The Beatles Mono Box Set

The Beatles Mono Box Set is set to be released (in a limited edition run of only 10,000 copies so you should pre-order now to make sure you get yours before it sells out) on 09/09/09 (yes, like in “Revolution #9.”)

If you already understand the importance of The Beatles albums being released in mono on CD for the first time ever then I’m sure you’re already ordering them online right now. If you don’t then I’ll do my best to explain why Beatles fanatics have been clamoring for these releases for a long time.

The Importance Of The Mono Mixes

In the 1960s when The Beatles were originally recording and mixing their albums (with the help of producer George Martin and engineers like Geoff Emerick & Norman Smith) mono was the standard. Stereo was in it’s experimental stages of development at this time so often the stereo mixes would just be an after thought while the majority of the time was spent getting the mono mixes “just right.”

It’s for this reason that many Beatles fans consider these mono versions of the albums the “real” versions. They are the albums as originally intended to be heard by the band, the producer, and the engineers.

The mono mixes can be (in some cases) quite different from the stereo mixes. Different parts of the song may be emphasized which can give the song a different feel. Even if you are not a “true believer” of the idea that the mono mixes are superior, it seems natural for Beatles fanatics to want to hear these differences for themselves.

Prior to the release of this Mono Box Set (which includes all 10 Beatles albums which were originally mixed in mono) the only way to hear these original mixes was to track down an old vinyl which could be quite difficult and quite expensive.

What The Box Set Includes

Each of the 10 Beatles original UK albums from 1963’s Please Please Me through 1968’s The White Album which were originally recorded & mixed in mono and a CD titled Mono Masters which has all of the non-album tracks (such as “Paperback Writer” & “Hey Jude”) which were originally recorded & mixed in mono.

This box set also includes the original stereo mixes of Help! & Rubber Soul which have not been included on CD previously (the official stereo versions include new stereo mixes.)

This is a limited edition run (which is numbered) with only 10,000 copies available. The mono versions of the albums are not available for individual purchase, they can only be bought as a part of this box set.