*UPDATED* Message from Allan Rouse @ Abbey Road BEATLES CD's (SEE POST 84)*

Unfortunately if he sends a message to Ringo, it'll get tossed.

 

gee...why?

i can try with a little help from my friend.

 

Hi Allan,

Thanks for the response about the remasters. Could you please take time to explain why the inside of the earlier stereo master tape boxes (pictured on the MFSL box set LP sleeves) are clearly marked "Equalised Compressed Tape" (see attachment)?

I am assuming based upon your quote above that this was "the" master and that there was not another tape (or individual song tapes) that did not have equalization and compression that this was copied from. The reason I ask, IIRC, is that it is often quoted that the German pressing of "Die Beatles" was from an earlier generation tape than the Please Please Me Eq'd and Compressed master.

 

The original stereo mixes ARE being released, but only in the mono box set along with the mono releases. They will not be available separately unfortunately.

 

Hi and special thanks Allan. To all members, I was never arguing with Allan or not believing what he said. I was told by a former EMI employee that Sgt. Pepper was missing in the summer of 1986. I had no reason to believe this wasn't so. However, I trust Allan's word and believe him when he says Mike Jarratt transferred both Pepper and Let It Be from the original, 1/4" masters. What's wonderful is that Allan has been so open and has taken the time to reply to all of us on Hoffman. Many, many thanks. Ron

 

Good luck finding the original stereo mixes on the mono box. The mono box is "limited production" with most online retailers stating their allotment has been exhausted weeks before the street release date (like Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Best Buy etc). The few retailers with mono box set supply have inflated the mono box pricing far beyond the manufacturer's suggested retail price to a whopping $399 USD, like Elusive Disc:

http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=EMICDB99451

 

Just a little note to all. My source for the safety copy of Pepper and Let It Be being used in 1987 was not based on idle rumour or gossip, but rather from a former EMI employee. As we found out when Geoff Emerick's book came out, mistakes, omissions and errors happen and sometimes OTHERS who were there as well, could correct these errors or mistakes. I'm pleased that Allan has set the record straight, but please don't think my thoughts were speculative; they most certainly were not. Ron

 

FWIW, as late as Revolver the tapes were being labeled with "EQ + Limited" or similar. I'm not sure why they felt the need to indicate that, but it was simply part of the mixdown process.

 

photo of our new heroes/saviours

Pictured, from left in Abbey Road Studio 2: Guy Massey, Simon Gibson, Sean Magee, Sam Okell, Steve Rooke,
Paul Hicks and Allan Rouse. (Photo © Richard Skidmore 2009)

 

I think these original stereo mixes should BE the stereo releases for these LP's, or at least on the same CD as the 87 stereo remixes. I won't speculate as to why they put them in the mono box.

I ordered both boxes when sellers began taking preorders. But I ordered the mono set soley because of the mono mixes, these two other mixes were kind of a really neat bonus. The blurb about the stereo mixes in the mono box set was there, but if you didn't read the full description it could have easily been missed.

The resellers announced these mono boxes were a limited release. I expected them to be so because the Mono LP Red Box was an extremely limited release as well. I expected them to sell out fairly fast too. I am dissappointed that the first release is already being sold at such a premium if one did not preorder one.

If these remasters sound as good as described, I just hope the upcoming LP releases will be for both box sets as well.

 

Why aren't they wearing white lab coats and smoking pipes?! They look just like 'blokes'. Oh, my illusions of stiff-upper-bulldog-spirit-battleship-grey-delta
mono-overheated-valves-tweedy-Abbey Road boffins shattered forever.

 

Hearsay, but thanks anyway.

 

It's now $449.

 

Yikes!

 

Man I'm glad I never bought anything from them

 

I wanted to say thanks to Allan as well - it's nice to have stuff cleared up.

Did any of the remastering staff have to wear white lab coats?

 

Check The Beatles Official Site, mono is still offered

 

"millions" of Brazilians fans(me inside) are without hope to get mono and maybe stereo boxes too. .

too high taxes to import, round 100%..

 

Do a deal with a member here on SHTV, order the box via Amazon or similar and paypal that member the money and they can send it on by tracked delivery etc

 

No, it was not heresay. My source was in a position to know the facts at the time, but Allan's source says otherwise. Things like this happen in big studios. It's not a big deal and never was I trying to castigate the 1987 Pepper CD BECAUSE I was told it was safety copy. I thought it was common knowledge in Beatle circles and I'm pleased Allan set the record straight. Ron

 

Yeah, I know - I've mentioned that elsewhere. I also don't care, as I have pre-orders in place.

The "" was a reflection of Elusive Disc's greed, not my sadness that I wouldn't get a copy...

 

Interesting notes too.

 

Thanks, Allan.

 

I brought up the same point in a fairly recent Die Beatles thread. The box clearly states "LP Master" at the top and I was led to believe that it was an equalized and compressed copy from the final stereo mix for cutting purposes ie: a production master. It's been stated here for years that the German Die Beatles was cut from a tape copy without compression and equalization, so Mr Rouse if you are still following this thread, and as someone really in the know when it comes to EMI master tapes, we'd all be grateful for any further information on this particular topic.