The Kinks Are The Analogue Mono Preservation Society
It's been two years since the Beatles Mono Boxset showed the value of going back to the original master tapes and just how superior the mono mixes of sixties pop were. However, as anyone who has listened to the UK Mono re-issue of the debut Jimi Hendrix lp "Are You Experienced", it does depend on what shape those old tapes are in. The tapes from this period are operating well beyond their expected lifespan of 20 to 30 years and bands such as The Doors, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin & Queen now have to rely on their high resolution digital masters for future releases.
Here's the blurb about these new tranfers :-
All of the original albums in The Kinks in Mono vinyl LP box set were cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Mastering, supervised by Andrew Sandoval, direct from the original UK Pye NPL analog mono masters. Only analog EQ was used in the process. The 1970 compilation album, The Kinks (Black Album), was recompiled from flat digital transfers of original analog masters, and was cut to match the original LP. First UK Pye pressings of all of the albums were used in comparison to tapes to insure period accuracy with level, track spacing and artwork. Andrew Sandoval (Box Set compiler)
The Mono Collection packages the first 8 albums in glorious mono, including ‘Live At Kelvin Hall’. The set also includes the bonus double LP compilation ‘The Kinks’ (aka ‘The Black Album’) PLUS a lavish hardcover 48-page book including never-before-seen photos and new interviews with Ray Davies, Dave Davies and Mick Avory.
So before we put the box to the test, let's see what they are up against.
Arthur - Stereo Reissue 2015 & Village Green Mono Reissue 2014
Kink Kontroversy - Mono Reissue 1980
Kinda Kinks - Mono First Pressing
The box itself is pretty sturdy and colorful, first out comes the hard back book exclusive to this box set with plenty of photos I've never seen before, along with interviews with Ray, Dave & Mick with their thoughts on the mono format.
The album sleeves are well printed, although they lack the aesthetics of the originals that were resplendent with flipbacks and lined inner sleeves, these new re-issues come with plain paper inners. The discs are of high quality with no warping or pressing issues and the labels correspond to the pink & blue Pye eras.
So how do these reissues sound?
Surly the toughest shootout is for Kinda Kinks, going up against a PYE original pressing, there is a reason why mint copies go for three figure sums. However after listening to the PYE and thinking how great it sounds, the reissue is like removing some gauze from your eyes. It's clarity and transparency more than makes up for a virtually imperceptible loss of warmth in the bottom end. The 1980 Kink Controversy fares worse against the re-issue as does the 2014 Re-issue of Village Green. For the most part the mono Arthur from this boxset out performs the 2015 stereo reissue with only "Shangri-La" sounding better in stereo. Live At Kelvin Hall has always sounded better in Mono; the stereo buries the vocal, and here it sounds far more listenable than I remember it being. The final album, a double "best of" that was originally released in 1970 was cut from digital masters, don't be put off though as this album also sounds great.
Most importantly, the music. You are getting 8 albums and a double best of from one of the finest bands in pop history at their zenith. From the initial LP that borrowed from their former "Ravens" set of rock and roll, through pop vignette masterclasses on Face To Face and through to proto futuristic folk nostalgia from one of the four great pillars of sixties british pop.
I can't recommend this enough, an essential purchase.
ALBUMS:-
· Kinks · Kinda Kinks · The Kink Kontroversy · Face To Face · Something Else By The Kinks · Live at Kelvin Hall · The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society · Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire) · Kinks (2 LP Black Album)
John carpenter, the legend, the live show, the records.
It was in the murky days of the mid-eighties that I watched The Fog for the first time, a movie which still remains in my top 20 and my first encounter with what would become one of my favourite directors. A ghost story in a very raw sense, its spookiness is firmly instilled by the soundtrack created by John Carpenter. In late 87 I saw The Prince Of Darkness at the cinema; who again superbly augmented it with music along with frequent collaborator Alan Howarth, leaving my sleep pattern to be disturbed for several nights, something even the hurricane of that year failed to do. The following year saw John & Alan providing the sonic backdrop for “They Live”, somehow a commercial flop that has since gained a cult following, whatever that really means. It’s not so subtle sub-text on advertising and government control is brilliantly woven into a science fiction narrative with the best fight scene I’ve ever seen thrown in for good measure. Around this time I started tracking down John Carpenter’s earlier works at the Blockbuster video store (pause for a nostalgic moment), Halloween, The Thing, Christine, Escape From New York, Assault On Precinct 13, Dark Star and Big Trouble In Little China are all highly recommended movies, all of which feature soundtracks that are either all or in part John Carpenter works. Rather foolishly, I didn’t buy the original soundtrack albums at the time, knowing what I know now I would have bought armfuls of the things. Even some of the recent re-issues have alarmingly shot up in price and collectors are keen to pay well for good clean copies. So check your attics, just make sure it's not on Halloween.
Dark Star – Extended Edition + Bonus Red Alien 7” – limited to 500 copies. This 2001 spoof movie from 1974 didn’t have its soundtrack released until 1980; it featured music and dialogue from the film. This 2016 re-release comes with a red single with unreleased bonus material on the expertly named label - We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records.
The Fog – Limited double LP 1 - white and 1 – green The Fog only had to wait four years for its release after the movie and it was a stereo remix of the multitrack. Several versions have been released since, most notably on the Death Waltz label in gold, white/green haze and splatter versions. This 2015 release from Silva Screen Music features material sourced from the original cinema release tapes.
Escape From New York – Expanded version double LP Released this time along with the film in 1981, it too has seen a number of re-releases, with some funky coloured versions from Death Waltz. This Silva Screen version from 2016 has been recreated from the original analogue master tapes.
Prince Of Darkness – Pale Blue Vinyl Originally released to coincide with the film, this has been reissued several times; this 2013 version is from Death Waltz.
They Live – Clear Reissued. “Put the glasses on! Put em on!” reads the cover spine of this 2014 reissue from Death Waltz. It contains an 8 page booklet featuring liner notes by Alan Howarth & Gary Pullin.
Halloween II - Clear Reissue My latest John Carpenter acquisition (signed copy of Lost Themes aside), another Death Waltz reissue this one from 2014.
So I find myself at the Dome in Brighton on a Thursday evening, waiting for John Carpenter, his son Cody and band to perform songs from the aforementioned movies, along with the two recent “Lost Themes” albums. The stage lights up, first blue then red and they take the stage to a huge cheer which becomes even louder as they kick off with the “Escape From New York” theme. It’s a thoroughly entertaining show that will make a perfect Halloween night for those of you who are lucky enough to see the London appearance at the end of the month. For tickets and shows, put on the dam glasses and head to www.theofficialjohncarpenter.com
For those of you who follow me on Facebook or Twitter, my
almost too sick to survive devotion to Venkman, Stanz, Spengler & Zeddemore
will come as no surprise. So along with spores, moulds and fungus, I’ve got a
reasonable though not a biblical proportion of Ghostbusters vinyl records.
Ray Parker Junior’s hit song "Ghostbusters" came in various
guises in the UK, silver & blue injection mold labels along with several
12” extended versions.
My favourite is the 7” with a pop up sleeve, along with
two picture discs, one shaped and one luminous.
A 10” record store day release from 2014 also glows in the
dark.
For the American, Canadian and Australian markets, a
second single was culled from the soundtrack LP, The Bus Boys “Cleanin’ Up The
Town”. This is the Australian release.
The original soundtrack LP was released on Arista for
most of the world, an eclectic mix of songs that all make an appearance at some
point in the film.
1.Ray
Parker Jr. “Ghostbusters” –first head after the librarian gets scared in the
library
2.The
Bus Boys “Cleanin' Up The Town” – first heard after the Ghostbusters approach
the library ghost
3.Alessi
Brothers “Savin' The Day” – heard after
the Ghostbusters leave the Mayor’s office (“Lets run some red lights”)
4.Thompson
Twins “In The Name Of Love” – heard on the radio while the Ghostbusters enjoy their final petty cash Chinese meal
5.Air
Supply “I Can Wait Forever”- heard on
a passing workman’s Sony Walkman headphones as the Ghostbusters get thrown off
campus.
6.Laura
Branigan“Hot Night” -played at
Louis Tully’s 4th anniversary of being an accountant party. Also The
Trammps “Disco Inferno” is played, this would appear on the 2006 CD re-issue)
7.Mick
Smiley “Magic” – heard after Walter Peck shuts off the Ecto Containment Unit
8.Elmer
Bernstein -“Main Title Theme”
(Ghostbusters)
9.Elmer
Bernstein - “Dana's Theme“
10.Ray
Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters
(Instrumental Version)
30 years down the line and the original soundtrack was
re-mastered and released. Now for whatever reason, call it fate, call it luck, call it karma, some of the tracks (most
notably The Bus Boys song) sound like the original tape masters have been damaged, which is
apparent on all of these vinyl re-issues.
For Ghostbusters II there was less on offer outside of
the soundtrack album. The title track “On Our Own” by Bobby Brown in 7 &
12” format, Run DMC’s take on the Ray Parker song (the single has a different
mix to the lp) and a 12” version of “Spirit” from Doug E. Fresh And The Get
Fresh Crew.
2014 saw one of my favourite Ghostbusters vinyl releases
with the Run DMC version backing the original. A 12” marshmallow scented Puffy
gatefold jacket which simulates the feel and texture of a marshmallow along
with lenticular 3D prints; it’s the sort of record that just popped in there.
2006 saw the release of Elmer Bernstein’s wonderful score
for the first movie. Limited to 3000 CD copies released by the Varèse Sarabande
CD Club, this sometimes pops up on eBay for the price of a third mortgage. You
can currently stream this on You Tube, but this really deserves to be given a
proper vinyl reissue.
When
I heard about the new 2016 film in production and being
called a re-boot, I was sceptical to say the least. I’m struggling to
think of
a previous re-make (call it what you will) that I’ve enjoyed, let alone
surpasses the original. Robocop, The Fog, The Omen, Godzilla, Total
Recall,
Arthur and of course the noxious, possibly hazardous waste chemical that
is The
Italian Job has taught me to not look directly at the latest Hollywood
trap.
However, the incessant barrage of sexist and racist trolling from
certain quarters (some call them fans, I call them Wally Wicks) made me
put all of
my prejudices aside and view the film with an open mind. I’m glad I did,
it’s a
very funny and an excellent romp that I felt compelled to go back and
watch
again (in 3D the second time). I’d urge everyone to view it in the same
way,
just make sure you stay to the very end, past the ending credits.
For the new movie two vinyl LP’s have been released, one
with songs from the film and the other being the soundtrack score. The new
album is well packaged, just a shame the art department didn’t get together
with the disc cutting department as the final song on side one is shown on the
sleeve as the first song on side two, also the download code that should be printed
on the inner sleeve is missing. The songs feature some fairly good remakes of
Ray Parker’s original, along with tracks from Ellie King, 5 Seconds of Summer
and Mark Ronson, plus some DaBarge and the Ray Parker’s Ghostbusters that go to
make this an album that is worth burying the needle on.
The quality of the new soundtrack score is stunning,
whilst the score itself is way short of Bernstein’s original (as is the GBII
soundtrack, which is as yet unreleased) the beautiful slime vinyl and stylish packaging is
supreme. This limited package of 500 (you are looking at number 6) from Sony's “At The
Movies” series will serve all your supernatural needs.
Finally, if you want to hear the original album at its
very best, (bearing in mind the re-mastering issues I mentioned earlier) I’d
recommend this 1984 version from Japan which can really bust some heads, in a
spiritual sense.
12” Bonus – touching the etheric plane.
No this isn’t a very shiny space record, it’s a
laserdisc.
Groundbreaking Singles – Dr Who by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
My
last blog entry (possibly the nerdiest on yet) focussed on the tape loops and
sound manipulation of The Beatles Tomorrow Never Knows. However the manipulation
of sound goes all the way back to the beginning of recorded music. Thomas Edison,
the inventor of the phonograph, wrote in 1878 that when his cylinders were
played backwards "the song is still melodious in many cases, and some of
the strains are sweet and novel, but altogether different from the song
reproduced in the right way". In the mid 1940’s Egyptian composer Halim
El-Dabh used a wire recorder, reverb chambers and voltage control to produce
his sound manipulated composition The Expression of Zaar.
Wire Recorder 1922
With
the use of tape, French composer Pierre Schaeffer was able to take this process even
further and create an art form known as Musique
Concrete. The use and manipulation of instrument, voice, natural or
electronically generated sounds were mixed together to create sound collages.
Dr Who was originally intended as a time traveling show to shed light on historical events, something quickly usurped by the time of the second serial "The Daleks". Using
Musique Concrete techniques with Ron Grainer’s theme, Delia Derbyshire started work on
recording the music for the new show.
First broadcast on the 23rd of November, Dr Who
would become a global phenomenon that is still going strong today. The theme
would be released as a mono single in Feb 1964 that failed to chart, however it is
the use of sound manipulation and tape editing to create a melodic song that puts
this single years ahead of its time. My version is a later one (1972), the original
being on an unboxed Decca label; my later reissue is still the original mono mix that was
submitted by Delia Derbyshire for the show. The version aired on the first
episode was a slightly changed version to fit in with the graphics.
Original Decca releases with both label variations - Dr & Doctor Who
The BBC Radiophonic Workshop was formed in the late 1950's, primarily to create sound effects and later theme tunes and incidental music for radio and TV. Shortly before Dr Who, Ron Grainer had worked with the Radiophonic Workshop for a BBC documentary "Giants Of Steam", the music of which would be released on a Decca EP of the same name in 1963. The Radiophonic Workshop would inspire musicians for decades to come, Pink Floyd visited the Workshop studio in 1967 and albums like Dark Side Of The Moon would embrace many of the tape techniques used by the team.
The fake stereo version - 1973
In 1973 the Dr Who single was reissued with the fake stereo treatment,
along with some extra sonic embellishments. A new version was made in 1980 with synthesizers in real time, compared to the original 64 version it’s a vile
stain on the TARDIS floor. For those
with some time on your hands, here’s a journey through the 50 years of Dr Who
themes.
For my money I believe that the original theme has never been bettered. It's difficult to imagine just how strange the original theme must have sounded coming through the TV, the chart hits of November 1963 "You'll Never Walk Alone" by Gerry & The Pacemakers and "Be My Baby" by The Ronettes must have made it sound like something from a distant time. Given that real-time instruments that were capable of recreating this theme were over 20 years away made that a correct assumption. Add in the general feeling of public unease just a day after the assassination of President JF Kennedy and it's no wonder people wrote in to the BBC to complain that the theme scared their children. When it comes to feedback it doesn't get any better than that.
My version from 1972 that has the original mono mix
For those of you scratching your heads about this strange
number or thinking this has become a science fiction robot blog, the next
paragraph is for you.
XEX 606 -1 is the matrix number for the second side of
Revolver, a code used to identify the metal parts in the physical production that is stamped or inscribed on the lead out (also known as the dead wax) area of the record. All
companies used them with varying types of numbers, letters and shapes, some of
which are still in dispute today over what they meant. However, we do know a
lot about the EMI / Parlophone matrix numbers. XEX indicates it’s a mono record (YEX is stereo). 606 is the individual number given to
this side of the record (side one is 605, Rubber Soul is 579 for side 1 &
580 for side 2). -1 means that it’s
the first lacquer cut from the master tapes. (However, that doesn’t mean it’s
necessarily the first used in production, the first mono Help album has -2 on
both sides, indicating there was a problem with the first lacquers).
Revolver side 2 Matrix numbers in the dead wax area for first (above) and corrected pressing (below)
Now we’ve straitened that out, let us begin…
So halfway through making a new album, in a studio you
didn’t want to use because of its outdated technology and a stuffy antiquated
management system that was slow to react to change, with an expired record
contract and on the verge of ceasing all live work, it’s hard to imagine a band
delivering what many consider to be the greatest album of all time. Even on its
release, Paul McCartney was worried that it sounded out of tune. The initial
mono lp’s had the wrong mix on the final track of side 2, the official mono
mix, used on all subsequent mono pressings of Revolver is Mix 8 made from the 3rd
Take; the initial mono pressings used Mix 11 from the same Take.
The Beatles had been keen to improve the sound of their
songs, listening to Tamla Motown singles which had so much more bass on them,
they pushed for more bottom end on the Paperback Writer single. Having used
another speaker as a microphone to record the bass for both this and the B side
“Rain”, EMI Management baulked when the mix came up to be mastered and cut on
to lacquers. There were very strict EMI regulations when it came to how loud
and how much bass could be put onto a record, too much would make a stylus jump
and lead to product returns. Fortunately the ATOC machine had arrived at Abbey
Road in 1966; Automatic Transient Overload Control (Serial number TG1230) had been acquired
and adapted to the company’s unusual Impedance & Line levels of 200 ohms
and was being used for “Paperback Writer” & “Rain”. Used in conjunction
with an advance play head it could predict louder passages of music ahead and leave
large spaces between the grooves.
The single would serve as a warning shot for the sonic
changes ahead, recorded with Geoff Emerick taking over as engineer, his
preference for the Fairchild 660 limiter on the drums and miking the snare drum
from underneath made a dramatic difference to Ringo’s drum sound. Geoff also
dampened the bass drum using a 4 headed sweater that was made for a publicity
shot to promote “Eight Arms To Hold You”; the original title of the film
“Help”. The use of Studio 3 at Abbey Road would also bring some changes of
sound, although whether the use of this this was due to scheduling conflicts or
a conscious decision to get new sounds is a matter of debate. The Beatles
wanted to record a new album in Memphis Tennessee, the original plan was to
record at the Stax Studio with in house producer Jim Stewart, however EMI, who
had studios over the world at this point, were in no mood to hand over their
cash to a rival studio. So in April 66, the Beatles headed back to Abbey Road,
and while the Paperback Writer / Rain single would be recorded in studio 3,
only 9 out of the albums 32 tracking days would be spent in the smaller studio,
the rest would be in the usual Studio 2. Both of these studios were equipped
with Studer J-37 four track tape recorders and REDD.51 recording consoles.
Another change for 1966 was the prevention of leakage (ahem, alright at the
back settle down) as Geoff Emerick used more screens around the guitar amps to
reduce the amount of sound escaping to other microphones. Also, something that
is taken for granted in studios now, was the use of headphones. Prior to this
monitoring was done by a speaker placed at 90 degrees to the microphone so that
the artist can hear the playback while doing overdubs but reducing the audio spill
onto the recording by placing it in the microphone’s “blind spot” (deaf spot
just doesn’t make sense as a general analogy, although in microphone terms
that’s what it is). Due to its colour and size the speaker cabinet used for
this in Abbey Road was lovingly referred to as the “White Elephant” and you can
hear its effects clearly on the track “Yesterday”. In 1965 Paul recorded the
first vocal on track 3 (along with acoustic guitar on track 2) on the 14th
of June, on the 17th after the recording of the string quartet on
track 1, George Martin suggested that Paul could try another vocal take on the
empty track 4. After Paul gave it a go, Martin thought the original vocal take
was better with the exception of the section “something wrong, now I long for
yesterday” at about 52 seconds into the track. This part is from the second
take on track four which has the white elephant monitor vocal from track three
spilling over onto it creating a double track vocal effect. Double tracking
vocals was something The Beatles had done since the early days and it had
become a standard to re-record a second vocal, a process that irked John who
begged George Martin to find an easier way. Engineer Ken Townsend came up with
ADT (Artificial Double Tracking) using Abbey Road’s existing technology, splitting
the original vocal and sending one on a journey to another tape machine
slightly delaying the signal on the return, (for the technically interested it
was a BTR2 tape machine running at 30ips with the record & playback head
twice the distance apart of the J-37 heads) creating the audio illusion of two
vocal parts. The process was tested first during a Cilla Black session before
being unveiled to The Beatles, clearly they loved it and tried using it on
everything and ADT was quickly snapped up by every Abbey Road engineer shortly
after. You can easily hear an ADT second vocal on Beatles stereo recordings as
they are always panned hard to the left. You can hear it being switched off on
the stereo version of Eleanor Rigby, during the first verse, the first two
syllables of Eleanor have the ADT switched on, on the “nor” it disappears from
the left channel (Yet another shoddy stereo mix). A further innovation was “Varispeed”.
Since the first album the Beatles with George Martin had utilised running the
tapes at half speed for recording (the piano part on Misery), but now by using
a variable voltage oscillator to control the speed of the tape, smaller and
subtler changes were possible. “Rain” was recorded at normal speed (50 cycles
per second) and slowed down to record the vocals (42 cps) and mixed at 44 cps,
giving the backing track a rich timbre and shifting Lennon’s vocal up a
semitone. Several other tracks for Revolver were slowed down “I’m Only Sleeping “,”
For No One” and “She Said She Said”, however the majority of Varispeed adjusted
recordings would be speeded up on future Beatle recordings.
The story of XEX 606-1 begins before Paperback Writer &
Rain were recorded, on the 6th April 1966, The Beatles began their
first song since 1965’s “Girl”, it was a Lennon track with the working title of
“Mark 1” (John had also called the song “The Void”) which was influenced by
Timothy Leary’s book “The Psychedelic Experience: A Manuel based on the Tibetan
Book Of The Dead”. John’s original idea was to have thousands of monks chanting
the lyrics; while Paul brought in the more practical idea of creating tape
loops which were played simultaneously on other machines and mixed onto track 2
of Take 3 (Take 1 has been subsequently released on the second Anthology album).
There are 5 distinct loops, 1 a laughing male voice speeded up (seagull sound),
2 a B flat minor chord played by an orchestra, 3 a sitar phrase reversed and
played at double speed, 4 a phrase played either on a mandolin or acoustic
guitar speeded up, 5 a scaler sitar line, reversed and speeded up.
John demoted the
monks idea to wanting himself to sound like the Dali Lama, somehow this
technically transformed itself into breaking into either a Lesley speaker
cabinet or the internal “Lesley” type rotating speaker on a Lowery Heritage
DSO-1 organ that had already been used for guitar on Take 1 of Tomorrow Never
Knows (Mark 1).Work continued on the
track on 22nd of April in Studio 2 with a new second vocal,
tambourine, organ, piano and guitar solo crammed onto track 3. Track 1 had
drums & bass, while track 4 had new lead vocal and a tamboura (It’s correct
name is a Tanpuraand is the first instrument you hear on
Tomorrow Never Knows, it looks like a fretless sitar.)
27th of April - nine mono mixes of “Mark 1” were
made in Studio 3 by George Martin & Geoff Emerick.
6th of June two further mono mixes of what was
now called “Tomorrow Never Knows” were made in Studio 3 by George Martin &
Geoff Emerick, numbered 10 and 11. Number 11 was considered the best mix and
was to be used for the mono album.
This is where things get fuzzy, according to most Beatles
sources, this happened -
14th July, the day the cutting (creating the lacquer from the master tapes) for the album's manufacturing
began, George Martin telephoned engineer Geoff Emerick to have Tomorrow Never Knows Mix eleven replaced with
mix eight from 27 April. Despite this some
copies of the alternative mix leaked out.
Now if this was true, all initial UK copies of Revolver
would have the XEX 606-2 matrix on side 2, or the XEX 606-1 copies would have
Mix 8 on them. Neither of these is true.
How would leaked
copies of the wrong mix get out if they hadn’t been manufactured yet?
The cutting process starts with creating a lacquer, made
from playing the master tapes into the cutting lathe that creates the disc that
would have been sent to the EMI Hayes factory for production. To get from this
stage to the stamper which is used to press the records is at the very least
half a day’s work, the existence of 606-1 with Mix 11 means that the lacquer
would have either been already created or that the date of the call is wrong. From
the additional deadwax information on my copy of Revolver I can see that this
was created from the 4th Mother (these are used to create the
stampers – for a more in depth look at this process please avert your eyes to http://www.adam-ant.net/vinyl.html
) this would suggest that it would have taken even longer to get the factory
tooled up to start pressing. The plating process takes around 45 minutes and
the quality control for each stage can take an hour of groove inspection under
the microscope. There are suggestions from some sources that when George Martin
made the call the presses where immediately stopped. Due to the fact the George
was no longer head of A&R and working freelance, it’s unlikely was in a
position to make that call that could have cost thousands (in 1966) of pounds
in loss of waste materials and time.
The most likely explanation is that while George Martin and
Geoff Emerick may have preferred mix 11 at the time it was created, subsequently some or all
of The Beatles with George Martin may have preferred mix 8. The Mix Eleven version which they would have heard on the
initial pressings that came from the factory was brought to the attention of Martin (some say it was John that let him know). It was then a new lacquer was cut
(606-2) that contained Mix 8, which was used for all subsequent pressings (including the Mono 2014 reissue) but instantly
creating another Beatles rarity (606-1).
So exactly how rare is 606-1. It does depend on how many
were made, sadly I don’t have access to EMI archives, although hopefully when
Mark Lewisohn (who may have access) finishes his mammoth Beatles Project (The
Beatles: All These Years http://www.marklewisohn.net/
) this might get cleared up. Until then, let’s try to do some maths.
The EMI Hayes factory in the sixties had approximately 120
presses, giving it the ability to press a massive 120,000 records per day.
Estimates vary on how many records each stamper would make,
for EMI they seem to range between 1000 & 5000 per stamper.
The mono to stereo ratio pressed also seems hard to pin down;
estimates again go from 90%/10% (mono/stereo) to 80%/20% for this time period.
From the dead wax of my copy I can see that this is from the
41st stamper created.
Revolver had advanced orders of 300,000 in the UK
Using the most conservative figures, this means that if my
copy was one of the last pressed there would have been 41,000 copies produced;
to fulfil the advanced mono orders (90%) would have required 270,000, meaning
at the absolute least 606-1 makes up over 15% of all advanced copies produced. No
one has worked harder that Bruce Spizer on researching Beatles record
production at Hayes, his sources which are from people who worked at the
factory at the time, suggest as many as 5000 records were produced from a
stamper unless they broke down. Using my smallest estimate, it’s inconceivable
that EMI would simply trash 41,000 copies because someone signed off the wrong
mix of a track. If Bruce’s numbers are more accurate, the word rare will take
on its eBay meaning. It may be there are a lot more copies out there than
anyone realises, so I’d be wary of parting with large sums for it.
Revolver is the first Beatles album to have a single catalogue number for both Mono & Stereo. The two are differentiated by the prefix PMC (Mono) and PCS (Stereo)
While a very good copy of the revised Revolver (606-2) will
set you back around £30, a similarly graded version of 606-1 could set you back
£150. Is it worth it? Well there are some who prefer this mix, although I would
disagree, but don’t take my word for it, here it is for free on You Tube.
For an album that was recorded 50 years ago, it sounds like
it could have been recorded in early 2016. If you don't have a vinyl copy my advice is to buy the mono re-issue (2014) for maximum quality at a sensible price. Revolver set new standards for production
which last to today and make it the Beatles album that is least likely to age. The
Beatles would conclude their live era at Candlestick Park later in the month
and sign a new EMI contract in early 67, even after some reassurance about the tuning,
Paul summed it up “I think it'll be our best album yet. They'll never be able
to copy this!”
Sources –
Beatles For Sale On Parlophone Records - Bruce Spizer &
Frank Daniels
Recording The Beatles - Kevin Ryan and Brian Kehew.
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions – Mark Lewisohn
Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the
Beatles – Geoff Emerick
