The Beatles 2009 Remasters

I don't understand why it's two whole sets in either mono OR stereo?  The original albums were mono for the first one or two and stereo from there until the end, right?

That's weird.  The story I heard with the '87 releases was that the first two albums were originally produced mono only.  They couldn't find all the stereo tapes for the next two, so those were made mono just to keep the songs consistent with one another.  Everything beyond that was stereo, period, so I figured this was the same pattern, just re-mastered with current equipment to clean up the clarity more.

I would have liked a mostly "mono" version of the "Past Masters" singles compilations, or at least a remastered re-release of the singles and E.P. box sets.

The Beatles had a habit of not including single cuts and b-sides on their British albums, and all their singles up to April 1969 are in mono.

All the singles (up to, but not including "The Ballad of John and Yoko", "Old Brown Shoe", "Something", "Come Together, "Let It Be") had originally been released in mono-only mixes on the 45s.  Most of the stereo versions of these singles and B-sides were only mixed to stereo when these cuts were needed to be included on later stereo compilation albums, or international releases such as the butchered U.S.A. Capitol Records catalog of albums. The "Past Masters" set included mostly the afterthought stereo versions, and only a few mono versions for early songs (and one late era B-side) that had never been re-mixed into true stereo.  As a fan of the mono versions, I would like to have the remastered mono versions of these singles and B-sides.

Did anybody check out the mono edition of Pink Floyd's "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" that came out for its 30th anniversary a while back? That one was strikingly different from the stereo as well (Interstellar Overdrive in particular. There was a lot missing from the stereo version!)

Nanner Split said:

Did anybody check out the mono edition of Pink Floyd's "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" that came out for its 30th anniversary a while back? That one was strikingly different from the stereo as well (Interstellar Overdrive in particular. There was a lot missing from the stereo version!)

YES!  I have that mono boxed edition of "Piper at the Gates of Dawn", and it's been the only version I have listened to for years now.  Somehow I lost my CD stereo edition in one of my many moves, or it was most likely nicked by a friend. I was truly hoping that EMI would have released the mono "A Saucerful of Secrets" on CD soon after, but no...  I'm also a big fan of the Monkees and Jefferson Airplane, and realy appreciate the stereo and mono editions of their early albums in a single package.  The Jefferson Airplane only did the stereo/mono Cds for their first two albums, and the Monkees' first four. As for Frank Zappa, it gets very confusing.  Not only are there stereo and mono mixing variations, but also difrent mixes exclusive to both vinyl and CD releases.   The new Zappa "Project/Object" series releases for the albums ("Freak Out" and, "Lumpy Gravy / We're Only In It For The Money") is trying to sort this out, and has entire original album mono mixes included.  Another mono / stereo mix CD release I am very fond of is "The Velvet Underground with Nico" Deluxe edition.  I tend to reach for the mono disk more then the stereo.

joebshmoe said:

the mono mixes are defnitely the set to get, btw.

 

comparisons between dr. ebbets mono mixes will be inevitable...

A word from Dr. Ebbetts himself.

"Dear friends,

I sincerely hope all is well with you and yours.

Indeed, this is an unexpected mass-mailer. Please forgive the
unsolicited rambles that follow.

[EDIT]

Second, there has been considerable buzz surrounding the new Beatles
remasters, due for release in September. There should be. We have all
been waiting for this day, and it is about to arrive - finally! Thanks
to a long-time supporter and friend to this project, I have had the
opportunity to hear genuine samples of the new remasters due out in two
months.

They are good.

Very good.

Those of you who will be buying them - and those of you who have already
preordered - will not be disappointed.

In fact, I will venture to guess than many of you will be more than
pleasantly surprised at how good they sound.

And with what promises to be outstanding packaging all around, it will
be a collector's nirvana.

From the outset of the Dr. Ebbetts Sound Systems project, I swore that
once EMI did the right thing and released remasters to be proud of, I
would not continue doing what I was doing. After all, the only reason I
did this was because Apple/EMI/Capitol would not - and because I so very
much love the Beatles.

While my love for the band has not changed, everything else has.

EMI/Capitol began their release of the American LPs on compact disc a
few years ago, and now EMI has tackled the British catalogue in fullest
detail.

It's what we all wanted. As Beatles fans, it's what we've prayed for.

To that end - and with the heaviest of hearts - effective immediately,
Dr. Ebbetts Sound Systems will cease operations.

Many of you will recall that the entire purpose of the Dr. Ebbetts
project was to make available to the public the best sounding versions
of the Beatles' original LP releases - with emphasis on the American and
British catalogues. Believe me, it wasn't a hard thing to do considering
the substandard quality of the original CD catalogue from 1987 onward.

The fact of the matter is, the Dr. Ebbetts material does not - and will
not - sound better than what is coming commercially in September. People
I trust agree with me. The remasters sound remarkably well balanced,
with solid, punchy bass, smooth mids and not-to-harsh, yet crisp highs.
In comparison, many of the Ebbetts masters fall short - weaker bass,
dimished mids, and often too-bright highs.

It's a given that the remasters will not please everyone, but they will
be good enough to make the Ebbetts catalogue solidly inferior.

The artwork and packaging of the EMI material will prove to make current
Dr. Ebbetts releases look like Xerox machine fodder.

It pains me, seeing as I have invested so much time in this thing, but I
humbly and officially put this nearly-fourteen year project to bed.

I have outlived my usefulness in this hobby.

I know there are many who will ask why I just don't continue releasing
titles that are NOT being put out by Apple/EMI - foreign releases, rare
pressings, etc..

My reasons are complicated, but they are what they are. In short, if the
Dr. Ebbetts BLUE BOX set is not the definitive sounding version of the
original UK stereo LPs, then why issue them at all?

Many will remember the original BEAT CDs of the 1990s that presented the
Beatles US LPs sourced from cassettes. I surely do. They became
immediately obsolete with the advent of Dr. Ebbetts. No one bought those
BEAT CDs anymore when I came along. Why would they? At the time, my
material was far superior.

The Ebbetts BLUE BOX series was only issued because Apple/EMI's versions
were substantially inferior to anything I - or any number of
needledroppers - were putting out. The Ebbetts BLUE BOX set is at THE
HEART of the Dr. Ebbetts Sound Systems collection, in my estimation. If
that set is now inferior to the commercial release, then it has no
business existing. Suffice to say, I would not release the BLUE BOX set
today if new remasters were already commercially available.

I would have no need.

And if my CORE SET is inferior, I don't wish to have the rest of the
catalogue branded as such either.

Therefore, it is time to put it all on the shelf.

[EDIT]

Please be sure to secure your copies of the remasters. I guarantee they
will replace your Dr. Ebbetts CDs in your rotations and playlists - as
they should. Display them proudly and let people know who the greatest
band of all time is.

Remember, quoting my project motto from all those years ago, it is ONLY
about the music.

That is why I do what I do today.

Now go put your hard-earned money to good use!

God Bless.


Drew"

ChainsawAsh said:

Ziz said:

That's weird.  The story I heard with the '87 releases was that the first two albums were originally produced mono only.  They couldn't find all the stereo tapes for the next two, so those were made mono just to keep the songs consistent with one another.  Everything beyond that was stereo, period, so I figured this was the same pattern, just re-mastered with current equipment to clean up the clarity more.

Never heard that story, and at any rate it isn't true - there were stereo and mono versions of every album up until Abbey Road (there was a mono version of Yellow Submarine, but it was just a fold-down of the stereo mixes, even though mono mixes *were* made, and are included in the Mono Masters disc in the mono remaster box set).

The first four albums were only released in mono on CD in 87 because the stereo mixes had all the vocals hard-panned to either the right or left.  Because the tracks weren't individually separated, these albums could not be remixed, so the mono versions were used.

The next two albums had vocals hard-panned as well (Help! and Rubber Soul), but since those were recorded mutli-track, they were able to be remixed from the original master stems.  George Martin himself remixed them so the vocals were more centered.

Revolver onward had better stereo mixes (no more hard-panning of the vocals), so they were untouched and released in stereo.

The original stereo mixes of Help! and Rubber Soul, with all the hard-panning intact, will be included with the mono versions of those albums in the mono box set - the stereo set and individual releases will use the remixes.

OK, that must be it then.  I knew there was something published about the stereo source material not being available so the albums were remixed to mono but I didn't remember the details...or at least not remember them correctly.

"Abbey Road" has always sounded very compressed to me. I am eager to hear this new remaster now.

I have not heard anything about these new remasters being released on vinyl.

What the fuck is the point of a CD only, or itunes only release.

When their should be a vinyl release, as well as an unlimited HD audio release.

The LA times disagrees with you Sky Jedi.  The question of an audiophile vinyl release is not a question of "if, but when".  The article was published about a week back.

Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn?

Remember how she said that we would meet again some sunny day?

Vera! Vera! What has become of you?

Does anybody else in here feel the way I do?

I'm glad they released a mono boxset along with the stereo-at least they care to get things right. The 90's Who remasters were crazy-the only one worth the time is the Leeds remaster b/c the Deluxe one is terrible.