Early Stereo on Capitol Records

[Teasing the Korean]

While it eventually became commonplace for labels to mix to both mono and stereo from the same multitrack masters, mono and stereo recordings were sometimes done separately in the early days of stereo recording.

This means that when a session was recorded, two sets of equipment and two engineers were employed in the recording.

This may have been standard at a number of labels, but it was definitely done at Capitol in LA circa 1956 - 1958.

What is particularly interesting about Capitol is that the mono and stereo versions were each recorded with different microphone placement and very different production values. This is notable, because Capitol mono LPs from the 1950s are among the best sounding records I have ever heard; and, for a mainstream, major pop label, Capitol had one hell of an artist roster and released an incredible string of excellent albums in the 1950s and early 1960s.

What was the big difference? In 1956-58, Capitol used close-mic techniques, maybe eight microphones/channels in a session, to mix on-the-fly to their mono recordings. This allowed for more detail, more balance, and generally a more intimate sound on their mono records.

Capitol's stereo recordings from this period, by contrast, were done with with two or three overhead mics, resulting in an ambient, concert hall sound. It could produce a big, beautiful, and natural sound, but sometimes details were lost.

These different approaches, of course, have different implications, depending on the nature of the music and ensemble being recorded. For example, the symphonic ensemble on Les Baxter's "Ports of Pleasure" sounds incredible in stereo, while Billy May's big band on Sinatra's "Come Dance With Me" has more teeth and presence in mono.

As examples, I can tell you that at least four Frank Sintra albums and at least four Les Baxter albums were recorded separately in mono and stereo during this period. The Sinatra albums are "Where Are You," "Come Fly With Me," "Only the Lonely," and "Come Dance With Me."

The Les Baxter albums include "Ports of Pleasure," "Space Escapade," "South Pacific," and "African Jazz."

While this may seem like an exercise in extreme geekdom, the differences in some of these albums are unbelievable. For example, "Only the Lonely" in mono is much more intense and intimate, and much closer in mood and feel to "Wee Small Hours" than the stereo version.

The earliest of the albums I referenced is "Where Are You," (S)W 855, recorded as early as April, 1957. The latest (released) of these is "African Jazz," (S)T 1117, recorded August 1958. "Come Dance With Me," which has a lower catalog number (S)W 1069, was recorded as late as December 1958. And while this may be an oddity, "Kenton in Hi Fi," W 724, was recorded in mono and stereo as early as February 1956. (The stereo version was released only years later, AFAIK).

Anyway, I thought this may be interesting to some of you. I'm curious to know how late the dual mono/stereo recordings on Capitol lasted, in terms of catalog numbers, recording dates, and/or release dates.

Edited August 15, 2009 by Teasing the Korean

[Stereojack]

Interesting post, TTK, but a lot of subjectivity, of course. Capitol was definitely in the forefront of stereo in the 1950's. Nat King Cole's "Love Is the Thing" (recorded December, 1956) is in stereo, although the stereo LP only contains 10 tracks to the 12 tracks which appear on the mono version. If you can find the Capitol/DCC CD release, which contains 15 tracks, mastered by Steve Hoffman, the sound is great.

I suspect that the first issue of these early stereo recordings may have been on reel-to-reel tape, as stereo LP's didn't hit the market until late 1957, and most of the major labels didn't jump in until late 1958, early 1959.

The availability of stereo on many late 1950's recordings has been a long time area of fascination for me, especially given my nickname.

[Teasing the Korean]

Thanks Jack. Well, my opinions about which I like better are subjective; but the descriptions of the different recording techniques are factual. If anyone has any of these Capitol titles from this (brief) period in both mono and stereo and compares them, they will hear the difference between the ambient hall sound on the stereo albums and the more present, detailed sound on the mono records. Whichever of the two sounds better is a matter of preference. I appreciate both aesthetics for different reasons. Either way, I think it's interesting to compare the two approaches, and to realize that a universally admired album may have been heard and appreciated by so many people, albeit in two significantly different forms.

[Stereojack]

Of course I didn't mean to demean your observations. They are very interesting.

One of the engineers who worked for Capitol in the mid-1950's in Los Angeles was Roy DuNann, who is revered in audiophile circles for his stellar work for Contemporary. No doubt he applied his golden ears to many Capitol sessions as well, although, sadly, the engineers are not credited on these classic Capitol LP's.

[Teasing the Korean]

Of course I didn't mean to demean your observations. They are very interesting.

One of the engineers who worked for Capitol in the mid-1950's in Los Angeles was Roy DuNann, who is revered in audiophile circles for his stellar work for Contemporary. No doubt he applied his golden ears to many Capitol sessions as well, although, sadly, the engineers are not credited on these classic Capitol LP's.

Jack, no worries, I didn't take your statement that way.

Yes, I would love to know who some of the behind-the-scenes folks were at Capitol. I'd also love to know who was responsible for the cover art during that period - those are some of the greatest album covers ever IMHO.

[gmonahan]

I find all this very interesting. I assume that the Sinatra albums reissued by Capitol in the "Concepts" box are the stereo versions. Have the mono albums ever been reissued on cd?

greg mo

[Quincy]

Good & fascinating stuff! I'm lucky enough to stumble upon affordable Sinatra LPs at a certain regular garage sale so now I'll know to pay more attention to details.

[Teasing the Korean]

Most of the mono/stereo Sinatra sessions have used the stereo versions on CD.

However, the Mobile Fidelity Gold CD of "Only the Lonely" used the mono recording, as the label felt that it was sonically superior to the stereo. This CD does not include the two bonus tracks that are on the standard OTL CD.

[gmonahan]

Most of the mono/stereo Sinatra sessions have used the stereo versions on CD.

However, the Mobile Fidelity Gold CD of "Only the Lonely" used the mono recording, as the label felt that it was sonically superior to the stereo. This CD does not include the two bonus tracks that are on the standard OTL CD.

Thanks for the heads-up on this! I went ahead and ordered it, as expensive as it is, because this is my favorite Sinatra album. According to the amazon site here, it does include the two bonus tracks, but that might just be Amazon repeating info from the standard cd issue. I guess I'll find out when it arrives. Thanks again.

greg mo

[Teasing the Korean]

Please report back when you get it, my mono copy is pretty scratchy.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

when u mean RECORDED SEPERATELY (in orig. post) do you mean, that entire diff. sessions were recorded for those sinatra albums, for the stereo counterparts?

cause thats what Capitol did when they issued Jackie Gleason's MUSIC FOR LOVERS ONLY in stereo....they are 2 compeletly diff. recording sessings of the same material (+ the 12" one had new songs too included)

[Teasing the Korean]

when u mean RECORDED SEPERATELY (in orig. post) do you mean, that entire diff. sessions were recorded for those sinatra albums, for the stereo counterparts?

No, I meant that during a single session, two tape machines, two mixing boards, two sets of mics, and two engineers were used. The difference in sound is significant enough that if you listen to the mono and stereo recordings, you may as well be listening to two different sessions.

[kh1958]

I really like those old Capitol LPs (turquoise label and rainbow labels with the logo on the left), but I couldn't find any mono/stereo duplicates in my collection--in fact, I don't have any turquoise label stereos.

[Teasing the Korean]

I really like those old Capitol LPs (turquoise label and rainbow labels with the logo on the left), but I couldn't find any mono/stereo duplicates in my collection--in fact, I don't have any turquoise label stereos.

I think they started using the rainbow label with their first stereo releases. The mono counterparts may have still retained the turquoise or dark grey labels, but all the stereo albums I've seen have the rainbow.

[Dan Gould]

My Father had most of the Sinatra LPs - this makes me curious which versions he happened to own. Given the stereo rigs he's had during my lifetime, its unlikely he was big on the newest thing, stereo recordings. The old LPs are boxed up in my old bedroom, maybe I'll remember to look them over at Christmas time.

[Bill Nelson]

According to Steve Hoffman, here's a quick way to tell you've got a good Capitol pressing --

if the matrix# assigned to the album is stamped in an italic or semi-script style in the trail-out grooves (just outside the label).

These can be found on both stereo and mono, with the Capitol logo (usually) on the left. There are some with the newer Capitol logos at 12 o'clock, probably affixed as the older vinyl pressings got used up.

Well into 1960, just prior to Capitol's T/ST 1500 numeric assigning, the italic stamps were replaced by a smaller, upright, sans-serif text stamping.

Please consult your Capitol label expert for more info.

[alocispepraluger102]

i own, since they were released, most of the capitol items mentioned, and most of the gleason, as well.

i have long noticed the difference, but ascribed it to the mixes.

my mono of only the lonely contains an extra track, but, to me, that extra cut doesnt sound like it is from the same session.

does anyone know why.

i would love to own cd rereleases of the mono recordings of these items. where's nessa when you need him?

Edited August 23, 2009 by alocispepraluger102

[Teasing the Korean]

my mono of only the lonely contains an extra track, but, to me, that extra cut doesnt sound like it is from the same session.

does anyone know why.

In the early days of stereo LPs, there were concerns about groove cramming. It was not too unusual to find stereo discs with one or two tracks fewer than the mono versions. For example, the stereo Les Baxter "Ports of Pleasure" does not contain "Spice Islands Sea Birds" or "Bangkok Cockfight" which are both on the mono LP.

[Stereojack]

My understanding is that in the early days of stereo LP's, the variable cutting lathe that was used to cut the masters had not yet been developed. Since the stereo grooves (which contained more information) were wider than the mono grooves, it was sometimes necessary to drop a couple of tracks which were on the mono version. I can name many instances where this occurred. Eventually the variable lathe was introduced, and from this point on, the mono and stereo versions were usually (but not always) identical. But that would be another conversation.

[Teasing the Korean]

Did the extra tracks show up on the stereo reel tapes that were issued?

[jtaylor]

Thanks for the thread. Good stuff!

For those of you interested in how the mono mixes differed from their stereo counterparts, Analogue Productions will soon be releasing a handful of Nat Cole albums, mixed and mastered by Steve Hoffman. Of special interest is that four of the albums - LOVE IS THE THING (1956), JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS (1957), ST LOUIS BLUES (1958) & THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU (1958) will be issued in both stereo and mono, the mono mixes being presented for the first time in 50 years. Also included in the set are albums that predate stereo (AFTER MIDNIGHT) and two later albums that did not have dedicated mono mixes and will therefore appear only in stereo.

As best I can tell, Capitol did away with the dual-mic setup and integrated the separate control rooms around 1959. Seems by the time Sinatra recorded NO ONE CARES the integration had taken place; definitely by the time Nat Cole recorded WILD IS LOVE in March 1960.

Edited August 23, 2009 by jtaylor

[Stereojack]

Did the extra tracks show up on the stereo reel tapes that were issued?

This is a good question, and I don't have an overall answer, only having investigated a small number of reel-to-reel tapes. I have encountered a few that were missing tracks, but I've never been able to come up with a good reason for that other than record company greed.

[gmonahan]

Please report back when you get it, my mono copy is pretty scratchy.

I've just been listening to the Original Master Recording gold disc of the mono version of "Only the Lonely" we were mentioning earlier in this thread. It is simply gorgeous. Warm, intimate, beautifully mixed. I did a couple of comparisons between it and the stereo version in the Concepts box, and the mono wins hands down. I can hear the orchestra parts far more distinctly, Miller's piano seems closer, and Sinatra's voice, seldom better than on this album, sounds to me as if he's practically in the room with me. Indeed, while I (and a few gazillion others) have always been struck by his phrasing, what hit me here was his diction, the way he chose to pronounce ending "d's" and "t's" clearly in some cases and soften them in others. What a master he was.

I don't mean to diss the stereo versions. I've been listening to them for a long time, but I would LOVE to have some of Sinatra's other albums from this period in this format (even if it is pretty spendy)! A thousand thanks to TTK for turning me on this one!

Oh yeah, and the bonus tracks are *not* on this disc--just the original 12 tracks, as TTK said. Amazon was wrong again.

greg mo

Edited August 24, 2009 by Greg M.

[Teasing the Korean]

Thanks for sharing.

[Teasing the Korean]

Recently upgraded my copy of OTL on LP. I had a scratchy mono US pressing, but found a very clean UK mono pressing (not a fold-down). Very nice in mono. Also found a UK mono "Come Fly with Me" at the same time. I know this only in stereo, so I'm looking forward to the mono version.

EDIT: Listening now. Boy, you really hear the marimba in the instrumental section of "Brazil." It is buried on the stereo version.

Edited February 20, 2010 by Teasing the Korean