself yet (waiting on the second prining) just the extras. Can't wait!

[Josh Simpson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickGreenwood

Supposedly Apple Inc and Apple Corp reached a deal and the albums will be available via iTunes. Rumors abound say there will be a commercial during the Super Bowl announcing it. Which of course was mentioned in another thread on here. If this is the case, I hope iTunes gets some special features to make it worth while to buy tracks, otherwise I'll just wait for the cd's.

The Capitol Albums box sets sound amazing, the mono mixes do anyway. They are the most beautiful things I've ever heard, I don't have a record player anymore and I want one again to listen to my Beatles vinyl after hearing these albums. I can't wait for Sgt. Pepper's in mono, ooo I hope and long for a 5.1 DVD-A mix, like "Love", that would nice.

I'm guessing this didn't happen. I watched closely and didn't see anything. Did anyone see anything about this?

[Chris Gerhard]

Would have been absolute idiocy to advertise Beatles downloads at Super Bowl commercial prices. How many extra millions of downloads would be necessary to just recoup the advertisement cost? I am not surprised I didn't see an advertisement for Beatles iTunes but I would expect the downloads to be available soon.

Chris

[Lee Scoggins]

The Wall Street Journal is reporting a licensing agreement between Apple and Apple Records. Could be the beginning of Beatles on iTunes.

[Ted Todorov]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee Scoggins

The Wall Street Journal is reporting a licensing agreement between Apple and Apple Records. Could be the beginning of Beatles on iTunes.

Judging by what is said about the deal, it would allow Apple Inc. (ex Apple Computer) to become a record company, signing bands directly to iTunes. This could have huge repercussions down the line.

Ted

[Lee Scoggins]

Ted,

This could have tremendously positive implications for the music business since Apple would be more customer centric is it strategy and offerings.

[pistonsfan70]

Just posting to get the 10 posts so I can post links (I LOVE this forum, posting links in my questions will make it easier!)

[buttmunker]

I first got into The Beatles in 1993 when The Red and The Blue albums were released for the first time on CD. I became obsessed, started reading up on the group, and memorizing statestics for their albums and songs (hanging out in a bar one night, I challenged my friend to name all 20 #1 American hits...natch, he couldn't do it, the wanker).

During this time, I also discovered Manson, and was always intrigued by the "coincidences" with Manson and The Beatles. For example: Maxwell's Silver Hammer is very telling of the Manson Family trial. Rose and Valerie, screaming from the gallery, Maxwell must go free... - during the trial, Manson's girls often interrupted the trial by yelling out. Could be art imitating life ("Maxwell" was written before the Manson murders), or it could be life imitating art (the girls knew the song in 1969, then acted out during the trial to mimick the record). Irregardless, Beatles tracks like Sexy Sadie are eerie because of the Manson angle.

The Beatles...what a bunch of Moes. Oh, what life could have been like if they had not been so good. I believe their manager, Brian Epstein, did miracles for this band, as he managed to promote the hell out of them. In the very beginning, The Beatles were really no different from other british bands of 1961 or 1962. But because of expert managing, the Beatles rose above them all. With their "mop tops," they did adapt The Three Stooges Moe Howard's hair-style. Nobody made fun of them because they were very good. Had they not been, who knows. Speaking of their hair-styles in the early 60's, I'm surprised this wasn't covered on the Beatles Anthology.