Yes, thank you this helps a lot, particularly as it is specific to the Seekers. Thank you. I do realize that all of the Seekers singles were released as mono tracks, even those handful that were on LPs released concurrently in stereo. But I'm sure you know that the Seekers huge catalog of compilation releases contain many and various attempts at "stereo" mixes of these mono singles. And of course the 2 mono albums being transformed to "stereo", plus the same treatment to the 1963 audition tapes. But that's mono to stereo, another topic. I am currently working with the All Bound For Morningtown 2009 compilation, as that has several of the non-LP mono singles also represented in stereo mixes. A couple are quite different, even different takes, so yes those are easy. There are also a couple of "new" stereo single tracks on this compilation, but I accept these as true stereo mixed from multi-tracks. I'll Never Find Another You remains mono only, in contrast to the dozens of past compilation releases both in the LP and CD eras. But this morning I did some A/B listening to Georgy Girl, which of course was released on stereo LP and concurrently on mono 7" single. I tried to listen quite carefully both to the tracks as is, and then after I folded down the stereo. If there are differences in this song, either they are subtle or I simply don't have the ears for this task. There is a difference of a few seconds on the end fade. Now, Georgy Girl isn't one I question at all, the way it was released it should and would have had both mixes specifically produced. I'm just trying to train my ears and develop a method for listening. I have recently found Judith Durham's 1968 Christmas LP, in the form of the 1969 UK mono release. As such this one would be suspect as a possible or even likely fold down, I think? I find no discussion on the web regarding this mono LP beyond the minimum to know that it exists. Hence, I may have to rely on what I hear. I also have my eye on the several UK Colombia Judith Durham singles of 1970-1971. These are (I presume) mono single releases of stereo album tracks. Perhaps these would be suspect as well, I really don't know. Thanks again!
I have UK and US mono LP versions of Moody Blues/Days Of Future Passed that sound very different from each other and well as very different from the stereo versions. Any one have any info or comments about this? Thanks!
Really interested in The Seekers discussion, I only discovered them around a year or so ago but am frankly bamboozled by their discography, the number of compilations and seemingly lack of easy to find original copies/reissues of the original albums. Any tips on how to collect the original mono mixes easily?
Love the Seekers. I am in very deep with the various CD sources, so perhaps I know enough to be helpful. 1) 1963 Audition Tape: These tracks are nice clean mono on the Seekers Complete set of 1995. Prior to that, they had been released only on the post-break-up 1969 LP Golden Collection - and that one is electronically channeled aka "fake" stereo in all the editions I have seen. I have a copy, and it is a "muddy" listen. 2) 1963 Introducing the Seekers: The 1963 Aus W&G LPs are I believe all nice mono, if you prefer vinyl. Once the Seekers hit it big in London, though, several fake stereo versions appeared in markets like the US, Canada and eventually UK and Aus. Now, if you want this on CD in mono, I have only found one source - the 2005 Vocalion CD (Europe). The couple of mentions of it online were unclear, but once I obtained it, listened, and analyzed it, I am convinced. Good clean mono and a very pleasant listen. Note that this album is only partially represented on the previously mentioned Seekers Complete, but those song titles that were also on the Audition Tape were not duplicated, and the other tracks were mastered from a vinyl source and frankly don't sound all that great. 3) 1964 The Seekers (2nd LP) & Hide and Seekers (3rd): These had simultaneous stereo and mono releases - And I think original vinyl remains the only source for the mono mix tracks. They are stereo on the boxes Complete Seekers and All Bound For Morningtown. 4) 1965 A World of Our Own: LP recorded for mono release, though quickly followed by Duophonic (fake) stereo in markets that demanded it - US and Canada. The best nice clean mono CD version I have found is on All Bound For Morningtown (2009). There is a standalone EMI CD release that is I believe explicitly labelled mono, but I do not have it. I don't recommend Seekers Complete for this album as the tracks do not analyze as clean mono and more importantly they do not sound great. 5) 1966-1967 Come the Day & Seen In Green: These also were released from the onset in dual formats. They were each subsequently released on CD with both mono and stereo full albums. I have the first one and it sounds very nice to me. 6) 1968 Live at the Talk of the Town: Released in both formats back in the day. I think for mono, the old vinyl remains the only source. Collected on the All Bound set, the tracks are all stereo mix. 7) The singles! This is where the compilations come in, obviously. And I don't think I have ever seen a group with so many compilation releases over the years, based on so small a number of songs! My favorites for nice clean mono which should be mono are the Collector Series CD (1992) and the more obvious Mono As, Bs, & EPs (2004). But if you are already owning or wanting the All Bound For Morningtown set, that one has most (or possibly all?) of the mono single mixes. I do hope this helps. And if you are wondering about a particular song, CD or track, I may have it to check for you.
Amazing, thank you. This is why we come to the Steve Hoffman Forum. The As, Bs and EPs collection is my current favourite source and a wonderful collection of songs. I just wish the original albums were easier to find / reissued again.
Agreed. If only a small fraction of the energy and resources that were put into this group's 50+ compilations had been instead focused on a little old fashioned vision, curation and documentation, we might all have a Seekers Mono Box of our own.
