From: jbmorris@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (Jeff Morris)
Subject: Re: CD Singles and EPs
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 08:18:34 GMT

First, some kindly advice.  Don't quote a whole article if you only need one
line.
Ok, here's A list.  First come the main differences for the singles box, then
the EP's box, then which Capitol 45's are in stereo (most recent pressing -
purple label).
Interesting point about the singles box is that it doesn't include the 4
post-1970 45's as some boxed sets of the 45's did.  I thought EMI had to
issue stuff exactly as before...?
I've posted some of this info before - should some of these differences maybe
be in the FAQ list?
Note that I am comparing to the standard CD's, since that's what I perceive
that people want to know here.  There are other different versions of these
songs that just aren't on standard EMI CD's.
MONO indicates that the main difference is that this version is mono.  Mono
mixes were the standard mixes of the day for most of The Beatles' career, and
definitely what they concentrated on.  All mono songs tend to have a kind of
undescribable different feel to them, simply because they're mono.
DISCLAIMER: I don't claim this to be a complete list of differences, but just
the main ones.  I don't mind additions and corrections, though.

The Beatles singles box as compared to standard CD's:
(All songs here are mono except "The Ballad of John & Yoko", "Old Brown Shoe",
 "Something", "Come Together", and "Let It Be".)
Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You - same.  A side is Andy White on drums.
Please Please Me/Ask Me Why - same.
From Me to You/Thank You Girl - same.
She Loves You/I'll Get You - same.
I Want To Hold Your Hand/This Boy - MONO.
Can't Buy Me Love/You Can't Do That - same.
A Hard Day's Night/Things We Said Today - same.
I Feel Fine/She's a Woman - MONO.  One source says A-side has different
 vocal, but I've never noticed it.
Ticket To Ride/Yes It Is - MONO.
Help!/I'm Down - A-side has different vocal in places and no tambourine.
We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper - MONO.
Paperback Writer/Rain - A-side has more echo effects on vocals, and some light
 tapping in these sections.
Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby - A-side has extra guitar chord at beginning,
 bass drum is louder, John's echoing vocal is louder and starts earlier.
Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane - curiously, the A & B sides have been
 reversed.  A-side doesn't fade out all the way before fading back in.  B-side
 is missing low trumpet after "it's a clean machine".
All You Need Is Love/Baby You're a Rich Man - A-side lasts about 10 seconds
 longer and has some different vocals and backing instruments.  B-side has
 "tape spin" effect that is really cool.  This is my vote for best mono alt.
Hello Goodbye/I Am the Walrus - B-side's organ intro riff is repeated four
 times instead of six.  Drum track drops out in a couple of places.  Second
 section sounds quite different because it's not fake stereo.
Lady Madonna/The Inner Light - MONO.
Hey Jude/Revolution - A-side lasts about 10 seconds longer and has a strange
 noise coming in at about 3:20.  B-side has much more distorted guitar.  My
 vote for second-best mono alternate.
Get Back/Don't Let Me Down - MONO of Past Masters version.
The Ballad of John & Yoko/Old Brown Shoe - same, even though original 45 had
 a louder final drumbeat, at least in America.
Something/Come Together - same
Let It Be/You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) - same as Past Masters.
NOTE:curiously, some of the singles are out of order in the box, as are their
catalog numbers, just like the 3" ones.

The Beatles Compact Disc EP Collection:
(All EP's are mono except The Beatles and one disc of Magical Mystery Tour.)
Twist and Shout - all same.
The Beatles' Hits - all same.  LMD is Andy White version.
The Beatles No. 1 - all same.
All My Loving - all same.
Long Tall Sally - MONO.  I Call You Name - cowbell starts earlier.  Slow Down -
 John's shout of "Ow!" near end is missing.
Extracts from the Film A Hard Day's Night - same.
Extracts from the Album A Hard Day's Night - same.
Beatles for Sale - same.
Beatles for Sale No. 2 - same.
The Beatles' Million Sellers - She Loves You & Can't Buy Me Love - same.
 I Want To Hold Your Hand & I Feel Fine - same as singles collection.
Yesterday - MONO.  You Like Me Too Much - has strange percussion sounds at
 beginning mixed back.  It's Only Love - second vocal drops out briefly on
 first chorus.
Nowhere Man - MONO.  Drive My Car has a bit less piano.  You Won't See Me has
 extra handclaps in fadeout.
The Beatles - same except She's a Woman includes 1-2-3-4 countoff.
Magical Mystery Tour
 disc one: mainly same, though stereo separation is not quite as good.
           Right channel of I Am the Walrus enters slightly earlier.
 disc two: Magical Mystery Tour - trumpet ends a few beats earlier about
                                  1:30 into song.
           Your Mother Should Know - drumming is phased.  My vote for best
                                     mono alt. in this collection.
           I Am the Walrus - same as singles collection.
           The Fool on the Hill - missing some flute passages, and parts of
                                  vocal track near end.
           Flying - has extra bass and piano at start, but is missing final
                    section of vocal track.  Sound effects at end start earlier.
           Blue Jay Way - backwards vocals are missing, as are 'cello echo
                          near end and final organ note.
NOTE: The first two EP's are reversed in the set, as are (as always) their
       catalog numbers.

Most recent Capitol 45's:
M indicates both sides are mono.
S indicates both sides are stereo.
M/S indicates A is mono, B is stereo.
I Want To Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There - M
Can't Buy Me Love/You Can't Do That - M
A Hard Day's Night/I Should Have Known Better - M
I'll Cry Instead/I'm Happy Just To Dance With You - S/M - also, timing on
 A-side is about 20 seconds too long, as this was M 45's time
And I Love Her/If I Fell - M - A-side is of special note because vocals are
 single-tracked in verses, whereas they're double-tracked on British releases.
Matchbox/Slow Down - M
I Feel Fine/She's a Woman - M - beware these are Capitol's echo mixes
Eight Days a Week/I Don't Want To Spoil the Party - S
Ticket To Ride/Yes It Is - M/fake S
Help!/I'm Down - M
Yesterday/Act Naturally - M
Twist and Shout/There's a Place - S
Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You - fake S - EXCEPT very new pressings (cat # 56785)
 are M and have Ringo drumming on A-side!  If it says from "20 Greatest Hits"
 it is fake S.
Please Please Me/From Me to You - not currently available
Do You Want To Know a Secret/Thank You Girl - not currently available
Roll Over Beethoven/Misery - not currently available
Boys/Kansas City - not currently available
We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper - M
Nowhere Man/What Goes On - M/S  (M of B-side is missing some guitar at end)
Paperback Writer/Rain - M
Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby - S
Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever - M
All You Need Is Love/Baby You're a Rich Man - not currently available
Hello Goodbye/I Am the Walrus - M - B-side is of special note because it
 contains four extra beats right before "Yellow matter custard".
Lady Madonna/The Inner Light - M
Hey Jude/Revolution - S/M
Get Back/Don't Let Me Down - S, as they have always been in the U.S., however
 A-side is now "album" version.
The Ballad of John & Yoko/Old Brown Shoe - S - A-side has louder final drumbeat
Something/Come Together - S
Let It Be/You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) - S/M
The Long and Winding Road/For You Blue - S  (By the way, the B-side does NOT
 start with John's comment as on the LP.)
Got To Get You Into My Life/Helter Skelter - S
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da/Julia - S
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/With a Little Help from My Friends/
 A Day in the Life - S
The Beatles' Movie Medley/I'm Happy Just To Dance with You - not currently
 available

There you have it, folks.  Phew!  I hope I haven't made any mistakes, but
please tell me if I have.

- Jeff ("Queen says no to pot-smoking FBI members.")