Was Mono Sgt Pepper slated for 1997 CD release?

I got a book for Xmas, The Ultimate Beatles Quizbook 2, by Michael J. Hockinson, and it states that as part of Pepper's 30 anniversary, EMI was going to release a mono cd. EMI went as far as issuing a press release about a 30th anni CD. Anyone recall this? Is it true?

 

'Fraid so...this link comes courtesy of our friends at Abbeyrd

http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/pepperbox.htm

 

It's mostly true, but the press release wasn't released, nor was the CD. A copy of it was in the hands of an EMI/Capitol exec, I think in Canada. Photos were presented at the Abbeyrd's Beatles News website some time ago.

 

I have to wonder if the "1997 mono remaster" is an urban legend. The article linked above describes it as a mono remaster, but there is no indication in the accompanying "EMI information letter" that the CD would be mono.

And here Greg Calbi specifically describes the 1997 remaster as stereo:
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6339

 

Does anybody realize how close this was to coming out? A friend of my was in retail at the time,he's got the release sheets from Capitol...

 

I briefly mentioned the EMI 30th anniversary mono CD release of Sgt. Pepper's in my "Save The Beatles" article in the latest issue of Beatlology magazine.
http://www.beatlology.com/

My information is from the same source as the abbeyrd link. EMI Canada's release sheet had the mono Pepper's CD scheduled for November 25, 1997.

Maybe, though, it's a good thing we never heard it. As Angel said in the thread the Marry A Carrot posted

I've always wondered if there were any actual copies of this mono box set kicking around. To me that seems a heck of a lot of work for a mock up.

 

The interest in such a release would be so narrow and limited as to be capitally unfeasable. (some pun intended)

 

Good point. What is the source of information for it being mono? The press kit does not say anything about mono. It seems unlikely they would do a mono release, given the outcry about the first four albums on CD (of course, stranger things have happened).

 

I have an original 60's mono UK LP and the double mono CD "Pepperland" on Sweet Apple Trax label.

Guys, the "Pepperland" CD is so good its frightening. At my New Year's party, I played it for some friends and it simply bowled them over.

Really, who cares what EMI does anymore. Their track record is just awful.

 

Two points. Apparently, "Pepperland" disc two is the Calbi master copy. (It sounds really good though, but then why should I speak since I know nothing? (monkee reference))

And the answer to why a mono has been re-issued? Unanswerable, but the fact that "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" (The Pink Floyd) was done earlier that year could have influenced Apple's decision.

 

The funny thing about calbi's quote is that he says the original master wasn't opened or signed out from the tape library since it was last remastered for CD in 1986. Wasn't the 1987 Cd release actually made from a copy of the master, as the original couldn't be found?

Edit: Oops! I should have read more of the original thread with Greg's quotes. Todd F. said the same thing I just said.

 

What makes you think that?

 

My question is,has anyone else heard of the alleged QUAD Pepper,slated for release c.'73-'74?

 

The quad "mix" listed on the Mobile Fidelity box photo is derived from the stereo master tape for SQ release, not exactly real quad. Our fearless leader here has said that he has heard an authentic quad mix made at Abbey Road, which created salivation to no end.

 

Not only did he hear it, he had it in his hands!!

 

So close, and yet...

 

So unbelievably far...

So what is the transfer that is on "Pepperland"? (you can PM this info if the forum is not the place for this)

 

With digital technology and cheap colour printers it is not much work at all for a graphic designer to mock something like this up.

 

A CD-R is floating around of this supposed remaster. It sounds geniune; I think this isn't a myth but a plan than got abandoned when someone higher up said "we're not putting this much effort into a MONO recording!".

It has been processed, but it's a much better representation of the original album than the currently available stereo CD. Put it this way - it sounds much better than the other stuff they've remastered (1, Yellow Sub).