Sterling Sound remastering US Beatles albums

Just what the name says.
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Postby Dob » Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:11 am

Andreas wrote:...sound quality was irrelevant. Audiophile mastering would...not have diminished nor enhanced its success.

Hmmm, I'm inclined not to agree. "Irrelevant" makes it sound as if Capitol didn't care about the sound. If that was true, they would have just done a straight digital transfer from the already released CDs, no? Based on the comments I've read (as I haven't heard One), Capitol didn't do that.

It seems to me that the labels, in general, have a perception that a "hotter" (louder) mastering will sell better than an "audiophile" (quieter) one...and that Capitol got exactly the mastering they wanted on One. Besides, a lot of the current Beatles CDs (both Past Masters CDs, for example) are so-called "audiophile" (no EQ added, not maximized) transfers already...why not grab the kids' ears with an "improved, modern" version?

I'd be willing to bet that Capitol is very proud of the sound on One. And for you "purists" out there who prefer a more "old fashioned" sound, the duophonic releases are coming right up. What more do you want?
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Postby lukpac » Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:53 am

Capitol didn't do *anything*. EMI/Abbey Road did.

I've never noticed a problem with maximization on "1", but the NR and (especially) EQ is terrible.
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Postby Dob » Sun Oct 17, 2004 10:58 am

lukpac wrote:Capitol didn't do *anything*. EMI/Abbey Road did.

OK...I should have been more careful in assigining proper "credit" for the remastering.
lukpac wrote:I've never noticed a problem with maximization on "1", but the...EQ is terrible.

When recordings are really messed up because of excessive EQ, compression, and NR, it can be difficult to assign proper blame. The maximization may be more at fault than you realize. Again, I emphasize that I haven't heard the album...
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Postby Andreas » Mon Oct 18, 2004 3:37 am

Dob wrote:
Andreas wrote:...sound quality was irrelevant. Audiophile mastering would...not have diminished nor enhanced its success.

Hmmm, I'm inclined not to agree. "Irrelevant" makes it sound as if Capitol didn't care about the sound. If that was true, they would have just done a straight digital transfer from the already released CDs, no? Based on the comments I've read (as I haven't heard One), Capitol didn't do that.

It seems to me that the labels, in general, have a perception that a "hotter" (louder) mastering will sell better than an "audiophile" (quieter) one...and that Capitol got exactly the mastering they wanted on One. Besides, a lot of the current Beatles CDs (both Past Masters CDs, for example) are so-called "audiophile" (no EQ added, not maximized) transfers already...why not grab the kids' ears with an "improved, modern" version?

I'd be willing to bet that Capitol is very proud of the sound on One. And for you "purists" out there who prefer a more "old fashioned" sound, the duophonic releases are coming right up. What more do you want?


I meant irrelevant for the buyers. EMI/Apple obviously (and unfortunately) did care for the sound they wanted. That is why a future remastering of the UK catalog does not look very promising. But nevertheless, I don't think that anyone bought "One" because of the mastering.

That is the first time that somebody called "Past Masters" audiophile. Yes, they are flat transfers, but so are most of the Beatles CDs. Much better than "One", but far from audiophile.

And the Capitol albums are not released for the purists, but for nostalgic people. And maybe for historical purposes. But from the standpoint of a purist, the Capitol mixes are remixes (and/or heavily altered remasters).

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Postby lukpac » Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:53 am

Andreas wrote:I meant irrelevant for the buyers. EMI/Apple obviously (and unfortunately) did care for the sound they wanted. That is why a future remastering of the UK catalog does not look very promising. But nevertheless, I don't think that anyone bought "One" because of the mastering.


I think that needs qualification.While the overall number was probably fairly small, I'm pretty sure a good chunk of people did buy it because it was "remastered". And I'm sure many of those people thought it was better. If you did a blind test with them they might not continue to have that opinion, but stuff like "remastered" and "24-bit mastering" hold a lot of sway with a lot of people. "Look, they used this great new technology, of course it's going to sound better!"
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Postby krabapple » Mon Oct 18, 2004 11:20 am

Pardon, I'm confused. What exactly is the difference between the 'Beatles fans ' Fremer says don't want the new ones, and the 'nostalgic people' Andreas cites, and the peopel who bought 'One'?
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Postby Dob » Mon Oct 18, 2004 11:29 am

Andreas wrote:That is the first time that somebody called "Past Masters" audiophile. Yes, they are flat transfers,...but far from audiophile.

I said so-called audiophile. And there are plenty of people that think an "audiophile" transfer is, in many cases, a flat transfer (and maybe Capitol/EMI/Apple/Abbey Road/whoever thinks so too, in a somewhat dismissive, derogatory sense). I thought my use of "so-called" should make it clear that I don't agree...and certainly not in the case of Past Masters.

Andreas wrote:And the Capitol albums are not released for the purists, but for nostalgic people. And maybe for historical purposes. But from the standpoint of a purist, the Capitol mixes are remixes (and/or heavily altered remasters).

Of course...in my final two sentences, I was expressing what I perceive to be the rather ignorant/arrogant position of the labels. Purist, audiophile, nostalgia...it all blends together for them.

It's kind of funny, actually, to think "what if these bizarre American album releases are a perverse 'up yours' reaction to all the obsessive fans that have been pestering the labels for the release of this or that Beatles material on CD?" It's really funny to read how these obsessive fans are telling themselves that, after thinking about it, these are actually pretty cool after all and will be worth purchasing.
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Postby Rspaight » Mon Oct 18, 2004 11:41 am

It's kind of funny, actually, to think "what if these bizarre American album releases are a perverse 'up yours' reaction to all the obsessive fans that have been pestering the labels for the release of this or that Beatles material on CD?" It's really funny to read how these obsessive fans are telling themselves that, after thinking about it, these are actually pretty cool after all and will be worth purchasing.


That's my working theory. "You want historically accurate reissues? Here you go."

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Postby lukpac » Wed Oct 20, 2004 9:35 pm

There are a few small errors, but for the most part, this seems fairly informative. Note there's no NR, but I don't like the line about making them "compete" with current CDs. 1 of 3.

http://www.icemagazine.com/daily/211/oct13.asp

Greetings!

It’s always frustrating to any publisher when a story breaks right after you go to press, especially for a monthly like ICE. We’ve had the following news item "in the can" for a number of weeks, but didn’t put it in the brand new, November issue (mailing shortly) because it had not become official at the time we went to the printers. And knowing how unpredictable the Apple camp can be, we chose not to run the item in ICE on speculation.

So now that the news has been confirmed, we can report that the first four of Capitol Records’ original 1964 Beatles LP releases will finally make their CD debut on November 16, with the release of The Capitol Albums, Vol. 1. The box-set package will contain Meet the Beatles!, The Beatles’ Second Album, Something New and Beatles ’65, each one presented in both mono and stereo.

The four-disc set, accompanied by a 48-page booklet with commentary by noted Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn, will contain all of the label’s original releases for that year — minus The Beatles’ Story, Capitol’s documentary double-LP released in November 1964 and which is not really considered part of the Fabs’ canon. Also missing from 1964, of course, is Vee Jay’s Introducing the Beatles LP, which Capitol didn’t get the rights to issue until 1965, when they re-named it The Early Beatles.

Each of the new CDs represents the way American fans grew up to the music of The Beatles — a far different experience from that provided by the current catalog CD versions of the original UK Parlophone LPs.

While it was commonplace to release a 14-track album in Britain, accompanied, perhaps, by singles recorded during the same sessions as that album, American LPs routinely featured just 10 or 11 tracks, a practice often credited to a different method of calculating publishing royalties. U.S. LPs would often contain those accompanying hit singles — a clearly different marketing approach, offering fans a disc with their favorite current track (making it available long after the single’s run in stores), along with other album material.

Because American LPs featured less album tracks — and then added single material on top of that — Capitol was able to spread three albums’ worth of UK LPs over four discs, making unique tune stacks ingrained for decades in the minds of American Beatles fans. In addition to different tune stacks, the recordings were often the subject of additional processing (compression, added reverb) performed by Capitol, to "Americanize" the Beatles’ sound. Unusual as they may sound to modern ears, those albums have often been at the top of the request list from fans, who want to be able to experience the sounds they remember, as they first heard them.

Unfortunately for such fans, Apple Corps, Ltd., The Beatles’ company, since the 1980s has sought to finally standardize The Beatles’ catalog, eliminating the bastardized albums created in countless territories (i.e. Capitol wasn’t the only one), instead enforcing the UK-only releases as representative of what the group had originally intended during their recording. The original Capitol LPs actually remained in the label’s vinyl (and cassette) catalog into the early 1990s, at which time most catalog vinyl was deleted.

As most fans know, the current first four UK Beatles CDs are presented strictly in mono, making The Capitol Albums, Vol. 1 all the more exciting for Fab fans, since it includes both mono and stereo mixes, taken from the original LP masters in Capitol’s vaults. The box set will also be released in other territories — including England — where fans there will hear digital masters of tracks from those first four British LPs in stereo for the first time, albeit the Americanized versions. A bit of a head-scratcher for the rest of the world… but Apple probably felt that was a better alternative than releasing the new set only in America, and having fans abroad paying expensive import prices.

Tomorrow, ICE will go into the making of this historic set, with comment from Capitol Records on what it took to bring these albums to the CD market. See you then!

 

Matt Hurwitz

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Postby lukpac » Wed Oct 20, 2004 9:36 pm

Part 2

http://www.icemagazine.com/daily/211/oct18.asp

Thank you for stopping in; it’s a new week, and this reporter feels much better, so thank you for your patience in waiting for our follow-up Beatles reporting.

Getting the Beatles’ American LPs on CD has long been on a wish list for both fans and Capitol Records. The Beatles’ The Capitol Albums, Vol. 1, as mentioned in our News Flash last Wednesday, arrives on November 16. The box-set package will contain Meet the Beatles!, The Beatles’ Second Album, Something New and Beatles ’65, each one presented in both mono and stereo.

The ball got rolling in earnest in Spring 2003, as Capitol began considering ideas to mark the 40th anniversary of the Beatles’ arrival in American in February 1964. The rough plan was to, perhaps, release a pair of box sets, the first containing the 1964 albums, the second the 1965 and/or other albums unique to the U.S. As late as June of this year, the Vol. 1 set included The Early Beatles, released by Capitol in March 1965, which contained most of the group’s first LP, Please Please Me. By the time mastering work began in August, however, Capitol had wisely changed course, substituting Beatles ’65, which was released in December 1964.

The sound of the U.S. albums differed from those of their UK counterparts. "Some of the recordings on the American albums were given more echo than the British versions, to ‘Americanize’ their sound," notes Capitol Records president Andy Slater in a press release, who was key in getting the project approved by The Beatles’ Apple Corps. Original Capitol A & R executive Dave Dexter, Jr., who compiled the LPs, ordered reverb plastered over a number of the albums’ tracks, most often on those which had been hit singles. Those mixes, again, while surprising to modern fans, are the way American Beatles fans of the 1960s through the ’80s remember the tracks.

As mentioned in Wednesday’s News Flash, the U.S. albums often included concurrent hit singles, most of which had not yet been treated to stereo mixes by producer George Martin in England. Singles in the early 1960s were not yet released in stereo, so production of such mixes often were left for a later time (sometimes years later), when a compilation album would require that a stereo mix be available.

But for 1964, when compiling a stereo Beatles album, Dexter ordered Capitol’s "Duophonic" mixes to be created for such tracks. "For those songs, they only had mono versions, and they needed to get it out quick, so they used the pseudo-stereo process of the day," Rob Christie, A & R Manager for EMI-Capitol’s Catalog group, tells ICE via telephone from England. A Duophonic mix was created by splitting the mono signal into two signals, one slightly out of sync with the other. One channel was then filtered to remove high frequencies, the other filtered to remove low frequencies. The result is a "stereo" image with lower-frequency sounds (like kick drum or bass) tending to be heard, say, more out of the left speaker, while higher-frequency sounds (like cymbals, guitars, vocals) are heard more out of the other speaker. "Some of them, like ‘She Loves You,’ are actually quite effective," notes Christie.

For the new CDs, the original mono and stereo master tapes for the albums were brought to New York’s Sterling Sound, where they were mastered for CD by engineer Ted Jensen in mid-August. "The tape boxes had the original EQ [equalization] notes from the original Capitol engineers," notes Christie. "The most outstanding thing about them is that they were cut very ‘hot,’ and, as such, were also compressed. So there’s some slight distortion in spots throughout each of the albums, which is also how they were heard by American fans on the original LPs. They had also adjusted EQ to, typically, cut —2 dB [decibels] from the high end, and boost the low end by +2 dB."

Capitol avoided the sticky subject of complete remastering. "There was no audio restoration done here, in terms of de-noising or de-hissing types of treatment," says Christie. "We’ve simply brought them to the level where they can compete with today’s CD products," using some EQ adjustments and repairing analog tape warbling, where it appeared. And while fans are hoping for a complete remastering of The Beatles’ catalog sometime in the future, Capitol is leaving that in the hands of Apple to address at its discretion.

® Tomorrow: An album-by-album rundown. Be sure to stop by!

 

Cheers,

Matt Hurwitz


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Postby lukpac » Wed Oct 20, 2004 9:38 pm

Part 3. Note they get the stereo mixes of Long Tall Sally mixed up (it's the US mix with the vocals to the side, not the other way around).

http://www.icemagazine.com/daily/211/index.asp

Welcome back to the third, final and longest installment covering Capitol’s planned November 16 Beatles box set. The Beatles — The Capitol Albums, Vol. 1 contains all of the group’s albums released by the label in 1964, with the exception of The Beatles Story, a two-disc documentary set released in November 1964. That album was briefly considered for inclusion in the new collection, but rejected in favor of albums containing purely music.

Each disc of the new box set contains the original Capitol stereo LP, followed by the exact same program in mono, an element which almost didn’t happen. Capitol would have had to pay a double-publishing rate (since each song is represented twice, once in mono, once in stereo), but a creative publishing arrangement was made, allowing the label to compile the set in a manner affordable for all.

Meet the Beatles, released in January ’64, was the way most American fans were introduced to The Fabs on LP. The album is based mostly on the group’s second UK LP, With the Beatles, released two months earlier, containing nine of that album’s 14 tracks. Also included is the Fabs’ first U.S. smash single, "I Want to Hold Your Hand," along with both its UK and U.S. B-sides, "This Boy" and "I Saw Her Standing There," respectively. The latter represents the only track from the boys’ first UK album, Please Please Me, to be released by Capitol, until it acquired the rights to that disc in Spring 1965, at which time it released most of that collection as The Early Beatles.

The mono mixes, with the exception of being originally mastered at a higher audio level and compressed (as described in yesterday’s News Flash), are essentially identical to those available on the current With the Beatles CD. Interestingly, for this album, they were created using a "2-to-1" mix (the only one of the four albums to have done so), a simple combining of the left and right stereo channels into a single track. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "This Boy," having not yet received stereo mixes at Abbey Road, are presented in Capitol’s "Duophonic" pseudo-stereo process (also see yesterday’s News Flash). "I Saw Her Standing There" and the remaining tracks are presented in stereo for the first time on CD ("All My Loving" was actually released in stereo in 1993, in remixed form, on The Beatles 1962-1966 CD reissue).

For The Beatles’ Second Album, released in April 1964, original Capitol A&R executive Dave Dexter, Jr. gathered together the remaining five tracks from With the Beatles, as well as a few miscellaneous singles and other tracks. "Thank You Girl" was the B-side to the Beatles’ second No. 1 UK single, "From Me to You" in 1963, released that year by Vee-Jay in the States with little notice until its reissue by the label in early 1964. "Long Tall Sally" and "I Call Your Name" were recorded during the sessions for A Hard Day’s Night, and not released in the UK until June 1964 on the "Long Tall Sally" seven-inch EP. "She Loves You" and "I’ll Get You" represented the A- and B-sides of the Fabs’ third UK No. 1, released in the States in September 1963 on the diminutive Swan label, who, like Vee-Jay, reissued their disc to strong success in early 1964. "You Can’t Do That" was the B-side to Capitol’s "Can’t Buy Me Love" single, released a month prior to Second Album.

The American release of this collection has large amounts of reverb applied to several tracks, notably "Roll Over Beethoven," "Please Mr. Postman" and "Money." While the majority of the mono mixes mimic those of the current UK releases, "Money" features a different piano intro than its UK counterpart. Likewise, the mono "I Call Your Name" contains a different guitar intro than the stereo version. And while a stereo mix of that song and "Long Tall Sally" are currently available in stereo on Past Masters, Vol. 1, they differ slightly from those heard on this disc. "This is actually the first time we see a Beatles stereo mix with vocals in the center," EMI-Capitol Catalog A & R Manager Rob Christie tells ICE. The two were the first representatives of the group’s 4-track recordings to be released in stereo in the U.S. at the time.

"You Can’t Do That," "She Loves You" and "I’ll Get You" are presented in stereo as Duophonic mixes, all with additional reverb also added.

Something New, released in July 1964, represented Capitol’s answer to the United Artists soundtrack LP to A Hard Day’s Night, featuring all but the title track and "I Should Have Known Better." It also contains four of the six tracks from Side 2 of the UK AHDN LP — "You Can’t Do That" already having appeared on Second Album and "I’ll Be Back" being held for release on Beatles ’65. Also appearing are the remaining two tracks from the UK "Long Tall Sally" EP — "Slow Down" and "Matchbox." The set closes with "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand," the German-language version of "I Want to Hold Your Hand," released in Germany in March 1964.

"Slow Down" and "Matchbox" have been previously released on CD on Past Masters, Vol. 1, while "And I Love Her" appeared in stereo on CD on The Beatles 1962-1966. This disc represents the first stereo release of "Komm" on CD. Curiously, while recorded on 4-track, it features a typical 2-track mix, with vocals panned hard right. All other stereo mixes on the album feature true stereo spreads, with vocals in the center and instruments creatively spread.

Beatles ’65, released in December 1964, features a good part of the concurrently-released UK album, Beatles for Sale. Missing are "Kansas City," "Eight Days a Week," "Words of Love," "I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party" and "What You’re Doing," all held over ’til the following year’s release of Capitol’s Beatles VI. Added were the two sides of the concurrent single, "I Feel Fine" and "She’s a Woman."

While the mono mixes resemble those on the current Beatles for Sale disc, the stereo mixes, like on Something New, represent fine stereo creations of the day from George Martin. "I Feel Fine" and "She’s a Woman," again, having not yet received stereo mixes at the time, were presented in Duophonic, splashed with an astonishing — and, some might say, effective — amount of reverb.

Many historians have noted that Capitol’s Dave Dexter compiled intriguing track lists and running orders that stand on their own as well-compiled albums, despite their common characterization as ‘bastardizations.’ Now that they’re becoming officially available CDs, the world will have its chance to weigh in and vote.

--Matt Hurwitz

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"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD

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Postby Beatlesfan03 » Wed Oct 20, 2004 10:19 pm

lukpac wrote:Note there's no NR, but I don't like the line about making them "compete" with current CDs.


Hey, you gotta love that "Sterling" sound! :D

My question is this: perhaps I'm not reading these articles thoroughly, but there appears to be absolutely no mention of Apple's involvement in this box set. Apple would still need to give the OK for Capitol to proceed with this, correct?

On the other hand, I could see Apple on the sidelines since the tapes were outsourced and not done in house. I guess I would just find it rather hard to believe that Capitol would have complete control over this set.

I don't like that quote either about the sound, but I guess I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
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Postby lukpac » Wed Oct 20, 2004 10:27 pm

It would seem Apple let Capitol do what they wanted. I have no idea *why*, but...

Another article, this by Bruce Spizer himself. Nice to know that apparently only a few of the stereo tracks will have the added echo. Bolding mine. Note that the "mono from stereo" comments on Meet The Beatles aren't totally true. The editing on the (true) mono and stereo mixes of Hold Me Tight is slightly different, for example.

New Beatles Capitol box set misunderstood by critics

WHAT GOES ON EXCLUSIVE
By Bruce Spizer

Capitol records recently announced the November 16, 2004, release of its first four Beatles albums on compact disc in a limited edition box set. The Capitol Albums, Vol. 1 includes the four Beatles albums issued by the company in 1964: Meet The Beatles!, The Beatles’ Second Album, Something New and Beatles ’65. These were the albums that Americans grew up with not only in the sixties, but also in the seventies and eighties when these landmark albums continued to sell as catalog items introducing the Beatles to second and third generation fans. Although these albums exposed millions of Americans to the Beatles, they are sometimes criticized for not being what the Beatles intended. Beatles historians and fans have passionate feelings about these albums. Recent commentaries and postings on the internet by Beatles fans and scholars not only demonstrate the strong opinions held regarding these albums, but also show that these albums are misunderstood.

Those condemning the Capitol albums often claim that the company remixed the songs, added echo and issued everything in Duophonic fake stereo. That is simply not true. While some songs were altered, most were not. As detailed below, 38 of the 45 songs appearing on the first four Capitol albums are true stereo mixes prepared by George Martin. While the 8 stereo songs appearing on The Beatles’ Second Album have added echo, the others do not. The important thing to know is that The Capitol Albums, Vol. 1 marks the stereo debut on CD of 32 Beatles songs. Hearing George Martin’s stereo mixes of songs such as And I Love Her, If I Fell, Things We Said Today, No Reply and I’ll Follow The Sun on CD will certainly be a treat.

Some people have unfairly accused Capitol of greed when discussing the box set. Each of the four albums is presented in both mono and stereo, a decision that was made to please fans even thought it increased the royalties and cut significantly into Capitol’s profits. That doesn’t sound like greed to me. It sounds more like the Beatles practice of giving fans good value for their money. (As of this date, none of the Beatles British albums have been released in both mono and stereo versions on CD.)

Most of the negative comments regarding the Capitol albums are general statements criticizing the running order of the songs and the horrendous mixes. When each album is carefully examined, it becomes clear that these albums are neither travesties nor sonic disasters.

Meet The Beatles! features the same striking Robert Freeman cover photo as the British LP With The Beatles. However, for financial and marketing reasons, Capitol made alterations to disc’s lineup. In order to save on song publishing royalties, the company limited its LP to the American standard of 12 songs rather than the British standard of 14. (In the U.K., publishing royalties are calculated on a per disc basis where each publisher shares pro-rata in the royalties paid on album sales. Thus, there is no additional cost to the record company for having extra songs. In the U.S., royalties are calculated on a per song basis. Each extra song costs the record company money. That is why the U.S. standard was a lesser number of songs.)

While Brian Epstein and producer George Martin believed that singles should not be placed on albums because it forced consumers to buy the same songs twice, Capitol believed that hit singles made hit albums. Thus, Capitol opened its first Beatles album with both sides of its Beatles single, I Want To Hold Your Hand and I Saw Her Standing There, followed by the British B side This Boy. The remaining tracks selected by Capitol were the British album’s seven Lennon-McCartney originals, George Harrison’s Don’t Bother Me and the Broadway show tune Till There Was You, a song even mom and dad could appreciate. By choosing original compositions and dropping five cover versions of songs originally recorded by American artists, Capitol could exploit the song writing talents of the group. In sequencing the songs from With The Beatles, Capitol followed the running order chosen by George Martin, except, of course, for the tracks dropped from the lineup.

Meet The Beatles! was the perfect album to introduce the group to America. Capitol’s marketing strategy of placing the hit single I Want To Hold Your Hand on the album paid off. In two months time, Meet The Beatles! sold over 3.6 million copies--ten times more than even Capitol’s most optimistic sales forecasts. The album went on to sell over 5 million copies.

It should be noted that in the early sixties, teen albums rarely sold in excess of a few hundred thousand copies. Capitol’s success with its reconfigured Beatles albums containing hit singles changed that. Record companies soon realized that well-crafted rock albums could be big sellers. A few years later, thanks to the Beatles and Capitol, the album replaced the single as the dominant pop and rock  music format.

The Beatles’ Second Album is admittedly a pieces-parts album, containing the five leftover songs from With The Beatles (Roll Over Beethoven, You Really Got A Hold On Me, Devil In Her Heart, Money and Please Mister Postman), three B sides (Thank You Girl, You Can’t Do That and I’ll Get You), two freshly recorded songs that would later end up on the British Long Tall Sally EP (Long Tall Sally and I Call Your Name) and the hit single She Loves You. That said, it is an amazingly effective album full of great rock ’n’ roll songs such as Roll Over Beethoven, Long Tall Sally, Money and Please Mister Postman anchored by the hit single She Loves You. It was number one on the Billboard Top LP’s chart for five weeks and had certified sales of over two million units.

Something New is arguably the weakest album of the bunch. Capitol was faced with a dilemma brought on by United Artists’ film contract with The Beatles that covered A Hard Day’s Night. UA had the exclusive right to issue a soundtrack album in America, so Capitol had to come up with something new to compete with the soundtrack LP. Capitol’s album mixed songs appearing on the UA disc (I’ll Cry Instead, Tell Me Why, And I Love Her, I’m Happy Just To Dance With You and If I Fell) with a few songs from The Beatles latest British album (Things We Said Today, Any Time At All and When I Get Home), the two remaining rockers from the Long Tall Sally EP (Slow Down and Matchbox) and a version of I Want To Hold Your Hand sung in German titled Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand. Although Something New was unable to knock the UA soundtrack album from the number one position, the Capitol album stayed at number two for nine weeks and sold over two million copies.

Beatles ’65 featured eight songs from the group’s latest British LP, Beatles For Sale (namely No Reply, I’m A Loser, Baby’s In Black, Rock And Roll Music, I’ll Follow The Sun, Mr. Moonlight, Honey Don’t and Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby), and both sides of their latest single, I Feel Fine and She’s A Woman, plus I’ll Be Back, which was on the British A Hard Day’s Night LP but had yet to appear in America. Capitol did not completely deviate from the running order of the songs on Beatles For Sale, with side one bearing a strong resemblance to the British disc. So much so that the album can be described as Beatles For Sale, Part 1. The disc held down the number one spot on the Billboard Top LP’s chart for nine straight weeks and sold over three million units.

As for Capitol’s alleged remixing of the songs, here are the facts. EMI did not send Capitol original two-track or four-track master tapes, so Capitol could not have "horrifically remixed" the stereo songs even if Capitol had wanted to. Capitol used the same stereo mixes for its albums as those sent to Capitol by George Martin. In a few instances, the U.S. mixes sent by Martin differed from those that ended up on the Parlophone albums. Sometimes this was intentional on Martin’s part. Other times it was a case of Capitol getting an earlier mix that was later improved upon.

On the first two albums, the stereo mixes have the instruments on one channel and the vocals on the other. This was not done by Capitol. This is a result of how the songs were recorded. George Martin recorded those songs on a two-track recorder. To ensure he could get a proper mono mix that had the vocals at the proper level, he recorded the instruments on one track and the vocals on the other. So if you don’t like the stereo mixes on the first two albums, don’t blame Capitol. The company used what it was sent. The stereo mixes on Meet The Beatles! are exactly the same as those appearing on the stereo verison of With The Beatles.

For the stereo version of  The Beatles’ Second Album, Capitol did add echo to the stereo masters. The box to the stereo master tape for the Capitol album indicates that the songs were dubbed with E/Q and limiter plus echo. This explains why the songs on the stereo album have significantly more echo than those on the mono album or the British version of the songs. This is particularly noticeable on the cover songs, such as Roll Over Beethoven and Please Mister Postman.

The stereo mixes found on the Capitol albums Something New and Beatles ’65 use stereo mixes sent by George Martin. With a few exceptions, they are the same as the stereo mixes on the British LPs A Hard Day’s Night and Beatles For Sale. Except for the songs I Feel Fine and She’s A Woman, Capitol did not add echo to the masters tapes of those U.S. albums.

Three of the Capitol stereo albums contain a few duophonic fake stereo mixes. This was in keeping with the practice at the time that every song on a stereo album should either be a true stereo mix or a simulated fake stereo mix. Engineers took a mono recording and placed it on two tracks, with the bass being boosted on one track and the treble being tweaked on the other. Sometimes the two tracks were slightly out of phase to add to the illusion. Capitol was not alone in this practice. All record companies did it, including George Martin’s Parlophone label. The stereo version of the Please Please Me LP has simulated stereo mixes of Love Me Do and P.S. I Love You.

While some critics give the impression that all of the four Capitol stereo albums are full of duophonic echo-drenched mixes, this is clearly not the case. Capitol only made duophonic mixes for the seven songs that had no stereo masters at the time the albums were compiled. Most of these songs, especially I Want To Hold Your Hand, She Loves You and I’ll Get You, are effective simulated stereo mixes. However, the duophonic mixes for I Feel Fine and She’s A Woman are truly horrendous.

For the songs taken from With The Beatles that appear on the mono versions of Meet The Beatles! and The Beatles’ Second Album, Capitol created its own mono mixes by reducing the stereo master in a 2-to-1 mix-down. As the stereo master for the album was nothing more than a balanced copy of  the original two-track master tape, Capitol’s engineer merely duplicated what George Martin had done in mixing the mono master. Why Capitol did this is not entirely clear. It is possible that Capitol did not initially have the mono master tape for the album, but that seems unlikely. A Capitol engineer who has been with the company since the fifties told me that 2-to-1 mix-downs of stereo masters were sometimes made under the belief that this gave the mono songs a fuller sound.

Those who rightfully point out that the Beatles had no part in compiling the Capitol albums often downplay or ignore the involvement of George Martin and Brian Epstein. While George Martin did not program the Capitol albums and did not approve of the practice, he and Brian Epstein were fully aware that Capitol was reconfiguring Beatles albums specifically for the American market and understood Capitol’s reasons for doing so. They cooperated with Capitol’s plans by supplying the label with songs to place on the American albums. When Capitol needed a few more songs to round out The Beatles’ Second Album, George Martin, with Brian’s approval, sent the company Long Tall Sally and I Call Your Name. For Beatles VI, George Martin sent Capitol four new songs, namely You Like Me Too Much, Tell Me What You See, Bad Boy and Dizzy Miss Lizzie. The latter two songs were recorded specifically for Capitol. Dizzy Miss Lizzie ended up on the British Help! LP because the group needed an extra song. Bad Boy was slapped on a British greatest hits collection. When Capitol was compiling its Yesterday...And Toady album, George Martin sent the company three songs from the upcoming Revolver album.

By the time the Beatles submitted Sgt. Pepper to Capitol, the practice of reconfiguring albums had stopped. Capitol knew the Beatles had recorded a brilliant album that needed to be left intact. Capitol’s engineers did, however, deviate slightly from the British album by not adding the high pitch whistle or the inner groove gibberish attached to the end of the British albums. Thus, the end-of-the-world feeling one gets from the final sustained chord of A Day In The Life is not disturbed the extras tacked onto the British LPs.

For Magical Mystery Tour, Capitol ripped off fans by converting the convenient double EP set into an album by padding the record with filler such as Strawberry Fields Forever, Penny Lane, Hello Goodbye and All You Need Is Love. (Tongue firmly in cheek for the last sentence.) Nine years after the release of Capitol’s Magical Mystery Tour LP, Parlophone issued the same album, even using the same Capitol master tapes, which included duophonic mixes of three of the songs! (When the album was issued on CD, true stereo mixes were used for all of the songs.)

It has often been said that Capitol butchered the Beatles carefully crafted records. Some Beatles authors and fans have speculated that the infamous butcher cover was created for Capitol’s Yesterday...And Today LP as a not-to-subtle dig at Capitol for butchering the group’s albums. While this makes a good story, it is simply not true. The butcher photos were conceived by photographer Bob Whitaker as part of a bizarre series of images titled "A Somnambulant Adventure." John chose the butcher photo for the cover as a subtle protest against the Vietnam War. After the recall of the cover he stated, "It’s as relevant as Vietnam. If the public can accept something as cruel as the war, they can accept this cover." Capitol made changes to the Beatles albums to help sell the albums in America. The company’s strategy of placing hit singles on the albums clearly contributed to the huge sales generated in America. Capitol did not butcher the Beatles; Capitol marketed the Beatles.

Some critics of these albums have gone so far as to say that Capitol’s recent decision to release the albums on CD is an act of greed committed under the guise of giving American baby-boomer fans "what they want." The only truth in such comments is that Capitol is giving Beatles fans "what they want." This is not a case of Capitol telling baby-boomers what they want. It is a case of baby-boomers telling Capitol what they want and Capitol responding accordingly. Anyone who checks out Beatles-related posts on the internet or reads Beatles magazines such as Beatlefan and Beatlology knows that fans have been clamoring for these albums on CD for over 15 years. We grew up with and loved these albums. We are grateful they are finally being released on CD. It is unfair to criticize a record company for appropriately responding to fan requests.

It is also unfair for people to criticize what the CDs will sound like without first hearing the CDs. Although I have yet to hear the final approved versions of the CDs as of this time, I am willing to bet a box of Krispy Kreme donuts that even the most vocal critics of the Capitol albums will enjoy hearing the George Martin stereo mixes of And I Love Her, If I Fell, Things We Said Today, No Reply and I’ll Follow The Sun on CD for the first time.

For those that believe the release of the Capitol albums on CD is an insult to the efforts of the Beatles, GeorgeMartin and Brian Epstein, I strongly disagree. While I understand the merits of standardizing the Beatles catalog throughout the world and presenting the albums as the Beatles intended, the issuance of the American albums in a limited edition box set does not compromise either. By restricting the U.S. albums to box sets, consumers will not be confused by seeing With The Beatles on sale next to Meet The Beatles! or finding two different versions of Rubber Soul in the CD bins in music stores. I think Capitol and Apple came up with a great compromise by maintaining the U.K. catalog as the standard and releasing the U.S. albums in a limited format for those who want to hear what Americans heard in the sixties, seventies and eighties. After all, America was and still is the Beatles biggest market. The Beatles legacy is not harmed by the release The Capitol Albums, Vol. 1. To the contrary, an important part of the Beatles legacy has now been preserved.

BRUCE SPIZER is a first generation Beatles fan and well-known Beatles author/historian. He is considered the leading expert on the group’s North American record releases. He has an extensive Beatles collection, concentrating primarily on American and Canadian first issue records, record promotional items, press kits and posters. A "taxman" by day, Spizer is a board certified tax attorney and certified public accountant. A "paperback writer" by night, he is the author of the critically acclaimed books The Beatles Records on Vee-Jay, The Beatles’ Story on Capitol Records, Parts One and Two, The Beatles on Apple Records and The Beatles Are Coming! The Birth of Beatlemania in America. His articles have appeared in Beatlology Magazine, Beatlefan, Day Trippin’, Goldmine and American History. He maintains the popular Beatles collectors internet site www.beatle.net.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Although Mr. Spizer has been serving as a consultant to Capitol Records for the CD release of the Capitol albums, the views expressed in his commentary are his own and are not influenced by his involvement in the project. Those familiar with his books "The Beatles' Story on Capitol Records" and "The Beatles Are Coming! The Birth of Beatlemania in America" will notice that he has consistently held a fondness for the Beatles albums issued in America.]

Published October 20, 2004
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD

stinsojd
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2003 11:58 pm
Location: Nashville, TN

Postby stinsojd » Thu Oct 21, 2004 9:52 am

Luke,

Thank you so much for compiling these links - especially the Spizer info. I completely agree with Spizer's arguments that Capitol *marketed* - not butchered - the Beatles catalog. This past summer, I just made needle-drops of the American albums so I haven't been that excited over this new box. However, after reading Spizer's commentary, I think I might end up taking the plunge.

I'm trying to keep an open mind regarding what Jensen's involvement might do for the sound, but I do hope the original album artwork is replicated. To me, that box is WAY uglier than the Let It Be Naked cover.

Jamie

Dob
Posts: 903
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2004 2:14 pm
Location: Detroit

Postby Dob » Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:13 am

lukpac wrote:The stereo mixes on Meet The Beatles! are exactly the same as those appearing on the stereo verison of With The Beatles.

Apparently some folks vehemently disagree.
Dob

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"Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance" -- HL Mencken