Hendrix - 'Stone Free'. Another place it can be found in true mono! (Gypsy Eyes maxi single)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by OneStepBeyond, Jan 15, 2018.

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  1. OneStepBeyond

    OneStepBeyond Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Wales, UK
    I was deliberating whether or not to start a thread for this... took me a short while but as it seems so elusive... I think I came to the right conclusion!

    Here is what we are looking at. Released quite soon after his tragic death...


    The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Gypsy Eyes

    And this was partly inspired by this thread that contains more info.

    "STONE FREE" by the Jimi Hendrix Experience was never mixed in stereo!

    As is (fairly) widely known, it's almost always the mushy fake-stereo - or worse, a fold of the same - on the multitude of compilations and single reissues. The exceptions, as far as I've gathered is the original single of Hey Joe/Stone Free and an EH reissue of the same. So I though this was quite a find. Remember is in original mono, as it was first issued in the UK and the other two songs in true stereo.

    Nice!

    Anyone have anything to add, please feel free. Thanks!


    PS. I'm wondering if anyone out there who may have both this and the Polydor UK Stone Free, I'd be interested to learn how they compare sq-wise. Being a 'maxi' (although I think that's not accurate as EPs were usually 4-trackers at 45rpm) it is cut a little low and a lot of the early to mid 60s singles were cut 'hot' often leading to a certain amount of distortion... Many years since I heard that first JHE single and this though crossed my mind a day or two ago. This might even sound a little clearer than that one. Thanks again!
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2018
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  2. WonkyWilly

    WonkyWilly Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paradise, PA
    I can't help but wonder if this is where they "found" the Stone Free mono master? It wouldn't be the first time a single master was spliced into another tape.
     
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  3. OneStepBeyond

    OneStepBeyond Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Wales, UK
    Ah! You mean for the Mov/EH reissue that I referred to in the OP...

    The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Hey Joe

    Could anyone tell me how this sounds and (if they have one) compares to either the UK Polydor HJ/SF or Gypsy Eyes maxi? I know I might find comparisons in the thread I linked to although of course that is locked and I did read through it all, a good while ago. This is how I am when it comes to the majority of Hendrix threads. :D And I did do a search in that and others; the GE maxi didn't come up for me...
     
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  4. Easy-E

    Easy-E Forum Resident

  5. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

    Location:
    Bretagne
    I have it! It was my second Hendrix purchase, when it came out, right after the "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" three track single which went to N°1 in the UK.
     
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  6. OneStepBeyond

    OneStepBeyond Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Wales, UK
    I knew someone else had to. :)And someone who I know on the forum who is a big, big fan. From memory, there are images of some of these maxi singles in the Singles Album inner (from the early 80s...) although I've only owned the CD version of it and it's in storage (have it ripped into my iTunes) but I imagine it's very similar to the picture in the CD booklet.
     
  7. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

    Location:
    Bretagne
    Here is that Singles album inner sleeve:

    [​IMG]
     
  8. OneStepBeyond

    OneStepBeyond Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Wales, UK
    Thanks @Purple Jim. I've seen one of those 12" singles 'in the wild' recently (top left - All Along The Watchtower +3) and as soon as I did, this photo came to mind.
     
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  9. Gordon Johnson

    Gordon Johnson Forum Resident

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    45 RPM

    3 Pages of singles.
    7", 10" and 12".
    Not sure if I have listed all I have and I certainly need to get some more pics up of the 12" pressings.

    As to the point about "true" mono and where it can be found, well that's a topic I will be looking at closely this year.
    But it's possibly impossible to tell true from fold downs [especially when done at the mastering stage]!

    The only points I'm certain about is that everything impacts how we hear this, from cutting and mastering right through to the playback set up.
    The other point I'm certain of, no needledrops will be considered for inclusion.
     
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  10. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

    Location:
    Bretagne
    Nice work Gord.:righton:
     
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  11. WonkyWilly

    WonkyWilly Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paradise, PA
    What do you have against needledrops?

    A while ago you said that the notion that Sony should use a French needledrop for AYE instead of a poor tape source was "ridiculous".

    I can't help but wonder what brought you to this conclusion.
     
  12. Gordon Johnson

    Gordon Johnson Forum Resident

    Location:
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    What do I have against needledrops? Nothing. I recently did some 'drops of OOP's for a recent Hendrix collectors set that I know fans are enjoying. I play needledrops in the car for convenience. So again, no issue with needledrops. I understand some folk don't have a TT, some don't want a TT, some folk are stuck on digital. Great, needledrops all the way then :)

    The point is Sony did not use a needledrop. And I stand by the "ridiculous" comment regard the notion of Sony [or anyone else for that matter] selling a needledrop of an LP.
    If I want a 'drop of the French AYE I'll either do my own or grab one of prof. stones efforts, I see no need to BUY one!!!! I have the excellent Prof. Stoned here btw and will have 'drops of all my original Tracks and Barclays LP's soon enough!

    The point is, why would I want and what propose would it serve in deeming if a [name any pressing you want] record, a real plastic disc is possibly fake, true fold or whatever? It [ a needledrop] would in fact only serve to confuse unless you have a different understanding of 'drops that is! If I don't have any given pressing then I'll either ask for a copy [loan from a friend or even here on this forum as a loan or gift or purchase / trade].

    If you feel a 'drop will serve the propose of deeming the status of a record then go right ahead and grab as many of them as you can and post your results! Me? I'll deal with the real record.

    I can't help wonder why you waited this long and brought up the question here regard my "conclusion" in another thread?
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2018
  13. OneStepBeyond

    OneStepBeyond Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Wales, UK
    It's more than a little possible that (in this case) it is cut from a mono tape, played back on a stereo machine. Standard practice in the early days of CDs, we know through this forum.

    And in the case of compilations LPs, ones with a mixture of mono and stereo surely will have a lot of this going on with them. No wonder the 'Backtrack' AYE - or at least the copy I had - featured tracks that appeared to be mono but were not 'centered' on headphones.
     
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