Except for titles like the Coltrane/Johnny Hartman album where the mono lacks the overdubs found on the stereo.
I have no idea how these sessions were recorded. Was a mono machine going in tandem with stereo? I don't know. However, was it impossible? No: original session - simultaneous recording to mono* and stereo overdub session - simultaneous recording of playback of original session stereo recording+live overdubs to mono and stereo * original session mono recording would be unused/unnecessary once overdubs were required Was it done that way? I don't know. But saying the mono *couldn't* have been made during the session is incorrect.
That's not exactly the situation AFAIK. A version of the stereo LP was also released without the overdubs. It was the original release and has since been reissued from time to time (as on the Verve Originals CD). Later it was withdrawn, along with the "underdub" mono version. There were four versions of the LP released in 1963/4: Original stereo release (no overdubs) Original mono release (no overdubs) Second stereo release (with overdubs) Second mono release (with overdubs) A similar thing happened with Ascension (two different takes each released in stereo & mono) and Live at Birdland (false start & non-false start versions of "Alabama"). Four versions of each LP during the original US run. So just because the copy of the mono that you've heard lacks the overdubs doesn't mean that there isn't a copy that has them. It is my understanding that mono with overdubs does exist. See also Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. Charlie Mariano's alto parts are all overdubs. They are on all versions of the LP. Wouldn't that scenario require incredibly unreliable and labor-intensive live syncing of the mono and stereo tapes?
Because this thread is the first I've heard of it. Although I guess that's a dumb reason to believe otherwise. We do know that RVG had different practices for different labels.
How can one differentiate between the original and second releases? Deadwax, labels? I've had a few original stereo copies and they all had the overdubs.
Can't help with that, sorry. The original release was corrected so quickly that there are probably far more copies with overdubs than without, but I believe they all have the same labels. Not sure about deadwax.
Sorry for a bit off topic. I found an interesting testimony by Alfred Lion. He planed a concert for promoting Blue Note Records with Art Blakey which would result as A Night at Birdland. Initially he had no idea to record the concert since there was no way for him to record a live concert then. Incidentally he knew that Ampex would sell a portable recorder. The price as he remembered was $800. It was a big budget for BN. Lion made an offer to Rudy. "If you pay the half of the price, I will always ask you to record all the live recordings for Blue Note, and you could use the ampex for other clients of you."
Any info on where the HDtracks release of this album is sourced from? It's the only version of this LP I currently own and it sounds STUNNING. I've seen bits and pieces on this site claiming it to be from a recently uncovered master tape but no concrete info.
Care to tell what album you’re asking about? The last post on this thread is from 5 years ago and there have been several albums discussed here…
Seeing this only now. So you mean there is a true stereo LP cut of Soultrane out there? I guess you mean this one: https://www.discogs.com/release/8161694-John-Coltrane-With-Red-Garland-Soultrane It’s marked ”electronically remastered for stereo“ on the cover but comment on Discogs says it’s actually mono. I haven’t heard it.
I’ve since had a copy of that and it sounds like a mono tape played back on a stereo deck as there is very subtle L & R only noticeable when the mono button is pushed but it’s not stereo.
