a few Beatles updates

I think I might have “Ask Me Why” as an MP3 somewhere, but it’s at home
and I’m out of town. I no longer believe that “Please Please Me” is different
from the UK pressing. I got it in sync with the American version, matched
the EQ, and I can’t tell where it switches over. But “Ask Me Why” is
definitely dryer on the UK pressing. Also, one of the Beatles recording
chronologies lists additional work being done on “Ask Me Why” at a later
date, after the UK single was released.

Thanks for looking into it. I saw that Usenet guide (version 2 and version 3). The latter says about "Ask Me Why", The original mono mix, the “dry mix” [a], has no added reverb. The second mono mix, [ b], is a “wet mix” by contrast. It features a complementary amount of reverb. The later mix is the one used for all subsequent appearances including the CD single, since there was one designated official digital mix.

I just tried another comparison in Audition, after getting the EQ to match, and applying some dynamic range compression to the album version to match the 1976 reissue single. The compression effectively raises the volume of the solo reverb tails during the brief pauses in the song, which can seem like "added" reverb, but it's really not. However, I'm of the opinion now that the album mix "Ask Me Why" does have very slightly more reverb in some spots, e.g. in the vocal "you tell me things I want to know" at 1:17.

But the single mix is definitely is not dry, and the difference is far from obvious. This is reminding me of the 1996 Byrds remixes, many of which are impossible to discern from the originals. So I can't completely rule out something different on "Please Please Me", especially given the comments by Steve Hoffman, but I'm having a hard time tracking down the original UK single. Well, they're out there, but they're quite pricey these days.

For anyone interested I just got the Super Deluxe Revolver set that came out from the Beatles.

Since I have the 2009 stereo rips I compared and the stereo on the 2022 set is better balanced and what it should sound like to my ears. Eleanor Rigby is a perfect example. On the 2022 deluxe both sides of the stereo are balanced, where in the 2009 stereo you get one dead listening side while the other side is going at :35 in for example. Hard to explain but the gist of it is that it just is a better mix they finally got the stereo right IMHO.

As an extra disc it also includes paperback writer and rain stereo and mono. Keep in mind this is the first album pre-Sgt Pepper where often the stereo got terribly ignored because the Beatles were all about the mono. This is the first time I can say I enjoyed listening to the stereo without the unusual panning that the Beatles were mastered with.

https://www.goldminemag.com/reviews/the-beatles-super-deluxe -edition-of-revolver-will-please-the-cd-collector-too

Edited by PopArchivist

Yah Shure wrote: Best alternative: track down the last editions of the Capitol Starline reissue 45s on the black/rainbow colorband label from the late '80s-early '90s. It's been a long time since I listened to them, but most of these still featured the Capitol mono 45 mixes where applicable, even if not cut as hot as the original U.S. 45s had been. The pressings were done by Specialty, using quieter vinyl than the earlier (late-'60s to mid-'80s) reissues manufactured by Capitol's own plants.

Had to laugh when I read that. Was it possible to find noisier vinyl than Capitol used on their 45 in that era? Crackle city!!