Tomorrow Never Knows (early withdrawn mix)

Sorry if discussed before...I have heard that the first pressings of Revolver had a "wrong" mix used for "Tomorrow Never Knows" and was quickly withdrawn and replaced with the "correct" version.

Since I have never heard this mix, to those who have, what is the difference with it and was it the UK mono or stereo (or both) that it was on? Was it on the US version as well?

 

This was only on the first 600 UK mono L.P.'s. The mix has differences in the way the tape loops are mixed during the instrumental break, and also a longer fade out. It has been reissued unofficially.

 

I have one of these....
Found for about $9 at a record show in Vancouver in the mid-late 90's...right after that article in that collectible Beatles mag came out!

 

Just curious, where did the 600 number come from?

 

I doubt 600 and have never heard that number before.

They regulary crop up on Epay so got to be more than 600.

 

I'd suggest a few thousand of these LPs made it into circulation. Even down here in NZ I've seen 5 or more copies.

 

To me, one of the most notable differences is the conspicuous absence of the final guitar phrase from the "solo" in the instrumental break.

 

and the little extra piano at the end

plenty places to hear it.....

on the extra's DVD Anthology you hear the extra piano at the end.

pretty similar i feel......

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Dja-HgLzE9o&feature=related

 

I got one of the UK LPs with the early mix off ebay a few years ago "by accident" for cheap. IMHO, not a huge difference between the withdrawn mix and the mono mix they replaced it with. If anything, the fact that George Martin went to the trouble to stop the pressing to replace the mix tells you how important he thought it was to get the correct mix on record (unlike when they released the Beatles on CD)

 

Yes, it's not significantly different.

 

The easiest way to tell is on the early version Lennon's first two words "Turn off..." have no effects on them. The effects kick in on "your mind, relax...".

On the regular version the effect is on John's voice from the start.

 

Actually it´s not effect what´s missing. It´s John´s second vocal. The track with John´s second vocal is faded down on the wrong mix. That track contains tambourine as well. So you can´t hear tambourine right from the start of the song. Tambourine kicks in when the track is faded up on "your mind, relax...".

 

Seems like at least a couple per week are on auction on ebay.co.uk

 

I see.

Thanks for the info!

 

From Joseph Brennan's Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:

TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS
basic recording- 6 Apr 1966
additional recording- 6,7,22 Apr 1966
master tape- 4 track

[a] mono 6 Jun 1966.
UK: Parlophone PMC 7009 Revolver 1966, matrix XEX 606-1.

mono 6 Jun 1966.
UK: Parlophone PMC 7009 Revolver 1966.
US: Capitol T 2576 Revolver 1966.

[c] stereo 22 Jun 1966.
UK: Parlophone PCS 7009 Revolver 1966.
US: Capitol ST 2576 Revolver 1966.
CD: EMI CDP 7 46441 2 Revolver 1987.

Mono [a] is extremely rare, and is believed to have been manufactured on only the first day of UK pressing. Most copies have matrix 606-2 or 606-3 on side B, and are the standard version heard on all copies of other countries' pressings. [a] is mono remix 11 while the standard version is remix 8. In the rare [a], the vocal is louder and clearer over the effects, the fade is slightly longer and has more piano, and the effects are faded up quite differently (whereas and [c] are pretty similar).

The similarity in the tape loop effects in and [c] suggest that they were recorded into one of the 4 tracks of the master. The general trend is that in mono the transition is faster, so sound comes up to full volume almost suddenly and then goes completely out. Mono starts with the loop track at full volume while stereo [c] fades in on it. The guitar sound in the break sounds more processed and full in mono . At the start of the second vocal section stereo has a feedback whistle in "love is all and love is everyone" while does not.

 

The "alternate" mix has slightly louder vocals and the effects loop sounds drop out in the spaces between the verses, so all you hear is the drums and tamboura drone for a second or two before the next verse starts. That and the last bar of the guitar solo fading out prematurely, are the main differences.

It is a cool mix; I could have been perfectly content if this mix had made the final cut.

 

It was also issued legitimately on a Westwood One promo CD called Rarities on Compact Disc. Not cheap (around $50 for a non-bootleg copy) but easily found.

 

legitimately.......

 

That was a legitimate Westwood One radio-only CD... I actually called them (Westwood One) when this series was coming out and they confirmed it was legit. Lots of counterfeits though.

 

I'm sure there could be questions about who the licensee was for these tracks. Westwood claims they licensed them for radio purposes only.

Oddly enough the disc I have was pressed by Disque Americ in Canada, the same plant that gave us the original stereo mixes of Rubber Soul and Help.

 

I just grabbed a near-mint copy in a used records shop in Brussels for 50 euros. Actually, I thought it was the 2nd pressing because when I looked at the matrix numbers, it said 605-2 for side two, but the condition was so good that I bought it nevertheless. Actually, I wanted so much to see "-1" that when I saw "-2" I didn't look further, being sure it was the more common version (but still, in a near perfect state, the main reason why I bought it).

I had the surprise of my life when I got home and realised that actually the labels were inverted (labels of side 1 on side 2 and vice-versa), so matrix number for side two was indeed 606-1 !!!

So, this is the combination of a rare album with a manufacturing defect !

There could be worse days in one's life...

 

The XEX606-1 pressing is not that rare. Highly desired perhaps...and thus the reason for it's relatively high value. You see copies of this put up for auction on ebay virtually every day.

Frankly I suspect that the number is closer to 60,000 than 600.

 

The number would be whatever was pressed the first day or two... surely far more than 600 copies. The mixing differences are relatively minor and I'm surprised Martin had the master replaced or that EMI allowed him to do so. I actually prefer the longer fade on the withdrawn mix, though the vocal error during the intro and the missing guitar part during the solo were obviously errors of omission.... same type omission on the stereo mix of Yellow Submarine when Martin and Emerick faded up John's answering responses to Ringo during the "Life at ease" part too late. Oh well, it makes for a nice mixing anomaly.

The Westwood CDs are technically, not legitimate. The songs were ok'd for broadcast-use only, they were not sourced from EMI archives or masters. They were never allowed to be sold or re-sold. Same is true for the Westwood One Lost Lennon Tapes and the Beatles At The Beeb. All for broadcast-use only. For a time, the CDs featured some nice rarities. First-time on CD stereo mixes from the Dick James sampler, Day Tripper with the dropout fixed and a bunch of mixing differences. Ron

 

I disagree, they are legit; they are not bootlegs nor counterfeits and were authorized for production by the various content owners with the intent that they would be shipped to US radio stations for broadcast (just not authorized for commercial resale). Westwood One is a legitimate company and they do not produce illegitamate products.

 

I am not sure about the US, but in the UK BBC transcription discs are illegal to sell and have been for over 20 years. This would be the same for Westwood one discs etc. They are produced for one reason only and are not allowed for sale etc.