The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's 50th Anniversary (Content, Sound Quality & Discussion Thread Only!)

So has there been any official information yet surrounding why that dreadful sounding version of the Penny Lane US promo mix was used?

 

No and I wouldn't expect to hear anything about it.

 

Wonderful. Just checking.

 

8. Within You Without You.
Tamboura, tabla and one dilruba on the left. Harrison's double-tracked vocals, acoustic guitar, another dilruba and Sitar on the center. A third dilruba on the right. Violins and cellos, which were recorded on one track, are seemingly mixed in stereo, possibly by duplicating the track or using a stereo expander, though during 1:50-2:23, they seem to stay around center-right or almost all way to the right.

Compression goes back to pre-Mr.Kite levels, which makes it tolerable to listen but still messing up the natural dynamics of the tracks and song overall. Also, it seems that a stereo expander has been used at least on the strings and tabla track.

They messed up a bit the remixing part as, starting from the instrumental break/section and up to the end of the song, the sitar loses it's double-track effect and, it could be the compression, but the sitar part seems to be an alternate take, specially at the last six notes; plus the last of those six notes was mixed out here whereas on the original mixes was audible. Also, the tabla track at around 3:28, instead of stopping where the strings and sitar stop playing, it was left open for almost two more beats. Furthermore, George's vocal also loses the double-track effect after the instrumental section is over, and it remains single-tracked throughout the rest of the song. A possible explanation: the final 4-track, has vocal and sitar single-tracked and both recorded on the same track, with ADT applied during the mixing stage, so it is possible that for this remix, they couldn't quite recreate the double-track effect to sound like the original mono and stereo mixes. It is odd though, that during the first half of this remix, George vocals are audibly double-tracked, but from the instrumental section to the end, that track loses the double-track effect.

The stereo image for this one is excellent, the best one so far, and no issues with bass and treble balance. The compression, stereo expander and the mentioned goofs in the remix are the only downsides.

9. When I'm Sixty-Four.
Drums, Chimes and Guitar to the left; Piano, Bass, and Lead Vocal centered (piano seems mixed just slightly to the left)(also, Drum cymbals at 0:38 and 1:35 are panned to the center); Clarinets on the right. The backing vocals track seem to have been duplicated and mixed center-left and center-right respectively.

Compression does the same thing, with the drums and backing vocals being more in the foreground than in the original mono and stereo mixes.

No problem with the bass/trebles balance. Not too many options to play with the stereo image, but at least on this one they mixed the bass on the center, though I question the duplication of the backing vocals track.
Paul's ''hmm, hmm'' imitating the bass drum hits at 1:05, has been muted, even though it was audible in the original ones.

10. Lovely Rita.
Acoustic Guitar to the left, Drums, another Acoustic Guitar, Bass and Lead Vocals on the center, Piano to the right. The track with backing vocals and effects (comb and paper) was duplicated to mix them in stereo (left and right respectively), and when not duplicated, the track is mixed to the right or left.

Compression does the same thing it has done to previous songs, specially the backing vocals to the foreground. Stereo expander seems to have been used on the backing vocals and during the solo, the piano. Speed/pitch for the song is the same one as the mono mix.

Bass and treble balance is good, and the stereo image is excellent too, in par with Within You Without You, and I would enjoy it if it weren't for the compression and the stereo expander.

Well, only three tracks left, we'll see what else they have done right or wrong...

 

Yeah, I too wasn't much impressed by the surround mix. Most of the time you have to strain your ears to catch any surround effects. Tracks 1 and 12 are the worst here. If anyone thinks this is great, they really need to hear more of surround sound albums. Many 90's and 2000's 5.1 mixes and 70's old quads blow this one out of the water!

 

I received my 2-cd set yesterday, I love everything I've heard so far. Just revelatory with respect to songs I've heard for 30+ years.

 

I received a Rip from the LP set, and to me it doesn't appear to be as loud. Rather enjoying it over my CD

 

I was listening the 2017 remix from the 2 cd set the past month but yesterday I listened to the remix on vinyl and it was more pleasant experience and not as loud as on cd. I recommend the vinyl for the 2017 remix.

 

Not only that, but I understand that 'things' get lost/misfiled sometimes......BUT, I DON'T believe that:
1) the master tape, AND a safety copy just got trashed.
2) The Lacquer cut for the 45-where is that?
3) The Stamper/'s for pressing the 45, their gone too??
4) Where are the test pressings? Those are gone too????

Too many 'things' gone with this promo single. I just don't believe it.
And again, to beat a dead horse to oblivion, why not use the tape from the US Rarities, they could have summed it to mono if they wanted to, but that is a clean version and it makes no sense not to at the very least, use that.
But what do I know???
beave

 

Gone, Gone, Gone:

 

I'll be waiting for you...

 

What's the point of that? It has the trumpet ending but it's not the promo mix, just the regular stereo mix with a needledropped ending tagged on.

 

Oops..........See Shane that's what I get for only getting 3 hours sleep after a 100 degree day here in the Seattle area.?
You are exactly right.
Beave

 

For me the audience laugh at the end of the line "we're sorry but it's time to go.. " in the Reprise is the 'Han Shot First' moment in this whole remix caper. What the hell is a *laugh* doing there?? Makes no sense and isn't present on the Mono or the Stereo. Why would an audience laugh at that?? Seems typical of the 'hey you can't hear it in the original.. so let's have it in this new version!' thinking that blights the project.

I think, speaking of Star Wars, that in much the same way as the 1997 special editions of those movies were initially greeted with praise and approval ("It's just like the original Star Wars .. but with loads of extra stuff that wasn't there before! Fantastic!") there will ultimately be a realization that we've been had and the clamour for the preservation of the originals will begin in earnest in about 10 years' time.

I say again, a *laugh* at the end of that line!? Jesus tap-dancing christ.

 

I really like the Pepper 5.1 mixes. On my system, there is a lot going on in the surrounds but the mix is in support of a stereo like soundstage. I suspect that this was a conscious decision of the production team.

By the way, I have been buying surround music since 2001 and I have a wide range of recordings in terms of how much the producers used discrete instrument placement. I have many favorites that are conservative, and an equal number that are more adventerous.

I may have missed it but I have never seen a surround mixing "rule" that says a surround mix is not any good unless you have a lot of discrete elements.

 

It is there in the Stereo version, but very faint. It also appears at exact same moment in Rock Band version, and those were based on original Stereo versions.

 

Paul has explained about why they put in audience laughter in SPLHCB and the reprise - it harkens back to listening to radio and the live audience laughing at something the radio listening ublic couldn't see, making them imagine what it could be going on on stage to prompt that laughter - he wanted to capture that feeling as SPLHCB was supposed to be a simulation of a live show on stage.

 

I still have not received my uber priced Amazon.it shipment. Come on.

 

It's VERY faint (ref. original stereo CD)! So faint in fact that it couldn't have been intentional, no matter what Paul is quoted to have said...

Is it more prominent on the mono version? I don't have the mono anymore.

 

I did an A/B of the 1987 CD and the new remix (CD). Again on my standard Bose system in the car.

There really is no comparison, the new version is much better. Maybe not historically or artistically, but to listen to. The '87 sounds distant, echoey, muffled in comparison.

I focused mostly on the lead off song. The lead guitar now panned to the right is much more audible and upfront. The bass is much louder (too loud however IMO, but just in comparison) although each note is less well-defined.

The harmonies are clearer including John's prominent sound. The drums more natural, less boxy.

There is only one area I prefer the original. After the first first bridge and short bridge where they sing "we hope you will enjoy the show", there was the muscular double triplet (after "show"), which really drove the song. Very heavy for aany Beatles records, almost like Townshend would play. On the remix it's the same guitar but somehow it's weakened in impact, some who know way more technically than I can probably explain why. I assume the mono is similar to the original stereo in this respect.

Apart from that, I don't think I would ever go back to the original mix...

 

I also prefer the 2017 remix. Gersh - the guitar section you're talking about (about 1 minute into Track 1) sounds, to me, pretty much the same on both the 2009 remaster and the 2017 remix so maybe your ears are better than mine! What I do find, though, is I hate the dull reverb ending to Lovely Rita on this 2017 mix, so I spliced on the 2009 remaster reverb from Rita and it sounds better. I also miss John's lead vocal panning on A Day In The Life, but, overall, top marks to the 2017 remix team for making this 50-year old recording sound vibrant and fresh.

 

I also wondered if "Sergeant" should be spelt out in full but it says "Sgt" on the drum on the cover - so either way must be acceptable. As to whether "Sgt" should have a full stop after it - well, I'm sure there's a thread about it somewhere .........

 

I just listened to the new stereo mix, via the 96/24 version on the Blu-ray, and I have to say I am very pleased with it.

First of all, I thought the compression was not excessive. It's loud, but I could keep the levels on my device.

Then, it's incredible the clarity and transparency of the new mix. Going back to the pre-bounced tracks really paid off. For example, the backgrounf vocals in Fixing a Hole. I had never "noticed" them so clearly. It could even be argued that some songs sound "too clear", meaning they were a bit more atmospheric with a little murkier sound, but I'm not complaining, it's just an impression.

As for the mix itself, I think at last we have a true stereo Sgt. Pepper. It makes the original stereo useless, a mere period curiosity: the sound spectrum is balanced, the artistic options the Beatles made for the mono mix are observed, and the period oddities (like placing vocals off-center in some songs, or those distracting pannings) are eliminated.

On the negative side, maybe the low bottom is too emphasized, and it's noticeable in some songs, like A Day in the Life.

 

His gibberish rambling at the end is also faint on stereo mix, is that intentional?

As for mono, there's just a crowd/applaud noise happening at that moment, no laughter. I think that thing Paul said about "fake live show" is one of his bits that he conjured up years later.

In my opinion they just used SFX differently for whatever reason on different mixes, it's same story with Back in the USSR, Piggies, Blackbird, and perhaps other tracks as well.

 

It has to be spaced that way so you can put a mirror up to Lonely Hearts and get the secret message.