Vinyl Me Please Classics

Yeah I mean they are claiming this is AAA so there’s obviously a mono tape of it. I’m assuming it’s a dedicated mix or at least a good sounding fold if nothing else. I’m not familiar with the album that much and don’t know where the instruments are placed in the mix. It might make more sense to fold the stereo mix down if the bass and drums are on one side and Donny singing on the other. Maybe it’s a more cohesive mix than the stereo?
 
I'm sure it will sound great too. I simply question the purpose. By this time, a mono pressing was simply for radio. It wasn't even commercially pressed. Clearly the artist intended stereo, and likely didn't even have knowledge of any mono version. So why do it? Just to differentiate from the excellent Speakers Corner pressing? If anyone doesn't have this great album, I suggest they go for that one first, in stereo.

There is lots of misinformation about fold-downs to mono online, mostly from a dubious forum.

Because it is a fold doesn't mean it isn't a dedicated mix. RVG, for example, could only do folds from a stereo two track. No other way to get to mono. But that doesn't mean he didn't play with that mono fold, to make it punchier on the bottom particularly. The BN monos are folds, by necessity, but do not sound the same as the stereo - which is why many prefer them. The same is true for many other 60's recordings.

But by the time Everything Is Everything came out, there really was no purpose to going mono.
 
RHANDMJ said:
I'm sure it will sound great too. I simply question the purpose. By this time, a mono pressing was simply for radio. It wasn't even commercially pressed. Clearly the artist intended stereo, and likely didn't even have knowledge of any mono version. So why do it? Just to differentiate from the excellent Speakers Corner pressing? If anyone doesn't have this great album, I suggest they go for that one first, in stereo.

There is lots of misinformation about fold-downs to mono online, mostly from a dubious forum.

Because it is a fold doesn't mean it isn't a dedicated mix. RVG, for example, could only do folds from a stereo two track. No other way to get to mono. But that doesn't mean he didn't play with that mono fold, to make it punchier on the bottom particularly. The BN monos are folds, by necessity, but do not sound the same as the stereo - which is why many prefer them. The same is true for many other 60's recordings.

But by the time Everything Is Everything came out, there really was no purpose to going mono.
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Any idea where it can be had? Google wasn't helpful, only saw it offered on European sites and sold out at that.
 
So I reached out to Storf about whether this Mono Mix is a fold down of the stereo, or it's own mix, and here is his response:

"As far as I know, it’s dedicated mix, as there was one mono pressing in 1970 and we typically take tapes as they are; we’re not paying for a fold one and labels generally aren’t at this point either.

But I can’t 100% confirm this till next week sometime because the music business is closed till Monday, lol. Our production guy said this sounds unreal, like the piano was in the room. So take that for what it’s worth I guess."

My comment:
While I can appreciate everyone's trepidations, I'm also willing to give VMP the benefit of the doubt on the sound quality of the mix. I have a couple of the Ryan Smith Mono Miles Davis mixes, including KoB, and they are awesome. And while pricing, pressing quality, quality control, and graphic design decisions are sometimes questionable with VMP, I can't think of a mix that I've gotten that was bad. Your ears may vary.
 
TCell said:
So I reached out to Storf about whether this Mono Mix is a fold down of the stereo, or it's own mix, and here is his response:

"As far as I know, it’s dedicated mix, as there was one mono pressing in 1970 and we typically take tapes as they are; we’re not paying for a fold one and labels generally aren’t at this point either.

But I can’t 100% confirm this till next week sometime because the music business is closed till Monday, lol. Our production guy said this sounds unreal, like the piano was in the room. So take that for what it’s worth I guess."

My comment:
While I can appreciate everyone's trepidations, I'm also willing to give VMP the benefit of the doubt on the sound quality of the mix. I have a couple of the Ryan Smith Mono Miles Davis mixes, including KoB, and they are awesome. And while pricing, pressing quality, quality control, and graphic design decisions are sometimes questionable with VMP, I can't think of a mix that I've thought was bad. Your ears may vary.
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Translation:

I have no idea, but here's my assumption, production guy (?) says it sounds good!

Let us know if he follows up please even though it will almost certainly be after swaps close.
 
RHANDMJ said:
Because it is a fold doesn't mean it isn't a dedicated mix. RVG, for example, could only do folds from a stereo two track. No other way to get to mono. But that doesn't mean he didn't play with that mono fold, to make it punchier on the bottom particularly. The BN monos are folds, by necessity, but do not sound the same as the stereo - which is why many prefer them. The same is true for many other 60's recordings.
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This is not at all true for all Blue Notes/RVGs. There are RVGs that were recorded solely mono and released without stereo counterparts. For some sessions they were recorded to two track and to mono mics and real stereo mixes and monos mixes were made. I have read that Michael Cascuna said that Moanin' ('58) was the last of these. After that mono should be a fold.

Not sure if that was your intent but came across that you thought it was all BN monos.
 
dhodo said:
This is not at all true for all Blue Notes/RVGs. There are RVGs that were recorded solely mono and released without stereo counterparts. For some sessions they were recorded to two track and to mono mics and real stereo mixes and monos mixes were made. I have read that Michael Cascuna said that Moanin' ('58) was the last of these. After that mono should be a fold.

Not sure if that was your intent but came across that you thought it was all BN monos.
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Well, of course those that were recorded mono cannot be other than mono, I didn't feel a need to state the obvious. Anything recorded two track stereo can only be a fold to mono - there are only two tracks! How could one do anything else?

But again, a fold does not necessarily mean nothing was done to the eq in folding down, as RVG did.
 
We also have to remember this isn’t a jazz record either and it isn’t a Blue Note. ATCO had dedicated mono mixes for some albums until the late 60’s for sure and wouldn’t surprise me if this was one of the last that got that treatment. But even if it’s a fold, it doesn’t mean it will sound bad like some jazz records do. It may actually sound better than the stereo version if it was done right.
 
RHANDMJ said:
Well, of course those that were recorded mono cannot be other than mono, I didn't feel a need to state the obvious. Anything recorded two track stereo can only be a fold to mono - there are only two tracks! How could one do anything else?

But again, a fold does not necessarily mean nothing was done to the eq in folding down, as RVG did.
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I guess I don't understand your point. I don't think anyone was saying that you could have a non-fold from two track, but just because a two track exists doesn't mean that the album wasn't recorded in mono as well, like the 60s Aretha albums and many others.
 
I do think there’s some general consensus that ATCO stopped issuing dedicated mono cuts of albums in 1968. I guess everything after that is a fold. And it almost certainly means that this album is a fold (radio promo only, 1970 release). Fold doesn’t mean bad though. And in this case it might make the album more cohesive musically. Like I said, I’m not familiar enough with the album to know what differences might be stereo vs mono. But I’m assuming this is the first time the mono tape will be reissued AAA which could mean better sound quality. Not sure what the source was for the digital mono that’s out and about.
 
mitchwagz said:
I do think there’s some general consensus that ATCO stopped issuing dedicated mono cuts of albums in 1968. I guess everything after that is a fold. And it almost certainly means that this album is a fold (radio promo only, 1970 release). Fold doesn’t mean bad though. And in this case it might make the album more cohesive musically. Like I said, I’m not familiar enough with the album to know what differences might be stereo vs mono. But I’m assuming this is the first time the mono tape will be reissued AAA which could mean better sound quality. Not sure what the source was for the digital mono that’s out and about.
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Is there any evidence other than them not issuing commercial copies in '68? I haven't seen anyone claim that Aretha Now mono is a fold and it doesn't seem to have a US mono (non-promo) on Discogs.

I've never seen any audiophiles or mastering engineers say anything other than folds aren't as good as non-folds.
 
SpinningSince85 said:
Awe man WTF these were in swaps? Gone now but still in stock in the store... what a crock of fucking shit.
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Yeah I got Muhammad but I lunchboxed on Puerde and it sold out. I really like it but ain’t paying 45 bucks Hopefully it shows up again next month . Tried to get them to manually swap but they wouldn’t.
 
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