Mixology: The Mono/Stereo Mix Differences Podcast

• Scott by Scott Walker

  Hello Friends! We're finally giving the inimitable Scott Walker a spotlight on the show today, with a look at his debut solo LP from 1967, Scott. Issued unchanged in the US under the title Aloner, to say I was surprised by how different these mixes are would be an understatement. From my experience with label mate Dusty’s catalogue on Philips, I assumed Scott’s would similarly be close sonically between mixes, but as soon as I queued up the mono alongside the stereo mix, the vast difference in vocal echo was immediately apparent. True for many tracks across the album, the mono results in a much darker listening experience, retaining the ‘spook’ the stereo often lacks, but this is also inversely true at times. Balancing also differs on numerous occasions, highlighting different parts on the backing track to allow impact to vary in subtle ways that make all the difference. I hope you'll agree that regardless of mix, this is a wonderful record, but one mix to me really brings the production home. Happy Listening, Frederick Patreon  Email    Instagram - @hypnoticfred 

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• The Loved Ones' Magic Box by The Loved Ones

  Hello Friends! In today's episode we're heading out with a downright Australian classic, The Loved One's Magic Box. Issue in October 1967 as a collection of 10 of the group's previously released tracks and two warmup covers, this album is home today to classics such as 'The Loved One', 'Ever Lovin' man' and 'Sad Dark Eyes', but despite being issued in mono and stereo, the last 40 years have not been kind to the state of this LP. As of 1985, all issues of this album comprise of a faulty master created from an isolation of the left channel of the stereo mix summed to mono (with one exception), meaning many elements panned to the right are now lost, providing a listening experience not representative of either mix. Today I'll be breaking down what makes the two different mixes both unique and similar, but also tracks where the current digital issue is both a little closer to the intended experience than others, as well as where it truly neuters the experience. Regardless of it all, this album contains some incredible performances, so it back in your loverly car, and let's dive into The Loved Ones' Magic Box. Happy Listening, Frederick Patreon  Email    Instagram - @hypnoticfred    Many thanks to Jaenes / Q Records for his in-depth history on the group.  

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• Paul & Barry Ryan by Paul & Barry Ryan

  Hello Friends! We're kicking 2025 off with a bang today, with something relatively obscure to listeners today. Released in 1968, the 2nd LP by Paul & Barry Ryan, and their 1st on MGM, was issued only in the UK in both mono and stereo. Simply titled Paul & Barry Ryan, these original pressings remain the only issues of the material to this day, and all signs sadly indicate that the masters for this material has long since vanished. As a result, all our audio today has been taken from two great copies of this somewhat hard to find LP, and for many listeners this will likely be their first taste of this material. But why am I covering such an album? Well, late in 2024 Andrew from Parlogram brought this material to my attention, promising two mixes that varied so greatly that they would make for a fantastic episode. And I must say, he was completely on the money with that statement. These mixes, for the most part, vary wildly in all the best ways. Heavy echo differences, wild balance variations, alternate vocals, and many elements missing in one or the other mix. This is the sort of album Mixology was made for investigating, and combined with the great music within, this episode will be a treat for all listeners, whether you are familiar with the album or not. As such, I want to give a huge thank you to Andrew for his assistance with today's episode. I heartily suggest you check out his YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@Parlogram - after listening to today's episode (if you are not already following along). You won't be disappointed. As a bonus for Patrons, I do will be covering the mono LP in a Longplayers in Mono episode soon, as I feel the music deserves a conversation aside from the mix differences themselves, so head on over to the Back to Mono Radio Patreon to sign up and listen if you haven't already at https://www.patreon.com/backtomono Happy listening, Frederick Patreon Email Instagram - @hypnoticfred

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• 2024 in Review

  Hello Friends! We're rounding out Mixology for the year today with a look back over everything we covered this year, including a couple of corrections and updates, as well as a look at a bunch of interesting emails I received through the year. 2024 has been an amazing year for the show that I am incredibly proud of, and while I can't imagine I can really follow-up on some of the highest highs I managed this year, I've got some wonderful things lined up for 2025 I've teased in this episode. Happy Listening, and see you in 2025, Frederick (Except if you head over to the Patreon, where I'll see you next week for Back to Mono 100! Find it at www.patreon.com/backtomono) Patreon Email   Instagram - @hypnoticfred

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• The Beach Boys on 45 ('70 - '74) w/Andrew Sandoval

  Hello Friends! As we move into episode 101 we bring you something quite special to follow-up the unfollowable. During my time working on Blonde on Blonde, I was approached by noted reissue producer and historian Andrew Sandoval to investigate a recent acquisition of a large number of Beach Boys 45s, both stock and promo, from across the Brother/Reprise years, and a number of anomalies present in his initial listening to these, most notably in the mono presentations on the promo copies, though the stereo was not without interest. Thus, today I present to you an episode in two parts: Our first half features a discussion between me and Andrew, both about the discs themselves and how he came to acquire the copies you'll be hearing samples from today, as well as a brief run-down and discussion of my findings. This was a wonderful discussion, and with many suitable tangents into the worlds of both record collecting and The Beach Boys, and proved a learning experience for us both. The second half of the episode, and the main bulk, is a slightly different take on the Mixology format, working through the singles from 1970 thru 1974 one by one, both in stock and promo, and comparing these to their regular LP presentations where applicable, to discover what had been modified for each release, and where modifications had been made, if these were consistent with current CD and Digital releases of these tracks. Believe it or not, we have a few mixes here today that have never been accurately represented in the digital domain, and remain unissued in authentic representations since these original 45s, while some did receive special processing for both stock and promo release that has not since been replicated, for reasons that are evident when listening. As a result, today's episode was an absolute joy to research, compile and record, and I want to thank Andrew again for reaching out with this opportunity for the show, and graciously surrendering a portion of his time for the conversation. Hopefully this slightly fresh take on the Mixology format delights you, the listener, and helps you to Add Some Music to Your Day. Happy Listening, Frederick Patreon Email   Instagram - @hypnoticfred

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