Mixology: The Mono/Stereo Mix Differences Podcast

Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan

Hello Friends! Well, it's finally time for the big one - and not just that today marks Episode 100 of the show. After 6 months of planning, work, and research, we have arrived at what will surely be the peak of the Mixology format, our extensive look at Bob Dylan's 1966 classic Blonde on Blonde. Issued in both mono and stereo as a 14-track double LP, the album was subject to a partially revised stereo mix, issued as soon as 1966 in some countries (Australia never got the initial stereo mix for example), while the UK & Canada got a stack of exclusive mono mixes (more in the latter), and even France got a handful too. Many of the singles from the album were also heavily edited, and in the case of one, remixed too. This gives us a total of 52 vintage mixes and edits from the 60s period for this album - but the fun doesn't stop there...
From the dawn of the CD era, this album has only been issued in remixed form, with new mixes being issued in 1987, 1992, and 1999, the latter of which is the mix you'll find available today. A number of the original and revised mixes have thankfully slipped out on compilations through the years, but for the most part these remain exclusive to the vinyl issues of these albums. Regardless, these remixed albums increase our mix look to a whopping 94 unique mixes and edits for this episode.
As a result, our extensive run-time today comes as no surprise, and is well deserving of placement as episode 100 of Mixology. I hope you're sitting comfortably, with your Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat on tight, because we're in for one heck of a ride.
I also want to give a huge thank you to two people whose assistance proved invaluable in the research of this episode. When it came to CD sources for the vintage mixes, James Messina came to me having done the majority of the dirty work, locating discs from all over the world as reference to ensure we had the best sources at hand for comparison. Without him this episode could not be as analytically sound as it is.
Even moreso though I must thank Roger Ford from electricdylan.net, an essential resource for the 1965-66 period of Dylan's career. Much of what you'll hear me cover today comes from the extensive notes present on Roger’s website, and I certainly could never have known the true extent of the mix mountain for the album without his research. Roger has also kindly been extremely helpful along the way in pointing me in the correct direction of sources I needed to pickup for the episode, and without him, this episode could not have been as comprehensive and complete as the final result has become.
And now, it's time for you to all become a part of it. The world - not the album - that is the Thin, Wild, Mercury Sound of Blonde on Blonde.
Happy Listening,
Frederick
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Live at Kelvin Hall by The Kinks

Hello Friends! Here we are, at episode 99, and what better way to hit the end of double digits with than The Kinks curio of a live album from 1967/68 [US/UK], Live at Kelvin Hall. Notorious for its overbearing loop of screams edited into the mixdown, the album is nothing if not an exciting listen. But what of the two mixes available for this sonic experience? Well, between the Stage Front of the Mono and the Hall Rear of the stereo, they couldn't be more different, including heavy echo usage in stereo only, entirely different guitar overdubs throughout in each mix, and a generally different balance and track edits in each. All-in-all, a vastly different experience that can be hard to initially quantify. So come on now - Batman wants answers!
Happy Listening,
Frederick
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With The Beatles by The Beatles

Hello Friends! It's Beatle time here on the show again, as we finally round out our look at all the catalog LPs in the Beatles canon with a look at 1963's With the Beatles. Originally issued in mono and stereo, this twin-track recording seems like a simple comparison on the surface - and yes, many of the tracks are - but there's some real hidden secrets in these mixes that demand your attention, including unique overdubs in each mix, alternate edit pieces used, and a couple of odd balance moments independent of each other. We also have a couple of curious international variations, one with some extraneous session sounds, and the other the fault of a tape machine. Of course, MONEY makes a completely worthy climax to this knock-out programme. Hope it doesn't leave you too breathless to flip back to Side One for a repeat-play session WITH THE BEATLES.
Happy Listening,
Frederick
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Of Cabbages and Kings by Chad Stuart & Jeremy Clyde

Hello Cabbages! This week on the show we're taking our first full-length look at Chad & Jeremy, addressed here by their full names, and their 1967 statement piece Of Cabbages and Kings. A tale of two sides, this takes an already very progressive baroque-folk set of songs on Side 1 and pairs it with The Progress Suite on Side 2 - a 5 part, most instrumental look at the rise and fall of society and the politics surrounding it. It's a grand, Gary Usher produced statement of an album that lands for the most part, but how do it's two mixes stand up? Well, for the most part the mono and the stereo are equally strong, especially over speakers, and I never truly feel left wanting from the mixes, but there's plenty of little details that make each unique. So with these two LPs in hand, and a 45 edit/mix of opening cut 'Rest in Piece' trailing behind, let's dig into this album to deep which is the Cabbage, and which is the King.
I've also got to once again give a huge thanks to Ethan Alexanian from the Fans on the Run podcast for his work on the flatlay artwork for today's episode.
Oh, and I want a word with whoever decided to put my name on a gravestone at the start of the album. I'm a little suss now...
Happy Listening,
Frederick
P.S. If you want more Chad & Jeremy, we looked at 'Paxton Quigley...' b/w/ 'You Need Feet: last month over at the Patreon on Mixology on 45. 
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Once Upon a Twilight by The Twilights

Hello Friends! We're moving into the land down under this month on the show, with a look at the fantastic 2nd LP from Australia's own The Twilight, Once Upon a Twilight. Issued in 1968 in mono and stereo exclusively in Oz, the album has since been reissued on CD, including a Mono/Stereo issue by Aztec. Sadly, this uses a fold-down of the stereo for the mono presentation, while the original LP is wonderfully a dedicated mono affair, complete with drier vocals, and some wildly different use of effects throughout this very 'studio' production. This is a wonderful piece of late 60s Pop-Psych, and if you're a fan of The Beatles' 1967 efforts, or The Hollies' Butterfly, you'll love this album. Not convinced? What a silly thing to do! Be Mr. Nice and Take Action - the Blue Roundabout is waiting!
Happy Listening,
Frederick
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Bee Gees 1st by The Bee Gees

Hello Friends! Today we're completing our look at the Bee Gees' catalog* here on the show, with their first international release Bee Gees 1st from 1967. Issued originally in both mono and stereo mixes, I was shocked at how much stronger the stereo mix here was than the rather poor showing on Horizontal, generally being comparable to the mono, with a couple of exceptions. But what are these exceptions, and what makes some of the stereo mixes stand out above their mono mixes? Well send those vocals to the echo chamber and turn up those orchestration overdubs, as we head down to Cucumber Castle for the Turn of the Century.
Happy Listening,
Frederick
*Remember, non-LP tracks such as 'Words' & 'I've Gotta Get a Message to You' can be found on Mixology on 45 over at the Patreon
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Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!) by The Beach Boys

Hello Friends! It's time to hop back on the Beach Boys train this month with a look at the group's 2nd LP of 1965, the commercial smash Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!). Containing huge hits 'Help Me, Rhonda' and 'California Girls', the album was only initially issued in mono and Duophonic stereo back in 1965, but once the late 90s hit, the album steadily gained true stereo mixes of it's tracks, until in 2012 the whole album received it's first true stereo edition, using many of the previously issued mixes, and some additional ones created for this issue. However, those stereo mixes had been changed multiple times prior - not always with notice - giving us a perplexing bevy of mixes to look into, along with an alternate fade on the single version of 'California Girls', and a unique 2003 DVD-A mix of 'Summer Means New Love'. In short, you'll need an entire summer day and night to digest it all!
A huge thanks to @vinylbenjy on instagram for his second flatlay artwork to grace the show while my collection makes it's way between countries!
Happy Listening,
Frederick
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Blaze by Herman's Hermits

Hello Friends! As promised, it's finally time to blaze it up, with the 1967 LP from the much derided Herman's Hermits, Blaze. Issued in October of that year, the album was not issued at the time in the UK (though formed popular on the import market), the album comprised of 10 tracks produced by the ardent lover of mono, one Mickie Most. This overall leads to a generally simple stereo presentation, including two reprocessed stereo tracks (though not necessarily of the same mono mixes), but this does not mean these don't feature some significant differences.
Things get more interesting when we bring in Ron Furmanek remixes from 1991 of the first 7 tracks for the album. If one hasn’t heard a Ron Furmanek remix before, it’s important to understand his sound for the period. These are very clean and open mixes, and compared to the often heavy compression and EQ used on ‘60s mixdowns, Ron prefers to keep it dynamic and dry, heavily aided by his very ahead-of-the-curve syncing of stage tapes, albeit with some minor sync issues sadly. I personally find them more fascinating insights than actual preferred listening experiences, and the tracks as presented on the Bear Family set also appear to have a bloated sounding EQ, especially apparent when moving from the ‘60s mixes, so do keep all these pointers in mind as we compare.
As a little bonus, I’m going to be including the song ‘Mum & Dad’, which was recently brought to my attention by Andrew Sandoval as excised from the LP late in the production, present in the tracklist (but not audio) for the US reel-to-reel release, as the second to last track on the LP. Of course, this eventually saw release on The Best of Herman’s Hermits Volume III in the US only, which gave us true mono and stereo mixes of the track, and we were treated to a remix from Ron again for this one.
All in all, this makes for an episode that was far more fun to make than I was expecting, and it was very much one initially done out of the love for the album over anything else. And hopefully you learn a lot too! 
Happy Listening,
Frederick
 
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River Deep-Mountain High by Ike & Tina Turner

Hello Friends! The time is finally here for the epic journey that is our Mixology exploration of the 1966 classic from Ike & Tina Turner, River Deep-Mountain High. Of note due to it's 5 Phil Spector productions (including the title cut), and 7 killer Ike Turner originals, this is a 12 track album of wall to wall bangers that didn't see release in American until 1969. Naturally, the album was issued in 1966 in both dedicated mono and stereo mixes, but unacknowledged until now was fully remixed into stereo in 1969 for the worldwide A&M reissue of the album, giving us 3 unique mixes of the 11 tracks carried across the 3 releases, plus 2 for 'You're So Fine', the track unique to the 1966 LP.
 
However, the fun doesn't stop there, as discussed recently in my breakdown of the mix exploration for this album (free to all over at the Patreon), 3 of the tracks were issued in seemingly unique mono mixes on the 1991 Back to Mono box set, and the mono LP and 45 presentations of the title cut are vastly different sonically - but are they differing mixes? We have a lot to dig into today, and to help me cover the deep dive taken for this is Patron, Assistant and Friend Andy, who joins me for a chat about the various pressings, cuttings, LPs, 45s and CDs we explored to cover all the bases of this seemingly innocuous album, and who is also responsible for this episode's flatlay.
 
This is the most excited I've been for a Mixology episode in a long time, and I hope you'll have a blast discovering these mixes (and maybe even this album) with me today on this epic journey. And to top it off, there's some great differences between these mixes too. So grab that tambourine in hand, get the echo unit ready to roll, and let's sail on down the river and climb that mountain - no matter how deep or how high!
 
Happy Listening,
Frederick
 
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Take Me For What I'm Worth by The Searchers

Hello Friends! We're back with our first proper Mixology breakdown of 2024, taking our first look on the show at The Searchers, and their fantastic 1965 LP Take Me For What I'm Worth. The last LP issued by the group until their late 70s renaissance, the album sees the group moving in a Folk Rock direction, and deep in the throws of a love affair with the echo chamber, giving us some wonderful differing echo levels between the two mixes, along with a few other tidbits. An album deeply worth your time, it's time to see which mix you should be after - if you don't just take either for what they're worth!
Happy Listening, Frederick
Fans on the Run Podcast (feat. Frederick French-Pounce)
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(The Validity of) Friends (in Mono) by The Beach Boys

Hello Friends! We're kicking off the world of Mixology for 2024 with a bit of a theory based episode. Friends is one of The Beach Boys' best loved studio LPs. Issued in 1968, this did not see a mono issue in the USA, and elsewhere in the world any mono issues were done simply as fold-downs from the stereo mix. Thus, aside from 2 sides mixed to mono initially for 45 use, we have never been presented with an authorised mono mix of the album... or have we? Understanding the mixdown process for this album, and Brian Wilson's unique involvement in it, means that the monophonic LP saga for the group may not actually end with Wild Honey, and just maybe, that UK mono LP you hold might actually prove to have some worth...
 
Happy Listening,
Frederick
 
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The Andy Williams Christmas Album by Andy Williams

Hello Friends! It's that festive time of year again, so I thought I'd pull out one of the few 60s seasonal LPs in my collection for your listening pleasure today, courtesy of Andy Williams. Today, we'll be looking at the first of his 5(!) Christmas albums, here sensibly titled The Andy Williams Christmas Album from 1963. Not reissued in it's mono mix since it's first issue, this LP is home to the classic 'It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year', along with other Side 1 bangers such as 'Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells'. Side 2 then delves into the more secular side, which while not my usual chosen side of things, seems appropriate to cover, and overall, this is certainly a solid holiday LP from the period that deserves to have it's poppier material heard in that punchy monophonic sound, but the stereo is certainly no slouch - if anything, it's a little too bombastic! So let's weigh it all up, and most importantly, don't forget to hang up your sock!
Happy Listening, Frederick
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1962-1966 & 1967-1970 (Remixed and Expanded Editions) by The Beatles

Hello Friends! Today on Mixology - you guessed it - we’re covering all the new remixes featured on the 2023 expanded and remixed editions of 1962-1966 & 1967-1970 by The Beatles - better known as the Red and Blue albums. Expanded to 3 LPs each and compiled entirely from either remixes done from 2015 to the present, or from brand new remixes, these LPs pack quite a punch, and these 36 brand new remixes make up our look today. Extending well over an hour, this is a deep dive into the many approaches taken to give this material a fresh shine, and help you understand exactly what makes these mixes different compared to their most recent or common mix options. 
Happy Listening, Frederick
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Waiting For The Sun by The Doors

Hello Friends! We've got a slightly different look this week, with The Doors' 3rd LP, Waiting For The Sun. Released in mid 1968, this was at the height of the phase-out of mono in the USA, and is the only Doors mono LP that has never been reissued. As such, I wanted to take a look today and see if we can pick apart the many different takes on this album on the internet. Is it true mono? Is it a fold? Or is it a mixture - and if so, how much? With a fresh needledrop of the original US mono and US stereo in hand, let's breakdown the similarities, and see what secrets we can find...
Happy Listening,
Frederick
 
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Kinks by The Kinks

Hello Friends! We're completing The Kinks' studio LP output on the show today, with a look at their debut LP, succinctly titled Kinks. Issued in October 1964, the album is built around 'You Really Got Me', with a snatch of Ray Davies originals, R&B covers, and two dire Shel Talmy compositions. That said, we have a shockingly fun stereo mix for a pop LP in 1964, and a random unique US mono mix too, giving us a lot to look at with surprisingly little effort. So let's hop in the Cadillac to Bald Mountain and see if we Got Love... If You Want It.
 
Happy Listening,
Frederick
 
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Ferry Cross The Mersey by Gerry and The Pacemakers, etc.

Hello Friends! We're finally taking time out with Gerry and The Pacemakers on Mixology this week, with a look at the soundtrack LP from the group, Ferry Cross The Mersey. Issued in mono and stereo, this album included 9 originals from the group, plus three other cuts produced by George Martin from The Fourmost, Cilla Black, and The George Martin Orchestra. This fantastic beat collection features some huge differences in editing and vocal mixing, as well as a general balance difference between the mono and stereo, making a break down like this shockingly essential. So let's hop on the Ferry and find out Why Oh Why mono is the way forward here...
Happy Listening,
Frederick
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Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake by Small Faces

Hello Friends! After a suggestion by Ethan from the wonderful Fans on the Run podcast (an episode of which I will be appearing on very soon - and a huge thanks to Ethan for this episode's flatlay!), we're today looking at the 1968 epic from Small Faces, Ogden's Nut Gone Flake. Part ripper song collection, part fairy story, this fascinating collection was of course issued in mono and stereo, with some tasty differences throughout, and a real power factor at play. We also get a later single remix of the fantastic 'Afterglow (of your Love), and of course address the horrendous 'additional production' on the US issue of the album, if only briefly (in short - avoid). So let's take a ride out with Happiness Stan to HappyDaysToyTown, to the Song of a Baker!
 
Happy Listening,
 
Frederick
 
Check out Fans on the Run wherever you get your podcasts, or here.
 
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The More I See You by Chris Montez

Hello Friends! Taking the moment for a little bit of a palette refresher, we're taking a trip out today with Chris Montez, and his smash A&M LP The More I See You. Following on from hit singles including the title cut and 'Call Me', this easy listening LP manages to pack in a surprising amount of differences between the original mono and stereo mixes for the genre (most focused around handclaps), so let's ease up for a second, and let Chris fly us to the moon, regardless of how high it is!
 
Happy Listening,
 
Frederick
 
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Horizontal by Bee Gees

Hello Friends! We're jumping around in the Bee Gees canon again this week, moving back to their second LP on Polydor, the fantastic Horizontal. Issued at the start of 1968, this LP came in mono and stereo mixes, including some classic Bee Gees differences in the different echo textures, and the use of said effect. However, unlike Idea which had some different vocal and instrument tracks highlighted throughout, generally here everything present in one mix is present in the other - with a few small exceptions. That said, the speed differences persist, which give both of these mixes a very different feel, and could make or break either mix for the listener. Regardless, Birdie Told Me you're excited to dig in, so let's hop on a ship to Massachusetts and dig in!
 
Happy Listening,
 
Frederick
 
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Hums of The Lovin’ Spoonful by The Lovin’ Spoonful

Hello Friends!
We're getting back on the Spoonful train this week with a look at the group's 3rd (and arguably best) LP, the fantastic 'Hums of...' from 1966. Including the hit singles 'Summer in The City' and 'Nashville Cats', the album was originally issued in mono and stereo, with the former single weirdly being in low-fidelity on the LP when compared with the shining mono 45 master. Much like Daydream, these are two mixes of different vibes more than actual differences, but there's still a smattering of these too - and of course that textural difference can make for some vastly different feeling songs too. So grab this LP in Full Measure and let's mess around with Voodoo in the Basement...
Happy Listening,
Frederick
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25 All-Time Greatest Summer Songs The Ultimate Collection: https://www.discogs.com/release/8318257-Various-25-All-Time-Greatest-Summer-Songs-The-Ultimate-Collection

Begin Here by The Zombies

Hello Friends! It's Zombies time again on the show, taking a look this time at their UK debut LP Begin Here from 1965. Half originals and Half covers, this LP has a curious mix history, being only issued in mono originally and having a few tracks subject to stereo mixes for international release (some barely issued digitally in poor quality versions on early CD issues and now out of print), all tracks were finally remixed in stereo in 2002 on the Decca Stereo Anthology. But should you stick with that original mono, or recompile it from the mountain of goodies present in said collection? What more can I do than help you answer that...
Happy Listening,
Frederick
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Beatles for Sale by The Beatles

Hello Friends! It's time for a trip out with The Beatles again here on the show, finally tackling their second LP of 1964, Beatles for Sale. Released just in time for the Christmas season, this LP is one famous for having a top class sounding stereo mix, in just about any release of said mix, with the mono often knocked, ignored, or just seen as inconsequential. Thus, my goal today was to take both mixes on an equal footing (as I always do), and make each one shine as best it can, and in doing so I've found some wonderful differences that make the mono unique, and in some cases, the superior mix (at least, in your host's opinion). So, with one mono LP and one stereo LP in hand, plus a brief 2015 remix for one song, let's see if it's really worth owning both copies, or if you should put one up.... for sale.
 
Happy Listening,
Frederick
 
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The Who Sell Out by The Who

Hello Friends,
 
This week on the show we're finally taking another trip out with The Who, and their 1967 concept peak, The Who Sell Out. Presented as an AM radio broadcast, complete with fake Ads and genuine Radio London bumpers, surely this album is designed with that Mono AM Radio format in mind - but does the quality of the recording exceed this and truly need stereo to understand it properly? And if so, does the 1995 remix present it in it's truest light? The short answer to all of these is yes and no each time. We've got differing echo effects, additional flange and tremelo, a differing guitar solo, missing instrumentation, different edits - the whole shebang! Plus of course an alternate 45 mix AND performance to boot! There's a whole lot to dig into here, so shall we see if Our Love Was worth it, or we should just dig into some Heinz Baked Beans instead...
 
Happy Listening,
Frederick
 
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The Mamas and The Papas (Cass.John.Michelle.Dennie) by The Mamas and The Papas

Hello Friends! It's time to jump back into the world of The Mamas and The Papas today, with their self-titled second LP from November 1966. A fantastic collection of music from the canyon, we of course saw original release in both mono and stereo, while final single 'Words of Love' also received a new dedicated mix with overdubs for 45 release. There's some fantastic differences here to dig into, but also some mixes that really serve each other well, making choosing a favourite a difficult task. So don't trip, stumble and fall grab your dancing bear and let's go dancing in the street!
 
Happy Listening,
Frederick
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