Er...here it is. No revelations, but interesting nonetheless.
Goldmine/May 1983
BOTH SIDES NOW
THE STORY OF STEREO ROCK AND ROLL
The “Lost” Stereo Rolling Stones Hits
By Mike Callahan
Every once in a while I get really irritated at some stupid, lazy, or greedy thing done by a record company. I used to be bothered by record companies which recorded in stereo and then didn't release the songs in stereo, but over the years I've become resigned to the fact that if no stereo master exists, record companies aren't likely to spend the money to remaster for stereo. I don't agree with it, but that's just a fact of life. With the Rolling Stones' hits, I get more irritated as each day goes by. What possible reason could there be for sitting on fully mixed stereo versions of the Rolling Stones' big '60s hits for 17 years? What possible reason, could there be for giving record buyers inferior rechanneled stereo all this time when all they had to do was put the stereo on disc? Are we going to have to put up with this nonsense forever? Does anyone at British Decca or in the Rolling Stones organization even give a damn about the public they sell their records to?
Last year, while I was in New York, a friend took me to see someone who played me tapes of the stereo versions of "Heart Of Stone," "The Last Time," "Satisfaction," "Get Off My Cloud," "19th Nervous Breakdown," and "Have You Seen Your Mother Baby, Standing In The Shadow." As you might imagine, copying the songs was out of the question, but I was allowed to listen several times and make notes about the stereo versions. Although I had suspected for years that these songs were recorded in stereo, (indeed, "Heart Of Stone" showed up in stereo a couple of years ago), I was shocked to hear the evidence. Not only were these songs recorded in stereo, they sounded fantastic that way! What follows is a condensed version of my notes.
"Heart Of Stone." The mix here sounds very close to the stereo mix on the second pressing of the U.K. Big Hits LP (Decca TXS-101). The only difference I noticed with the tape version is that it fades about five to ten seconds later than the record. (Which record? Good question.) The U.S. 45 version, and the version on The Rolling Stones Now LP, fade out just as Jagger is singing, "You better drive on home ...... with the "home" barely audible. The version on Hot Rocks fades abruptly just after "you better ... " The stereo version on the U.K. Big Hits album fades slightly later than the U.S. 45, with the word "home" clearly audible. The tape version goes on several seconds longer than any of these, and Jagger can be heard singing " ... mmmm, no no no no... ' Actually, except for the ending, "Heart Of Stone" was the least interesting song on the tape, since it is already out in stereo.
"The Last Time." This stereo mix is essentially voice-instrument separation, except for the bridge. Guitar, bass, and drums start off on one track, with the voices coming in on the opposite track. The tracks are not totally separated, as there is a slight bleedthrough both ways. In the instrumental bridge the high lead guitar comes in isolated on the channel with the voices, providing a fine stereo effect of two guitars on opposite channels. The most surprising part of listening to this one, though, is provided by turning off the music channel and just listening to the voices. There's some mighty pleasing harmony there buried by everything else in the mono mix.
"Satisfaction." Wow! The stereo version of this one is a good example of why I like stereo: all kinds of things are going on in this song that are lost in mono. Ever notice a piano in the song? The stereo setup has the basic rhythm track, with bass, tambourine, drums, and rhythm guitar (fuzz electric) on one channel, Mick and the group in the middle, and an acoustic guitar and piano on the other side. The acoustic guitar and piano are probably a "fill" track designed to be mixed in at different volumes throughout the song. As it turned out, the basic rhythm track is mixed very loudly into the mono mix, with the "fill" track mixed so low as to be almost subliminal. But after hearing the acoustic guitar and piano, and knowing what to listen for, the track can definitely be heard in the final mono mix, piano and all. The acoustic guitar is playing rhythm chords throughout the verses and crashing stop-time chords in the choruses for an incredible overall effect. The piano is imitating the lead guitar on the famous riff throughout the song, and is not loud even in the stereo version.
Again, the stereo version on tape goes on for several seconds longer than the versions on record. On the record, Mick sings, "I can't get no, I can't get no ... ," and fades out in the middle of the second time. On the tape, Jagger completes the second time and goes down an octave for one last "I can't get no ... "
"Get Off My Cloud." Three things stand out in this one: the lead vocal, the lead guitar, and the bass during the chorus. The format is Jagger in the middle, with the rhythm track (bass, drums, rhythm guitar) on one side and the lead guitar, group, and handclaps on the other. Because the lead vocal is separated, it's much easier to hear what the words are (even heard clearly, though, it's not that easy to understand what's being sung). During the verses, the lead guitar playing the high riff over and over really stands out, since it is no longer obscured by the rhythm track. But during the chorus, where they sing, "hey, hey, you, you ...." a second bass (in the middle) blasts in, at least twice as loud as the bass on the rhythm track, giving the chorus some really heavy bottom end. This is the first obvious instrumental overdub in this set of songs, but the group got into it more in the next two songs
"19th Nervous Breakdown." There is little chance of figuring out what's really happening in this song unless one hears it in stereo. The mono version has always sounded kind of sloshy to me, with seemingly countless unidentifiable things going on. The stereo version is quite an experience. Mick is in the middle again here, with the rhythm track (bass, drums, rhythm guitar) on one side, and the lead guitar(s) and group on the other. The bass on one side and the high lead guitar on the other (complete with tremolo and reverb) pair off throughout most of the verses playing the basic alternating-note riff that runs through the song. In some of the bridge passages ("Ain't nothin' I do don't seem to work ... ") this high lead guitar smashes out some chops quickly cut off with the heel of the hand for a nice sound in stereo not immediately obvious in the mono version. But the real work of art in this recording is the second (overdubbed) lead guitar, which not only has tremolo and reverb, but a fuzz tone for that blaring sound during the choruses ("you better stop, and look around ... [blast] ... "). During the verses, this second lead provides some low reinforcement to the basic riff played by the bass and first lead, and is used to make the instruments get louder at various points in the song. And lastly, it is this second lead guitar that does the bassy gliss (a la "Pipeline") over and over near the end of the song. (Sorry, but the slide stays on one channel rather than moving across. Let's not get piggy, huh?)
Explaining the stereo version of this song just doesn't do it justice; it must be heard to be believed. It's really depressing to hear this, though, and know that it may never be on record.
"Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?" Whew! This one is hard to follow even in stereo. Everything seems to have reverb on it. The format is Jagger and the fuzz bass in the middle, along with the finger snaps. On one side are the drums, a fuzz guitar, and one set of horns; the opposite channel has another set of horns, the group, an electric and an acoustic guitar, and a piano. Just pure power-turn it up loud and blow your eardrums out, it's addictive. As a bonus, you can actually hear what Mick is singing, since his voice is not quite as lost in the echo as in the mono mix.
Will whoever has the rights to this stuff please get with it and release the stereo versions? We've been waiting almost 20 years; give us a break!