Beatles Capitol albums on CD (1 Viewer)

[Marvin]

I haven't seen this mentioned here yet. There was a subsequent note that the date isn't definite yet. This is from http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/fabnews.htm:

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Mark Nov. 16 on your calendar: That's the day, we're told, that a box set of the 1964 U.S. Capitol albums will be released on CD for the first time officially. (Released that year were "Meet the Beatles," "Something New," "The Beatles Story," "The Beatles' Second Album" and "Beatles '65," though we suspect the latter would be held for a 1965 box.)
Here's some details:


Each CD will be remastered using 24 bit.

Each cd will have the MONO and STEREO versions.

70 page Booklet.

50.00 list

 

[Rob Gardiner]

Oh boy, that means we'll get to "enjoy" a handful of tracks in Capitol's horrendous mid 60s rechannelled stereo aka Duophonic process.


However, I'm happy to see that both MONO & STEREO mixes will be available. Are these the original mixes? Does this mean we'll eventually get Sgt. Pepper in mono as well?

I'm also happy that the Beatles material will be remastered for the first time since their original release 14 years ago.

 

[AnthonyC]

I doubt that we'll get SPLHCB in mono anytime soon. This is for things that were ONLY released in the U.S. Pepper was released everywhere basically.

They had planned to release it in mono back in 1997 but it was cancelled.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

If this is remastered in the way that the EP box (mostly excellent remasters, all mono, no tweaking like the CDs) was remastered, color me interested. But I'm skeptical.

 

[AnthonyC]

I have the singles box. Is the EP box worth getting?

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Yes, the EP box is even better than the singles box (for mastering).

 

[andrew markworthy]

If we ever do, then I hope we get the original mono master and not a 'monofied' version of the stereo release.

For those wondering what this is about, the mono version of Pepper used rather different mixes of some songs, particularly on Side 2.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

The MONO mix of Sgt. Pepper was mixed by the Beatles and George Martin over a period of 3-4 weeks.

The STEREO mix of Sgt. Pepper was mixed by a lowly engineer in 3 days.

At the time, the mono mixes of the Beatles songs were considered the "definitive" mixes for several reasons: all singles were mono, radio was mono, jukeboxes were mono, many folks in the UK did not have stereos yet, etc.




Wouldn't it be nice of the (hopefully upcoming) 1966 Capitol box set featured Yesterday & Today with the butcher cover?

 

[Richard Gilmore]

I not quite sure that's entirely true. Didn't the DVD Beatles Anthology released last year have a number of remastered songs? It sounded exquisite, but there were very few complete songs in the set. If that CD's sound that good, I'm in.

 

[Craig S]

The collector in me will be all over this, especially since the US versions were the way I was introduced to the Beatles.

If they are remastered and sound great that will just be icing on the cake...

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Here's the theoretical release order for the maximum double-dip scenario:


1) Remastered US CDs
2) Remastered UK CDs
3) Remastered SACDs
4) Remastered DVD-A with bonus video footage
5) Deluxe multi-disc set for each album with tons of bonus tracks (example: the excellent 3-disc 'Village Green Preservation Society' that just came out from the Kinks).

 

[andrew markworthy]

Michael - I agree, very nice idea. But Satan will be skating to work before we get (5) and I doubt if (3) or (4) will see the light of day for some time.

 

[Brian L]

Not really, Richard. I don't recall the exact count, but the review in S&V had it at maybe 15 or so? It was a pretty big number, and was one major motivation for my purchase.

"A Day in the Life" in 5.1 is stunning.

BGL

 

[Colin Jacobson]

In regard to complete songs, the question becomes how one counts those. IIRC, they go the whole way through "Revolution" BUT they annoyingly plop that Lennon soundbite in the middle.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

You're right. I neglected the Anthology DVDs as well as the "One" greatest hits compilation, mainly because a single-disc comiplation is practically an insult to a Beatles fan, and that disc uses some of the 1987 CD remix versions on a few tracks.