I figured I'd better start a separate thread on this since the other was in the ATMP thread. None of the differences are huge, but if you're a fan of this LP you'll be interested. I've been listening to the promo Ram mono mix tonight and here are the more prominent differences I hear. Too Many People: Different (longer) delay on the vocal, slightly longer fadeout Three legs: Slightly different guitar on the middle part Dear Boy: Piano sounds different, texture and prominence of backing vocals different Smile Away: Some of the lead guitar is buried in the mix although the solo is still intact. The rhythm guitar sounds chunkier/dirtier and longer fade! Monkberry Moon Delight: Vocals effects different Long Haired Lady: Different balance of instruments/vocals especially on the chant fadeout Back Seat of my Car: longer fadeout, more "woo woos" from Paul
Steve- I always enjoy your comments about what you have seen at EMI in the past, and I seem to remember you saying that you've heard some pretty important (Beatles/Solo) masters there. Even if you were there to work on a specific title, was it all "work" or did you really have the chance to peruse the vault, to pull down a tape and have a listen just for fun? On another note, I read several years ago that the Beatles' masters and multi's are stored in another secure location in London. True?
When I visited the archives in 2001 an employee told me the Beatles tapes were not stored there, but he didn't offer further details. Does anyone here know what's going on at Hayes now? I heard a few months ago that Ruth Edge had left. Under her direction the EMI archives had a reputation for being helpful to discographers doing research, and I hope that hasn't changed. Given present conditions in the industry, we have to hope as well that some EMI exec doesn't get any bright ideas about saving money on storage by tossing out multitracks, 78 metals, etc. as we've seen in the past.
So does anyone here actually own a REAL copy of the mono Ram vinyl? I've never met anyone who owns it (or owned it)... On the other hand, I don't think people even realized it existed for quite a long time, since it came in a commercial jacket with no promo stickers or anything like that (probably a promo hole). Might be some hidden in collections... Between the mono mix of Ram and the incredibly bizarre "Brung to Ewe By" promo album, I think Macca must've been smoking some awfully strong wacky tobaccy around that time! Kwad
Yes, I know someone who has one and I have held it in my hands. It exists. I think it does have a sticker on it.
I read in "Eight Arms to Hold You: the Comprehensive Beatles Compendium" that this is the most valuable official solo Beatles LP released, so if you have it STOP PLAYING IT AND HOLD ON TO IT!!! Or make one dub of it and listen to it on CD-R... Though I don't know how it can be better than Steve's Gold DCC disc - plus it's in stereo! (this isn't thread crapping, I already complimented him on how valuable his LP is worth...) JEFF!
Thanks to the collectors market, value/price has no correlation to quality. Just scarcity. I know that if I had the mono Ram, liked it, and had been informed as to its value by this thread, I wouldn't feel bad about continuing to play it. But then, I'm no collector.
So is it just Ram or are there other mono McCartney Lp's ? For example a mono McCartney ? Seems odd when compatiible Stereo started replacing mono from about 1969 onwrds(in the UK ) John THE Simpson
From my understanding the ONLY McCartney album to have a discrete mono mix was Ram, and that any monos of other titles are fold downs or those Brazilian things.
