In 1987 all of the Beatles albums were released on CD but fans were missing many of the tops songs that never made it to any of the albums. For example, Day Tripper, Hey Jude and Lady Madonna never made it to an album. So a double album Past Masters was conceived. This album would take all of the Beatles songs that were not on albums and add in some other singles not often heard by the public. The album was laid out in somewhat chronological order. The additional songs were some older singles made at the very beginning of the Beatles and a couple of songs in German from when the Beatles were in Germany.
This album quickly became an official part of the Beatles canon and when the new mono set was conceived, they decided to create Mono Masters since much of this material existed in both mono and stereo. Some of the latter songs on Past Masters were not mixed in mono so a few different songs were included on Mono Masters, mostly unreleased mono mixes of songs found on other albms.
My comparison will hit only the songs that are found in both versions and will take us through four postings.
Love Me Do is in Mono on both versions
From Me To You – Mono. Although the opening voices are centered, the rest of the vocals are out of the right which makes the mono a better version.
Thank You Girl – Mono. The instruments are much better on the stereo version, but the vocals out of the right makes the mono better.
She Loves You is in mono on both versions.
I’ll Get You is in mono on both versions.
I Want To Hold Your Hand – Stereo. The instruments just pop out at the start and there is more depth. Vocals in the center make this a better version.
This Boy – Mono. The guitars are better in stereo, but again, the vocals out of right, make the mono win.
Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand – Tie. The stereo has the vocals out of the right only, but the sound has much more depth in the stereo so I will call it a tie.
Sie Liebt Dich – Mono. There is depth in the mono here and the vocals out of the right on the stereo make the mono win by far.
Here are both versions of Sie Liebt Dich. You Choose!
Enjoy!
Mono
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip5TvEbRkO0]
Stereo
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ8zRAZNePo]