A Hard Day’s Night was the first album recorded on a four track tape recording system. This gave George Martin greater ability to make a stereo mix as well as add nuances to a mono mix. You will see in my notes below that I like more of the stereo songs here as they have learned not only to use the better technology but also they have all come to learn how each other plays, sings, works, etc.
With the four track recording, they were able to separate out different instruments and voices to create a fuller sound. They were also able to learn how to take four tracks, record them onto a single master and do the same three more times. The four masters could then be mixed together as four different tracks to simulate 16 track recordings. They also started putting the vocals in the center of a stereo recording rather than out of just one track (although they would still experiment with this in the future).
A Hard Day’s Night – Stereo wins. The vocals in the center coupled with the ability to hear some music that you cannot in the mono make the stereo version shine.
I Should Have Known Better – Stereo wins. John’s harmonica is so much clearer and cleaner in the stereo and the vocals again in the center push the stereo above the mono.
If I Fell – Mono wins. This song is mostly about the Beatles singing rather than playing instruments, and I find a little too much reverb in John’s opening on the stereo version. Ringo’s drums are perhaps cleaner in the stereo but overall I choose the mono.
I’m Happy Just To Dance With You – Stereo. Both recordings sound so similar, but I think of this like washing a dirty window. You can see everything through the windows, but when you clean it you suddenly can see so much more and here you can hear so much more in the stereo.
And I Love Her –Tie. The song is more vocals than instruments, and I find both mixes equal
Tell Me Why -Stereo. Again everything is a bit clearer in the stereo and I can hear each instrument distinctly.
Can’t Buy Me Love – Stereo. The stereo is far superior here. The one word I can use is depth. I feel like there is so much more depth in the stereo version and I can hear everything. The guitar solo in the middle of the song puts the stereo version on top all by itself
Any Time At All – Tie. Both mixes are great!
Here are the two versions of If I Fell plus the scene from the movie. You choose!
Enjoy!
Mono
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJyoRQ_KShc]
Stereo
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKO0RK_oOZI]
Movie
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot_AqGfTjjg]