The Beatles BEST Sounding UK LP Pressings 1963-1965
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- Part 1: In which I explain which UK pressing of all Beatles LPs in the UK catalogue I think sound the best. This first episode covers 'Please, Please Me' to 'Rubber Soul'.
Watch part 2 here: • The Beatles BEST Sound...
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Well, now I have a definitive shopping list 🤣
I'm sixty five years old.I became a fan/ listener Sunday night, February 9 1964 after watching Ed Sullivan.I thought I knew more than average about the Beatles recordings.Living in the USA,I purchased Capitol 45s and albums and still have many of these originals. I'm amazed how much I didn't know about the production and manufacturing aspect of vinyl records.I greatly appreciate you for sharing your knowledge and expertise via this medium.Thank you.
Thanks for your recommendations Andrew, I was lucky enough to find a lightly worn 1963 mono pressing of Please Please Me with the -1N matrix on a recent trip to London. Finally got to play it this morning and it sounds gorgeous, well worth the 50 pounds!
Congratulations, Riley. Enjoy!
The Shadows Greatest Hits has long been one of my go to test records! "Apache" is nothing short of astonishing on a good setup.
with the beatles i have the n1 with the little jump on roll over betovhen priceless !😜
That is what I aim to achieve with my videos..superbly edited and very informative.
You sir are clearly a man who knows his stuff..I tip my hat to you..thanks
Thank you, Sir.
You've got a big fan in me, thank you for sharing so much valuable info. I was born in '73, but I have always loved The Beatles. I'm going to start buying all best sounding UK vinyl pressings to start my very best collection thanks to you. Big hug from Veracruz, Ver, Mexico.
Thank you! Much appreciated!
Up until 1965 all EMI records (Columbia, Parlophone and His Master's Voice) sound amazing... Even transfer copies from US artists on the United Artists and Stateside label sound amazing... After 1966 too much overdubbing and recording techniques killed natural sounding hi fidelity music...
I will always stand to my ground that Beatles pre 1966 records sound amazing towards anything that came after it (Abbey Road included)...
Gimme anytime the original stereo "blanket-covering-the speakers" original With the Beatles stereo album than any 70s and afterwards solid state clear sounding lifeless reissue...The original early hot cut Beatles albums (and 45s) rock... The reissues are simply super duper clean sounding lifeless records good for analyzing Beatles recording sounds...
This has been enormously helpful. The 1N cut of PPM is nothing short of astonishing. I’m now after a 1N of WTB to replace my groove worn and muddy sounding 5N. Thanks Andrew.
Thanks for sharing your worthy infos. Now, looking forward to the next video.
Thanks for this! I collect uk and danish presnings. So fun to hear difference in various records. Found 24 new Beatles lp records of The first 4 albums. Great fun for many hours to clean and register.
Thanks for watching and have fun!
My copy of With the beatles is a -1N-1N and it sounds awesome! Didn't know it had issues and had been recalled.
As someone just getting back into vinyl I'm loving these videos. The best guides to Beatles LPs/singles /EPs by far. Having grown up with stereo, I recently got the Beatles in Mono cd box set and it was a revelation. Especially Rubber Soul (and Yesterday) . The stereo version of RS is frankly unlistenable after hearing mono version. I then picked up the vinyl on discogs. And it was was a 5N 😊. Already had, courtesy of my mum, a mono 7N of With The Beatles. Revolver next!
Thanks for watching. Hope you manage to pick up more of these great sounding pressings.
30 shillings and 11 pence in 1964 for a Beatles LP..... would be the equivalent of paying about £35 adjusted for inflation today. No wonder an LP was an expensive purchase for 1960s teenagers!
Fascinating.
I came across the shadows greatest hits mono in great condition today I bought it just because you said it is so good so I can't wait to give it a spin thank you
Hope you enjoy it!
Just listening to the shadows now and yes it is magic how good mono can sound
thanks for another video, i have a few more additions to my shopping list! after identifying a few of my grandmas records, we have the “loud cut” of rubber soul.
This is fun! Your fantastic, sir!
Man, your vids are the most in depth and amazing ever made regarding Beatles records. I found your channel not too long ago, and have been watching every single one. I just wanted to say thank you for doing such a wonderful job. I also love your intro with Garrard 401 with the SME tonearm and Shure cartridge one it. As I’m sure you’re aware, Mr. McCartney has the same turntable. 🎶✌️🔊😁🎵
Good to have you along for the ride, Nick. Yes, I've seen that picture of Paul in his listening room. He's got great taste.
Great video, love the facts on who cut which pressing, which I think that information is missing in the Complete Beatles Recording Sessions book
Please Please Me is my fave Beatles album thanks for that I will look out for that one
I have this! From the NEMS shop no less with dedicated bag 'free of charge'
It's ironic that EMI lost the art of quality pressing in 1973. After '73 pop and rock music started to dip in quality after roughly eight years of stratospheric excellence.
I own the 2014 Mono of A Hard Day's Night. It Really is amazing! But this morning for 28.99 I found a beautiful Stereo First pressing in a MONO sleeve. I'm listening to it and, well it's not as good as the 2014. But it's an interesting Mix for sure, Not bad, but could improve. It's going in my current project, "collecting the original Parlophone stereo albums". All I'm Missing is Please Please Me, Rubber soul and Revolver! And i'm loving my stereo BFS, it is a treat!
That’s interesting about Roll Over Beethoven jumping. My copy does that, but I just assumed it was mine that was damaged.
I was very fortunate to have picked up a copy of that for only £1 at a charity shop much to my delight as a record collector and big fan of the Shadows
Wonderful vid with great production value. BRAVO!! Valuable info and insightful recommendations. Most listeners will rightfully agree with your choices, even though my heart bleeds every time I hear you totally, completely and utterly trash one of those stereo lp's. After having lived with the mono lp's for many years, my first encounter with the maligned early stereos felt like a jolt of electricity. The "unlistenable" and "sloppy" stereo Please Please Me especially quickly became one of my all-time favourite lp's, in any genre. Just don't listen to it on headphones. ;-)
Thank you, glad you enjoyed the video. I may have seemed a little harsh on the early stereo LPs, but I just wanted to get across how different they are from the 'preferred' mono mixes.
maravillosas colecciones parlogram te felicito
Wonderful insight. Answers many questions I've had for years. You are absolutely correct Die Beatles just smokes the stereo UK Please Please Me. Looking forward to part 2. Please keep up the good work and thanks very much.
Thank you Bob, glad you enjoyed it. Part 2 is coming up real soon.
Great stuff Andrew , although I’m beginning to feel like an audio philistine 😂 I love my copy of Please please me from the most recent stereo box ! With A Hard Days night , although great music , I always felt the album was badly mixed no matter the version - really muddy . There’s a bit when they sing high on “ Tell me Why “ where it’s almost impossible to hear what they are singing ! I’m glad you mentioned Beatles for sale stereo , because I was seriously beginning to doubt my ears 😊 For me the stereo version has so much more depth and clarity than any hards days night mixes .
Excellent job.
If you recommend the German HorZu stereo PPM pressing it's a good idea to mention the particular full matrix numbers. I did a face-to-face comparison of a German HorZu (didn't save the matrix #s, sadly), B&Y -1/-1 UK and a USA cut for Vee Jay. The UK one was the absolute winner in my opinion. May several cuts for HorZu exist?
Off topic, maybe, but I'm afraid Pye never pressed WTB. The run-off markings are confusing, I agree, but it's not the Pye's label area profile and not the Pye's stampers.
i think the good matrix of horzu pressing is : die beatles shze 117 - 2 / -2
Ticket to Ride inspired backing track, right down to Ringo’s ( Paul’s idea ) is right there, as is the sound of the bright guitar ...
Had an original UK stereo pressing of AHDN - low stamper even on side 2 and it sounded terribly shrill in my system when other albums never did. Still, they paid me ¥30,000 in Tokyo later, so everyone was happy.
Hi Andrew. I find your dismissal of the original stereo mix of A Hard Days Night interesting. Because it was the first of the lps to be mixed better than a simple left/right twin track effect, I have always considered it to be an essential stereo purchase.
The way Ringo's bongo thumps move from left to right on the title track is merely one example of an exiting effect available only in stereo. George's semi revolutionary 12 string guitar blast also bites and excites with greater effect in the stereo realm.
lastly, if the mono is so superior, how can the disturbing flatness and lifelessness of the original cd release (only available in Mono until 2009!) be explained? I have always been left with a feeling that the MONO ONLY releases of A.H.D.N. and Beatles for Sale on the original CD issues was done for reasons of expedience, not because the stereo mixes lack merit.
I LOVE the stereo mix of Hard Day's Night but each to their own. It might be worth pointing out that the stereo Help and Rubber Soul were remixed by George Martin in the 80s.
Hi Andrew - I have focused on gathering only the first pressings of The Beatles releases. Sometimes you'll agree, they are the litmus best cut pressings, but - sometimes you do NOT endorse this.
It's been very 'ear-opening' to watch your videos and garner information regarding the alternative pressings. Thus, I am adding to my collection with these editions that surpass my 1st issue copies.
I can agree with most of your assessments on the audio playback of most variations - so thanks and keep up the good reviews.
Incidentally perhaps you may agree that Giles' remastering was not always top notch, because he seemed to have separated the band and put them together again SO effectively that they no longer sound like they're a group! He did manage to do much better for The Beatles (aka 'white album'), where the sound is not so aggressively 'mechanically separated'.
Hey Andrew Thanks for helping Clarify! I have a few pressings of the albums and was curious about value :)
Mono
With The Beatles -5N
Hard Days Night 3N
For Sale 3-N (Will have to pick-up the Stereo Pressing)
Help! -2
Rubber Soul -4
Hmmm seems my albums are not as Rare as I thought :(
Hey Kevin, The value of the original pressings really lies in the condition, unless it is the 606-1 pressing of 'Revolver' or a gold label 'Please, Please, Please Me'. The stereo 'Beatles For Sale' is essential.
i'm planning to buy the 1st and second beatles albuns, they are a bit expensive, but vg copies are still in a decent shape to listen and for a resoanable price
Cracking vid. Thought's on the nimbus peppers
I really love all the different mixtures of all the Beatles albums, what is interesting is that the mono mix of health has a different vocal tech which I think is the final one and it doesn’t stereo version.
Also did you know that when we can go things as we live a life of these everyone of us has all we need needAnd the stereo mix John Lennon’s voice saying 10 a little bit later than his pneumonia mix because of the model makes you have Jahmal and saying a life of these at the Ringo’s things that line, the stereo mix sides and one time and I
I also really loved the sped up piano cello played by George Martin on in my life.
My Parlophone UK mono press of 'With The Beatles' which I found in a thrift-store in Australia, along with three other Beatles LP's (2 stereo /2 mono) for $2 AUD a piece, has side 1 marked as [-5N ] and side 2 as [- 6N ].. was that quite a common feature also ? this is a most fascinating audio-file take on the LP's - I would just play the records and assume I was listening to absolute perfection.. I mean admittedly I do also listen to bands like The Dead C and Hood and all sorts of lo-fi music, so I'm not particularly fussy when it comes to sound overall. nevertheless a very interesting and enlightening perspective
I do think Rock and Roll Music on Beatles For Sale captures the Beatles at their best in terms of their roots and energy despite the circumstances under which it was recorded.
Brilliant video! Very informative. ..thank you for your hard work. But if I could make a minor suggestion...it might be interesting to hear how some of the early pressings compare to the 2012/2014 reissues. ..for example the original mono pressing of Please Please Me to the Mono reissue. Just a thought.
Oh and I like the idea of suggesting alternate versions that sound good and might be more affordable. ..for example the German version of the first album....I also heard that the German version of Magical Mystery Tour is a great copy. Thoughts?
Thank you, Mark. The original pressings vs the 2014 reissues is definitely worth doing in a future video.
The German MMT is indeed superior to all and will be covered in Part 2.
The stereo placement on Rubber Soul was in that harsh left/right configuration as an experiment to see if it would sound better on compatible mono styluses. By keeping the sound left and right rather than centred you could be sure of a balanced mix on a mono record player as each channel would have equal decibel output.
I removed the hard left vocals and hard right instruments on the stereo lp Please Please Me using the 2009 stereo cd to make a multi-track file with Audacity. No additional sounds were added, no eq, bass boost etc. That I was able to do this is a tangible example of The Beatles precision.
Basic format is vocals placed center; or 20% left (harmony) and 20% right, (lead) or center (lead) and harmony 20% left and 20% right. The instrument channel was changed to a mono channel. Sometimes a duplicate was made and both were used hard left and hard right The right channel might be inverted and or very slight time shift.
Zooming into thousandths of a second with the duplicated channels I extracted segments of vocals and instruments to new tracks. Even on the vocal channel sometimes instruments were extracted. The extracted segments were clean because their precision was such that there were no late exits or early entries.
Using the Audacity mixer, adjusted the track volumes then reduced to two channel WAV stereo. I now hear sounds I did not hear with the original stereo or mono. The slight time shift expanded the sound and the inverted sound wave gave a bit of sound difference between left and right without being irritating. I still have the Audacity files and every now and then I try something different. Kinda fun having all these different sounds to experiment with.
To give you a concrete example of the result is the song Please Please Me and the "Come On" exchanges. Now I have John coming out of the right side and George and Paul from the left.
Hi friend love your videos on the best band in the world the Beatles
I got this LP many years ago for £2 pound yes £2 pound not bad please please me gold on black mono.
Thanks for your extensive and calmly well rounded reviews.
I saw a person, on UA-cam, who felt that his German, Please Please Me stereo Hor Zu pressing, was better than an original Parlogram.
He was showing, what I know now, was a second pressing.
I know how much you like the Magical Mystery Tour, on Hor Zu.
Can you please comment on their edition of PPM?
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Michael, I'll be featuring those albums in a video about German pressings shortly. Meantime I can confirm that the 1970's German PPM is THE best sounding stereo pressing of that album. Thanks for watching!
Danke,
Looking forward to your review,
Mike
Vídeo mais antigo. ✌✌✌✌😎😎😎😎❤❤❤❤
Great video, thank you. Looking forward to part 2.
My copy of Rubber Soul (mono) is -4 on side 1 and -1 on side 2. Is there a story behind that?
Thank you, Scott. Part 2 will be along very shortly.
Your -4/-1 was just a case of EMI not wanting to stop production whilst the -4 was finalized. Can you notice any significant change in sound between the sides?
i had no idea that the harmonica was out of sync on PPM. i always thought it was supposed to sound like that
you reviewed the shit outta them records yo
More videos please
Thank you . Greetings & best kind regards . Anselm Andrian ( real Name )
The intro Ticket To Ride is LOUDER in mono.
Hi, you mentioned the Stereo mix of P.S. I Love You where a mono piece was edited in. Isn't it the track in itself along with Love Me Do where in Fake Stereo? Likewise, was this "mono" put in rectified in subsequent issues?
Great insight on Beatles recordings what do Beatles fans think of the 2009 mono CDs box set sound wise ? I would love to know peace🌈♥️✌️🇮🇪
Good question!
Great video....for Help stereo I think the 70's German pressings on Apple label sound better than the UK ones
Thanks for watching, Steve. That would make an interesting comparison video.
You mentioned that the first three Beatles albums are better in Mono, and Beatles for Sale is better in Stereo. I have the roll-top box set from 1988. Wiki says "The Beatles Box Set were the digitally remastered mono mixes issued on CD over 1987-88". Are these mono mixes as good as the early-1960s mono mixes you're talking about? In the box-set, A Hard Days Night CD doesn't have Paul's vocal cracking up (on "vain") in 'If I Fell' -- or it sounds reasonably smooth anyway, and is OK, but I always remember him dropping right out on the Stereo LP, but I'd have to check. Great videos. Thanks.
The late 80's vinyl from digital isn't bad, it's all down to personal preference. I prefer the analogue originals.
Not a hardcore BEATLES fan, but explaining the different variants was very interesting. Are you going to do a ROLLING STONES best sounds video?
Does anybody knows what cutting machines EMI used on stereo cuttings 1963-1969? As for mono it was Neumann ( the letter “N” after lacquer’s number)
Interesting, a lot of records in the early sixties were cut with the bandwidth limited so as to play on the cheap and nasty record player's available.
Yeah, I wasn't born yet until 1970, but I've heard that! That's a terrible thing to do to music! They should have made two masters, one for the audiophile, and one for the shit turntables!
@@analoguecity3454 They did, the stereo versions.
@@chrissyman77 True, but the stereo mixes are just so nasty
Ngl, dual mono (at least how I see it) is best kind of mono.
i found a samples online from the -1, -4, and -6 mono WITH THE BEATLES...the -4 seems to sound even better overall than the -1.
I have a -4N with the Beatles. Unfortunately it’s pretty groove worn and sounds lifeless compared to the amazing in your face 1N please please me. I’ve just acquired a -1N WTB (in the post) so await with interest…
Hi Andrew, a few months ago I purchased a 1976 Swedish stereo pressing of Help! I got it for £10 and I was surprised how good it sound. Are you familiar with this pressing?
That's a great sounding pressing! Most of the Swedish LPs were cut from UK metalwork.
I'd love a copy of the German 1973 please please me...2 questions
What is the correct Matrix number I should be looking for?
Where can I buy it from a reliable source?
Or indeed the 1N1N matrix uk mono...I have signed up to the auction site for starters!
Thank you
Is 90 us dollars a good price for the stereo first pressing of help? I can pick up the record at my local record shop
It should be remembered that back then, I was 13 in 1962 , most teens played their records on a cheap Dansette type record player so sound quality wasn't very important, an album was around £1 12s 6d but I had 3 jobs making nearly £2 a week so it wasn't hard to save up...
You were lucky earning such good money at that age. I'll be going into the price/affordability subject in part 2.
EMI had an employee who's job was to play records on those type of turntables, to find out if they jumped? Then they would recut the record accordingly with attenuation to the bass.
Best vinyl box set? Please
I've traditionally gone for mono only all the up to including Sgt Pepper. So Beatles For Sale comments were very interesting! I'll have to revisit the stereo, because I agree with you that it is a very dull sounding mono album (although it might be just coz it's my least favourite album!). How do you feel about the '87 stereo mix of Help and Rubber Soul, given the rushed hard-panned originals?
Beatles for Sale in stereo is night and day when compared to the mono. The '87 CD stereo mixes with their extra digital reverb were worse than the originals.
thanks for the reply so is this a george peckham cut eg porky prime cut he did work for apple cut acetates because apple had a acetate cutter and were cheaper than emi that is why you get so many apple custom labels with cuts by eg slade on etc i am learning so much from your channel so keep up the good work did you know you can buy demo sticker labels and stick them on the parlophone apple discs the red A stickers you cant tell them from from, the real thing and no i dont think this should be allowed they are fake and bootlegs and may get passed off as the real thing do you have any views on this
As a gift, I got the 2012 remastered box set of all the UK pressings. They were remastered in stereo using the same source as the 2009 CDs. While I would love to have original UK pressings, this was the only way I was going to really afford the UK pressings of any kind. What is your opinion of them?
Here's my review of the 2012 set: ua-cam.com/video/yJemFTEUdmI/v-deo.html
Is there a difference between pressings is it noticeable? I have PPM 5th pressing. I landed 4th pressing waiting for arrival
I’m from Australia so my albums are mostly original Mono Australian Pressings, if you have any Australian pressings could you reply and tell me if they’re fine in sound quality or should I upgrade to some british Copy’s? Thanks
I'm afraid I don't have any Australian copies to compare, but I've heard good things about them.
I wonder how these fare against the recent mono boxed set?
That sounds like a subject I should cover in a future video.
Looking forward to it when you do.
I think the warmth is missing on the 2014 mono mix of please please me iv never really like it to me it sounds too clean and clinical . would love to hear a gold mono in nice condition .
Justin Parkman I’ve heard when they recut the album in 2014, the original master tape started seeping onto the playback head, so they decided to recut it to a new analogue tape.
@@TheTigersfan20 true
I just get a mono uk version of "Rubber Soul", 579-1 and 580-1. Is it the "loud cut" version?
It is.
@@ParlogramThanks! So what would be te problem with the "loud cut"? I can't understand. Is almost the same to me (maybe my ears are old??)
Really enjoying your videos. They have been the most helpful guide to the records that I have picked up or inherited over the years. One quick question I have Beatles For Sale mono, Side 1 is 4N and Side 2 is 3N. After several listens I could not discern any kind of drop out on No Reply. Is it possible that 503-3N is the cut with that fault, not 503-4N (the higher number being in theory the later ‘corrected’ cut).
i heard that there is a loud cut of rubber soul cut by george peckham is this real or a myth how can you tell you have a loud cut if there is one out there thanks
Myth. The so-called 'loud cut' has -1/-1 matrices.
“Jazz Cigarettes”, Andrew? Why, what could that possibly mean?
I have a third press Please Please Me without the little 33 1/3 and I hear conflicting reports someone says it’s a fourth press other people say it’s a variation of a third press
What do you say and thank you
I prefer to classify them by label variation rather than 'pressing'. The first yellow and black label, which you have, is technically the third label variation.
About quality of sound of Beatles records is a hard for know,but I achieve hear now.I born in Brazil and there,the quality of LP including Beatles,isn´t good and expensive price.After this I going for Japan,where live actually and I bought a complete collection of Beatles LP and I finally achieve hear the songs of band in clearence audio and found very good that.More later coming that reissue all albuns in Mono process,2009,so don´t give that power,how shoulder be,but some records have good sound and can hear with high definition and liked too.Why produce records with fake Mono and Stereo,no liked so much this,so in England the sound of disc is more pure or not?So I waiting a good quality and clearence sound also.Uchino Of Japan.Bye.
Hello, could you help me with rubber soul? I have a -4 -1 copy. Known as variant b? Is this a loud cut?
It's a crossover variant with the loud-cut on side 2. Can you hear the difference between the two sides?
@@Parlogram thank you for replying. I've not actually recieved it yet but will definitely let you know when I have..thank you
Here's a controversial question. Do you think the sound of the best vinyl can be properly captured in digital? We need digital to properly preserve the sound for future generations since the original analog tapes will eventually be unplayable.
Great question, Tim. Does anyone have any ideas?
@@Parlogram Here is something to think about. ua-cam.com/video/X3ZJutwXRFo/v-deo.html
I greatly disagree on the mono vrs " stereo " pressings. I prefer the stereo versions anytime . Mono versions sound full and lifeless .
Jazz cigarettes 😂😂