The Beatles in Mono

7-15-10

“The Beatles In Mono”

I recently found the 13CD boxed set “The Beatles In Mono” used, for right around $100. Thankfully, it still had it’s booklet and all 13 discs; manufactured by Toshiba in Japan. I am fortunate in that I do have original US and UK LP’s in mono, for most everything. The mono CD’s sound great, as is no surprise.

A small bit of stuff was tinkered with, however. As the sleeves for the box were printed in Japan, they look really good. The box does not feature “Abbey Road” or “Let It Be” albums, as they were never mixed for mono. “Past Masters” is now known as “The Beatles Mono Masters” – it includes real mono mixes of the ‘new’ songs found on the “Yellow Submarine” original soundtrack (“Only A Northern Song”, “All Together Now”, “Hey Bulldog” and “It’s All Too Much”). All discs clearly state “Digital Remaster, 2009”.

And in my box, there was no insert in “Sgt. Pepper” or the double white album, yet “Magical Mystery Tour” had it’s booklet. Odd that they used the template of the US version of MMT, albeit in mono – all other albums used the UK templates. The disc faces are that of the original labels of the British (or US) LP’s, all stating “Made In Japan” clearly. The CD sleeves – in little album cover format – are absolutely luscious. All that’s missing is the obi! I wonder aloud, “Did the $600 version come with obis?”

So, I guess really the only stuff I am sad to not see in the mono CD box are some songs that were never mixed to mono: “Old Brown Shoe”, for example. So, the stereo CD box is still on my shopping list, I guess. But the US manufactured digipaks don’t really look so good, I’m afraid. I have toyed with the idea of just buying “Abbey Road” and “Let It Be”…but I guess I have to include the stereo “Past Masters”, ostensibly to get “Old Brown Shoe” etc.

After getting all the Rolling Stones’ Decca UK albums as SA-CD’s, I guess it was time for me to go with the 2009 remasters of The Beatles. I think at some point, I managed to get all of the original CD releases by The Beatles, together with some of the more recent things that EMI issued – such as the Anthology sets, “Live at the BBC”, “Let It Be…Naked” etc.

And boy do I have a ton of Beatles LP’s, 45’s…I seriously doubt that I will be needing ANY new editions of the LP’s, when they come along shortly. After all, I bet they’re either manufactured in Europe or the US…and Japanese LP pressings will be surprisingly expensive, I bet.

So, what else can EMI do to get us to buy this stuff yet again? The mind boggles…

I’ve read that there were apparently bootlegged (Chinese?) versions being sold on the internet. The one I got looks to be 100% “Made In Japan”, the covers, disc faces all super clear, all with the ‘right’ IFPI numbers etc.

Ringo Starr

5-13-10

Ringo Starr

1 of only 2 Beatles still walkin’ around!

7" BACK OFF BOOGALOO / BLINDMAN APPLE US 1849

1972 2 TRKS with pic sleeve – great A-side

LP BAD BOY PORTRAIT US JR 35378

1978 10 TRKS

7" BEAUCOUPS OF BLUES / COOCHY-COOCHY APPLE US 2969

1970? 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP BLAST FROM YOUR PAST (Collection) re-issue CAPITOL US SN-16236

1975 10 TRK Collection, re-issue

7" DROWNING IN THE SEA OF LOVE / JUST A DREAM POLYDOR DE 2001 734

1977 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD EXTENDED VERSIONS BMG SPECIAL US 746525.2

2003 10 TRKS ('01 recordings)

CD GOODNIGHT VIENNA TOSHIBA JPN TOCP-70507

1974 14 TRKS (3 x bonus tracks) ('08 issue) kami sleeve

LP GOODNIGHT VIENNA APPLE UK PCS 7168

1974 11 TRKS Always did really like this LP…

LP GOODNIGHT VIENNA TOSHIBA JPN EAS-80095

1974 11 TRKS insert

CD I WANNA BE SANTA CLAUS MERCURY US 546668.2

1999 12 TRKS Xmas

7" IT'S ALL DOWN TO GOODNIGHT VIENNA / OO-WEE APPLE US 1882

1974 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD LIVE FROM MONTREUX RYKODISC US RCD 20264

1993 15 TRKS Live

CD LIVERPOOL 8 CAPITOL US 17388.2

2008 12 TRKS

7" NO NO SONG / SNOOKEROO APPLE US 1880

1974 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" OH MY MY / STEP LIGHTLY APPLE US 1872

1973 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

LP OLD WAVE RCA CAN DXL1-3233

1983 10 TRKS Gary Brooker, John Entwistle etc.

7" ONLY YOU / CALL ME APPLE US 1876

1974 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD PHOTOGRAPH - VERY BEST OF CAPITOL US 4932.2

2007 20 TRK Collection + DVD (8 tracks) – the DVD was fairly amusing

7" PHOTOGRAPH / DOWN AND OUT APPLE US 1865

1973 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD RINGO TOSHIBA JPN TOCP-70506

1973 13 TRKS (3 x bonus tracks) ('08 issue) kami sleeve

LP RINGO APPLE US SWAL-3413

1973 10 TRKS booklet, another really good Ringo LP!

CD RINGO & HIS NEW ALL-STAR BAND KING BISCUIT US 88003.2

2002 16 TRKS Live

CD RINGO STARR AND HIS ALL-STARR BAND RYKODISC US RCD 10190

1990 12 TRKS Live

LP RINGO THE 4TH POLYDOR UK 2310 556

1977 10 TRKS

LP ROTOGRAVURE POLYDOR UK 2302 040

1976 10 TRKS

CD SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY CAPITOL US CDP 798615.2

1970 12 TRKS ('95 issue)

LP STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES BOARDWALK US NBI 33246

1981 10 TRKS Paul McCartney, George Harrison etc.

CD TIME TAKES TIME PRIVATE US 82097.2

1992 10 TRKS "Weight of the World"

CD VERTICAL MAN MERCURY US 558598.2

1998 13 TRKS

7" WRACK MY BRAIN BOARDWALK US NB7-11-130

1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" YOU'RE SIXTEEN / DEVIL WOMAN APPLE US 1870

1973 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

No I don’t yet have his most recent album, “Y Not” – I have yet to see it priced favorably.

I think it gets often overlooked that Ringo made some of the very best Beatles’ solo albums – “Ringo” and “Goodnight Vienna” (nice that both of those got the little paper album cover kami CD treatment in Japan!).

http://www.ringostarr.com/home.php