'ELVIS: Mono <> Stereo'
The Complete RCA Masters 1956
MRS double-CD
- Review by Piers Beagley
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The UK based Memphis Recording Service released their Double CD/ Book 'Elvis: Mono To Stereo - The Complete RCA Studio Masters 1956' in December 2021.
The set contains the complete 1956 RCA Studio master recordings in mono and (DES extracted) stereo versions. These were thirty classic RCA recordings that would help change the future of popular music.
The accompanying 20-page booklet includes photographs and memorabilia plus introductory notes.
EIN's Piers Beagley provide an in-depth review of this recent MRS release
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Apologies, this review was delayed because EIN was doing some needed and well-received family 'TLC'. |
Memphis Recording Service, UK/EC, 2021, Hardback with 2CDs, 20 pages, MRDS10056
Compilation produced by Joseph Pirzada,
design by Kev Reape. DES Remix, audio Restoration and Remaster by Studio D.
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EIN ran a lengthy discussion about Elvis’ fifties Mono <> Stereo when the first “Elvis Reborn” DES remastered release, from the 'Good-Music' label, came out in 2020. You can see our in-depth examination here.
Since then DES manipulated releases have become far more prevalent. Several, such as the “King Creole” stereo versions, rightly had terrible reviews from fans whereas various stereo-manipulated live ‘soundboards’ have been better received. The ambiance of a concert hall helps DES fake-stereo be more believable to a listener.
In brief, the MONO vs STEREO debate is a fascinating discussion. The earliest recordings of the sound era were recorded in MONO. The singer and orchestra would be carefully positioned around the one microphone and the sound directly recorded to shellac discs.
However even by the SUN studios era Elvis never recorded to just one mono microphone, his mono recordings were always created by the studio engineer.
Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys were not playing "mono" nor were they recorded via one microphone. It was Sam who took the three or four microphone feeds and mixed them down to MONO. The mono sound was created by Sam Phillips, the genuine sound of rock'n'roll being played in the studio was stereo.
Every fifties recording of Elvis was released in MONO and that was how we experienced it. However in 1997 RCA released 'Love Me Tender' as a genuine stereo recorded version! This was a shock to collectors and actually sounded very fine indeed.
So maybe every Elvis 50's recording doesn’t have to be MONO after all.
And let’s be honest “Stereo” mixes are also created by the studio engineer deciding where to pan the various instruments - they can never truly represent the band standing in the studio.
Recently the invention of Digitally Extracted Stereo (DES) has meant that producers can more easily play with Elvis’ old recordings.
ERIC RECORDS have released compiles from "Hit Parade" CDs etc using DES similarly creating fifties classics in Stereo for the last couple of years and they are the leader in quality re-created stereo with a team of Engineers spending days working on each individual track. They are also smart in not releasing any mono tracks that don’t convert well to a realistic stereo mix.
If anything has made me jump at the excitement of DES it is their stereo versions of Bill Haley’s ‘Rock Around The Clock’ and Fats Domino’s ‘Blueberry Hill’. These two DES releases truly “open up” the original classic mono recordings. However it has to be noted that these two Stereo DES versions do NOT in any way sound better than the original MONO singles. Truly fascinating, yes – better, no! This is mainly due to the rhythm section being removed from across the whole audio spectrum and so the BLAST and POWER of the original releases are just not there no matter how loud you turn up the hi-fi. |
After MRS’ success with their recent DES stereo concert releases (check out MRS 'The First Engagements' review) they have now tried to get the stereo recreation to work on Elvis’ 1956 Mono Masters and, to be honest - at least to my sensitive two ears - it is a hit and miss collection.
As noted previously it is usually the "echoey-blasting-away-together” studio recordings where DES equipment just can’t resolve where the instruments should be placed and where The Jordanaires should fit in.
The Package
This time this MRS set is presented as a slim Book / CD combo with its 20 pages featuring some neat photos of Elvis at his 1956 RCA sessions, all of which show Elvis’ passion for recording. The colour studio photos show Elvis looking so cool while the back-cover of Elvis listening to one of his own acetates is all part of the stylish design.
Personally I thought that the pink-green front cover is supposed to reference the “3D” look of those early black and white fifties movies. Creating something new out of monochrome?
Two pages of sleeve notes help explain that 'DES Stereo' make these versions “even better sound-quality than ever before” while also noting how damn important these 1956 Elvis recordings were…
.. Not only did Elvis conquer the USA in the course of 1956 but he also achieved international recognition and stardom too. Yes, he had many peers - and imitators - but no one came close to matching his success.
Without question, the publicity machine worked overtime ensuring that this previously relatively unknown young performer from Memphis became a national celebrity. This was fuelled by countless newspaper and magazine articles which reported on his alleg¬edly lewd stage act during countless live appearances performed throughout the USA. This, in turn, was accentuated by what became regular - and highly controversial - appearances on national television throughout the year on various TV networks.
But the icing on the cake - the real reason this all happened so quickly - was the phenomenal response to his astounding recorded output… …between January and September 1956 Elvis recorded no fewer than 34 songs (four for Love Me Tender not included in this set) and this output level was totally unprecedented…. Every single, extended play release and LP album, sold in huge numbers and each of the tracks were indelibly imprinted on the consciousness of every fan and have remained to this day the most impressive set of recordings in the Presley catalogue.”
The 'MONO original Recordings' CD is at the back of the booklet (and sound sensational, previously released by MRS in 2017 and reviewed here) while the ‘DES Stereo’ disc with the same tracklist fits in the front cover.
The DES Stereo CD.
‘I Got A Woman’ kicks off the CD and it’s a good start. Scotty Moore’s guitar is left channel, Bill Black’s bass placed in the middle, with drums and piano on the right. Elvis bathed in echo locked in the middle and overall a nice rich mix.
The ‘Elvis Reborn’ version was a similar stereo spectrum but sounded much thinner.
It sounds just fine rocking out my speakers but if you start listening closely you’ll notice at the end that Scotty Moore’s guitar on the left suddenly bleeds into the piano on the right hand channel. It’s these moments where DES programming can't separate the instruments properly and stops it from being a realistic stereo recording.
‘Heartbreak Hotel' has the same separation / echo issues at times where the stereo ‘wanders’.
‘Elvis Reborn’ had similar troubles getting Heartbreak Hotel to sound like a true stereo recording. Having said that, the MRS compression / echo does give their stereo version some “balls” of the mono single! Something that DES often removes.
However if you listen to ERIC Records DES version of ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ the instruments are totally separated. With Bill Black centre, piano hard right, guitar track hard left plus an unbelievable openness, you could swear that the ERIC DES release was a stereo RCA studio dry recording.
At that’s the real key. Placement is very important if you are trying to recreate a Stereo recording from a mono original. The musical instruments should obviously be fixed in position and if it is an Elvis recording, the Jordanaires would normally be placed on the right hand channel. With some of these mono originals this is obviously near impossible to achieve.
I truly enjoyed the recent MRS recreated stereo versions of Elvis’ LIVE concerts but with the ambience of a live recording these are much easier for your ears to believe because of the general echo within auditoriums. Studio recordings are much more particular.
It’s a fact that anything with Elvis and backing vocals blended together in mono is going to be difficult to separate along with any messy-echoey original mixes. The simpler the original arrangement the easier it is to create a new stereo version.
The positive outcome of stereo "re-creations" is being able to discover more about what went into the original mono recording. As mentioned earlier, the ERIC 'Rock Around The Clock' stereo version is a revelation if nothing like as dramatic as the original mono single
Luckily things improve with the MRS stereo version of ‘Money Honey’, one of my all-time favourites. Here there is delightful trilling piano on the right channel, Scotty left, Bill Black plucking bass on the centre. Cranked up loud this sounds very enjoyable.
The rest of the set is similar, with some tracks working better than others.
‘I’m Counting On You’ is okay while ‘I Was The One’ is pretty messy with The Jordanaires backing-vocals wandering left to right.
‘My Baby Left Me’ – another favourite - however sounds excellent with DJ Fontana drums hard right, bass middle and Scotty playing left channel. Elvis’ vocals are deliciously up-front pushing the band along, the stereo fade out is neat.
On ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ Scotty Moore’s guitar wanders left to middle while ‘One Sided Love Affair’ is messy with the piano moving left <> right. Elvis Reborn had similar troubles with the same tracks.
‘Lawdy, Miss Clawdy’ is fun and works well in stereo even if Scotty Moore moves to the middle for his guitar solo, where ‘Shake Rattle and Roll’ just sounds a mess.
Elvis recording 'Hound Dog' - two pages from the MRS booklet.
‘Hound Dog’ is fun to listen to in Stereo, drums left, Elvis centre, guitar right. However the hard Fontana drum-breaks obviously suck away some of Elvis’ vocal from the centre. This sounds better and more realistic on loud-speakers than headphones but is a long way from sounding like a genuine stereo studio recording.
‘Don't Be Cruel’ pictured on the front cover of this MRS set shows Elvis slapping the back of his guitar to accompany the band. With Elvis standing in the centre of the studio surely his guitar back-slap should also be centred? However it is faded left and mixed in with the drums while The Jordanaires vocals wander left <> right. Bill Black’s all–important double-bass also wanders. It’s a mess. ERIC Records version is far superior.
Other tracks work much better.
‘How Do You Think I Feel’ in stereo is fascinating with the separation showing just how tough and fast Bill Black had to play while Scotty Moore’s plucking is great to hear. A treat.
Similarly ‘How's The World Treating You’ that follows is one of the best. Gordon Stoker’s piano and Scotty’s guitar is placed hard right and the stereo mix really opens up the track, and it does sound more like a stereo studio recording. I’ve also never previously noticed the final three double-bass notes that end the song. Very nice.
Having just read the Bill Black biography these two tracks in stereo nicely emphasise the importance of Bill Black in these sessions.
‘Paralysed’ then disappoints with Elvis’ guitar back-slap again mixed left with the drums and The Jordanaires vocals wandering.
On ‘When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold’ there seems to be some odd talking in background
@00:49 like someone saying “Are you recording” but very far away. I am sure it is just an effect of the DES trying to process the background vocals but to me it doesn’t sound right and it’s not there on the mono version.
So maybe I’m listening too closely – but isn’t that the point of me buying this “stereo” set.
Collectors will also notice that the “famous” unexplained squeak just before Scotty Moore’s guitar solo in ‘So Glad You’re Mine’ is missing in the MRS stereo version but present and correct in the MRS Mono version. Whether this is fixing a faulty recording or messing with Elvis’ musical legacy is debatable.
‘Anyplace Is Paradise’ is enjoyable, with drums left, guitar right and piano right. It’s fascinating for the middle break when Elvis stops singing which gives the chance to hear the instrument placement within the studio. Bill Black’s bass-solo with Gordon Stoker tinkling the ivories is a delight and worth repeat playing.
Elvis’ final RCA studio recordings in 1956 were ‘First In Line’ - which while completely drowned in echo is interesting with Bill Black plucking on the left while Scotty Moore scratches out an tantalising guitar riff on the right – and ‘Rip It Up’ which rocks out as a fine ending.
I wonder what Elvis would have thought hearing these tracks in 'stereo' for the first time.
It's worth mentioning that Amazon reviews vary from ‘MRS have done a wonderful job on this mono/stereo transfer. Elvis voice is clear and instrument separation is excellent’ to the opposite and ‘The mono masters cd is great but the DTS/ stereo cd was very underwhelming and in my opinion very poorly done’. |
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PS - MRS' stereo version of Elvis' 1971 Boston performance 'Like A Black Tornado' has not yet arrived in Australia, but that is something I am truly looking forward to hearing.
Overall Verdict: There can be little doubt that music fans will have very differing opinions about the effectiveness of these Mono > Stereo remasters. It will also depend on people’s expectations and whether they listen on their car stereo or on quality headphones. On several tracks the new stereo separation helped me discover something new about how these classic songs were assembled in the studio - and anything that gets me to re-visit Elvis songs that I have heard hundreds of time before can’t be bad! Other tracks just sounded better in mono - which is fine since this MRS release also contains the set in stunning MONO. As always with these releases, Elvis “purists” will surely hate the concept while fans who just enjoying listening to Elvis’ wonderful recordings will probably have a blast playing these on their loud-speakers.
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Please note that the low-res personal scans used in this review do not show the true quality of the images.
Visit the official Memphis Recording Service site
Review by Piers Beagley.
-Copyright EIN February 2022
EIN Website content © Copyright the Elvis Information Network.
1. I Got A Woman
2. Heartbreak Hotel
3. Money Honey
4. I'm Counting On You
5. I Was The One
6. Blue Suede Shoes
7. My Baby Left Me
8. One Sided Love Affair
9. So Glad You're Mine
10. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You)
11. Tutti Frutti
12. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
13. Shake, Rattle And Roll
14. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
15. Hound Dog
16. Don't Be Cruel
17. Anyway You Want Me (That's How I Will Be)
18. Playing For Keeps - Love Me
19. Love Me
20. How Do You Think I Feel
21. How's The World Treating You
22. Paralyzed
23. When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
24. Long Tall Sally
25. Old Shep
26. Too Much
27. Anyplace Is Paradise
28. Ready Teddy
29. First In Line
30. Rip It Up
31. Old Shep (Alternate Version - Take 5)
CD 2 Mono Versions same tracklist
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MRS presents 'ELVIS: September 1970' in-depth Review: MRS's new 2CD deluxe set features a new previously unreleased soundboard from 2nd September 1970 and a bonus CD that covers the final rehearsals at the International Hotel on August 10th before the start of the summer festival.
In September 1970 Elvis was still excited to be back on stage and performing for his fans. Newspaper reviews of his concerts wrote about the excitement and fun Elvis was having back on-stage.
This brand-new previously unknown concert captures Elvis feeling 'loose-as-a-goose' yet still performing with a real intensity. His live versions of ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’’, 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' were truly exceptional this evening.
The accompanying 40-page booklet of the CD deluxe includes rare photographs and memorabilia taken during these engagements along with introductory notes.
EIN's Nigel Patterson and Piers Beagley check out this new collection and enjoy a hilarious ride-with-the-king.
(CD Reviews, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork) |
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'Summer Festival 1970: The Rehearsals' In-Depth Review: MRS's new triple-CD set 'Summer Festival 1970: The Rehearsals' was released last month.
The CDs contain rehearsal highlights from one of the most memorable periods in Elvis’ career - his captivating performances at The International Hotel Las Vegas in the summer of 1970. With remastered audio and accompanying 40-page booklet the package is aimed at the general public, plus Elvis collectors who could not afford last year's FTD fan club deluxe release.
Elvis’ glorious rehearsals on 24 July at RCA studios are the real key to this release. Twenty seven classic performances and with Elvis not only rehearsing the familiar songs we would all come to know from the MGM movie but also songs he would never perform on stage.
EIN's Nigel Patterson and Piers Beagley check out this new collection and discover some neat surprises along the way.
(CD REviews, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork)
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MRS 'Elvis:Back In Living Stereo' in-depth Review: The new MRS set contains 6CDs of essential 1960-1962 master recordings, plus rare alternate outtakes - including plenty of officially unreleased material - and all of the personal home recordings Elvis made during the 1960s.
The 100 page book, with text from Gordon Minto, includes rare unpublished documents and photographs, supported by a comprehensive text discussing each of Elvis’ RCA studio (non-film) recording sessions held during 1960-62.
Musically the packed cds - over seven hours - present a stunning look at Elvis recording in the early sixties before the shine wore off. The "Master" sessions nicely contrast with the looser "Outtakes" discs and with Elvis getting even more uninhibited on the Home Recordings. - Very unihibited with a certain Nancy Sharpe!
But with so much thrown into the mix, and some tracks in poor audio quality, have MRS packed "Too Much" into the one release.
Go here as EIN's Nigel Patterson & Piers Beagley check out the positives and negatives in their in-depth review.
(Book Reviews, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork) |
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'Elvis - Made In Germany’ In-Depth Review: The new MRS 'Elvis - Made In Germany – The Complete Private Recordings’ 4CD set contains more than 3 hours of the private recordings Elvis made while off duty in Germany when he was serving as a soldier in the US army during the 1958 -1960 period and, includes rare tracks from a recently discovered tape comprising over an hour of unheard personal recordings.
The 152-page hardback book contains rare photographs and documents plus a comprehensive text provided by Gordon Minto, which discusses each of Elvis’ RCA studio (non-film) recording sessions held during 1957-58, before focusing on the private recordings he made in Germany.
The BONUS CD features the essential RCA studio masters from 1957-58.
With such an expansive book, along with hours of Elvis jamming with his friends in Germany, there is plenty to discuss as well as finding out what extra material this set contains over the official releases.
Go here as EIN's Nigel Patterson & Piers Beagley provide an in-depth review of this new MRS release
(Book Reviews, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork) |
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EIN's reviews of other MRS releases:
The Complete 50s Movie Masters Session Recordings
Elvis Studio Sessions '56 The Complete Recordings
The Complete Works 1953-1955
Elvis On Television 1956-1960
Elvis Live in the 50s The Complete Concert Recordings
Off Duty with Private Presley
Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley
Memphis Recording Service Volume 2 'The Rise of Elvis Presley' 1955
Memphis Recording Service Volume 1 'The Beginning of Elvis Presley' 1953-1954
'The Complete ‘50s Movie Masters And Session Recordings' In-Depth Review: This MRS 'The Complete ‘50s Movie Masters And Session Recordings' 5CD/Book combo pays tribute to Elvis Presley’s complete music recordings made for his movies during the 1950s.
The 5CDs contain the complete works of the master and session studio recordings made for each of Elvis’ movies during the 1950s, and all tracks have been remastered.
The 200-page book focuses on each of the recording sessions held for the four motion pictures made between August 1956 and March 1958.
The comprehensive text is complemented by rare and previously unseen photographs and documentation.
So what surprises will collectors discover in this new set, what is in this new collection that FTD have missed and how good will the audio sound.
Go here as EIN's Nigel Patterson & Piers Beagley provide an in-depth review of this new MRS release
(Book Reviews, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork) |
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‘ELVIS: Studio Sessions 1956' In-Depth Review: MRS newest release, a massive 3CD/172 page book compilation "Elvis Studio Sessions ‘56 The Complete Recordings". The 172-page book, with text by Gordon Minto, focuses on each of Elvis’ studio recording sessions during his first year of national stardom - from the first one in January, held in Nashville, then later in New York, before finishing his final session of the year in Hollywood in September. The full and comprehensive text is complemented by rare and previously unseen photographs and pieces of documentation.
The 3CDs contain the complete archival master and session studio recordings of Elvis Presley from 1956, along with bonus interviews. All 90 tracks have been remastered and restored. Also for the first time on CD is the complete ‘The Truth About Me’ from an original US 45rpm flexi-disc. Also included are all the out-takes from this interview.
Once again MRS release a first putting all of Elvis' key 1956 Studio Session masters onto one disc, with the addition of two other fully-packed cds of 1956 material and a stunning 172 page book. But what does this set offer over other previous releases
Go here as EIN's Nigel Patterson and Piers Beagley check out this new volume from MRS to find what is on offer. Includes stunning example photos & a detailed audio investigation.
(Book Review: Source;ElvisInformationNetwork) |
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Elvis Presley, Elvis and Graceland are trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises.
The Elvis Information Network has been running since 1986 and is an EPE officially recognised Elvis fan club.
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