Today and Summer Days stereo remixes

[Bicyclerider]

I compared the 2012 stereo remixes of Today and Summer Days with previous stereo remixes of the same material a while back and have been meaning to post this summary for a while.  Please respond with opinions/comments!

Releases with stereo remixes:

Endless Harmony 98, versions 1 and 2
Hawthorne 2001
Sounds of Summer 2003
Warmth of the Sun 2007
US Singles Collection 2008
Summer Love Songs 2009
Sea of Tunes Stereo Today/Summer Days disc

 as well as a few other “unofficial” releases.  Let me first present my bias:  I prefer wide stereo mixes where the channel separation is obvious whenever possible, similar to what Chuck Britz did for All Summer Long and the previous 60s stereo album mixes.

A few definitions:  by “split” backing vocals or “split” DT (double tracked) lead vocal I mean the vocals are separated hard left and hard right.  “Soft” L or R means the instrument or vocal is in both channels but more prominent on one side.  “Binaural mix” I use to designate a backing track in one channel, vocals in the other.
  
A note on the unofficial SOT mixes – Many of the Today mixes are what I call “pseudo binaural” with the vocals in both channels but more in one than the other, and the instrumental track in both but more in the opposite channel.  Sometimes an instrument, probably an overdub, is isolated in one of the channels.
 
When Mark et al were mixing Today and Summer Days for stereo, where there was a multitrack of the backing track and the four or eight track master with  vocals (and usually this master would be one track for a mono mix of the backing, the rest vocals),  the backing multitrack could be synched to the master vocal tracks and a “true” or maximized stereo  mix could be created with both the backing and the vocals in stereo.  This was not done with many of the Today and Summer Days stereo remixes, probably for one of two reasons:   they didn’t have the time or money to do the synch job required, or one of the required tapes – backing track multi or vocal with mono backing master – were missing.  The songs with new extraction mixes clearly must be missing the vocal multis, and they only had the mono master to work with.

Today

1.  Do You Wanna Dance – New mix with instrumental tracking in stereo, lead vocal is center, backing vocals split R and L.  A nice stereo mix, better than the SOT where the guitar overdubs and percussion are hard R, the vocals are soft L (vocals are in both channels but more to the L than R).

2. Good to My Baby – 2009 Summer Love Songs mix - Vocals center, most of the track is centered but the saxes are L and the tambourine R.  Not a great stereo mix but better than SOT where the vocals are soft L the track center except for the saxes which are hard right.  Why didn’t they separate the vocals?  If they didn’t have the vocal multitrack this would have to be an “extraction” mix, so they could have done a vocal stereo mix – they apparently synched a stereo instrumental track mix to mono vocals!!
 
3. Don’t Hurt My Little Sister – New mix.  Drums L, rhythm guitar R, vocals center.  SOT is worse with a pseudobinaural  mix - the vocals soft L and the entire track soft R.

4. When I Grow Up – 2008 US Singles mix.  Harpsichord and cymbal and harmonica hard L, bass and drums hard R, all vocals center and the guitar break on the L. Similar but reversed from SOT where the harpsichord and harmonica are hard R, and the track is soft R and the vocals soft L.  Prefer the new mix.  The US singles version is mastered “hotter” (louder) than the 2012, so I prefer that mastering.

5. Help Me Rhonda – New mix.  Finally, a wide vocal stereo mix with backing vocals split between and R and L, the lead vocal center, the track center.  Similar to SOT but I prefer the SOT mix as the vocals are a little higher in the mix and there are no crazy volume fluctuations like in the 2012 mix (to match Brian’s mono mix).   The lead vocal double track is split R/L at the end of the verses – “Help Me Rhonda, help me get her out of my heart.”  Nice.  Incidentally several of the SOT stereo vocal/mono track mixes have the track lower in the mix than in the mono mixes – and indeed when I checked some of Chuck Britz’s stereo mixes I heard the same thing – on Fun Fun Fun for example.   I have to assume that they were working from a four track tape with one track for the instrumental backing, and when they overdubbed the vocals, they were louder relative to the track, which was corrected when mixing to mono.  The straight on the fly dub of the multitrack master SOT did not correct this problem, and apparently neither did Chuck on some of his stereo mixes.

6. Dance Dance Dance – New mix.  We have three stereo mixes, and the new one is probably the best.  2001 Hawthorne mix has guitar on the R, percussion split R/L, drums soft L, the guitar break in the middle, and backing vocals split R/L slightly more than the new mix.  2003 SOS mix has the vocals center with minimal separation of the backing vocals, the lead guitars split R/L, tambourine R, drums split, and the guitar break which is double tracked split R/L.  New mix has Lead guitar L, tambourine starts R and moves L,  2nd lead guitar R, drums L, clipping percussion split R/L, guitar break L, again with minimal separation of the backing vocals.  So there’s more stereo separation on the track and less on the vocals than on Hawthorne.
 
7. Please Let Me Wonder –2007 Warmth of the Sun stereo mix but to my ears the EQ/mastering is a little better on the new release.  Lead vocal center, backing vocals split R/L, track centered except for the xylophone is on the L.  On SOT the lead vocal is soft R, backing vocals soft L but some of the double tracked backing vocals are split.  New release wins this one.

8. So Young – New mix.  All the vocals dead center, some percussion on the R and guitar on the L.  On SOT So Young  has one of those pseudo stereo mixes with the vocals soft L and the track soft R except for some guitar overdubs which are hard R.  Again, hard to understand with access to the vocal multitrack why they didn’t separate the vocals for this.

9. Kiss Me Baby – 98 EH Version 1 mix sounds the best – a stereo track (acoustic guitar hard L, clarinet soft L, saxes center, woodblock hard R) with the backing vocals and some of the double tracked lead vocal split hard R/L.  The EH2 mix has the woodblock and clarinet moved to the center, saxes are R, guitar still L, backing vocals still split but the DT vocals are now in the center.  2012 mix the same as EH2 except the separation on the backing vocals has been slightly narrowed.

10. She Knows Me – 2008 US Singles mix.  Mono (centered) track, stereo backing vocals.  The mastering may be a bit less harsh on the 2012 but it sounds like the reverb on the lead vocal is more prominent.  On SOT the mix interestingly places the lead vocal to the L and the backing vocals to the R with the track centered.  A tossup as to which I prefer.

11. Back of My Mind – New mix has vocals centered with a nice stereo backing track with clarinet and strings R, percussion, guitar and xylophone L.  SOT is a weird mix with most of the track centered but with saxes and strings on the R, and the vocals soft L.

Summer Days

Sea of Tunes had access to most of the backing track sessions but had very few vocal multis.  Missing from SOT altogether are Bugged at My Old Man, Summer Means New Love, and And Your Dream Comes True.  No vocal overdubs on You’re So Good to Me, Salt Lake City and California Girls.

1. Girl from New York City – New mix.  Stereo vocals including split DT lead vocal, centered instrumental track, but with lead guitar break on L.  This mix and the next two cuts also sound great on the SOT with beautiful stereo vocals, but the vocal/track balance is off with vocals at a higher volume in the mix compared to the tracking(as mentioned above for Help Me Rhonda).
 
2. Amusement Parks USA – New mix - stereo vocals, mono track, like the SOT, but something horrible happened to the sound of the 2012 mix - The vocals are distorted and sound “phasey” in places, the song sounds bad – either there was tape damage since the SOT was done or the transfer was messed up by bad tape heads or something.  The SOT is crystal clear and sounds beautiful, although the familiar problem with the tracking volume being too low relative to the vocals is present.  The SOT is also missing some vocal overdubs in the “special effects” section, specifically the “Is it Real” and “looks like a fake” comments.  I’d have to take the SOT mix over the new release just for the sound quality issues.

3. Then I Kissed Her –2007 WOTS mix but mastered better – not quite as loud and harshly EQ’d.  Lead guitar is on the L, rhythm guitar R, drum overdub R and the vocals centered.  But then listen to the SOT – beautiful full stereo vocals over a mono tracking, and I’d have to choose this as my go to stereo Then I Kissed Her.

4. Salt Lake City – Hawthorne 2001 mix, with drums/bass L, tambourine, guitar and xylophone R.  Backing vocals are in stereo on the “salt lake city we’ll be coming soon” part.  Mastering is better (EQ) on Hawthorne.  No SOT vocal version.

5. Girl Don’t Tell Me – New “extraction” mix with one guitar pushed to the L, the other to the R, everything else centered.  There are two other stereo mixes, the SOT which is one of those pseudo binaural mixes with the track center and the vocals slightly to the L, except the xylophone is slightly to the R and the lead guitar break is hard L (overdubs).  Then there’s a third mix which first came to light on the unofficial release Capitol Punishment and appeared later in better quality on From the Vaults.  This mix has bass, drums, and guitar on the L, xylophone and  2nd guitar R with the vocal in the middle.  This is the best stereo mix but there are a couple of minor tape drop outs and flaws in the tape.  Has cold ending which is nice.

6. Help Me Rhonda single version – New extraction mix.  Odd that we need an extraction mix – Capitol Punishment has a mono vocal only track and a nice stereo mix of the backing track (the latter is also on SOT), but lacking the piano in the break.  Combine those, and you can get a very nice stereo mix.  Tapes must be missing from the BRI vaults.  Or they couldn’t just “extract” the piano from the single version and add it back into the track for some reason.  Extraction mix has guitars split R and L, saxes on the R.  The guitar on the R sounds like it’s being played in a well – perhaps an artifact of the extraction process?  The SOT stereo mix has  backing vocals slightly L, rest of the track is slightly R, again with no piano in the break.

7. California Girls – 98 Endless Harmony version 1 mix still the best – saxes on R, organ L, lead vocal center, backing vocals split.  This mix was redone for EH version 2 and the synch between the vocal and the track was slightly off so that the vocals seem to drag behind the beat compared to the single and the first mix.  The second version  narrowed the stereo separation between the double track split backing vocals, and moved the organ to the center.  However the intro is better done on the EH 2 mix, with the guitars split R/L.  2012 mix is the EH 2 mix, only mastered hotter.

8. Let Him Run Wild –2007 WOTS mix, with percussion and bass L, xylophone R, vocals centered.  New version not mastered quite as loud and harsh as WOTS.

9. You’re So Good To Me –2007 WOTS mix, less harsh EQ here.  Guitar L, backing vocals widely split.

10. Summer Means New Love –New stereo mix, wide separation, nicely done.  Was previously mixed for 5.1 surround on the Pet sounds DVD-A.

11. Bugged at my Old Man – New mix unfortunately very close to mono, some minimal separation on the backing vocals, which are slightly to the R but there is some echo or reverbed backing vocals soft L most noticeable towards the end as well.

12. And Your Dream Comes True –2001 Hawthorne mix, nice wide stereo spread.

[TomWollaert]

I'd love to go through all of these, but I don't have the time. Two notes though:

2. Amusement Parks USA – New mix - stereo vocals, mono track, like the SOT, but something horrible happened to the sound of the 2012 mix - The vocals are distorted and sound “phasey” in places, the song sounds bad – either there was tape damage since the SOT was done or the transfer was messed up by bad tape heads or something.  The SOT is crystal clear and sounds beautiful, although the familiar problem with the tracking volume being too low relative to the vocals is present.  The SOT is also missing some vocal overdubs in the “special effects” section, specifically the “Is it Real” and “looks like a fake” comments.  I’d have to take the SOT mix over the new release just for the sound quality issues.

The SOT one isn't just missing bridge overdubs (not to mention Brian's high pitched screams), it's a whole different vocal multitrack altogether. Completely different takes for the vocals, with some noticeably different lyrics.

6. Help Me Rhonda single version – New extraction mix.  Odd that we need an extraction mix – Capitol Punishment has a mono vocal only track and a nice stereo mix of the backing track (the latter is also on SOT), but lacking the piano in the break.  Combine those, and you can get a very nice stereo mix.  Tapes must be missing from the BRI vaults.  Or they couldn’t just “extract” the piano from the single version and add it back into the track for some reason.  Extraction mix has guitars split R and L, saxes on the R.  The guitar on the R sounds like it’s being played in a well – perhaps an artifact of the extraction process?  The SOT stereo mix has  backing vocals slightly L, rest of the track is slightly R, again with no piano in the break.

People underestimate just how much of "Help Me, Rhonda" is missing from the multitracks. Here's a rundown of how I believe the song was been constructed (feel free to correct the details):

The backing track was recorded on a 3- or 4-track. Probably a 4-track. Upon dubbing it to mono for the vocal multitrack, the lead guitar we know and love was overdubbed. I think this was overdubbed straight onto that mono track, seeing as both Stack-O-Tracks and SOT have it solely mixed with the rest of the backing in mono. Not exactly a strong case to build upon, but yet this is what I conclude. Yes, Derry FitzGerald's stereo mix has that guitar separated, but he also has the bass guitar from the mono separated so that says nothing about the multitracks. Then the vocals were overdubbed onto two tracks for each vocal overdub, filling up the rest of what I guess is a 3-track.

Then Brian went on to create the mono. Directly overdubbed onto the mono are the following, done in one mixing session:

1) The additional bass guitar in the intro and outtro playing what sounds like hammer-ons. It also accompanies the piano in the bridge.
2) Additional "Pow pow pow pow"s by Mike in the choruses and occasionally in the verses.
3) A piano that plays during the bridge and under the final chorus vocals.
4) The guitar solo during the bridge and under the final chorus vocals. I think this guitar one also doubles the bass guitar in the intro and outtro.

This is why they chose for an extraction mix, because there's so much things missing from the multitracks to create a stereo mix that matches the mono. Yes, there are stereo vocals. Yes, there's a stereo backing and a mono backing with an additional guitar from the mono. But that still leaves out a whole lot from the hit record.

[Eric Aniversario]

Thanks for the detailed thoughts...perhaps it would be too much of an endeavor, but maybe someone could post polls for each of the songs on which stereo mix is the "best"' for each one.  Then we could compile the most popular choices and listen for ourselves! 

[Bicyclerider]

Good comments TW.  So it's not a given that missing multitracks are what necessitated an extraction mix, but that elements of the mono master missing from the multitracks could prompt Mark et al to do an extraction mix.  Too bad we couldn't have heard a true stereo mix made from what could be termed the multitrack "submaster."

Which brings me to a related topic.  On Sea of Tunes UM Today there are several songs with multiple studio instrumental takes, in MONO - like Do You Wanna Dance, for example.  These session takes should only be on the multitrack session tapes, right, so why are they in mono rather than stereo?  I remember there has been talk of Chuck or Brian running a second tape during the sessions - which is how a lot of the between take chatter (like the infamous Murry "I'm a genuis too" argument) was preserved.  Could one of those tapes be the source of these mono instrumental takes?  I don't see why they would copy multiple takes from the multitrack to mono.

[Matt Bielewicz]

My memory for this stuff isn't the best... but weren't some of the 'Today!' tracks (and even a couple of the 'Summer Days...' numbers, possibly...?) recorded to three-track tape, and with pretty much Brian and Chuck's working method from 1963-1965 intact? In other words, try to get the instrumental track entirely down on one single track of the three if possible... and then you've got two tracks clear for vocals. Have the group sing live and do the lead vocal simultaneously for one of the remaining pair of tracks, then do the same thing again on the last free track. Then you've got the doubled vocals (lead and group) that Brian liked, with the instrumental backing all on one mono track. Easy to mix to mono - more of a volume balancing job, really - and there you go, there's your finished mono mix, done with the kind of speed young hits-era Brian liked to work at.

Obviously, things got more complex the more tracks Brian was able to use, but I thought this was pretty much the way he did it after Surfing Safari, right up til a couple of the simpler tracks on Summer Days.

Anyway, if that hazy recollection is right, and Do You Wanna Dance? is recorded like that, that would explain why SOT has all of those DYWD instrumental takes... and why they're all in mono. That might explain why there are no stereo instrumental backing session tracks for that song... because there never were.

Maybe. Like I said, I'm sure I knew all of this stuff once, and have forgotten it all now...

[Bicyclerider]

I thought that by Today all the instrumentals went to four track, and then were mixed to one track of another four track for the vocal odubs.  By Summer Days Brian was doing the vocals at Columbia on eight track, with some overlap.