Many longtime collectors are aware of how monaural albums were finally phased out by many companies in 1968, at least here in the U.S. And yet, judging from the numbering listed on the back of the LP's, titles such as Paul Mauriat's "Blooming Hits" (known for his #1 "Love is Blue") and Jose Feliciano's "Feliciano" were said to have been issued in Mono, along with such longtime rock staples like the Moodies' "Days of Future Passed". And yet, I've never seen so much as a picture of these three with the mono designation at the cover bottom, not even trashed, nor any collector's shop wall for a pretty penny. Has anyone on the board here seen these? Are there other '68 titles that have a mono number given to them, and has yet to be located by a lot of the crate diggers here?
A few super rare mono LPs: The Doors, Waiting for the Sun (1968) The Zombies, Odyssey and Oracle (1968) Led Zeppelin, s/t (1969) The Byrds, the Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968) Cream, Wheels of Fire (1968) Good luck finding any of these original LPs in good condition
The Discogs page for the "Blooming Hits" mono LP http://www.discogs.com/Paul-Mauriat-And-His-Orchestra-Blooming-Hits/release/2373475 And there's a guy selling a VG+ copy for only $6 http://www.discogs.com/sell/release/2373475?ev=rb
Fever Tree's S/T debut album. Billboard magazine at the time listed it being available in mono (Uni 3024) but I don't think US monos exist. Not as stock copies anyway.
Here's links to some of my mono rarities if You wanna check. UK monos issued in 1970. http://monolover.blogspot.se/search?q=UKÖ This also includes a couple of other mono oddities, most from 1968-69. http://monolover.blogspot.se/search?q=(YMÖ*) Last UK with a double issue, late 1970. http://monolover.blogspot.se/2012/05/tom-jones-i-who-have-nothing-lk-5072-70.html
Cream, Wheels of Fire (1968) - this isn't too hard to find or expensive - I got one for about 20 bucks recently there's on on ebay now: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CREAM-WH...500?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item541c192bb4
Maybe Wheels of Fire isn't all that rare, but the rest definitely are...especially Odessey and Oracle. Two copies on Discogs, one for $900 and the other for $1,100!
Doors, Zep, Cream: fold downs. Byrds & Zombies: not quite 'rare,' but scarce + desirable thus the price. I think scarcer, and dedicated mixes too, are: The Chambers Bros. / Time Taj Mahals debut Classics IV / Spooky Canned Heat / Boogie with Gary Puckett & The Union Gap / Incredible The Monkees / Birds & Bees
Well let me put it this way then...I've never seen any copies of any of the mono LPs I mentioned. Nonetheless none of them are common
Definitely not common. This era theres so many monos that are either scarce - and a few borderline rare, if not rare. More: The Collectors - s/t Electric Prunes - Mass In F Minor Nancy (Sinatra) & Lee (Hazlewood)
I'm not sure. The mono is a standard cover with the slicks adjusted for mono. I think all the ones Ive seen also have a white promo sticker.
Pretty sure Nancy and Lee is pretty common in mono in Australia (at least the cover is). Maybe all the records inside are stereo.
There's someone selling a UK mono copy on Discogs in great condition (his words) for only 22 USD/28 AUD http://www.discogs.com/sell/item/139077890
Are you referring to a US Wheels of Fire? I don't think they exist. The UK mono of this is not particularly rare or hard to find. At least it didn't used to be.
Odessey infinitely superior in Mono. The stereo was a rush job done at CBS's insistence. However the mix is also on CD in the UK, at least.
The stereo was a rush job? Are you sure? Even though I am mono lover, I don't hate the stereo. I actually think it sounds alright. It's actually better than a lot of stereo mixes of around the same time, at least to my ear. Plus it seems strange that they would rush the stereo mix when, in 1968, mono was being phased out leading them to put more effort into the stereo
