Like many other Beatles fans I received my Beatles Mono Box Set yesterday and like many Beatles fans I’m getting to hear the original mono mixes of The Beatles albums for the very first time as almost all of my previous Beatles listening experiences have come from the old 1987 stereo CDs.

Beginning today with 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band I’m going to take a detailed look at the differences heard in these mono mixes vs. the stereo mixes. I plan on this entry being the first in a series, one for each of the 13 discs in The Mono Box Set (and it should be noted that these mono mixes are not available for individual purchase but only as a part of the box set.)

Before I get to the song by song breakdowns of what’s different in these mixes vs. the stereo mixes, I want to mention that at first I found it a bit unsettling to hear these songs in mono on my headphones. I’m someone who listens to music on headphones a lot and I think I’ll probably end up listening to the stereo versions (see The Beatles Remastered Stereo Box Set) on headphones a lot more because I find the sound of everything being “up the middle” on headphones to be not the best listening experience.

Back in the 1960s not many people listened to music on headphones so I guess it wasn’t a big concern. These mono albums were mixed to be played over speakers and for the most part that’s how I’m listening to them to make these comparisons. On the other hand, when I make my comparisons of the remastered stereo CDs verses the old stereo CDs (which I will also be doing) I’ll probably be listening mostly on headphones.

01. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

I miss the panning a bit on this one (particularly on headphones of course.) There seems to be a bit less definition on the crowd noise and a bit less separation on the instruments (one of the great things about stereo is it gives more space for each individual part.)

That being said, it does sound pretty great coming out of the speakers. It has a more “forceful” / “bigger” sort of sound. The biggest difference I notice in the mix is how much louder the lead guitar bit at the end of the song is (right before it transitions to “With a Little Help From My Friends.”) That makes the transition sound different. To my ears it actually sounds a bit worse (as someone used to the stereo transition.)

02. “With a Little Help From My Friends”

There’s some phasing effects on Ringo’s lead vocal (particularly towards the end of the song) that I don’t hear on the stereo version but overall I don’t hear any major differences between these two mixes. With the stereo mix there’s a bit more separation but with the mono mix it’s a bit “bigger sounding.” That seems to be the basic difference between the stereo and mono mixes when played on speakers.

03. “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”

On this song the difference between the stereo & mono mixes is considerably more obvious. The vocals have a lot more effect on them in the mono version. In fact the whole song sounds very “phased” in comparison with the stereo mix. And the song sounds pretty huge coming out of the speakers. I’m not going to say I prefer the mono version, but I do think it’s definitely worth hearing.

04. “Getting Better”

The main difference seems to be that with the mono mix you are getting a “bigger” sound at the expense of some of separation. The bass does seem to stick out a bit more with the mono mix. On repeat listens I’m noticing the “warmth” of the mono version more and more. Definitely worth a listen or 72.

05. “Fixing a Hole”

The bass really cuts through on this song. You can feel it in your bones. I think this is the first track where I feel pretty comfortable saying that the mono version isn’t just different from the stereo version, but also better (and that’s saying a lot as I’ve always loved this song anyway.)

06. “She’s Leaving Home”

This song is the most obviously different. The mono version is higher and faster. It does seem to have more energy and a certain “brightness” that it’s lacking in the stereo version. I think it’s also safe to say that the mono version of “She’s Leaving Home” is superior to the stereo version.

07. “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite”

The vocals sound much different in the mono version and the bass is louder in the mix. Also, the sound effects sound quite different. Overall the mono mix comes across as much more powerful sounding. This is another one where I think the mono version is probably better than the stereo version. I’m starting to get what John Lennon was talking about when he said that you haven’t heard Sgt. Pepper until you hear the original mono mix.

08. “Within You Without You”

The big thing I’m noticing (and this seems to be the trend) is that the deep sounds sound deeper. But it should also be said that there is something lost by not having the stereo separation which allows the sound to really surround you. Particularly on a song like this where so much of it’s effect comes from the sound of the instrumentation. But overall, I think I do prefer the mono version. The clarity of the deep sounds really makes the song sound huge.

09. “When I’m Sixty-Four”

I was hit right off the bat with how deep this mono mix sounds. It’s got plenty of “warmth” to spare. This is another one where it’s safe to say this mono mix is considerably better than the old stereo 1987 CD (to be clear, I haven’t got the Stereo Box Set yet, so I’m not comparing it to that.)

10. “Lovely Rita”

The “Lovely Rita” on the old stereo CD sounds a bit “brittle” and “piercing” in comparison to the “Lovely Rita” on the Sgt. Pepper album in The Beatles Mono Box Set.

11. “Good Morning Good Morning”

Again with the warmth. The old stereo CDs sound pretty “brittle” in comparison. Also this mix really punches me in the face. This has always been my least favorite song on Sgt. Pepper (although I still enjoy it) but I must say it sounds brilliant in mono.

12. “Sgt. Pepper’s… (Reprise)”

I definitely miss the way the rooster crow goes into the guitar note like on the stereo mix. But there are some really cool sounding effects that you can hear in this song that you don’t hear in the stereo mix. It’s got a really tripped out sound and it also really kicks me in the face with the drums and the bass. There’s also a lot of hollering at the end of this mix that you don’t hear at the end of the stereo. It does feel like maybe it rushes a bit into “A Day in the Life” in comparison with the stereo album.

13. “A Day in the Life”

I’ve long considered this to be the greatest song ever recorded (on the basis of the version on the old stereo CD) so how much better can it really get? Well, I’m not going to say that the mono mix is better, but it does sound great. I particularly like the sound of Paul’s middle section. The bass is awesome.

Yes, I’d say the bass sound is the biggest difference when comparing the mono Beatles CD to the old stereo Beatles CD. And the drums sound great too. I’ve heard that the bass and drums also sound great in the new remastered stereo CDs so I don’t know how much of this has to do with different mixes and how much of it has to do with superior mastering this time around in comparison to the 1987 CDs. I’m going to be doing a lot of listening in the coming weeks!

The Beatles, Beatles Mono Albums

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