I’m starting up a new series on The Beatles called “Beatles Better In Mono” (that’s the tag I’m using) where I highlight the songs that I think aren’t just “different” in mono (which to a Beatles freak like me, is still plenty of reason to be curious about the mono mixes released in the The Beatles In Mono Box Set) but (in my opinion anyway) is significantly better in mono.

The first song I’m highlighting in this new series is 1965′s “Day Tripper” which is included on the Past (in stereo) & Mono (in mono) Masters double disc compilations. It was originally released as one half of a double A-side single along with “We Can Work It Out” on the same day that Rubber Soul was released (December 3, 1965 in the UK.)

Listening to the mono and stereo versions of “Day Tripper” back to back is what actually inspired me to start this series on The Beatles songs that are definitely better in mono so it makes sense that I start with the song that inspired me to do this.

In stereo mix the vocals are all panned hard right (with a ridiculous amount of reverb) and the drums are panned hard left which is particularly unsettling when you’re listening on headphones but it also leads to the song sounding “weaker” when it’s played over speakers. Obviously in mono there is no issue with hard panning. It’s all up the middle which makes it sound much more powerful both in headphones and on speakers.

And while generally the stereo versions of The Beatles songs allow you to hear each of the parts of their music a bit more clearly I actually find that the bass part of this song is far more clear in the mono version (which also contributes to it’s “power”) this is particularly true during the “she’s a day tripper…” refrain where the bass seems to almost disappear in stereo (it’s there but it’s not high enough in the mix) while it’s really driving the song forward in mono.

While the song does sound a bit more “clear” and “bright” in stereo and I can hear little nuances in the performance that I can’t hear so well in mono, overall I think the trade-off in this case is definitely in favor of the mono version. It’s a bit of clarity in exchange for a lot more power. This song just needs the drums and the vocals up the middle and it needs the bass to be clearly there driving the song.