The First Time You Recognized A New Record As Being MOTOWN!!!

[Sotosound]

As I understand it, a "fold down mix" is one where you take a stereo mix and merely combine both channels into one mono mix. There is no dedicated session to take the basic tracks to craft and specific and unique mono mix. Probably the easiest way to describe it is what you'd get if you played a stereo album on a turntable that only plays in mono- the audio system merely funnels left and right channel though both speakers simultaneously.

Did I just make that even more confusing?????

If you say "fold-down" instead of "fold-down mix" then it's more accurate, as there's no mixing involved. It refers to the stereo mix being reduced [[folded) down to mono and, probably, being given a bit of EQ and compression during final mastering.

The mono single version of "What Does It Take [[To Win Your Love)" by Junior Walker and The All Stars was such a fold-down.

My guess is that when the stereo mix was created, which was after Motown had stopped releasing mono albums, the mixing engineer kept in mind that some people would still have to listen to the stereo album track in mono [[on gramophones and radios) and, therefore, made sure that the mix would survive such a fold-down process without sounding horrible as a result. In fact, the mix was so good that a dedicated mono single mix wasn't deemed necessary.

If you fold down the stereo mix of "We Can Work It Out" by Stevie Wonder, however, then the backing vocals all disappear off into the far, echo-y distance as they were mixed to be out of phase which, when heard in stereo, placed them behind the listener. Hence this track needed a separate mono single mix.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

If you say "fold-down" instead of "fold-down mix" then it's more accurate, as there's no mixing involved. It refers to the stereo mix being reduced [[folded) down to mono and, probably, being given a bit of EQ and compression during final mastering.

The mono single version of "What Does It Take [[To Win Your Love)" by Junior Walker and The All Stars was such a fold-down.

My guess is that when the stereo mix was created, which was after Motown had stopped releasing mono albums, the mixing engineer kept in mind that some people would still have to listen to the stereo album track in mono [[on gramophones and radios) and, therefore, made sure that the mix would survive such a fold-down process without sounding horrible as a result. In fact, the mix was so good that a dedicated mono single mix wasn't deemed necessary.

If you fold down the stereo mix of "We Can Work It Out" by Stevie Wonder, however, then the backing vocals all disappear off into the far, echo-y distance as they were mixed to be out of phase which, when heard in stereo, placed them behind the listener. Hence this track needed a separate mono single mix.

Excellent explanation of the fold-down process. I have a rudimentary knowledge of the engineering part of things, but it's VERY rudimentary! When you talk about the backing vocals of "We Can Work It Out" that makes a great point because I know that when I'd wire my speakers a certain way, playing stereo albums was a unique experience; when everything played out of the speakers, it came out somewhat folded down, with anything that was panned left or right being heard equally from both speakers. Anything centered in the stereo mix was cancelled out- often that meant the lead vocals and a few instruments would virtually vanish except for a faint trace of the added reverb being audible.
Reading what you termed as being recorded "out of phase" helps explain why. I don't fully grasp that but I get it enough to that I now know there is a precise reason for this happening.