The Beatles in Mono
Encyclopedia
The Beatles in Mono is a box set compilation
comprising the remastered monophonic
recordings by The Beatles
. The set was released on 9 September 2009, the same day the remastered stereo
recordings and companion The Beatles Stereo Box Set
were also released, along with The Beatles: Rock Band
videogame. The remastering project for both mono and stereo versions was led by EMI
senior studio engineers
Allan Rouse and Guy Massey.
The box set received the award for Best Historical Album at the 53rd Grammys.
, Abbey Road, and Let It Be) was originally released in mono, in addition to stereo. Many feel that these mono mixes reflect the true intention of the band. For example, in the case of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
, all the mono mixes were done together with the Beatles themselves, throughout the recording of the album, whereas the stereo mixes were done in only six days by George Martin
, Geoff Emerick
and Richard Lush
after the album had been finished, with none of the Beatles attending. George Harrison
commented:
advertised the set as a limited edition
item in the United States
, and less than a month prior to the set's release announced the site had sold out of units. Less than two weeks before 9 September, many other online retailers announced the selling out of units from their inventories, including the Canadian Amazon.ca site.
EMI
announced on 3 September that more mono box sets were to be pressed due to high demand from online pre-orders. It will still remain a limited edition, but since it has already been certified platinum by the RIAA, it was not limited to 10,000 copies as originally stated.
versions of every Beatles album released in true mono. The original 1965 stereo
mixes of Help!
and Rubber Soul
are included as bonuses on their respective albums. (Both albums had been remixed by George Martin for the original CD release in 1987.) The box contains a new two-disc compilation album entitled Mono Masters, which compiles all the mono mixes of singles, B-sides and EP tracks that did not originally appear on any of the United Kingdom albums or Magical Mystery Tour.
The albums Yellow Submarine
, Abbey Road and Let It Be are not included in this set, as no true mono mixes of these albums were issued. The same holds true for the songs "The Ballad of John and Yoko", "Old Brown Shoe
", and the 45 single mix of "Let It Be
" which were also omitted. A mono version of the Yellow Submarine album was released in the UK, but it was simply a fold-down (two stereo channels combined into one channel) from the stereo mix, not a unique, separate mono mix. The previously unavailable true mono mixes of the four new Beatles songs released on the Yellow Submarine album ("Only a Northern Song
", "All Together Now
", "Hey Bulldog
" and "It's All Too Much
"), originally intended for a separate, but ultimately scrapped, mono EP, which would have also included a mono mix of "Across the Universe
", are included on the Mono Masters compilation. Abbey Road and Let It Be were issued in the UK in mono on reel-to-reel tape and on LP in Brazil and other countries, but again, only as fold-downs from the respective stereo versions.
Also omitted from this set, but included in the Stereo box, is a DVD
containing the mini-documentaries included with the stereo remasters of the different albums.
The Beatles
(The "White Album"), which is included in the set, was originally only released in mono in the UK and a few other countries, but not in the United States. However, the mono mixes of "Don't Pass Me By
" and "Helter Skelter" had been released in the US in 1980 on the Capitol Records
Rarities compilation album.
Top 200
and the magazine reported that 12,000 copies were sold in its first week of release. In Japan, it debuted at #10, selling over 20,000 copies in its first week on the Oricon
album charts. The set was certified platinum by the R.I.A.A. in April 2010.
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
comprising the remastered monophonic
Monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
recordings by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. The set was released on 9 September 2009, the same day the remastered stereo
Stereophonic sound
The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
recordings and companion The Beatles Stereo Box Set
The Beatles Stereo Box Set
The Beatles Stereo Box Set is a box set compilation comprising all of the remastered stereo recordings by The Beatles. The set was released on 9 September 2009, the same day both The Beatles: Rock Band and the remastered mono recordings were released...
were also released, along with The Beatles: Rock Band
The Beatles: Rock Band
The Beatles: Rock Band is a 2009 music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It is the third major console release in the Rock Band music video game series, in which players can simulate the playing of rock music by using...
videogame. The remastering project for both mono and stereo versions was led by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
senior studio engineers
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
Allan Rouse and Guy Massey.
The box set received the award for Best Historical Album at the 53rd Grammys.
Intention
The Mono Box Set was released to reflect the fact that the Beatles' catalogue (aside from Yellow SubmarineYellow Submarine (album)
Yellow Submarine is the tenth studio album by The Beatles in the United Kingdom, released on Apple Records. It was issued as the soundtrack to the film of the same name, which premiered in the United Kingdom seven months prior to the album's release....
, Abbey Road, and Let It Be) was originally released in mono, in addition to stereo. Many feel that these mono mixes reflect the true intention of the band. For example, in the case of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
, all the mono mixes were done together with the Beatles themselves, throughout the recording of the album, whereas the stereo mixes were done in only six days by George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
, Geoff Emerick
Geoff Emerick
Geoffrey Emerick is an English recording studio audio engineer, who is best known for his work with The Beatles' albums Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles and Abbey Road...
and Richard Lush
Richard Lush
Richard Lush is a British-born Australian recording engineer and producer. He began his career in the mid-1960s as an assistant engineer at the EMI Abbey Road Studios in London....
after the album had been finished, with none of the Beatles attending. George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
commented:
Limited edition
Amazon.comAmazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
advertised the set as a limited edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
item in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and less than a month prior to the set's release announced the site had sold out of units. Less than two weeks before 9 September, many other online retailers announced the selling out of units from their inventories, including the Canadian Amazon.ca site.
EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
announced on 3 September that more mono box sets were to be pressed due to high demand from online pre-orders. It will still remain a limited edition, but since it has already been certified platinum by the RIAA, it was not limited to 10,000 copies as originally stated.
Disc listing
The thirteen-disc collection contains the remastered monoMonaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
versions of every Beatles album released in true mono. The original 1965 stereo
Stereophonic sound
The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
mixes of Help!
Help! (album)
Help! is the title of the fifth British and ninth American album by The Beatles, and the soundtrack from their film of the same name. Produced by George Martin for EMI's Parlophone Records, it contains fourteen songs in its original British form, of which seven appeared in the film...
and Rubber Soul
Rubber Soul
Rubber Soul is the sixth studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released in December 1965. Produced by George Martin, Rubber Soul had been recorded in just over four weeks to make the Christmas market...
are included as bonuses on their respective albums. (Both albums had been remixed by George Martin for the original CD release in 1987.) The box contains a new two-disc compilation album entitled Mono Masters, which compiles all the mono mixes of singles, B-sides and EP tracks that did not originally appear on any of the United Kingdom albums or Magical Mystery Tour.
- Please Please MePlease Please MePlease Please Me is the debut album by the English rock band The Beatles. Parlophone rush-released the album on 22 March 1963 in the United Kingdom to capitalise on the success of singles "Please Please Me" and "Love Me Do" .Of the album's fourteen songs, eight were written by Lennon–McCartney...
(1963) - With The BeatlesWith the BeatlesWith The Beatles is the second studio album by the English rock group The Beatles. It was released on 22 November 1963 on Parlophone, and was recorded four months after the band's debut Please Please Me...
(1963) - A Hard Day's NightA Hard Day's Night (album)A Hard Day's Night is the third studio album by The Beatles, released on 10 July 1964 as the soundtrack to their film A Hard Day's Night. The American version of the album was released two weeks earlier, on 26 June 1964 by United Artists Records, with a different track listing...
(1964) - Beatles for SaleBeatles for SaleBeatles for Sale is the fourth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released in late 1964 and produced by George Martin for Parlophone. The album marked a minor turning point in the evolution of Lennon and McCartney as lyricists, John Lennon particularly now showing interest in...
(1964) - Help!Help! (album)Help! is the title of the fifth British and ninth American album by The Beatles, and the soundtrack from their film of the same name. Produced by George Martin for EMI's Parlophone Records, it contains fourteen songs in its original British form, of which seven appeared in the film...
(1965) - Rubber SoulRubber SoulRubber Soul is the sixth studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released in December 1965. Produced by George Martin, Rubber Soul had been recorded in just over four weeks to make the Christmas market...
(1965) - RevolverRevolver (album)Revolver is the seventh studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released on 5 August 1966 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin. Many of the tracks on Revolver are marked by an electric guitar-rock sound, in contrast with their previous LP, the folk rock inspired Rubber...
(1966) - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
(1967) - Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
- The BeatlesThe Beatles (album)The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
(1968) - Mono Masters (1962–1970)
The albums Yellow Submarine
Yellow Submarine (album)
Yellow Submarine is the tenth studio album by The Beatles in the United Kingdom, released on Apple Records. It was issued as the soundtrack to the film of the same name, which premiered in the United Kingdom seven months prior to the album's release....
, Abbey Road and Let It Be are not included in this set, as no true mono mixes of these albums were issued. The same holds true for the songs "The Ballad of John and Yoko", "Old Brown Shoe
Old Brown Shoe
"Old Brown Shoe" is a song written by George Harrison that was first released by The Beatles as a B-side to "The Ballad of John and Yoko". It is also available on the Beatles' compilation albums Hey Jude, 1967–1970 and Past Masters, Volume Two....
", and the 45 single mix of "Let It Be
Let It Be (song)
"Let It Be" is a song by The Beatles, released in March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band...
" which were also omitted. A mono version of the Yellow Submarine album was released in the UK, but it was simply a fold-down (two stereo channels combined into one channel) from the stereo mix, not a unique, separate mono mix. The previously unavailable true mono mixes of the four new Beatles songs released on the Yellow Submarine album ("Only a Northern Song
Only A Northern Song
"Only a Northern Song" is a song written by George Harrison and performed by The Beatles. The song was recorded in 1967 during the sessions for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band but was omitted from that album...
", "All Together Now
All Together Now
"All Together Now" is a song by The Beatles from their album Yellow SubmarineAll Together Now may also refer to:*All Together Now , a film following the creation of The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil...
", "Hey Bulldog
Hey Bulldog
"Hey Bulldog" is a song by The Beatles which first appeared on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack album in 1969. Primarily by John Lennon , and finished in the studio by Lennon and McCartney, the song was recorded during the filming of the "Lady Madonna" promotional video, and like "Lady Madonna" is...
" and "It's All Too Much
It's All Too Much
"It's All Too Much" is a song by The Beatles which first appeared on the 1969 Yellow Submarine film soundtrack album. It was written and sung by George Harrison. It was originally recorded in 1967, shortly before the release of Sgt...
"), originally intended for a separate, but ultimately scrapped, mono EP, which would have also included a mono mix of "Across the Universe
Across the Universe
"Across the Universe" is a song by the English group The Beatles. It was written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song first appeared on the various artists charity compilation album No One's Gonna Change Our World in December 1969, and later, in different form, on Let It Be,...
", are included on the Mono Masters compilation. Abbey Road and Let It Be were issued in the UK in mono on reel-to-reel tape and on LP in Brazil and other countries, but again, only as fold-downs from the respective stereo versions.
Also omitted from this set, but included in the Stereo box, is a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
containing the mini-documentaries included with the stereo remasters of the different albums.
The Beatles
The Beatles (album)
The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
(The "White Album"), which is included in the set, was originally only released in mono in the UK and a few other countries, but not in the United States. However, the mono mixes of "Don't Pass Me By
Don't Pass Me By
"Don't Pass Me By" is a song by The Beatles from the double album The Beatles . Lead vocals were performed by Ringo Starr. It was Starr's first solo composition.-Origin:...
" and "Helter Skelter" had been released in the US in 1980 on the Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
Rarities compilation album.
Chart performance
The set debuted at #40 in Billboard'sBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and the magazine reported that 12,000 copies were sold in its first week of release. In Japan, it debuted at #10, selling over 20,000 copies in its first week on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
album charts. The set was certified platinum by the R.I.A.A. in April 2010.
See also
- The Beatles CollectionThe Beatles CollectionThe Beatles Collection is a box set of vinyl albums released in the United States in November 1978 and the following month in the United Kingdom containing the official catalogue of The Beatles in stereo, and a new compilation called Rarities...
- The Beatles BoxThe Beatles BoxThe Beatles Box is an eight-record compilation of Beatles recordings, initially issued in 1980 by World Records, a mail-order subsidiary of EMI.It was also issued in 2 formats by Reader's Digest in New Zealand....
- The Beatles: The CollectionThe Beatles: The CollectionThe Beatles: The Collection was a vinyl box set of every Beatles album remastered at half speed from the original stereo master recordings, except for Magical Mystery Tour which was mastered from Capitol Records' submasters with the last three tracks in rechanneled stereo...
- The Beatles Mono CollectionThe Beatles Mono CollectionThe Beatles Mono Collection is a box set of all Beatles albums that originally had dedicated Mono mixes , released in October 1982 by Parlophone and limited edition of 1000.-See also:*The Beatles Collection...
- The Beatles Box SetThe Beatles Box SetThe Beatles Box Set is the first complete set of original Beatles material released by EMI and Capitol in Compact Disc format. Released in 1988, for the first time a music fan could purchase the entire Beatles catalogue digitally formatted in a single set. The box set, available on CD, vinyl, or...
- The Beatles Stereo Box SetThe Beatles Stereo Box SetThe Beatles Stereo Box Set is a box set compilation comprising all of the remastered stereo recordings by The Beatles. The set was released on 9 September 2009, the same day both The Beatles: Rock Band and the remastered mono recordings were released...