Here's the official track list for the new "Past Masters (Remastered)" set. It is, indeed, a double CD set. The listing on the Beatles website in the UK store, which shows only 24 tracks, is not correct. This listing also shows two tracks previously in mono on the old "Past Masters, Volume 1" -- "From Me to You" and "Thank You Girl" -- are now in stereo.
The official 33-track listing: Disc 1: 1. "Love Me Do" (original single version) 2.23; 2. * "From Me To You" (stereo) 1.56; 3. * "Thank You Girl" (stereo) 2.03; 4. "She Loves You" 2.20; 5. "I'll Get You" 2.05; 6. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" 2.26; 7. "This Boy" 2.16; 8. "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand" 2.25; 9 "Sie Liebt Dich 2.18; 10. "Long Tall Sally" 2.01; 11. "I Call Your Name" 2.08; 12. "Slow Down" 2.55; 13. Matchbox" 1.57; 14. "I Feel Fine" 2.19; 15. "She's a Woman" 3.02; 16. "Bad Boy" 2.19; 17. "Yes It Is" 2.41. 18. "I'm Down." 2.34. (A note included with the track listing said " * Please note that "From Me To You" and "Thank You Girl" now appear in stereo. On the previous incarnation, these tracks were in mono.)
Disc 2: 1. "Day Tripper" 2.48; 2. "We Can Work It Out" 2.14; 3. "Paperback Writer" 2.18; 4. "Rain" 3.01; 5. "Lady Madonna" 2.15; 6. "The Inner Light" 2.35; 7. "Hey Jude" 7.10; 8. "Revolution 3.24; 9. "Get Back (with Billy Preston)" 3.11; 10. "Don't Let Me Down (with Billy Preston)" 3.35; 11. "The Ballad of John and Yoko" 2.59; 12. "Old Brown Shoe" 3.18; 13. "Across the Universe" 3.48; 14. "Let It Be" 3.50; "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)"* 4.20. The remastered "Past Masters" is available through Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
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Comments
Nice, although I was hoping "Sie Liebt Dich" would show up in stereo.
Andre: Yeah. There have been unauthorized stereo remixes on bootlegs.
Thanks. Forwarding this to my other Beatle nuts.
A shame that the mono "Thank You Girl" is being dropped, as it differs from the stereo mix, lacking a harmonica overdub. But now the question is...will "Past Masters" be in both box sets...or neither?
What about You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) in stereo? An extended mix in stereo is included on Anthology 2 but not the original single version. How about both German-sung songs in stereo?
Re your story "Two new stereo tracks included in remastered Beatles 'Past Masters' set": The real question is not so much "Are the tracks in stereo?" but "What is the state of the harmonica on each track?" The mono version of "From Me To You" had a harmonica overdub (most noticeable at the very beginning of the song as the Beatles sing "Da da da da da dum dum da") while the stereo was missing it. The stereo version of "Thank You Girl" (or, possibly, just the American mix from "The Beatles Second Album") had a harmonica overdub in various breaks throughout the song, but most noticeable over the very end passage of the track; the mono UK version did not. I would love to know if these are new stereo mixes and whether either or both will have the harmonica overdub.
Thank you for your reporting! Your stories are very interesting.
Re the mono "Thank You Girl" being dropped: My hope is that it will appear on the "Mono Masters" compilation that will be in the box of 10 mono CDs released the same day as the stereo box. It would be good to get that confirmed, along with the track listing for that set (since the tracks on Past Masters from "Get Back" on, with the exception of "You Know My Name", may not have been released in mono).
And as for "You Know My Name", it's interesting that there is an asterisk by its name in the stereo track listing, so perhaps that means it's finally in stereo in its original edited version as well!
I always wondered about the missing harmonica on the final 9 notes of "Thank You Girl" that I recall being there on the single version in America. Of course I'm still wondering what happened to the trumpet at the very end of "Penny Lane." I know it was there once on some version, and I add it in my mind whenver I hear that song. It's getting confusing as to what to expect from the varios sets. On the very early songs, I'm wondering that when they say something will be "stereo" for the first time, if that simply means the vocals will be shifted to the right side of the mix and the instruments to the other in that strange panning "mix" used on various songs that I so hate.
AFAIK, the trumpet coda to Penny Lane was only on some promo copies of the mono single sent to radio stations in 1967. On the US release "Rarities", IIRC, the engineers added the coda to a stereo mix of the song. It makes one more appearance on "Anthology 2", but with an added breathy outro from a couple of Beatles.
On the first "Past Masters" disc, just three tracks - "Love Me Do," "She Loves You" and "I'll Get You" - exist only in mono. (There apparently exists no original master tape at all for the single version of "Love Me Do," and all reissues since 1980 have reportedly been mastered from vinyl.)
True stereo versions exist of "Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand" and "Sie Liebt Dich"; the former recently appeared in the Capitol albums collection. I know they used the mono mixes in 1988 because they were judged to be superior, but now that there will be a dedicated mono collection, the stereo versions should be used on the stereo "Past Masters." (Obviously, anything that exists only in mono would be included on both collections. Imagine the outcry if you had to buy the mono box set to get "She Loves You.")
If I had to guess, I'd say the stereo mixes for the German songs will be used, and just haven't been mentioned. There have been plenty of other errors (the UK Beatles Store lists only 12 tracks on "Sgt. Pepper," omitting the "Reprise").
As for "You Know My Name," I'm guessing they will only issue the mono mix. The stereo version was never part of the original catalog; it was specially mixed for the Anthology project. (For the same reason, I don't expect a true stereo version of "Only A Northern Song" among the remasters.) I'm guessing the asterisk (if correct) in the track listing is to indicate that "You Know My Name" is the only mono track on an otherwise all-stereo second disc.
I keep seeing rumors about bonus tracks, especially "Carnival of Light." Sadly, I don't think that'll happen (although I'd love to be proved wrong).
Beatles rumors proliferate faster than you can say "Paul Is Dead," so I'm not inclined to believe much about these reissues that doesn't come from a confirmed and attributed official source.
I still feel they should have created a new past masters cover. I've always felt that the covers for these look like they were designed by a blind person. No offense to blind people.
Steve Bruun says, "I don't expect a true stereo version of "Only A Northern Song" among the remasters."
A true stereo mix finally appeared on the "Yellow Submarine Songtrack" in 1999. I can't believe they would go back to the fake stereo version that appeared on the original YS soundtrack LP and CD. They must use the new mix!
Replying to G.P. Cullen - I'm aware of the true stereo "Only A Northern Song" on the "Yellow Submarine Songtrack," but that wasn't on the original 1969 album. If they substitute the new mix for the 1969 mix, then should they do the same with all the other "Songtrack" songs?
For that matter, should they substitute a new stereo mix of "I Am The Walrus," because the second half of the 1967 mix is "fake stereo"?
I agree that "fake stereo" is usually egregious. I'd be tempted to substitute the original mono mixes wherever "fake stereo" versions were used in the 1960s. But the purpose of the 2009 remasters is to present the original 1960s mixes in the best possible light - not to substitute new mixes or second-guess the band and George Martin. (Although I don't object to small "repairs" of the mixes - like fixing the dropouts on "Day Tripper" and "Taxman," or mending the botched edit in the mono mix of "...Walrus" where half a beat is missing just before "yellow matter custard.")
The new mixes prepared for "Songtrack" and other recent projects sound amazing, but it seems like a very long shot that they'll remix the entire catalog. For starters, the first couple of albums were recorded on two tracks so there's not a lot to remix; a handful of mono songs can't be remixed at all. Perhaps a good compromise would be expanded versions of the Red and Blue albums (more "Revolver" tracks!!) with new mixes wherever possible.
Glad to hear that "From Me to You" and "Thank You Girl" are in stereo on the new PM. Hopefully the former will have the harmonica intro restored, and the latter will retain its extra harmonica, minus the echo on the Capitol version. Re "Sie Liebt Dich": if the new PM has the mono mix, then I guess we will have to wait for Capitol's "Rarities" album (in a future Capitol box set) before we get a stereo "SLD."
While "You Know My Name" has never been issued in stereo in its original form, the first version of PM had first-time stereo on "Yes It Is" (save for a withdrawn mail-order cassette release), and the stereos of "This Boy," "She's A Woman," "I'm Down," and "The Inner Light" were also fairly rare.
I don't know what the Mono Masters track listing is, but here's my best guess:
DISC 1: From Me to You/Thank You Girl/I Want to Hold Your Hand/This Boy/Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand/Sie Liebt Dich/Long Tall Sally/I Call Your Name/Slow Down/Matchbox/I Feel Fine/She's A Woman/Bad Boy/Yes It Is/I'm Down
DISC 2: Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out/Paperback Writer/Rain/Lady Madonna/The Inner Light/Hey Jude/Revolution/Only A Northern Song/All Together Now/Hey Bulldog/It's All Too Much/Get Back (mono UK single mix)/Don't Let Me Down (mono UK single mix)/You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)
Since "The Ballad of John and Yoko," "Old Brown Shoe," "Across the Universe [World Wildlife Version]," and "Let It Be (single version)" are stereo-only tracks, I think the four Yellow Submarine songs would be nice substitutes for "Mono Masters," and with the mono "Yellow Submarine" and "All You Need Is Love" available on "Revolver" and "Magical Mystery Tour" respectively, this would more than compensate for the missing mono version of the "Yellow Submarine" album (which was cut from the stereo master anyway, per Mark Lewisohn). It would also be nice to have the mono version of "Across the Universe" from the never-released "Yellow Submarine" EP, but I wouldn't bet on it.
I hope they use the 1964 stereo mix of "I Call Your Name." The 70's version on Past Masters/Rock and Roll Music wasn't edited too well plus the intro guitar is different. Maybe the 1967 stereo mix of "Strawberry Fields" should be included also, it has never been released on cd officially. This one has better transitions in my opinion.
Also, why does some say that the german songs are from the stereo mix? "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand" sounds so poor in quality compared to the Second Album version, mono or stereo. A full stereo mix of "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand" could be made too, using the 4 track "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and placing the vocals from german in the mix, but that would make a new variation. So never mind.
(just to note, I've tried to do stereo broadening on the german songs in Past Masters and it still comes out mono. So I guess the claim that they are narrow mixed stereo could be false.)
I think that the Beatles should use this opportunity in a right way, by which I mean they should -
(a) provide bonus tracks in the form of contemporary SINGLES to the respective original albums;
(b) reorganise the PAST MASTERS in a new way by issuing some unissued tracks including "Carnival of Light", "Sour Milk Sea", "Now and Then" & "Suzy Parker", and tracks from lost Glyn Johns project; and,
(c) Re-issue the FROM THEN TO YOU album as a free disc to anyone buying the stereo or mono sets.
This would create a win-win situation for both the common music lover and the Apple in these times of economic hardship.
The detailed proposal is illustrated below schematically: —
1. PLEASE PLEASE ME [20 track CD] — Original 14 tracks + 6 bonus tracks from Past Masters, viz. "Love Me Do" (from 1962-10-05 A-side), "From Me to You”, "Thank You Girl”, "She Loves You", "Sie Liebt Dich", "I'll Get You".
2. WITH THE BEATLES [17 track CD] — Original 14 tracks + 3 bonus tracks from Past Masters, viz. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" , "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand", "This Boy".
3. A HARD DAY’S NIGHT [17 track CD] — Original 13 tracks + 4 bonus tracks from Long Tall Sally EP viz., "Long Tall Sally", "I Call Your Name", "Slow Down", "Matchbox".
4. BEATLES FOR SALE [16 track CD] — Original 14 tracks + 2 bonus tracks from Past Masters, viz. "I Feel Fine", "She's a Woman"
5. HELP! [17 track CD] — Original 14 tracks + 3 bonus tracks from Past Masters, viz. "Bad Boy", "Yes It Is", "I'm Down".
6. RUBBER SOUL [16 track CD] — Original 14 tracks + 2 bonus tracks from Past Masters, viz. "Day Tripper", "We Can Work It Out".
7. REVOLVER [16 track CD] — Original 14 tracks + 2 bonus tracks from Past Masters, viz. "Paperback Writer", "Rain".
8. SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND [15 track CD] — Original 13 tracks + “Strawberry Fields Forever” + “Penny Lane”. This is the way the album ought to be, please respect Sir George Martin!
9. MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR [13 track CD] — Original 6 track EP + “Hello Goodbye” + “Baby You’re A Rich Man” + “Shirley's Wild Accordion” + “Jessie's dream” + "Lady Madonna" + "The Inner Light" + “Hey Jude”.
10. THE BEATLES (WHITE ALBUM) CD1: [17 track CD] — Unchanged.
11. THE BEATLES (WHITE ALBUM) CD2: [15 track CD] — Original 13 tracks + 2 bonus tracks viz., “Revolution” (single version) and “Revolution 1, take 20”.
12. YELLOW SUBMARINE [13 track CD] — Unchanged. (Note that "All You Need Is Love" will be available only on this CD, if this scheme is followed.)
13. ABBEY ROAD [17 TRACK CD] — Unchanged.
14. LET IT BE [19 track CD] — Original 12 tracks + 7 bonus tracks viz., “Get Back (single ver.)”, “Don’t Let Me Down”, “The Ballad of John and Yoko”, “Old Brown Shoe”, “Across The Universe” (Wildlife ver.), “Let It Be” (single ver.), “You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)”.
15. PAST MASTERS: [22 track CD] —
1. Raunchy (from Anthology DVD)
2. Thinking of Linking (from Anthology DVD)
3. Too Bad About Sorrows
4. Because I Know You Love Me So
5. I'll Wait Till Tomorrow
6. I've Been Thinking That You Love Me
7. Won't You Please Say Goodbye
8. I Fancy Me Chances
9. Carnival of Light
10. Rocker
11. Save the Last Dance For Me
12. The Walk
13. Sour milk sea
14. Circles
15. Etcetera
16. Suzy Parker
17. Teddy Boy
18. Come and get it
19. Free As A Bird (from Anthology 1)
20. Real Love (from Anthology 2)
21. Now and Then
22. Goodbye.
16. FROM THEN TO YOU [7 track CD] FREE BONUS WITH EACH STEREO / MONO SET—
1. The Beatles Christmas Record (1963 Flexi);
2. Another Beatles Christmas Record (1964 Flexi);
3. The Beatles Third Christmas Record (1965 Flexi);
4. The Beatles Fourth Christmas Record (1966 Flexi);
5. Christmas Time Is Here Again (1967 Flexi);
6. The Beatles 1968 Christmas Record (1968 Flexi);
7. The Beatles Seventh Christmas Record (1969 Flexi).
I hope the new stereo version of Thank You Girl will not be the same as the Beatles Second Album version. But rather a NEW version.
I have a CD copy of the old German release, The Beatles Beat.
It has the stereo versions of Thank You Girl and From Me To You.
Just as, Mark Zutkoff, describes. But I have read that the ones on the remastered Past Masters are NEW recordings. They might not be the same as the ones on The Beatles Beat.
I wonder if we will eventually see, the RED and BLUE sets remastered.
I prefur Past Masters over the Red and Blue sets.
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