Elvis In Mono (1960 and after)

I'd jump at a proper mono set - especially where the Memphis sessions are concerned...although I already have From Elvis... in at least five guises so I'm starting to annoy even myself by re-buying it all the time! The legacy edition is currently in the post (and by 'post' I mean 'mail' ) funnily enough, so I'll be interested to hear the mono singles. I've been keeping an eye out for a sensibly priced mono LP, but I'm put off slightly by people seeming to confirm that it really is just a fold-down.

 

I'm a tad confused by this, no offense. You say Elvis preferred mono, but objected to the vocal being louder, i.e. the key difference between the stereo and mono? You say the Bill Porter stuff was intended for stereo, yet he told our host that punchy, balanced mono was of chief concern at the time and that he never expected many of his recordings would ever see stereo release? Another quote to that effect:

Of course, Porter and others including Elvis himself (and our host, along with many of us here) may well have differed or outright disagreed on the merits of individual songs in stereo vs mono, etc. (And equally it's possible I have misunderstood either what you and/or our host have written! Apologies if so!)

To be clear, I'm not saying that folddowns are particularly appealing to me personally, per se, just that I can totally see the argument that in at least some cases this form may represent what the music was truly "supposed" to sound like all along...

 

Elvis despised having his voice prominent in a mix because he greatly preferred being merely a "cog in the machine" as it were; a member of a larger group rather than its star. It was thus imperative to him that the band as a whole be given the spotlight, with him merely being the lead singer. There are quotes from a couple of his engineers to that effect.

 

What I mean is Elvis preferred mono and after the fold down he thought his voice was too out front so it had to be remixed for mono to put the level back down to how it was in the stereo version. That differs from MY preference, which would be stereo with Elvis' voice UP FRONT (and with no reverb) in the mix.

Elvis preferred the punchiness of mono and not the spaciousness and transparency of stereo, but he wanted the final product to have his voice more even with the Jordanaires. Bill Porter worked his ass off getting the Stereo mix just right LIVE for Elvis Is Back and to help ensure the mono mixdown would not have Elvis' voice too far out front. However, sometimes his tastes differed from Elvis' on some tracks. I agree that Elvis voice was a bit too recessed in the stereo versions, but they still trump the mono versions.

I vote we remove "punchy" and "it pops" out of the lexicon.

Elvis Is Back
His Hand In Mine
Something For Everybody
Pot Luck
Elvis Golden Records Volume 3 are a MUST in stereo and the best sounding recordings Elvis ever made thanks to Bill Porter. Though the music is best on Elvis Is Back, His Hand In Mine and Something For Everybody take the prize for best engineering and sound in my book.

 

I guess then if we want mono on a Bill Porter recording we just need to hit the mono button
and we'll hear what Bill wanted us to hear in mono as he monitored his stereo mix in mono

 

That's exactly right! Much cheaper than getting those 5 albums in mono too!

 

Over half the cuts on this release are from the Sixties.

A terrific sounding set in mono.

 

I have the 20 Golden Hits RCA Collectors Series 7" set, 10 singles with sleeves. I have wondered if it is true mono or fold downs, as they state as mono.

 

This cd is almost all mono and it sounds quite decent. Wooden Heart, Guitar Man, Fever and Wild In the Country are the only stereo tracks. Elvis Presley - Elvis Forever

 

Me also. Miles Davis, The Beatles, and Dylan have mono boxes,l

 

One notable exception being Viva Las Vegas, as it appears here in its mono 45 version. Of the top of my head, the only other official digital release of the mono 45 version is on the FTD of This Is Elvis (which is a much more expensive way of obtaining it).

 

I would love to see an Elvis mono box, I saw a bootleg box on ebay compiling the singles. Would be nice to see an official release though.

 

Yup! I was raised on that set as I was born in August '69. My favorite memory was the automatic tone arm on my parents' record player ejecting during the bonus 'Elvis Sails' segment so it was many years before I actually heard the whole thing!

 

Fold downs mainly, but still historically accurate. I would love an official mono singles box as well. The bonus mono singles on the From Elvis in Memphis Legacy Edition was a nice touch.

 

Has anyone heard the cd box set "The Mono Masters 1960-1975":

Elvis Presley - The Mono Masters: 1960 - 1975

www.elvisoncd.com/EIGENECD_a-z/import/T/themonomasters.htm

 

Yeah, it's a bootleg.

 

And the Rolling Stones. The Elvis Industry is asleep at the wheel on this one.

 

Agreed.
It's pretty much the only angle left for master recordings to bait some buyers in, but it's a legitimate one.

 

I’d like to hear Elvis is back in mono but the stereo is fantastic! He sounds so in the room, full of life and energy. Most rock records sound lame in comparison.

 

Elvis Is Back has been released in mono on the FTD label.

 

I have the Elvis is Back mono but my copy is from the big expensive FTD book. I don't think it ever had a more normal FTD release. I cannot remember who did the mastering. Maybe one day for some more official Elvis mono masters. I too enjoy the mono singles from Sony Legacy set.

 

Another FTD release with "The Elvis Is Back Sessions (4-CD)" is tomorrow:

Elvis Presley CD: The Elvis Is Back Sessions (4-CD) - Bear Family Records

The first 18 songs are the same as the FTD release from 2005:

Elvis Presley - Elvis Is Back!

 

Depends on where recorded, and who engineered them. Nashville sessions with Bill Porter at the controls, are fold downs from mono, his mixes were designed for that. Elsewhere it varies.

 

Without much fanfare the mono version of "His Hand In Mine" was released on Elvis' official YouTube channel last year: His Hand in Mine (Mono Version) - YouTube

 

Come on FTD, give us classic albums of Worldwide Gold Hits and The Other Sides. Expand them to include all mono mixes.

currently listening to “You’ll think of me” in mono. It’s astounding!