As made for the UK Beggars Banquet that has just one true mono song, I think also a note for WLWH could be added to the list...what do you think?
I'm pretty sure that the UK Freak Out! is true mono as well. So by that reasoning, Absolutley Free should be true as well? I have a US mono Absolutley Free, it's not a substantially different mix. Just more "chunky". @MONOLOVER do you have anything to say about the UK Ruben & The Jets mono?
Well SFTD was just as a warning that the much sought after mono pressing of BB has but 1 true mono song on it. So I suppose that WLWH could be added to that warning set? That seems reasonable
V.6.b (additions marked # ) (SFTD entry corrected) S&G - Bookends - US true mono - UK fold Dylan - John Wesley Harding - US true mono - UK fold Dylan - Nashville Skyline - no US mono - UK fold Rolling Stones - Satanic Majesties Request - US true mono - UK fold (apart from the uncommon 1P/P1 first issue) Rolling Stones - Aftermath - US fold - UK true Rolling Stones - Between the Buttons - US true, UK true (mention made here that the first 2 Rolling Stones UK albums are in mono - no UK stereo release) and as an aside the UK mono Beggars Banquet has Sympathy For the Devil as a unique mono mix but the rest of the album is a fold (there is no discernible difference between the mono and stereo of the remaining tracks. The UK mono Let It Bleed is however a fold.) # Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo - No US mono - UK mono fold Byrds - Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde - No US mono - UK mono fold Byrds - Ballad of Easy Rider - No US mono - UK mono fold Velvet Underground - White Light / White Heat - the mono release of this VU album is exceedingly rare and it has been established that side 1 is true mono, side 2 is a fold of the stereo side 2. A mono treasure hunt for those with deep pockets only (#) Beach Boys - Pet Sounds - US true mono - UK mono is a fold of the duophonic mix # Spirit - s/t - US true mono / UK fold # Zappa - Absolutely Free - US true mono / UK fold # Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow - US true mono - UK fold # Cheap Thrills - US true mono - UK fold Monkees on RCA Victor UK are fold-downs. Elvis Presley ~ Speedway. US mono, everywhere else fold. Doors - there are UK monos of Self Titled, Strange Days and Waiting for the Sun - S/T is the true mono US mix while Strange Days and WFTS is a fold Rascals Time Peace - UK Fold - US mono promo is true mono (as is the Australian mono in an alternate sleeve (it uses the US promo metal parts)) Sly & The Family Stone - Dance To The Music - US true mono - UK fold # Easybeats - Friday On My Mind (US title)/Good Friday (UK title) album - US true mono - UK fold Led Zeppelin I and II - stereo in US and UK - Australia, Brazil and Argentina - mono fold Donovan's Greatest Hits was originally a US compilation in stereo only and the UK mono a fold of the US tapes Bee Gees' Idea - UK mono mixes that only saw fold-down mono mixes in the US, mostly as promos Blind Faith - same deal - a mono promo made of the stereo mix
Yup - dream sound and audio. Big, strong and with perfect balance. Better than any RATJ stereo I've heard (though I haven't heard all). If there was just a little chance it was a true mono I would jump at that right away, but after all I read and expert comments I've seen no true mono was ever made - so it can't be. Very confusing
What I find weird is that there's a true mono mix of Street Fighting Man which should have been used (and it's better than the stereo IMO)
Thanks Mylene. I think they are wrong on this, but can only verify if I ever track down a copy. But the UK being from the same stamper as the US at least means those two countries are identical, fold or not.
On "White Light" I can add that the UK mono also is true, made from the US tapes. Are You sure Sly's DTTM is a UK fold? As far as I can distinguish it's from the 1st US mono issue (LN 24371) which also is referred to on the label.
I've got an Australian Gold Records 4 in mono and it's definitely dedicated. Speedway was the next album. According to some sources RCA were folding down Elvis albums right back to Elvis Is Back in 1960.
Curious if the Australian mono Gold Records 4 that you have is from US stampers? If so I will be looking for it!
I'd pretty much agree with that except for the mono hi fi bit, from its arrival stereo took over the hi fi market, hi fi after 58 became forever associated with stereo, however most younger people had small portable or semi portable dansette style mono players throughout the sixties. However most of these players could play stereo records perfectly safely and from at least the mid 60's UK record companies were pushing stereo as a basis for buy the stereo now and you'll already have it in your collection for when you upgrade to a stereo system. However this did not really work as many still were never sure if their dansette could play stereo discs so they played it safe and stuck with mono copies. In the end the record companies had to force the issue and just basically stop making both mono and stereo variants and just release stereo only. However even in the UK during 68 stereo record sales did finally start making a big upward move so the tide was turning anyway.
We need a term for the class of mono albums for which there are no differences between the stereo and mono mix, but are 'true mono' albums nonetheless. There were a class of recordings that were recorded in stereo but were engineered and mixed to ensure that there were no phase issues resulting in any loss in the mono reduction. Those need some kind of descriptor that isn't 'fold-down' -- that's become almost a pejorative. The kinds of mono records I'm talking about include recordings by The Everly Brothers (early 60s on WB) John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers (late 60s UK Decca) Roy Orbison (early 60s on Monument) I'd call the mono presses of the above 'true mono' despite there not really being a 'dedicated' mono mix. The monos of the above sound great to my ears -- plenty of punch, no phasey funkiness or loss like with lots of typical, ham-fisted fold-downs. The is a thread somewhere (can't find it) where someone discussed the John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers UK Decca lps from A Hard Road on and discussed how the timings were identical with the stereo, but how the recordings sounded uniformly great. I have those and agree -- A Hard Road, Crusade, Bare Wires all sound fantastic on a UK Decca mono press. So did Blues From Laurel Canyon -- don't have that anymore, but that's because of its condition, not because of the sound of the mix. I still have a UK London mono Roy Orbison lp (Lonely And Blue) that sounds great in mono. SH or someone started a thread somewhere once about the engineering that went into those and the Everly Brothers (IIRC it was the same guy) and they were produced to sound good both in mono and stereo. So I think it's sometimes misleading, even 'unfair' giving some records the label 'fold-down' despite that being technically correct. If I read 'fold-down', I immediately think 'it must stink.' There are quite a few for which that isn't the case and sound pretty damn good.
Bill Porter also mixed into compatible stereo most or all of the Elvis Nashville RCA Studio B material from 1960 to around 1963, if I'm not mistaken, in addition to mixing the Everly Brothers and Orbison material that you mentioned.
I remember when the Sundazed box set came out they put up a photo of the original mono tape which was found recently. I'd buy one, but you can't buy them individually!
Brilliant work. I haven't heard the Elvis (well, not for many, many years anyway) but the Everlys and Orbison I have and they're wonderful. I happen to prefer the stereo mixes, but the monos are definitely no slouches.
In the case of the Bill Porter recordings, technically, the MONO summed versions are correct and the stereos are incorrectly balanced. Y'all put that in to your pipe and puff it...
Still, they can come out sounding wonderful, like the Orbison greatest hits you did for DCC. Yeah, you get funny vocal splits, etc., but the air...it's like the stereo German HorZu Please Please Me. We'd have all preferred a nice balance like the stereo Beatles For Sale, but since we can't have that, we have to take away what we can -- in this case, wonderful tone and air. For whatever reason, the Everly Brothers WB stereos from '60 ~ '64 came out nicely balanced. At least I thought so the last time I listened.
Is it possible that John Fogerty mixed in a similar way? You've said before that most of the singles are fold downs with compression. However I find that most Creedence in general sounds fine in mono. A lot of it has elements panned slightly which prevents a lot of centre build up.
Some CCR singles are dedicated mixes (Green River, etc.) but stuff from the second album is all "fold-compatible."
I too think 'fold down' is overly pejorative. As if someone just summed the channels and said thats good enough. We really don't know what went into the process in the studio to make them. The most we can do is listen to the questionable ones and draw our own conclusions. Some of the Deccas that are technical folds sound great despite that. Mono mania for me started in getting albums that had different mono mixes, then I learned how good a good mono can sound. Eventually I even accepted known folds although I'm more picky there. I have a UK CBS mono LP of The Gun s/t which is supposedly a fold. Yet the stereo mix is a bit wide and panned and loses some of its rock & roll impact. The mono sounds pretty good in spite of the rather so-so recording.
No, sorry, most folds are evil, done out of carelessness or laziness. No excuse for them to exist in the world.
