Beatles "I Feel Fine"

[Ron]

Recommended versions anyone??

[lukpac]

Hrmm. No.

German vinyl, while good for so much, presents the song in fake stereo (although with a longer fadeout than any other version).

I'd probably go with the Past Masters CD version.

[Ron]

Re: Past Masters, would that release be the best overall for the hits on CD?

[lukpac]

Not really the "hits", but rather "non album tracks". A few tracks do sound better on the Red & Blue CDs, as well as the EP box.

[Xenu]

Yep. And, honestly, Past-Masters is psychotically well thought-out...I mean, things like the wildlife "Across the Universe" just feel like the sort of thing that get lost to the ages and only show up on bootleg...and yet.

I can only think of a few things that really should've made the radar (Single-vocal "And I Love Her," single version of "Help!," alternate "I'm Only Sleeping") that didn't.

FWIW, 1's "I Feel Fine" sounds almost hideously bizarre...dig the swishyness of the cymbals.

[Ed Bishop]

Well, 1 may have sold millions, but it's a bad remastering. How EMI allowed that kind of mastering work is beyond me, but it's been a trend for so long I don't think anybody there notices nor cares. PAST MASTERS or 1962-1966 for stereo, and the CD-3, singles or EP box for the UK mono. The perverse side of me wishes for the mono US mix, but that's expecting too much, though I'm sure someone has put it out on boot.

ED

[Xenu]

Well, I think it was rushed as a product...more so than the Stones discs, certainly. I don't even think they bothered retransferring most of the material (the Help/Soul era stuff is exactly the same, obviously)...consequently, the processing sounds worse than it would on newly-transferred stuff.

The mono US mix of what?

[jbohdan]

Recommended versions anyone??

A little late, as I just joined this forum yesterday.

Anyway here are my top 2:

1. The EP CD box: great sound and I love the mono mix with the great cymbal work by Ringo up front and centre where it belongs.

2. The Red Album, British pressing, for the whispering before the first note. I've always imagined it as John saying, "Going up" (as in an elevator) and then that big fat low A going up into the feedback.

[Mike R]

Recommended versions anyone??

A little late, as I just joined this forum yesterday.

Anyway here are my top 2:

1. The EP CD box: great sound and I love the mono mix with the great cymbal work by Ringo up front and centre where it belongs.

2. The Red Album, British pressing, for the whispering before the first note. I've always imagined it as John saying, "Going up" (as in an elevator) and then that big fat low A going up into the feedback.

I agree with the above suggestions. What I did with "I Feel Fine" and "She's A Woman" when I created an expanded 2 CD "Red" set earlier this year was rip both songs from Past Masters onto my computer. Then I opened the songs in Cool Edit Pro and added a wee bit of reverb/echo to them. The final product is the best of both worlds. For those North American purists that for some reason like the wet Dexterized versions of these songs, you're getting a bit of echo, yet a the same time I'm preserving the overall sound of the original U.K. stereo mixes. Even I who like the U.K. versions much better than the U.S. think they are bit dry.

[jbohdan]

Recommended versions anyone??

A little late, as I just joined this forum yesterday.

Anyway here are my top 2:

1. The EP CD box: great sound and I love the mono mix with the great cymbal work by Ringo up front and centre where it belongs.

2. The Red Album, British pressing, for the whispering before the first note. I've always imagined it as John saying, "Going up" (as in an elevator) and then that big fat low A going up into the feedback.

I agree with the above suggestions. What I did with "I Feel Fine" and "She's A Woman" when I created an expanded 2 CD "Red" set earlier this year was rip both songs from Past Masters onto my computer. Then I opened the songs in Cool Edit Pro and added a wee bit of reverb/echo to them. The final product is the best of both worlds. For those North American purists that for some reason like the wet Dexterized versions of these songs, you're getting a bit of echo, yet a the same time I'm preserving the overall sound of the original U.K. stereo mixes. Even I who like the U.K. versions much better than the U.S. think they are bit dry.

I don't know if I would do that being the Beatles UK purist that I am.
Have you heard the I Feel Fine mix on the German or Dutch Beatles' Greatest LP? It sounds like what you were going for.

John

[Mike R]

I don't know if I would do that being the Beatles UK purist that I am.
Have you heard the I Feel Fine mix on the German or Dutch Beatles' Greatest LP? It sounds like what you were going for.

John

Which albums John? I have I Feel Fine on the W German Beatles Greatest LP and EMI Electrola in W Germany fudged the mono IFF similar to what Dave Dexter Jr. did on the U.S. Beatles '65. Not as bad, maybe a bit more bass, but not to my liking. The version I created has just a wee bit of reverb, and it's in true stereo.

Here is I Feel Fine.
1. Dexterized from stereo Beatles 65 "Capitol Masters" CD.
2. Needle drop from blue Odeon Beatles Greatest.
3. Mike's tweaked stereo version with a hint of reverb.
4. Original stereo version.

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/reichard/Beatles-IFF-Dex-WG-Mike-stereo.mp3

Guess I'm biased. I prefer the version I tweaked. The original U.K. version is too dry.

[jbohdan]

I don't know if I would do that being the Beatles UK purist that I am.
Have you heard the I Feel Fine mix on the German or Dutch Beatles' Greatest LP? It sounds like what you were going for.

John

Which albums John? I have I Feel Fine on the W German Beatles Greatest LP and EMI Electrola in W Germany fudged the mono IFF similar to what Dave Dexter Jr. did on the U.S. Beatles '65. Not as bad, maybe a bit more bass, but not to my liking. The version I created has just a wee bit of reverb, and it's in true stereo.

Here is I Feel Fine.
1. Dexterized from stereo Beatles 65 "Capitol Masters" CD.
2. Needle drop from blue Odeon Beatles Greatest.
3. Mike's tweaked stereo version with a hint of reverb.
4. Original stereo version.

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/reichard/Beatles-IFF-Dex-WG-Mike-stereo.mp3

Guess I'm biased. I prefer the version I tweaked. The original U.K. version is too dry.

Your version is pretty cool, IMO, certainly better than the Dexterized and the Odeon. I had only listened to the Odeon once, since I just got the album (mainly for the high-hat intro to All My Loving). Your version is an interesting alternative to the UK and pretty close to it. I like the way you've preserved the toughness in the lead vocal. The first 2 versions wash it away in echo. The reverb in the guitar sound is good. Overall, nice job although I don't know if I prefer it to the original

[Ron]

I don't know if I would do that being the Beatles UK purist that I am.
Have you heard the I Feel Fine mix on the German or Dutch Beatles' Greatest LP? It sounds like what you were going for.

John

Which albums John? I have I Feel Fine on the W German Beatles Greatest LP and EMI Electrola in W Germany fudged the mono IFF similar to what Dave Dexter Jr. did on the U.S. Beatles '65. Not as bad, maybe a bit more bass, but not to my liking. The version I created has just a wee bit of reverb, and it's in true stereo.

Here is I Feel Fine.
1. Dexterized from stereo Beatles 65 "Capitol Masters" CD.
2. Needle drop from blue Odeon Beatles Greatest.
3. Mike's tweaked stereo version with a hint of reverb.
4. Original stereo version.

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/reichard/Beatles-IFF-Dex-WG-Mike-stereo.mp3

Guess I'm biased. I prefer the version I tweaked. The original U.K. version is too dry.

Just thought I'd chime in. I really *don't* like the Odeon. Mike, your tweeked original really may be the best. Though having grown up with the Dexter version, I probably would've added a little more reverb [and probably have ruined it!]. Thanks for comparison.

[lukpac]

The Odeon version of IFF is really only good for the longer fade out.

Of course, those Odeon LPs are great for some other songs, but...