Records, CDs and Music:

Happy Birthday Sir Paul! – Paul McCartney’s Columbia Records Output Part 2: Reissue Vinyl

June 18, 2025June 18, 2025 Leave a comment

Happy Birthday Sir Paul!

Eighty-three years ago today, Paul McCartney came into the world in Liverpool, England and to celebrate I thought it might be fun to take a look at my copies of his Columbia Records output on vinyl.

Several blogs ago I took a look at his CBS CD’s that I own but recently I’ve stumbled upon a few really cheap pressings of his CBS vinyl so I thought it was time to share what I found and what I own from McCartney’s short tenure on the Columbia label – specifically reissues of his Apple/Capitol albums and not new recordings.

For me, sharing McCartney’s recorded output is the best way to celebrate his life so what better way than on his birthday to delve into his Columbia Records pressings and post some photos here as you rarely see them online.

For those who don’t know, Paul McCartney was signed to Columbia Records exclusively for the North American market from 1979 to 1984.

Not only did he release new albums on Columbia (“Back to the Egg”, “McCartney II”, “The McCartney Interview” (not a studio album, it contained interviews), “Tug of War”, “Pipes of Peace” and “Give My Regards to Broad Street”) he also released his eight of his albums that originally came out on Apple/Capitol Records from 1970 to 1977.

The Apple/Capitol albums he reissued on Columbia include: “McCartney”, “Ram”, “Wild Life”, “Red Rose Speedway”, “Band on the Run”, “Venus and Mars”, “Wings at the Speed of Sound” and the triple Lp set “Wings Over America”.

The initial Columbia issues of McCartney’s Apple/Capitol albums that had goodies like booklets and posters and special labels (“Red Rose Speedway”, “Band on the Run”, “Venus and Mars” and “Wings at the Speed of Sound”) were issued exactly as the originals but were then replaced a couple of years later with copies with just the basic red Columbia label and no frills.

One exception is the “Wings Over America” triple album that was reissued in 1984 shortly before McCartney went back to Capitol in North America and it was issued just like the original issue but without the poster.

I own Columbia issues of the “Venus and Mars” album both with the posters and stickers and the issue with the same fold out cover but no extras (see photos below).

I believe the Columbia reissues of McCartney’s Apple/Capitol albums first started appearing around 1980/81 and continued until that last Columbia reissue of the “Wings Over America” album in 1984.

I have to say that while it’s not common to find the Columbia albums they aren’t too terribly hard to find out in the wild except for maybe the “Wings Over America” set which I’ve only seen once and bought.

Weirdly enough I’ve just recently come across two different Columbia pressings of the “Wild Life” album (one a promo copy and one a pressing from Canada) so the Columbia pressings do turn up unexpectedly from time to time. They must have sold relatively well especially “Band on the Run” and “Venus and Mars” which are the ones I see the most.

One thing I can say for sure is that these Columbia pressings of McCartney’s albums sound very good, and in some cases, excellent. I found the Columbia pressings of “Band on the Run” and “Ram” to sound the best of the Columbia issues but the others aren’t far behind.

All of the Columbia pressings I own are in excellent shape with quiet vinyl and are a joy to listen to compared to some of my Apple/Capitol pressings which are a bit more worn.

Well, that’s all for now. There are a ton of photos above and below of my Columbia pressings so feast your eyes if you’ve never seen them.

Again, Happy Birthday Sir Paul and may you have many more!

Until next time be happy, healthy and well and see you soon.

Flashback: My Newspaper Preview and Review of Elton John Live in Fort Wayne April 2012

April 23, 2025April 23, 2025 Leave a comment

Once again, we’re taking a trip on the way back machine.

This time though it’s not decades ago as usual but a mere thirteen years or so, almost to the day in fact.

For today’s blog, I thought I’d take a look back a newspaper preview story and a review I did of a concert Elton John performed here in Fort Wayne, IN on April 21, 2012.

John performed a completely solo show with just him at the piano the whole night sans a backing band. Needless to say, it was a thrilling concert and Elton was on fire and it was by far the best performance I ever saw by the man.

I posted the review below as it ran in (the now defunct) The News-Sentinel newspaper as well as the preview piece I wrote the week before (see photos below).

I also used some photos I took at the show where I was lucky enough to be escorted to the front of the stage in spot very near where Elton was playing – amazing looking back all these years later.

I thought I’d start a series of some of my old reviews and articles using alternate photos that never made the newspaper article just for fun.

Anyway, enjoy. This concert was truly amazing and well worth remembering.

Hopefully see you soon at my next post but until then be safe and well and healthy and enjoy your summer to come.

Here we go:

Elton John is ‘Fantastic’ at Memorial Coliseum concert
By James Grant of The News-Sentinel
April 21, 2012

Elton John called himself Captain Fantastic on his 1975 autobiographical album “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy,” and for good reason.

As he displayed last night to a sold-out crowd at the Memorial Coliseum, John still is quite fantastic and age has not dimmed his ability as a performer nor his desire to put on a first-class, entertaining show.

John emerged in a mist of fog and, from the moment he took the Coliseum stage, the roar of the audience let him know Fort Wayne was glad to see him and that his music still resonated with them.

Dressed rather stately (yet rock star-like) in a long black suit lined with sequins that had a large white Z on his back and cuff sleeves and wearing a pair of pink sunglasses, John opened the show with “The One”, a song from his hit album of the same name from 1992.

Even with a minimal stage setup that consisted of just his black Yamaha piano, a large LED light display above him and two large video screens on each side of the stage, John showed he is a truly magnetic and gifted performer who needs nothing more than his music to enthrall an audience.

Song after song, hit after hit, John rummaged through his illustrious catalog of classics, performing such fan favorites as “Your Song,” “Rocket Man” “Daniel,” “Bennie and the Jets” and “Crocodile Rock.”

Longtime Elton John followers were also rewarded when John performed some of his lesser-known gems, such as a medley of “Carla Etude/Tonight” (from his albums “The Fox” and “Blue Moves” respectively) and “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” (from his “Honky Chateau” album) and “The Greatest Discovery” (from his second album entitled simply “Elton John”).

John is one of a handful of performers who has the ability to keep an audience spellbound without the aid of pyrotechnics or a massive stage set.

Without taking a break, John performed alone at his piano with only the occasional addition of synthesizer to accompany him for nearly three hours. Throughout the night John’s voice was strong and, though it did strain occasionally on certain notes, it was still remarkably expressive and full of passion.

Having seen Elton John perform in concert once before with his band in 1992, this show was a much more intimate affair that highlighted John as a singer-songwriter over the madcap Elton John stage persona he’s crafted over the years.

The intimate nature of John’s performance did have one drawback: The audience got up frequently as if John was playing an 11, 000 seat living room, which was a little distracting at times.

Though the audience was skewed toward people in their 40s and 50s, there were also quite a few younger people in attendance from tweens to teens to people in their 20s and 30s.

Diane Dubbelde of Fort Wayne, who wasn’t even born during John’s most popular period from 1970-77, has been looking forward to seeing John perform as she heard his music frequently growing up.

“He’s awesome,” Dubbelde said. “My dad used to listen to him all the time. I like his music, the songs are memorable.”

As for the show, Dubbelde summed up her feelings with six words: “Loved it, loved it, loved it!”

Another person who really enjoyed the show was Fort Wayne native Jennifer Balsarotti, who drove with her husband, Joe, from their home in St. Louis to see the show.

She had seen John perform previously with his full band but wanted the opportunity to see him perform solo.

“It rocked my world,” Balsarotti said of the show. “Unbelievable, it was awesome. Really, out of this world. One of the best shows I’ve ever seen.”

The highlight of the evening for me was when John came out for his final encore and took about five minutes to sign autographs on T-shirts, programs, albums and anything else put in front of him by
fans near the front of the stage.

Just before he launched into his final song, a medley of “Circle of Life/Can You Feel the Love Tonight” that he wrote for “The Lion King” film and soundtrack, John sincerely thanked the crowd for supporting him all these years and said it’s that love and support that keeps him performing.

It was a touching and emotional end to a superb performance by a legendary musician who genuinely loves performing and is able to communicate that love to his audience.

Captain Fantastic? Indeed.

Setlist from Setlist.fm:

Tonight at 7:30 on NBC-TV: “Monkees in the Shrink” and “Mismatched Monkees” Brought to You By Kellogg’s

April 6, 2025 Leave a comment

I’m back and not as long a wait as last time!

Today I thought I’d take a look at some fun Monkee finds that I’ve happened to find in the last five months or so throughout my antique travels. It’s been a fruitful time for Monkees scores for me so I hope that the rest of 2025 keeps up the pace.

But before I go full tilt into today’s post I just have to give some background on my lifelong search for Monkees records.

As I’ve said before, back in the dark ages – from 1972 to say oh 1985 – it was a hard task finding used Monkees records at least in my neck of the woods. In that long ago era The Monkees were seen as so uncool and disposable that there just wasn’t much of a demand for their used records I guess.

At least I rarely found them and if I did it was at garage sales and you usually found the first three albums and they almost always looked as if they’d been used as frisbees – barely playable that’s for sure.

Fast forward a few decades or so and I have to say that I am so surprised to find plenty of used Monkees albums and many of them still in the shrink – and often fairly cheap!

Case in point – this blog post.

Of course I’ve also found some really offbeat mismatched records too and those have been fun as well.

So let’s get started.

I named this blog as if they were two lost Monkees episodes from the 1960s – “Monkees in the Shrink” and “Mismatched Monkees” – just for a bit of fun.

“Monkees in the Shrink”:

This first section is in honor of all the groovy Colgems Monkees albums I’ve found lately still with their shrink wrap intact. Some still have price tags (I love it when they still have the price!) and two of them looked as if they had never been played at all and if they were it was very light as there are no spindle marks on their labels at all.

So what did I find? Here’s the list:

“The Monkees” in both mono and stereo both RE pressings, “More of the Monkees” stereo RE pressing with the later Colgems label on the rear panel, “Headquarters” stereo first pressing, “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd.” stereo first pressing and a first stereo pressing of The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees”.

The crazy thing is I paid under $10 for all of them except for “More of the Monkees” which was $20, a fair price considering it’s about as near mint as you can get.

The other thing that amazed me was just how good most of these records sound. Two of them – “More of the Monkees” and “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd.” – are the two best sounding stereo pressings of these albums I own and I own quite a few.

Both of them are in pristine shape but neither of them had any sibilance issues that plague many Colgems pressings and the copy of “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd.” in particular is what I would call a hot pressing as it just jumps out the speakers with a force and clarity that my other issues of this album lack.

If there are any Monkeefiles out there check the matrix numbers on any used copies of this album you find and if you see these (Side 1 – UZRS-9729 6S, Side 2 – UZRS-9730 6S) grab it because it’s one majorly dynamic pressing.

That’s not to say the other pressings don’t sound great, they do (well, okay this copy of The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees is a little worn and has some sibilance issues) it’s just those two I just mentioned sounded so outstanding it really surprised me.

“Mismatched Monkees”

Now here is the section of some odd finds. To top the list I found the cover for the 1969 album “Present” but inside it had both discs for the 1971 Colgems compilation Barrel Full of Monkees.

Luckily both discs were in VG shape and played amazingly well. This pressing is one of the early 70s flexi type thin vinyl issues but I was surprised at just how good they sounded. It was a little dirty but after a good cleaning it played just fine and with much more bass and detail then I was expecting.

And the best part it was in the dollar bin so that made it too hard to resist so I bought it.

In that same store I also found a somewhat dirty copy of the 1968 single “D. W. Washburn/It’s Nice to Be with You” with the “D. W. Washburn” label on both sides. Very cool oddity and again after a good cleaning this 45 sounds amazing. I am impressed that Colgems 45s in most cases play great even if they look terrible.

Another cheap find at that same store was a stereo copy of “The Monkees” stuck inside a really lovely mono cover. It was only $2 so I thought I’d get it just for the cover as the record looked a bit loved but again after cleaning the album it sounded so good that I decided to keep it.

(Btw, this stereo copy of “The Monkees” has a matrix that ends in 10S for Side 1 and 5S for Side 2 – for any Monkee nerds out there)

Of course I may need some therapy as I own several copies of this album but what the hey, right?

Well, that’s my latest Monkees finds for today. As usual you can see plenty of photos of these gems above and below and I also listed the matrix numbers below in case anyone was curious.

Until next time be healthy and well and happy spring and happy record hunting if you’re so inclined!

Matrix guide for the albums above:

Barrel Full of Monkees:
Side 1 – ZZRS-6425 3S
Side 4 – ZZRS-6426 3S
Side 2 – ZZRS-6427 4S
Side 3 – ZZRS-6428 3S

Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd (Stereo):
Side 1 – UZRS-9729 6S
Side 2 – UZRS-9730 6S

The Monkees (Mono RE):
Side 1 – TZRM-4687 9S
Side 2 – TZRM-4688 15S

The Monkees (Stereo RE):
Side 1 – TZRS-4689 2S
Side 2 – TZRS-4690 5S

More of the Monkees (Stereo RE):
Side 1 – TZRS-8693 20S
Side 2 – TZRS-8694 12S

Headquarters (Stereo):
Side 1 – UZRS-8397 12S
Side 2 – UZRS-8398 12S

The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (Stereo):
Side 1 – WZRS-3519 5S
Side 2 – WZRS-3520 5S

A Pile of Partridge 2025 – Come on, Get Happy!

April 5, 2025April 5, 2025 Leave a comment

Well I’m back after a long absence of a couple months or so. Since it was winter and dreary I really wasn’t in the mood to do much so I took a bit of an extended break.

Luckily in the last three weeks or so I’ve had a chance to search antique and record stores far and wide and have found three particularly wonderful finds.

It just so happens that they all are fairly rare Partridge Family finds, two of which I never found in the wild, and all three in lovely minty condition!

Here’s what I found:

* “The World of The Partridge Family” – this is probably the rarest of The Partridge Family albums. It’s a two record set released in 1974 at the end of the television series. Not only did it look unplayed but was in the shrink wrap with a hype sticker!

* “The Partridge Family At Home with Their Greatest Hits” – this particular pressing I didn’t even know existed. I searched online after I found it and was surprised to learn that Arista records must have released this in the ’80s sometime. Another stone mint record that actually sounds better than the Bell Records pressing from 1972.

* “The Partridge Family Album” – this is a pressing of their first album from the UK. I have another copy of this UK pressing but it’s fairly beat up so I was glad to find that this one doesn’t look like it’s ever been played, truly near mint condition.

How do they sound you ask?

Well I have to say I was pleasantly surprised that all three of these albums sound superb. The biggest surprise of all of them was “The World of The Partridge Family” which is probably the best sounding Partridge Family vinyl I own.

Not only was the two-disc set mint but this pressing is truly wonderful with super quiet vinyl (a rarity for Bell Records from the 1970s I assure you) and very dynamic with a lot of bass and a clarity that isn’t present on most Partridge Family Bell Records pressings.

Original Partridge Family albums are notoriously hit or miss sound wise but this set just shines and may be my favorite sounding Partridge Family album – truly superb from start to finish and a nice song selection to boot.

The Arista pressing of “The Partridge Family At Home with Their Greatest Hits” was also surprising as it bests the original 1972 pressing though it’s not quite as dynamic sounding as “The World of The Partridge Family”. Lovely to have and another great listen. Odd to see the Arista label on a Partridge Family vinyl release but nice.

I guess the biggest surprise was how great the UK pressing of “The Partridge Family Album” sounds! UK pressings of Partridge Family albums were most likely made from a tape a generation away from the ones that made their first US pressings but this particular first UK pressing is dynamic sounding with a lot of nice bass and a truly wonderful quality pressing that was silent and very warm sounding.

I have to say of all the pressings I own of this album this may be my favorite. I have other UK pressings of Partridge Family albums that don’t sound nearly this good.

The other wonderful thing about these albums is that all three of them were each under $5. Yes, you heard right, $15 for the three of them!!! I found them at an obscure antique mall that weirdly enough had a lot of foreign pressings and oddities.

I’m guessing that most people don’t think that Partridge Family albums have much value but “The World of The Partridge Family” is especially tough to locate and on top of that near impossible to find still with the shrink wrap with a hype sticker and in near mint condition. This album didn’t particularly sell well at the time so they aren’t as plentiful as their regular albums which are fairly easy to locate.

And again I never even knew the Arista pressing of “The Partridge Family At Home with Their Greatest Hits” even existed so I was ecstatic to find it. I’m guessing this was reissued sometime in the 1980s but I don’t know the exact date or how long it was available. I have never seen one before but online I do see that it is out there but I’m guessing it’s fairly rare.

I can honestly say that all three of these albums are probably my favorite Partridge Family find ever while antiquing. Cheap, rare and wonderful – which is the best way to find them.

A great way to start 2025, collecting wise at least.

Well that’s all for now. I have a few other finds I’m going to be posting shortly so I just wanted to add this to the list of truly wonderful record discoveries found in some out of the way and obscure places.

Until next time I hope everything is well in your world and hopefully we’ll all be able to survive 2025 intact LOL.

See you soon!

At Last: A True Mono Pressing of “The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees” (From Venezuela) Has Landed!

January 16, 2025January 16, 2025 2 Comments

Good things come to those who wait – or so they say.

As for me I have to say this year has turned out to be one of my best years so far for vinyl purchases and it’s only 16 days old!

Today I received a package containing a Venezuelan pressing of The Monkees fifth album “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” and to top it off this particular pressing is in MONO! True, glorious mono!!!

If you read this blog at all you’ll know that the true mono mix of “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” album on vinyl is supremely rare and very difficult to find. The true mono mix was of course first issued in the United States but there were several other countries that also released this particular mix.

(Note: Countries that issued the true mono mix of “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” include: Australia, El Salvador, India, Israel, Mexico, Philippines, Puerto Rico, South Africa, USA and Venezuela – this list comes from the superb Monkees Website Monkee45s.net)

The several countries like the UK and Canada that did issue a mono mix of “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” album didn’t use the true mono mix but instead used a fold down of the stereo mix. While this version sounds fine it’s missing all of the unique mixes that make the true mono USA mix sound so special.

I’ve had a couple of those fold down versions and while they’re decent listens they’re nothing like listening to the actual mono mix which is my preferred way of hearing this album.

As far as the songs go the two most radically different sounding mixes are for “Auntie’s Municipal Court” and “Tapioca Tundra” as they both sound far superior to their stereo counterparts with a snap to the guitars and vocals that’s not present in stereo.

Many of the other songs have subtler differences like more echo or a better blend of the instruments and overall the sound of this mono version comes across as a bit grittier and a bit more psychedelic sounding than the regular stereo mix that most people have know for decades.

And trust me, it’s nearly next to impossible to locate a mono Colgems pressing of “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” in the wild as I’ve searched for over forty years and never found one. I do see online people finding them at antique stores or yard sales but I’ve personally never found one.

Of course I could always have paid a fortune for a USA mono mix on ebay but the hunt for a decent copy at a decent price has always been one of my favorite pastimes and lo and behold the day after my last birthday, January 14th, this gem landed in my mailbox. Happy birthday to me.

There has been a reissue on Rhino Records in 2009 of the true mono mix that was taken from a vinyl copy of a foreign mono pressing of this album and while that version is decent there’s no comparison to a true mono pressing which has a sparkle and vibrancy that’s missing on any other version.

For some reason the the mono transfer from that 2009 3 CD box set of “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” just sounds lackluster compared to a 1968 mono vinyl copy. Don’t get me wrong it’s a decent transfer but this Venezuelan vinyl copy just blows away the sound of the version on the 3 CD set for sure.

Until the mono master tape of “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” is found the best way to hear this unique mono mix is a vinyl copy of the album from 1968.

(Note 2: the mono master for “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” has been missing in action for decades. There are mono mixes on tape of some of the songs from the album but the entire mono master has yet to be found.)

I do have some of the mono mixes of songs from “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” on two Mexican EPs (see a previous blog post in search) and those sound just as exciting as this mono LP that I just received. For anyone who’s never heard the true mono mix from a vinyl source it’s an unbelievably great sounding recording and well worth tracking down if you can find one at a decent price.

Weirdly enough just this past Friday I was looking online at the Discogs Website (a great Website to buy physical media – discogs.com) and stumbled upon a listing for a Venezuelan mono copy for $40.

Of course my eyes nearly popped out of my head and while there were photos of an actual Venezuelan pressing I had the sneaky suspicion that these weren’t photographs of the album that this person was selling. They were the same photos of the mono version from Monkee45s.net.

Because the price was so good I decided I’d go ahead and order it and if I got burned I got burned. The seller said the album cover and the vinyl itself were both in VG condition with ink marks on the back of the cover and a few tape marks on the front and back of the cover as well.

After receiving the album yesterday and playing it I am happy to state that the covers really in pretty decent shape except for the marker on the back (truly in VG condition) which doesn’t matter to me as the vinyl inside I would say is VG++. And it does indeed play the rare true mono mix!

In fact I can honestly say this is probably the best sounding vinyl copy of any Monkees foreign pressing I’ve ever purchased! Not a hint of crack or pop and it looks like it’s been super well cared for and in great shape.

Needless to say I couldn’t be more pleased and after all these years having tried to hunt down the true mono mix on vinyl all I can say is it was well worth the wait.

So there you have it. Happy 2025 and may the rest of this year bring such good luck in physical media pursuits!

As usual you can see photos above of this groovy mono copy of “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees”.

Until next time be happy and well and see you soon!

Weekend Antique Store Scores: Monkees “HEAD” RE, “The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees” UK Mono and Two CD Bin Displays (Lennon & McCartney)

December 22, 2024December 22, 2024 Leave a comment

As 2024 comes to a close, I must say this past year may go down as one of the luckiest years in recent memory for me at least for antique store finds.

Just this past weekend in fact, I may end the year with some of my most surprising finds from a little dingy out of the way antique store that was open for the last day before it was being moved to another location next year.

Yesterday I was making my usual trek through some antique locations that I drop in on from time to time and happened upon a sign saying store closing -deals inside. Now this particular antique store was one I usually passed by as I never really find much there but with a fifty percent off sign staring me in the face I thought “sure, why not”.

I’m glad I did.

I actually hadn’t been inside this store for quite a while so I thought maybe they may have something worthwhile this time and to my surprise they sure did!

Most of the booths were in the process of being packed away and dismantled but toward the back there was one booth full of music posters with CDs as well as vinyl so I naturally took a look through the bins to see what they had.

The first lucky find was spotted by a friend who was with me. She said they have a couple of photos of John Lennon and Paul McCartney on a shelf and was I interested in looking at them.

I said that I really wasn’t interested in photos as I made my way through the vinyl but she handed me a small cardboard cutout with the art work from John Lennon’s “Shaved Fish” album and that got my attention.

“What the?” I thought to my self as I stared at what looked like a very thin longbox for the CD of “Shaved Fish”. In fact it indeed was the same artwork from the late eighties CD issue longbox of Lennon’s first solo greatest hits album but was flat as a pancake.

The sticker on the rear of the item said CD bin display and was marked $9.99. Just as I looked up I noticed a couple of shelves up a similar cardboard display but this one was for the Paul McCartney and Wings album “London Town”.

I own this particular longbox and it is indeed the exact same artwork but flat and not in box form.

Since they were fifty percent off I thought it was interesting enough for sure to buy them. For the life of me I don’t remember ever seeing many, if any, solo Beatles CD bin displays or holders so this was a cool find. At least it made the trip worthwhile.

Just as I was about to leave I noticed one more crate of records and this one had a Lovin’ Spoonful album in front so I was excited as it was the right era as I am all about the 1960s.

As I made it to the middle of the crate I could see the shiny reflection of what looked the like the cover of The Monkees 1968 album “The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees”. My heart stopped for a moment as I secretly hope it was a foreign pressing of this album and maybe just maybe a true mono copy from Australia or something.

(Note: copies of Monkees albums from overseas are sometimes laminated on the front especially copies manufactured in the UK and other countries)

Well I was almost correct, it was indeed a mono copy of this album but it was a mono copy from the UK. My heart sank a little. It was really cool to find a UK copy of any Monkees record in an obscure antique store but this particular album was not a true mono copy.

(Note 2: mono copies of the US pressing of “The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees” are super hard to find and very valuable. In fact I’ve never seen one in person. The mono mix of this album is very different from the common stereo pressing and is very desired by collectors.

Some other foreign countries released this true mono mix including Mexico and Puerto Rico but the UK copy is just the stereo mix folded down to mono thus does not include the groovy rare true mono mixes that make this mono album desirable)

Again since this too was marked $9.99 and fifty percent off of that I thought I’d buy it as I may never see another copy and certainly not this cheap. The matrix on this copy ended in 1K so it must be a first UK pressing though honestly I’m not sure how well it sold in the UK as it wasn’t a big hit there so it might not have had a second pressing.

I also have to say that while this isn’t a true mono mix of the album I thought it sounded pretty darn good and I swear that even though it’s a fold down the Mike Nesmith tracks especially have enough of a difference to make it interesting as the fold down process highlights different sounds making them sound like slightly different mixes.

The absolute true score of the day though was the album right behind it.

As I lifted out the UK mono “The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees” I saw another 1968 Monkees album; a dirt covered Colgems pressing of the soundtrack to their only film called “Head”.

I have a couple of copies of the original Colgems “Head” album so I wasn’t that intrigued until I flipped this particular copy over.

In the upper right corner of the back cover I saw the letters “RE”. For those of you who don’t know RE on Colgems albums means reissue and this dirty copy of “Head” is the very difficult to find second pressing of the album that corrected the spelling of Gerry Goffin on the lower right hand corner of the album (see photos above).

This is only the second copy of this RE pressing I’ve ever seen and I own the other copy. I did a previous blog post about that copy but after cleaning up the cover (the dirt wiped right off as the cover of this album is made of mylar which is a shiny material and wipes easily without any damage to the cover) of this copy it’s actually in better shape than my other copy which had been taped over with cellophane as the side cover had split.

(Note 3: why oh why is it that the two covers that I have found of this RE version are worn while I have seen several VG+ copies of the regular first issue Colgems pressing. Go figure.)

Since this one had a fairly dirty cover and record it was marked $5.99 so at half off this was a complete steal especially since it cleaned up so well.

Anyway this copy sounded fantastic after a good cleaning and had matrixes that ended with 6S on side one and 10S on side two – much higher than I thought they would be as this album wasn’t a big seller for The Monkees like the five albums that precede it.

Well there you have it. I end the year on a collecting high note.

As usual you can see the photos above and see how nice this copy of “Head” ended up as well as the others.

Until next time be well and if I don’t post before the new year have a great Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2025.

See you soon!

“Meet the Beatles” … Again – 60th Anniversary Vinyl Reissues of The Beatles 1964 U.S. Albums

November 22, 2024November 23, 2024 1 Comment

Sixty-one years ago today on November 22, 1963 The Beatles released their second album in the UK called “With the Beatles”.

That day of course may be better remembered to history as the day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas but still nonetheless for Beatles fans it was a day of celebration, at least in the United Kingdom.

As for US fans, many of the songs from the “With the Beatles” weren’t released in the States until January 1964 when The Beatles American record label Capitol Records issued the album “Meet the Beatles” setting off a cultural explosion that still reverberates to this day over sixty years later.

Today I am, along with Capitol Records, celebrating the January 1964 release of “Meet the Beatles” with a brand spanking new vinyl reissue of the mono version of that Capitol album that’s been released today in honor of The Beatles taking America by storm in 1964.

Also being reissued today are mono versions of “The Beatles’ Second Album”, “A Hard Day’s Night” (UA Soundtrack), “Something New”, “Beatles ‘65” and “The Early Beatles”. There’s also a limited edition box set being issued called “The Beatles: 1964 Albums in Mono” that collects all of the above albums and throws in an exclusive reissue of the 1964 double vinyl album called “The Beatles Story”.

(Note: all of these albums except “The Early Beatles” were first issued in the States in 1964. “The Early Beatles” was issued by Capitol Records in 1965 but contains songs that were issued on the 1964 Vee Jay album “Introducing the Beatles” but I’m guessing Capitol Records didn’t have the rights to issue the artwork and label for that album so they chose to reissue “The Early Beatles” instead to fill its place for the 1964 US Beatles albums)

This time I didn’t splurge for the expensive box set and have only acquired the Target exclusive blue vinyl issue of “Meet the Beatles” … so far. But I have to say this new blue vinyl version from Target sure is purdy.

The cover is also well done with sturdy card stock that has a glossy finish. There’s also a nice card stock replica of the original Capitol inner sleeve as well as a terrific small booklet that features excellent notes and photos supplied by author Bruce Spizer.

As for the sound, this newly remastered mono album sounds really nice. In fact the album practically explodes from the speakers from the first few beats of “I Want to Hold Your Hand”. There’s definitely a lot more bass than the original mono pressings from 1964 and there’s a nice clarity and punch especially to the two songs in true mono.

Most of the mixes on this mono version are fold-downs from the stereo mix meaning they weren’t dedicated mono mixes but the combination of the left and right channels mixed down from the stereo. They still pack quite a punch and the vocals are nice and clear as well.

I think the original 1964 mono pressings sound more lifeless than this particular version. You don’t notice the deficit in the folded down mixes as much on this version because the bass is much nicer. The couple of dedicated mono mixes (“I Want to Hold Your Hand”, “This Boy”) here still pack a bit more punch than the fold-downs but overall this is a much better listening experience of this mono Capitol album than the original pressing.

I think I will definitely add the new versions of “Something New” and “Beatles ’65” or maybe “A Hard Day’s Night” as those all contain true mono mixes and should sound great. You can still tell the fold-down mono mixes aren’t quite as full of life as the true mono mixes but they are improved sound wise for sure.

I do have to say this particular blue vinyl pressing is very impressive and very quiet and clean and sounds terrific; what more could you ask for?

(Note 2: the Capitol rainbow label on this new issue is the first label “Meet the Beatles” was released with without BMI or ASCAP – nice touch courtesy of Mr. Spizer)

Of course if you’re hoping for the same dynamics as the true UK mono mix of the “With the Beatles” songs that are on this album well they aren’t the same. The Capitol mixes were designed to be heard loud and clear over old portable record players and this new mastering definitely improves that sound and is actually a really nice listen.

If you want to listen to the mono Capitol 1964 albums, these are the way to go for sure.

Time will tell if I add a few more of these new pressings, and I’m guessing that I probably will, but until that time I have to say this is really a great way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of The Beatles arriving in America.

Also next week a new documentary will be premiering on Disney+ called “Beatles ’64” which is a perfect tie-in for these albums and also the perfect way to experience what it was like first hand to view Beatlemania in the US in 1964.

That’s all for now and as usual you can see photos of this groovy new blue vinyl version above.

More to follow if I purchase any of the other 1964 albums that were reissued today – who am I kidding lol, I will.

Take care and be well and see you soon.

Be Here Now – “Living in the Material World” by George Harrison Gets New Life with Remixed 50th Anniversary Editions

November 15, 2024November 16, 2024 Leave a comment

Well here we are, yet another 50th anniversary of a beloved record from my past.

(Note: It’s technically the 51st anniversary but I won’t quibble)

Yesterday, several brand new 50th Anniversary editions of George Harrison’s 1973 “Living in the Material World” album were issued on both vinyl and CD formats and of course I have a couple of them to share with you: the 2 CD set which features a nice poster, booklet as well as a second disc of outtakes and the orange vinyl version of the single album that is a Barnes & Noble exclusive.

(Note 2: There’s also a deluxe set that includes CDs, vinyl, Blu-Ray and a hardback book as well another vinyl version available separately that includes a double vinyl version of the album with the outtakes on a second vinyl disc.)

My history of this album dates back to 1977 when I purchased the album on vinyl at a local record store called Karma Records. I remember it well as the guy at the register looked at the album as I brought it up to pay for it and said that this album wasn’t as good as Harrison’s first album and then he proceeded to take me to a copy of the “All Thing Must Pass” 3 Lp set.

Of course the eleven year-old me only had enough money to pay for the single album of “Living in the Material World” and besides I was so attracted to the front cover which I thought looked like some sort of pirate hand outstretched from the great beyond that my mind was set on (sorry for the pun) getting this particular record.

My oldest brother who was buying “The Stranger” album by Billy Joel came up behind me and said to the clerk that I wanted the album that I brought to the counter so off I went with my first copy of “Living in the Material World”.

I have always enjoyed this record and even way back in 1977 I thought the musical textures of the songs on the album were very rich and I was then, and still am, a huge fan of the album especially the songs “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)”, “Don’t Let Me Wait Too Long”, “Try Some, Buy Some”, the title track “Living in the Material World” and most especially “Be Here Now” which is my favorite song on the album.

Since that time of course I have purchased multiple copies of this album, mainly various CD issues, and each time I have enjoyed it more and more and as time goes by it stands up as one of my all-time favorite solo albums by George Harrison.

I will say the thing about many of the most recent CD and vinyl reissues of the album, and the original vinyl album as well, is that the sound of the album is a bit murky in spots.

That may be a hallmark of Harrison working with Phil Spector but nevertheless while I enjoy the songs on the album I have always wanted a bit more clarity in the mix to help make the album sound a little less congested.

With this new 2024 remix I think Dhani Harrison, George Harrison’s son, along with Paul Hicks who are responsible for this new remix have done an admirable job of making the album sound less congested and they’ve also boosted Harrison’s vocals up more in the mix this time out.

I’ve read online that some people don’t like Harrison’s vocals this much up front as they think it exposes his weaknesses as a singer but for me I think it works fairly well. While not being known as quite the vocalist that Lennon or McCartney were George Harrison still has a way with his vocals in that the emotion always filters its way to the top even if he isn’t quite as smooth at times as he fellow Beatles in his delivery.

My only real criticism of this new 2024 remix is that it’s mixed a tad bit too loud for my tastes but it’s not horrible. In fact I think the vinyl version as usual sounds a bit more dynamic than the CD but at lower volumes the CD sounds good as well. If you play the CD loud though the bass tends to overwhelm the mix making it somewhat congested sounding as the original mix which is a shame.

The outtakes on the second disc of the 2 CD set however have really nice dynamics and aren’t as punched up sounding as the regular album. I would have preferred that the main album remix was mastered this way but overall I think it’s a nice mix and one I will return to when I’m in the mood for this album.

I also have to say my pressing of the orange vinyl was perfect, no distortion, no ticks and played perfectly all the way through and didn’t really need a major cleaning.

The loudness of most current remixes these days of older albums makes the vinyl versions well worth seeking out if they’re available as most of the time they sound more dynamic allowing you to enjoy the remix more than the CD counterpart.

(Note 3: Why oh why don’t they save the loudness for streaming and let the CD and vinyl issues have the best dynamics. I’m sure it’s mostly an older crowd buying these formats so why not make them sound as good as possible – rant over.)

And I must say I really enjoyed the alternate takes of the songs on this album from the 2 CD set as they are more stripped down then the original 1973 versions which really benefits some songs on the album such as “Sue Me, Sue You Blues”, “The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)” and “Try Some Buy Some” for instance.

The only other nitpicky thing which I think is kind of crazy is that on the deluxe set with the vinyl, CDs and Blu-ray there’s a bonus track on CD 2 as well as a 7-in single – “Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)” . That bonus track could easily have fit on CD 2 of the regular issue. You can stream it and download it but I think that’s really short-sighted not to include that track on all versions. Just my opinion.

As for the groovy orange vinyl Barnes & Noble version that I bought if you’re interested in it it seems like they didn’t press a lot of them. In fact at the Barnes & Noble store I bought it from they only had one copy sent to them and it wasn’t even unpacked when I went to the store to inquire about it.

If you’re a diehard fan of The Beatles or George Harrison this new remix is well worth it in my opinion. Of course to me these remixes aren’t better then the originals just a different way of listening to a particular album. If you don’t want a physical copy check it out online and give it a sample.

I can see the resistance to remixing older recordings but with the lovely outtakes and the nice liner notes it really does give a new way of appreciating older recordings like “Living in the Material World” album and if you can afford it and are a fan of physical media then you should seek a copy out.

As usual you can take a gander at the two different versions of the new “Living in the Material World” that I bought above and below.

Well that’s all for now.

Until next time be healthy and well and see you soon!

Sealed for Your Protection? – Beatles Cassettes Are New Again, Even in the 21st Century

October 26, 2024October 26, 2024 1 Comment

They say that everything old is new again and I guess in the current musical landscape that includes the evergreen format of the cassette tape.

You heard right, cassette tape.

Who would have thought that in the 2020’s they’d be a market for cassette tapes but apparently that’s the case. It seems that cassette tapes are a hit with a younger crowd and I do continue to see them in used record stores and antique malls more and more recently so someone must be buying them.

Interesting really.

And to top it off this new enthusiasm for cassettes includes Beatles and solo Beatles cassette tapes – now we’re talking my language.

As for me, back in the day in the 1980s, I LOVED the cassette format. I enjoyed making mix tapes as well as tapes of my rarer records that I didn’t want to play that much. I had a ton of Maxell quality blank cassettes that I filled with various vinyl as well as practically every episode of the radio show “The Lost Lennon Tapes” from the late 1980s/early nineties and to this day those cassettes still sound pretty good.

As for store bought cassette tapes those we more hit or miss for me. Some sounded good while others sounded muffled and lousy. I never really bought that many but I still managed to snag a few here and there.

On a decent cassette player these tapes could sound pretty good as long as you never over used the Dolby settings. I found a little hiss was preferable to the blanket sound of using the Dolby settings so I generally stayed away from it.

Now of course these days cassettes are just a curio for me. I still have quite a few sealed cassettes from the eighties and nineties, a relic of an older age, and that’s the way I left it – until recently.

A couple of years ago Paul McCartney started to produce limited cassette releases of his recent material and of course the collector in me won out and I bought a couple. I still have a really nice high end cassette player from the late 1980s so in the back of my mind I thought why not give them a try and play them; of course low these several months later they sit unopened.

The most recent cassette to cross my path was last years release of The Beatles final single “Now and Then”. Again it was more a collector fever that hit me than a true need for the format but there you go another unopened cassette in my collection.

My favorite recent cassette, and the first new cassette I’d bought in a couple of decades, was the cool cassette for Record Store Day 2017 that Paul McCartney issued of three cassette demos he wrote and performed with Elvis Costello – “I Don’t Want to Confess”, “Shallow Grave” and “Mistress and Maid” – recorded in the “Flowers in the Dirt” era from the late 1980s.

I just love McCartney’s handwritten titles on the cover and the whole vibe of one of his cassette demos issued in the format it was recorded on. Someday I plan to actually play the darn thing but for now it will stay sealed in pristine condition until I get the time to really have a good listen.

Speaking of sealed cassettes, I have a small collection of sealed cassettes that for one reason or another I never opened to play. To tell you the truth I’m guessing I picked these up cheap as mementos of a bygone era as I have these on CD so I’m sure I never intended to listen to them, I honestly can’t remember.

Too much tape under the bridge.

I was actually surprised when I found them in a box and had a lot of fun looking at them as they were a surprise to me that I even owned them! It’s like looking at your own store and being surprised what was on the shelf.

Anyway since I found them I thought it would make a nice blog post for folks to take a gander at some of these groovy old (and new) Beatles/solo Beatles sealed cassettes (see photos above and below).

That’s all for now. More coming soon.

Until next time be healthy and well and I hope you’re making time to listen to an old cassette if you happen to have one. And if you do let me know how it sounds, I’d be curious to know.

Double Vision: The Monkees “Headquarters” Then & Now

October 24, 2024October 24, 2024 Leave a comment

It’s weird how lately I’ve been finding a lot of old vinyl still in the shrink wrap. I’m talking albums way over fifty years old and albums that I usually find pretty trashed or possibly in decent shape but rarely in brand new condition.

This past weekend I stumbled upon another one of those unexpected album finds; a Monkees two-fer actually and low and behold one of them was still in the shrink wrap!

As usual on a vacation I happened upon some new antique malls and at my first stop I noticed a stash of records from the 1960’s – my favorite kind of vinyl.

After a slog through three bins or so I came upon a minty, still in the shrink wrap copy of The Monkees 1967 album “Headquarters”. Now I needed another copy of this album like I need a hole in the head but I’ve never found another copy of this album in this good of condition.

The cover is sparkly white with near perfect shrink wrap and the album itself looks as if it was played maybe once or twice with no noticeable marks near the spindle hole on either side (thank you previous owner).

I noticed the matrix number was pretty high, 12S on both sides, so I was kind of surprised it wasn’t one of the later RE copies with the picture of The Monkees with beards. I own two beards copies and both of them had much lower matrix numbers like 4S and 6S – strange.

(Note: RE pressings are RCA records – distributor of Colgems Records – way of indicating it’s a reissue that’s made some sort of correction. The original pressing of “Headquarters” has a mistake in the caption on a photo on the rear of the cover that was replaced on a later pressing with a picture of The Monkees wearing beards. It’s often called the beards cover and is much rarer than the original pressing.

Also the higher the number on the matrix the more times this record has been taken from the master tape for pressing.)

Anyway, I looked on Discogs and it said this particular label style (see photos above) was pressed by MGM Records for Colgems and it also mentioned the 12S matrix so it must be a later pressing right before they made the RE copies.

And of course the price was right – $10 – so I bought it.

If that wasn’t enough later that day I found a record store that had the black vinyl version of the latest reissue of “Headquarters” in stock.

(Note 2: in August I reviewed the multi-color pressing of this reissue only available online through Rhino.com. This black vinyl version just came out and is the retail version of the album and not exclusive)

I hadn’t planned on buying this version but seeing it in person was another story as usual. This retail black final version of the album has a much thinner cover and it also has a barcode on the back of the album cover unlike the issue that came from Rhino.com.

The thinner cover is actually a bonus as it’s much much easier to get the records in and out of the sleeve and that’s one of the drawbacks of the online version, the cover is so rigid that it’s nearly impossible to get the records in and out of the sleeve.

Of course the record sounds identical to the colored vinyl version (and they do sound fantastic) so I’m going to use this as a listening copy and keep the colored vinyl version as a collectible.

So overall I was quite pleased to add these two new versions of this album to my collection. It’s always exciting to find an original pressing of any Monkees album in near mint condition and since this is my favorite Monkees album that’s even better.

That’s all for now just a quick Monkees/ vinyl update.

As usual see the photos above and below and until next time be healthy and well and see you soon.