Aretha Franklin - The Atlantic Singles Collection (1967-1970) in MONO*

Amazon UK lists a new Aretha Franklin compilation, The Atlantic Singles Collection 1967-1970, for release on September 28th 2018. If the listing is accurate, all tracks are in mono.

CD listing
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07F9Q2Z54/

Vinyl listing
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07F9KJHQ4/

 

Interesting artwork. The contents will be impeccable, but I probably would have used a more prominent picture of Aretha on the cover.

 

"(Mono) [Remastered]"

Tempting. Stunning music in there.

 

Are there any particularly rare songs included? Any non-LP B-sides that have not been reissued?

 

Maybe the first sign that mono versions of Aretha Now and Lady Soul are coming.

 

I'd have to check again, but the Queen of Soul box set that Ted Jensen mastered for Rhino in 1992 may have used the original 45 mono mixes where applicable. If not in every case than at least in many cases - "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman" and "Chain of Fools" were certainly taken from the mono 45 mixes (while the LP-only tracks on Lady Soul were presented in stereo).

 

Now this would be worth celebrating.

 

That's the same photo used on the cover of a great book "Temples of Sound" about the great recording studios
https://www.amazon.com/Temples-Soun...d=1531150492&sr=1-1&keywords=temples+of+sound

 

You live long enough, you get everything you want (almost).

Coveted having many of these singles in mono on cd for years...finally going to be a reality.

 

God is smiling today!.

 

Why it isn't a 3-LP-set with all the songs? I don't want to buy those boring CDs anymore...
Sadly the rare UK single version of Satisfaction is not included.

 

Exactly the track I looked for. I love that version. Was it only released in the UK?

 

What distinguishes the single version of "Satisfaction" from the LP version?

I noticed that "I Say a Little Prayer" was unedited for its single release in the UK (ditto "Call Me" if the label is accurate).

 

They recorded all that classic stuff in mono in the late sixties? Really?

 

Oooo, very interesting. Thank you!

 

34 tracks on the CD versus 25 on the two vinyl LPs. All remastered apparently. Except for a bit of an inconsistent patch in 1969, all brilliant, classic, must-own stuff. Stops with the Spirit In the Dark era in 1970 - apparently no mono mixes for the Young, Gifted & Black material, unfortunately (i.e., "Day Dreaming", "Rock Steady").

Will be very interested to hear how this sounds...

 

Listed as a Rhino Records release. That's a good thing!

 

Strictly speaking it’s not recorded in mono, or stereo for that matter, but multitracked then mixed-down to one or the other configuration for release. Many singles in the late 60s still featured mono mixes, aimed at A.M. radio play, despite the increasing prevalence of stereo.

 

Rhino did a 19 CD Aretha set in 2015, The Atlantic Albums Collection.” It’s spectacularly remastered, has nice replica covers, and comprehensively covers an essential chapter in American music.

 

It would've been even more definitive had Aretha handed over the rights and masters of the final Atlantic albums (sans Let Me in Your Life and Sparkle).

 

Those Aretha mono mixes are dynamite! Can't wait to get a hold of this.

 

Right, thanks for a fine explanation. Which might mean there should be no distinct mono advantage, here...perhaps...

 

Well yes, perhaps, perhaps not: it will depend on the differences between any given stereo or mono mix, which can be significant.

(My main point was that we’re generally talking about mixes when comparing mono and stereo and not recordings per se. (Of course a band playing into a single microphone would be recorded in mono by default and one performing before two microphones spaced/panned left and right to 2 tracks which are also panned left and right for playback/mix would be recorded in stereo. This is just providing very simple - simplistic? - examples. It’s possible to record direct to mono or stereo from multiple inputs, essentially creating a mix of the sources as they’re recorded - Joe Jackson’s Big World springs to mind as an explicitly stated example of this. But it’s not the common method of making a record - which was largely why he did it that way and advertised the fact.)

Typically many prefer mono mixes of 60s material which, by definition, centre everything, as opposed to relatively rudimentary early stereo mixes which crudely split instruments and vocals between left and right channels, often to the detriment of the impact of the rhythm section in particular. Think Motown and Stax catalogue where many have noted the night and day difference between the punchy mono mixes and their anaemic stereo counterparts. (Of course there are many exceptions to this, depending on how well the recording was made, on how many tracks and the options available/choices made in executing the stereo mix.) And not forgetting that stereo and mono mixes of the same song may be derived at least in part from different takes and feature different overdubs etc.

 

Added to my "watchlist" on Amazon (US).

Informed guess as to mastering engineer?

 

Isn't the classic 30 Greatest Hits mostly in mono? Although it says Stereo on label & packaging it makes a point of saying that it uses the original single mixes.