Mixology: The Mono/Stereo Mix Differences Podcast

• Hold On! by Herman's Hermits

  Hello Friends! We're back in Hermits land this month with a look at the only LP issued by the group in true stereo from start to finish, Hold On! (Music from the Original Sound Track). Recorded as such for the titular motion picture, this meant that for the first time we got to hear Herman's Hermits in both mono and true stereo, and it is truly glorious. This is a stereo mix with a lot of care in it's execution, and while the mono likely takes the cake, the stereo is a very enjoyable listen, with a few nice little differences throughout, including muted studio noise, differing fade-outs, and variable vocal echo. A Must to Avoid, this is not!  Happy Listening, Frederick Patreon  Email  Instagram - @hypnoticfred 

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• The Best of The Dave Clark Five (UK, 1970) by The Dave Clark Five

  Hello Friends! After many months of hoping to cover the DC5 on the main show, this has finally been realised thanks to the 1970 compilation, The Best of The Dave Clark Five. Issued on the Starline label in the UK, this was the first stereo Dave Clark Five material in the UK, and as such saw first time stereo mixes for the vast majority of its 14 tracks, and the other handful had only otherwise been issued in the USA on the 3 1967 LPs issued there. As such, this felt like a perfect contender for the show, but as I dug into these stereo mixes and the currently issued mono mixes, it came to my attention that many of these mono mixes are either alternates or edited versions of the correct mono mix, and in one case we even has multiple mono mixes issued in the 60s. We even had 2 stereo mixes for one track, to my surprise! Along with a few other fade oddities, and some fascinatingly different mixes, we have an episode chock full of goodies today that you do not want to miss! Happy Listening, Frederick Patreon  Email  Instagram - @hypnoticfred 

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• Scott 2 by Scott Walker

  Hello Mr. Big Shot! After juggling around many ideas for forthcoming Mixology episodes, I landed on our follow-up to our look at Scott only a few months ago with the inevitable companion episode Scott 2. While stylistically very similar to the prior album in a number of ways, the concept feels like it reaches another level on this occasion, and as a result, brings in a few more notable differs than we had in the previous offering, and the case of a couple of tracks, a wildly different experience. Which comes out on top? I'd say it's harder to decide than last time, but let's dive in to find out... A huge thanks as well to Andrew Milton for the artwork for this episode. Happy Listening, Frederick Patreon  Email  Instagram - @hypnoticfred 

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• The Beach Boys Today! by The Beach Boys

  Hello Friends! It's time to head back to California as I feel it's time to cover a huge fan-favourite in The Beach Boys' catalogue, The Beach Boys Today!. Released in 1965, this album was only originally issued in mono and duophonic, but starting with the release of the Endless Harmony Soundtrack in 1998, the 11 songs from the album were slowly remixed into stereo, with the last few gathered up with the 2012 mono/stereo wave of releases. However, multiple tracks got multiple remixes in this time, and a couple of those 2012 remixes received modifications in the years since, making this a bit of a muddle tracing down what's what. How does this album fare in stereo? It's a mixed bag for sure, and I would love a fresh remix from the final 3-track masters akin to All Summer Long's stereo mix, but that doesn't mean there aren't some shining gems here too. I do want to note that the remixes completed for the 2022 Sounds of Summer: Expanded Edition will not be covered today, as these can be found in my episode covering that release. Have a jump back through your feed to 2022 to have a listen. With that out the way, get ready for a Bull Session with Big Daddy Fred, as we ask that fateful question - Do You Wanna Mono? Happy Listening, Frederick Patreon  Email  Instagram - @hypnoticfred 

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• The Complete Release Guide to The Zombies '69 & '70 Decca Stereo Mixes

  Hello Friends! We've got something a little different on the show today. A few months ago I became very curious about a few stereo mixes I had used in my episode on the Zombies LP Begin Here, where a few tracks had turned up in poor SQ. At that point I assumed this was likely baked into the mix, until I put out a call regarding The World of The Zombies featuring these tracks, only to discover that I was in fact, incorrect. This sent me on a whirlwind of a journey picking up copies of The Zombies, Early Days, The World of The Zombies, Rock Roots & The Collection, in addition to my CD copies of The Singles A's and B's and Greatest Hits (on Audio Fidelity), but came away with only more questions than answers. Why are some tracks mono on some compilations and stereo on others? Why do some discs have studio chatter and some don't? Where did all these later stereo mixes come from that aren't on the '69 & '70 discs? And what is the best source for all of these now they are out of print? After listening to many Zombies LPs and CDs later, as well as a few more, I feel I can confidently give you the definitive answer to all of these questions, as well as the best guide on where to find them, as despite later CD issues, many of these are best heard by far on those original LPs. And for listeners over on the Patreon, I have included my working notes below for each tracklist for this episode. Huge thanks too to Ethan Alexanian for this episode's flatlay artwork. Happy Listening, Frederick Patreon  Email  Instagram - @hypnoticfred 

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