You Don't Look Different

Part Three

The Beatles' "studio period" did not end the distinctions between the US LP's and the British records, nor do the differences between earlier mixes and the CD's end there.

Single: "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields Forever" Capitol 5810

While the mix of the B-side is the normal mono version, original promotional copies of the single, in both the USA and Canada, contain a different mix of "Penny Lane." This mix has more bass throughout the recording, a few audible trumpet notes just before the solo, and an additional three second horn riff at the end of the song. The riff at the end usually receives most of the attention. There are promotional copies without the added riff, and no commercial copies have it.

	Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band MAS-2653 (mono)
Side One: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band mix: same as the UK mono mix of March 6, 1967. Most notably, the crowd sounds fade in and out differently -- often more abruptly -- than in stereo. Also, the lead guitar is stronger during Paul's "I don't really want to stop the show" section. With a Little Help From My Friends mix: same as the UK mono mix of March 31, 1967. The crossfade into the song (made April 6) is not as well concealed here as in stereo. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds mix: same as the UK mono mix of March 3, 1967. The whole recording has more phasing here than in stereo, especially during the chorus. Getting Better mix: same as the UK mono mix of March 23, 1967. The intro sounds slightly louder here than in stereo. Fixing a Hole mix: same as the UK mono mix of February 21, 1967. This mix has a longer fade than the stereo mix. She's Leaving Home mix: same as the UK mono mix of March 20, 1967. The whole recording is at its proper speed. Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite mix: same as the UK mono mix of March 31, 1967. During the instrumental break after, "And of course Henry the Horse dances the waltz...," there is more of the organ tape here than in stereo. Side Two: Within You; Without You mix: same as the UK mono mix of April 7, 1967. There is different laughter at the end of the recording than at the end of the stereo mix. When I'm Sixty-Four mix: same as the UK mono mix of December 30, 1966. Lovely Rita mix: same as the UK mono mix of March 21, 1967. At the very end, the voice is louder. What sounds like "baby" or "believe it" is more distinct here than in the stereo mix. Good Morning, Good Morning mix: same as the UK mono mix of April 19, 1967. The lead guitar is mixed down after the instrumental break. This song properly ends with the fox hunt. Here in mono, the refrain is repeated nine times before the fox hunt comes in; the hunt is longer here. The chicken, clucking in rhythm, appears to be part of a separate tape. The last squawk is shorter here than in stereo. Sgt. Pepper Reprise mix: same as the UK mono mix of April 1, 1967. At the very beginning, someone says something that is not audible in the stereo mix. After John (?) says, "bye," there are more drumbeats here before the song properly begins. The crowd noises are more abrupt here, fading in and out. The "whoo" at the beginning of the vocal is louder here, too, as is Paul's shouting near the end. A Day in the Life mix: same as the UK mono mix of February 22, 1967. Mal Evans' counting across the orchestral sections is more audible here than in the stereo mix. Some percussion also appears to be louder.
Notes: Just like the British release? Almost. This album lacks the "dog cut" and "inner groove" at the end. Otherwise, even its gatefold cover and insert roughly resemble the UK issue. The mono record is sought-after because the Beatles themselves participated in the mixing of the LP.

	Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band SMAS-2653 (stereo)
Side One: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band mix: same as the UK stereo mix of March 6, 1967. With a Little Help From My Friends mix: same as the UK stereo mix of April 7, 1967. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds mix: same as the UK stereo mix of April 7, 1967. Getting Better mix: same as the UK stereo mix of April 17, 1967. Fixing a Hole mix: same as the UK stereo mix of April 7, 1967. She's Leaving Home mix: same as the UK stereo mix of April 17, 1967. The whole recording has been slowed down. Also, the strings are less crisp. Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite mix: same as the UK stereo mix of April 7, 1967. Side Two: Within You; Without You mix: same as the UK stereo mix of April 4, 1967. The laughter at the end is different than in the mono mix. When I'm Sixty-Four mix: same as the UK stereo mix of April 17, 1967. Lovely Rita mix: same as the UK stereo mix of April 17, 1967. Good Morning, Good Morning mix: same as the UK stereo mix of April 6, 1967. The refrain is repeated ten times at the end. The fox hunt is six seconds longer here than in mono. The chicken squawk at the very end blends better into the guitar that follows. Sgt. Pepper Reprise mix: same as the UK stereo mix of April 20, 1967. When the crowd noises come in, they appear to stay at the same volume. Near the end, John can be heard muttering something. There is also a slightly longer delay in proceeding from this song to "A Day in the Life". On all eight track copies of this LP (8XT 2653), there is an extended version of this song. After the last verse, instead of ending, the song goes back to the four repeats of "Sgt. Pepper's lonely." A Day in the Life mix: same as the UK stereo mix of February 23, 1967. Both album versions of this song are crossfaded into the song before it. However, since 1988 (and Imagine/John Lennon, Capitol C1-90803 or CDP-7-97039-2) the song has also been available with a clean intro. The "clean" intro version appears on post-1993 copies of 1967-1970.
Notes: Just like the British release? Almost. This album lacks the "dog cut" and "inner groove" at the end. Otherwise, even its gatefold cover and insert roughly resemble the UK issue.

Single: "Hello Goodbye"/"I am the Walrus" Capitol 5810

The b-side contains a form of the song that is not explained in Lewisohn's "Recording Sessions." Between the four "I'm cryings" and "Yellow matter custard," there are four additional bars that were edited out of the other mixes of the song. The UK mix, made September 29, 1967, does not have these four bars; consequently, this version was probably rushed off to Capitol before the decision to further edit the mix. Otherwise, it resembles the usual mono recording (see below).

	Magical Mystery Tour MAL-2835 (mono)
Side One: Magical Mystery Tour mix: same as the UK mono mix of November 7, 1967. During the line, "Nowwwwww....the Magical Mystery Tour," the horn is faded out early on "now"; in stereo, it lasts through the whole word. The Fool on the Hill mix: same as the UK mono mix of October 25, 1967. Flying mix: same as the UK mono mix of September 28, 1967. The guitars are louder near the beginning of the song, and the tape loop comes in earlier. Blue Jay Way mix: same as the UK mono mix of November 7, 1967. There are no backwards vocals in this mix. Your Mother Should Know mix: same as the UK mono mix of October 2, 1967. There is a phasing effect on the last verse not in stereo. I am the Walrus mix: This appears to be an edited version of the Capitol single mix (September 29, 1967); the edit just before the radio comes in is different than the UK mono mix. The song begins with four beats. The drum tracks are silent between verses 1 and 2. There is no cymbal crash after the first "Goo goo goo joob." Side Two: Hello Goodbye mix: same as the UK mono mix of November 2, 1967. The sounds that precede, "oh no" appear louder here than in stereo. Strawberry Fields Forever mix: same as the UK mono mix of December 22, 1966. The sounds during the fade come in and out differently here than in stereo. There is a stray "plink" after "No one I think...." On the German single (Odeon O 23-436), the beginning of the second "Cranberry Sauce" can be heard; it is not heard here. Penny Lane mix: same as the UK mono mix. Baby, You're a Rich Man mix: same as the UK mono mix of May 11, 1967. On some later issues of the Capitol single (such as the blue Starline), there is a voice at the beginning, saying "seven" or "eleven." All You Need is Love mix: same as the UK mono mix of June 26, 1967. This song was not mixed directly from the live broadcast, as the vocals have overdubbing and the tambourine heard in the live broadcast was replaced by a drumroll here.
Notes: When Parlophone and the Beatles served notice that they intended to release MMT as an EP, Capitol declined. They had tried twice to sell Beatles EP's; both tries were failures, and the EP format was a dying one in the USA. Rather than being burned, they sent a representative to England to collect songs for this album, including a fresh mix of "Strawberry Fields Forever." The last three songs on the album, however, were issued in rechanneled stereo on the LP. They didn't request stereo copies of the single songs (except "SFF" and "Hello Goodbye"), and they didn't get any. "Hello Goodbye," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Penny Lane," "Baby, You're a Rich Man," and "All You Need Is Love" round out the album. This was the last Beatles album in the US that was available in both mono and stereo. The album sure looks nice in 12" size...it came to be copied in the UK, being issued there in 1976 (with a prototype circulating before then). Germany replaced its MMT EP with the album in late 1971.

	Magical Mystery Tour SMAL-2835 (stereo)
Side One: Magical Mystery Tour mix: same as the UK stereo mix of November 7, 1967. The Fool on the Hill mix: same as the UK stereo mix of November 1, 1967. Flying mix: same as the UK stereo mix of November 7, 1967. Slightly longer than the mono version. Blue Jay Way mix: same as the UK stereo mix of November 7, 1967. Backward vocals start about halfway through the song and continue. Your Mother Should Know mix: same as the UK stereo mix of November 6, 1967. I am the Walrus mix: This recording appears identical to the UK stereo mix of November 17, 1967, except that two beats at the beginning are missing -- the UK stereo mix starts with six beats. There are three drumbeats between verses 1 and 2, and there is a cymbal crash after the first "Goo goo goo joob." Since the inclusion of the radio (at John Lennon's whim) was added during a mono mixing session, the mono mix was rechanneled into mock stereo and edited onto a true stereo recording. Therefore, the recording changes to rechanneled stereo halfway through the song. Side Two: Hello Goodbye mix: same as the UK stereo mix of November 6, 1967. Strawberry Fields Forever mix: This mix, made December 29, 1966 and taken by Capitol for this album, has the speeds of the two main sections of the recording at slightly different speeds. Where they join, between "Cause I'm" and "going to" during the second chorus, the edit is concealed by panning the cello and trumpet from left to right across the stereo. The stray "plink" heard in mono is missing, and counting before the verses has been mixed almost completely out. The swordmandel appears in the center of the recording. On the "German" mix (HorZu Apple SHZE 327), which is now the standard CD mix (made October 26, 1971), the swordmandel is panned across the stereo. The stray plink that it makes is still present in the German mix. The counting is more audible, and the edit between song sections is abrupt. The drums sound more natural there than on the US mix. Finally, the German mix concludes during the second instance of "cranberry sauce." Penny Lane mix: rechanneled from the mono mix. The stereo mix, not available in any form in the US until Rarities and unavailable in unaltered form in the US until the Mobile Fidelity cassette of Magical Mystery Tour, was mixed on September 30, 1971, and appeared then on the Australian LP, The Essential Beatles (Apple TVSS-8) and the German MMT album (HorZu Apple SHZE 327). See article 5 in this series on variants. Baby, You're a Rich Man mix: rechanneled from the mono mix. Its stereo history is similar to that of "Penny Lane." A true stereo version (from October 22, 1971) of this song first appeared on the German (1971) release of this album. The bass is more natural in stereo, but the song is nine seconds shorter, and the phased echo on John's vocal is not as pronounced. All You Need is Love mix: rechanneled from the mono mix. A true stereo mix was made on October 29, 1968 and appears on Yellow Submarine (Apple SW-153). That mix has a piano apparent during the intro. Also, the drums are more audible during the intro as well, although the horns are less prominent. Just before the vocals come in, a voice says "Check" in the stereo mix. The lead guitar is not as loud in stereo and is faded out better. The whole song is ten seconds shorter in stereo.
Notes: When Parlophone and the Beatles served notice that they intended to release MMT as an EP, Capitol declined. They had tried twice to sell Beatles EP's; both tries were failures, and the EP format was a dying one in the USA. Rather than being burned, they sent a representative to England to collect songs for this album, including a fresh mix of "Strawberry Fields Forever." The last three songs on the album, however, were issued in rechanneled stereo on the LP. They didn't request stereo copies of the single songs (except "SFF" and "Hello Goodbye"), and they didn't get any. "Hello Goodbye," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Penny Lane," "Baby, You're a Rich Man," and "All You Need Is Love" round out the album. This was the last Beatles album in the US that was available in both mono and stereo. The album sure looks nice in 12" size...it came to be copied in the UK, being issued there in 1976 (with a prototype circulating before then). Germany replaced its MMT EP with the album in late 1971.

Single: "Lady Madonna"/"The Inner Light" Capitol 2138

Both recordings are the same as their UK counterparts. And while the mono mix of the A-side (February 15, 1968) does not differ audibly from its stereo counterpart (December 2, 1969) which appears on Hey Jude!, this is not true for the B-side. The mono mix, made February 8, 1968, has a more involved and longer instrumental intro. It also rises in pitch at the end. The stereo mix (made January 27, 1970 but not used at all until The Beatles EP in 1981) has an entirely different introduction, which fades out or trails off at the end. It is the stereo mix which was mastered digitally in 1988 for Past Masters.

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