Where Are They in Stereo?

Most people who have the Beatles CD's know that in 1987 it was decided to release the first four CD's, Please, Please Me through Beatles For Sale, in mono rather than in stereo. That decision annoyed many Beatles fans at the time, while others were pleased to hear the mono mixes that had been out-of-print for a while. Later on, that decision in favor of mono-only was reversed to some extent, for releases after the first four albums have often contained early tracks in stereo. This article details where the early songs are most likely to be found in stereo. With the issue of the Capitol Albums, Vol. 1 boxed set on November 16, 2004, and Capitol Albums, Vol. 2 on April 11, 2006, this has become a much easier task. To a great extent, one may use these two releases to compile stereo CD's of those first four albums. "Love Me Do" & "PS I Love You" do not exist in stereo. In fact, neither version of "Love Me Do" is known to exist in stereo. It is presumed that the original two-track master was destroyed once the mono mixes were made. At the time, this was the practice at EMI. Every other song on the first four UK LP's was originally released in both mono and stereo; consequently, true stereo mixes do exist of each of those songs -- even if they're harder to locate today. This list also includes EP & single tracks, and "She Loves You" is also not known to exist in true stereo.

Please Please Me LP

"I Saw Her Standing There" -- available on the CD Meet the Beatles!
"Misery" -- available on the US cassette, Rarities*
"Anna", "Chains", "Boys", "Ask Me Why", "Please Please Me", "Baby It's You", "Do You Want to Know a Secret?" "A Taste of Honey" -- all available on the CD, Early Beatles
"There's a Place" -- available on the US cassette, Rarities*
"Twist and Shout" -- available on the CD, Early Beatles

"From Me to You"

available on the US cassette, Twenty Greatest Hits

"Thank You Girl"

available on the CD, Beatles Second Album

"She Loves You"

not available anywhere in stereo

"I'll Get You"

An interesting duophonic mix is available on the CD, Beatles Second Album. The harmonica appears to be an overdub.

With the Beatles LP

"It Won't Be Long", "All I've Got to Do", "All My Loving", "Don't Bother Me", "Little Child", "Till There Was You" "I Wanna Be Your Man" -- all available on the CD, Meet the Beatles!
"Don't Bother Me" was also available on the CD Best of Dick James Music, Vol. 1
"Please Mister Postman" -- available on the CD, Beatles Second Album
"Roll Over Beethoven" -- available on the CD, Beatles Second Album
"Hold Me Tight" -- available on the CD, Meet the Beatles!
"You Really Got a Hold On Me" -- available on the CD, Beatles Second Album
"Devil In Her Heart" -- available on the CD, Beatles Second Album
"Not a Second Time" -- available on the CD, Meet the Beatles!
"Money" -- available on the CD, Beatles Second Album

"I Want to Hold Your Hand"

available on CD (and formerly cassette and LP) on 1962-1966
also available on CD (and formerly cassette and LP) on Past Masters 1

"This Boy" available on CD (and formerly cassette and LP) on Past Masters 1

"Sie Liebt Dich"

available on the US cassette, Rarities*

"Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand"

available on the CD, Something New

Long Tall Sally EP

"Long Tall Sally", "I Call Your Name" -- available on the CD, Beatles Second Album
"Slow Down", "Matchbox" -- available on the CD, Something New

Hard Day's Night LP

"Hard Day's Night" -- available on CD (and formerly cassette and LP) on 1962-1966
also currently available on CD (and formerly cassette and LP) on Past Masters 1
"I Should Have Known Better" -- available on the cassette, Hey Jude!
"If I Fell", "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You", "And I Love Her", "Tell Me Why" all available on the CD, Something New
"And I Love Her" was also available for a time on the CD Gold Disc 3
"Can't Buy Me Love" -- available on CD (and formerly cassette and LP) on 1962-1966
also available on the cassette, Hey Jude!
"Any Time At All", "I'll Cry Instead", "Things We Said Today", "When I Get Home" all available on the CD, Something New
"You Can't Do That" -- not available in the US in true stereo except on a compilation album, which is no longer available.
"I'll Be Back" -- available on the CD, Beatles '65

"I Feel Fine"

available on CD (and formerly cassette and LP) on 1962-1966

"She's a Woman"

available on CD (and formerly cassette and LP) on Past Masters 1

Beatles For Sale LP

"No Reply", "I'm a Loser", "Baby's In Black", "Rock and Roll Music", "I'll Follow the Sun", "Mr. Moonlight" -- all available on the CD, Beatles '65

"Kansas City"/"Hey Hey Hey Hey" -- available on the CD, Beatles VI
"Eight Days a Week" -- available on the CD, Beatles VI
also available on the CD, Beatles VI
"Words of Love" -- available on the CD, Beatles VI
"Honey Don't" -- available on the CD, Beatles '65

"Every Little Thing", "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party", "What You're Doing" all available on the CD, Beatles VI
"Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby" -- available on the CD, Beatles '65

The CD box sets referred to above are:

The Capitol Albums, Volume 1	75400-2
The Capitol Albums, Volume 2	57716-2

The US Cassettes referred to above are:

Hey Jude!	C4-90442
Rarities	C4-12080
20 Greatest Hits	C4-12245

These cassettes formally went "out of print" around 1992, but most of them can be readily located. "You Can't Do That" is not available in the US in true stereo in any format. The compilation album Rock and Roll Music (Vol. 1) was the song's first stereo appearance in the USA.

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