Motown In Mono: Exclusive Five Album & Slipmat Bundle Release Date 08 November 2019

[jack020]

https://thesoundofvinyl.com/*/*/Motown-In-Mono-Exclusive-Five-Album-Slipmat-Bundle/68TM0000000?utm_campaign=TheSoundofVinylSOVSpecial istMotowninMonoSOVUSCollaboration040919&utm_content=UMGUK13843-657155&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Email
This limited edition ‘Motown In Mono’ vinyl series, features the following: The Four Tops – Reach Out [[1967) The Marvelettes – Sophisticated Soul [[1968) The Miracles – You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me [[1963) Diana Ross & The Supremes – Reflections [[1968) The Temptations – The Temptations Sing Smokey [[1965). All five albums are newly remastered from their original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, pressed on audiophile-quality black 180 gram vinyl, and packaged in deluxe Stoughton tip-on jackets. “Reflections” and “Sophisticated Soul” have never before been commercially released in mono. The mono LPs for “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me” [[also generally known, from the album’s cover art, as “The Fabulous Miracles”), “Reach Out” and “The Temptations Sing Smokey” are long out-of-print and rare.

[paul_nixon]

https://thesoundofvinyl.com/*/*/Motown-In-Mono-Exclusive-Five-Album-Slipmat-Bundle/68TM0000000?utm_campaign=TheSoundofVinylSOVSpecial istMotowninMonoSOVUSCollaboration040919&utm_content=UMGUK13843-657155&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Email
This limited edition ‘Motown In Mono’ vinyl series, features the following: The Four Tops – Reach Out [[1967) The Marvelettes – Sophisticated Soul [[1968) The Miracles – You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me [[1963) Diana Ross & The Supremes – Reflections [[1968) The Temptations – The Temptations Sing Smokey [[1965). All five albums are newly remastered from their original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, pressed on audiophile-quality black 180 gram vinyl, and packaged in deluxe Stoughton tip-on jackets. “Reflections” and “Sophisticated Soul” have never before been commercially released in mono. The mono LPs for “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me” [[also generally known, from the album’s cover art, as “The Fabulous Miracles”), “Reach Out” and “The Temptations Sing Smokey” are long out-of-print and rare.

Not sure that will sell at those prices

[bradsupremes]

Totally overpriced.

I'm a bit confused. They said Reflections has never before been commercially released in mono. That's not true as it was their last studio album released in mono. Maybe they were misinformed as the mono album has never been released on CD.

[reese]

Totally overpriced.

I'm a bit confused. They said Reflections has never before been commercially released in mono. That's not true as it was their last studio album released in mono. Maybe they were misinformed as the mono album has never been released on CD.

I was getting ready to say the same, as I'm sure the first copy I bought of the REFLECTIONS album was in mono.

In any event, this is a nice package but I couldn't see paying that price for it, especially for albums that I most likely would never play as I already have most of them on cd.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

I'm in. They had me as soon as I saw the inclusion of a Marvelettes album. Screw the price point, I've been on a damn 5-year austerity program and it's time to do something financially ridiculous and totally just for me.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Thank you, Jack for sharing this!

[alanh]

Blimey, £139.99 is expensive. Taking a nominal price of £20 per LP [[rough price point for reissues, for the sake of discussion), the five albums would cost £100. That means the slip mat costs £39.99!

[Sotosound]

Calling Laura Lee. :)

[carlo]

I wonder if they will also be releasing them individually? Agreed, too pricey.

[DWSheffer]

I'll enjoy my minty originals of each of those albums....the price seems exorbitant for a reissue set of standard material.

I currently have 3 different mono covers for the "Reflections" LP in my collection. Although to state the LP was never commercially released in mono is a very big mistake on the reissuer's part, they may have seen that some of the mono covers do have the "Monaural Record DJ Copy" stickers covering the stereo designation. My copy is still sealed that has the DJ copy sticker, but I have seen a couple that were opened and the album contained is a standard blue "maps" label monaural LP, not a white label mono promo as "Funny Girl" was issued. The second example I have has MONO printed in large pink letters in the upper left corner where the stereo designation would be on a stereo copy. The most common version of the monaural copy cover doesn't say anything in the upper left corner. It simply has the album number 665 next to the Motown logo in the upper right corner, and the M-665 designation on the LP.

I will say though "Reflections" is a fairly tough to find album in monaural, at least the US version. Mono seems to be quite plentiful in the Tamla-Motown UK version, but I do not collect foreign records, only US issues. I do not know if the songs are the same on the US and UK releases.
Darin

[Sotosound]

I have the UK Tamla Motown mono album, and my guess is that it's the same as the US mono.

I purchased it in 1970 when EMI were deleting the mono editions of albums and selling off the remaining stock cheap. I think that I paid the equivalent of 17.5p for my copy in WH Smith.

If only I knew then what I know now. I'd have asked for a decade's advance on my pocket money, securitized my parents and emptied the store.

All of the mixes are genuine mono, which is especially to the benefit of the title track and "Bah Bah Bah". In both of these cases we get Jack Ashford's tambourine in glorious, full effect.

In fact, all of the non-filler tracks sound brilliant. That means that side one is non-stop brilliance and "Then", "Misery Makes My Heart Its Home" and "Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things" are all brilliant.

The remaining filler tracks are what they are, however...

[edafan]

Besides being way over priced, I have all these albums.
Also I have put my entire large music collection onto 2 huge external drives, which will go to my son & my oldest grandchild upon my last breath. I pick various albums & artists to play every day.

edafan

[PeaceNHarmony]

Looks like a nice batch of releases; the site has lots of other interesting releases and I applaud their efforts. Prices? Well ... I don't imagine these sell in the thousands.

[Roger Polhill]

If they are released on CD I will buy them except for the Marvelettes which is already available.I love the mono versions as they can be so different.

[gman]

I had a Mono DARTS Talk of The Town years ago....and I once had a Cream of The Crop with the tamborine intro to Someday We'll Be Together.

[sansradio]

calling laura lee. :)

"Rip-ooooooooooooofffffffff!!!" ;)

[Sotosound]

Lol. Exactly.

[benross]

While Reflections may have been issued in mono in the United States, it may not have been available at all retailers. [[Nor was the Diana Ross and The Supremes Greatest Hits double album.) The record stores in my area all made the decision simultaneously, seemingly in conjunction with one another, in the summer of 1967, as it had become increasingly clear to them that stereo albums sold and mono albums didn't. Thus, the stores determined that they would not order or stock mono albums. Several store managers stated that the record companies were to blame, as well, claiming that the record companies had announced that they would no longer issue mono albums. And, based on these comments, I bought my first stereo player.

As an interesting side note, Diana Ross and The Supremes Live At London's Talk Of The Town album was issued in Great Britain months before it was released in the United States, so I contacted the American Embassy in London, asking if someone there could help me obtain a copy of that album. While I had expressed no preference, the embassy obtained and sent a stereo copy of that album to me, whether because I was an American and it was presumed I would want stereo or because that album was not issued in mono, I do not know.

[BayouMotownMan]

I had the Marvelettes Sophisticated Soul white label mono lp, it was only issued to AM stations. It's not worth having. All non-single tracks simply channeled the stereo mix into mono.

[paul_nixon]

Totally overpriced.

I'm a bit confused. They said Reflections has never before been commercially released in mono. That's not true as it was their last studio album released in mono. Maybe they were misinformed as the mono album has never been released on CD.

Having done a little digging this site is an offshoot of Universal....

[Glenpwood]

I just bought my third "Reflections" in Mono for 2 bucks last week. Most people don't think it was ever released in that format because J. Randy Taraborelli stated it wasn't in his third book on Diana. Perhaps at the time Andy & George hadn't found or knew to go looking for the mono master. There is a different vocal take used for Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things but that's the main thing that jumps out when listening to this rarer version.

Funny Girl, Talk Of The Town, & Join The Temptations all came out in Mono on White Label Promo. The duet set also saw an extremely limited commercial release - I've only ever seen one in 20 years and it was sadly too trashed to play. All of those are fold down mixes of the stereo rather than separate dedicated ones.

If anyone posesses Love Child in Mono, I would love to see proof of it. I've left it on my Ebay watch list for years in commercial and promo form and nothing has come up in Mono except the UK version which is a fold down of the stereo.

I'm willing to bet Universal will be selling these titles individually not long after the box drops. Kevin Gray usually does exquisite work on the titles he remasters.

[DWSheffer]

Funny Girl, Talk Of The Town, & Join The Temptations all came out in Mono on White Label Promo. The duet set also saw an extremely limited commercial release


Glen, can you clarify for me positively that "Join" was released in a mono WLP DJ copy? My WLP of this title is in stereo. I've never seen or heard of a mono WLP until your post. I would like to know for certain either way!

It took me many years to find, but the only mono copy of "Join The Temptations" I've ever seen and obviously bought is a nice copy in partial shrink [[darn the drill hole!) and a high grade disc. This came from my Ann Arbor record dealer friend who bought this as part of a massive Motown collection out of Detroit that included Supremes gowns, shoes, and many other very rare pieces. I was happy to find the "Join" LP in mono in the haul, I couldn't afford hardly anything else! :)
Darin

16222

16223

[justanothermotownfan]

I had the Marvelettes Sophisticated Soul white label mono lp, it was only issued to AM stations. It's not worth having. All non-single tracks simply channeled the stereo mix into mono.

Well then it would be interesting to see if this reissue is a straight up transfer from the original tapes or if the tracks will be remixed in pure mono. If not, IMO this set isn’t remotely worth the asking price.

[thanxal]

I have the UK Tamla Motown mono album, and my guess is that it's the same as the US mono.

I purchased it in 1970 when EMI were deleting the mono editions of albums and selling off the remaining stock cheap. I think that I paid the equivalent of 17.5p for my copy in WH Smith.

If only I knew then what I know now. I'd have asked for a decade's advance on my pocket money, securitized my parents and emptied the store.

All of the mixes are genuine mono, which is especially to the benefit of the title track and "Bah Bah Bah". In both of these cases we get Jack Ashford's tambourine in glorious, full effect.

In fact, all of the non-filler tracks sound brilliant. That means that side one is non-stop brilliance and "Then", "Misery Makes My Heart Its Home" and "Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things" are all brilliant.

The remaining filler tracks are what they are, however...
I just got the Tamla/Motown Mono version at Jerry's Records. Anyone know how to tell if it is a stereo-fold down or a true mono?

[Roger Polhill]

This is the first time that I`ve seen an American LP with a mono motif.It has stereo on the disc label!

[DWSheffer]

Roger, if you're referencing my photos above, the WLP was just to illustrate that my promo copy of "Join" is in stereo, so Glen could clarify if there is indeed a mono WLP of "Join" as he states.

Here is a photo of the mono label for the disc in the cover I posted.
Darin

16228

[DWSheffer]

Here is my mono "Reflections" cover as well.....
Darin

16229

[Sotosound]

I just got the Tamla/Motown Mono version at Jerry's Records. Anyone know how to tell if it is a stereo-fold down or a true mono?
The opening track [[“Reflections”) is a dead giveaway.

In mono the electronic effects in the intro are quieter than the music that follows. In mono, as soon as the electronic noise fades the listener is clobbered by the rhythm section, which is dominated by the electric piano and tambourine. It knocks you back on your heels.

In stereo, the music is almost an anti-climax. The electric piano is way down in the mix and the tambourine is drenched in echo. A real let-down.

Since my proper mono album was from the stock remnants that EMI cleared out when they phased out mono, yours won’t be a fold-down either. Ne t’inquiete pas.

[Roger Polhill]

Here is my mono "Reflections" cover as well.....
Darin

16229
Wow! Darin we live and learn, thank you.

[thanxal]

The opening track [[“Reflections”) is a dead giveaway.

In mono the electronic effects in the intro are quieter than the music that follows. In mono, as soon as the electronic noise fades the listener is clobbered by the rhythm section, which is dominated by the electric piano and tambourine. It knocks you back on your heels.

In stereo, the music is almost an anti-climax. The electric piano is way down in the mix and the tambourine is drenched in echo. A real let-down.

Since my proper mono album was from the stock remnants that EMI cleared out when they phased out mono, yours won’t be a fold-down either. Ne t’inquiete pas.
Thank you. This is very helpful.

[thanxal]

Thank you. This is very helpful.
Sorry, I was referring to the Mono version of "Join". I wasn't paying attention when I replied. I still don't have an original Mono of Reflections.

Here is a link to the single LP from the box below
https://thesoundofvinyl.us/diana-ross-and-the-supremes-reflections-mono-remaster.html

X-posted on the Reflections EE thread.