Will Wild Honey Ever Be Given A Stereo Mix

[elnombre]

But please, stop with those stereo remixes. Please let me wonder + Then I kiss her in stereo also fail to recapture the original magic.

I must be in the minority, because I like the stereo mixes for both of those songs, perhaps even better than the mono versions.

I'm with you.

[HoneyBee]

I'm not bashing the remixers, but for me it's like repainting Mona Lisa with 3D effect, removing one eye and then sell it as Leonardo da Vinci's work. Combining two instruments on one channel creates a special sound, just a small separation creates another sound. Let the bees make honey organ missing, that's one eye. The contrasts, expressions of the mono mix are part of the song's identity and in this case not reproducible.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I'm not bashing the remixers, but for me it's like repainting Mona Lisa with 3D effect, removing one eye and then sell it as Leonardo da Vinci's work.

It's not at all like that since those responsible for the remixes have taken pains to explain that they are by no means trying to pass the remixes off as Brian's work.

 

Combining two instruments on one channel creates a special sound, just a small separation creates another sound.

Exactly.

Let the bees make honey organ missing, that's one eye.

If you miss the organ, listen to the original mono.

The contrasts, expressions of the mono mix are part of the song's identity and in this case not reproducible.

I disagree.  Those contrasts and expressions you mention are not part of the song's identity but rather part of the identity of the production peculiar to the original Wild Honey LP mix.  For instance, there are several highly-praised live recordings of "Let The Wind Blow" that lots of fans would take over the LP version.  Is performing a song live taking away an "eye"?  Would a recording of Brian simply singing the song with his own piano accompaniment be an abomination to your ears?

I don't understand the sacrosanct exclusivity that you require.  It would be another matter if the original mono masters were burned and listening to the original mixes were prohibited by law, but they're still there--in print, at your local record store, and presumably nobody's forcing you to listen to the stereo remixes at gunpoint.

So why complain?

[HoneyBee]

I know what you mean aeijtzsche and I also enjoy listening to new stereo remixes of products in process.
This was meant in context of the complete Wild Honey album. I buy an album and then want to hear the untouched message the artists wanted the listener to hear. A recording is more than just a song, it's art. Good Vibrations is still a great song performed on Banjo, no question.
I'm sure most people don't care for such details, just my unchangeable view.

[Aegir]

I'm not bashing the remixers, but for me it's like repainting Mona Lisa with 3D effect, removing one eye and then sell it as Leonardo da Vinci's work.

That would be a cover.

[sockittome]

When Pet Sounds was remixed into stereo, this groundbreaking music was heard in a new and wonderful way.....people complained.

When a few key BB songs made their stereo debuts on some well compiled, uh, compilations new light was shed on the workings of these old favorites....people complained.

When the Beatles Yellow Submarine Songtrack came out with those much needed remixes, some of us stereo fanatics hollered out for more (and still do)..........people complained.

"That's not how I remember it growing up!"    "They ruined the feel of the songs!"  "There's too much reverb!"    "There are instruments missing!"    and on and on.

Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with anyone making observations about remixes.  Heck, I've got a few myself, but they are so minor, they don't ruin my appreciation of what I'm listening to.  I just get a little rattled when some folks seem to imply that the engineer messed up.  Believe me, he knows what he's doing. 

And if these new mixes don't do it for you, like Josh said, nobody's forcing you to buy them. 

[TonyW]

I've often seen these two boots claiming to be "stereo" - does anybody know the story??

Link to "stereo" Wild Honey: http://asia.geocities.com/nikjo1818/beach-honey.htm

Link tp "stereo" Smiley Smile: http://asia.geocities.com/nikjo1818/beach-smile.htm

[Shane]

Hmmm.  Never seen those before.  Keep in mind that these two albums were originally marked on the album cover and labels as "stereo", even though they were reprocessed.  I'm wondering if these are simply those fake stereo versions.  The ad mentions it as originally being available as an open reel tape, which would have been the fake stereo version as well.

[elnombre]

When Pet Sounds was remixed into stereo, this groundbreaking music was heard in a new and wonderful way.....people complained.

When a few key BB songs made their stereo debuts on some well compiled, uh, compilations new light was shed on the workings of these old favorites....people complained.

When the Beatles Yellow Submarine Songtrack came out with those much needed remixes, some of us stereo fanatics hollered out for more (and still do)..........people complained.

"That's not how I remember it growing up!"    "They ruined the feel of the songs!"  "There's too much reverb!"    "There are instruments missing!"    and on and on.

Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with anyone making observations about remixes.  Heck, I've got a few myself, but they are so minor, they don't ruin my appreciation of what I'm listening to.  I just get a little rattled when some folks seem to imply that the engineer messed up.  Believe me, he knows what he's doing. 

And if these new mixes don't do it for you, like Josh said, nobody's forcing you to buy them. 

Hit the nail on the head there.

[Bicyclerider]

Hmmm.  Never seen those before.  Keep in mind that these two albums were originally marked on the album cover and labels as "stereo", even though they were reprocessed.  I'm wondering if these are simply those fake stereo versions.  The ad mentions it as originally being available as an open reel tape, which would have been the fake stereo version as well.

Yes, these are the "fake stereo" versions that were originally released on LP along with the mono versions.  I believe these were "electronically reprocessed" instead of duophonic - if I remember correctly, duophonic involved one channel having delay/reverb while reprocessed was simply directing the low frequencies (bass) to one channel and high frequencies (treble) to the other.

[Rocker]

Hey, I didn't find an answer in this thread, if an answer is somewhere else please post the link.
Is it possible to remix WH into stereo without losing too much of the original tracks?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Broadly speaking, yes.

[LittleSurferGirl]

I hope this will never happen. Wild Honey is one of my favorite BB records, but compare the stereo remix of Let the wind blow to the mono album version. There's an organ part missing or buried deep in the mix so the original effect isn't there anymore, Carl's vocals are way too loud, the dynamics of the original creation are destroyed. It's rewriting history and not even in a good sense. They obviously put a lot of effort in mixing back in 1967 and it shows. The one thing I would love to hear is the original mix without the technical noises, for example in Country Air or the fade of I'd Love Just Once To See You. But please, stop with those stereo remixes. Please let me wonder + Then I kiss her in stereo also fail to recapture the original magic.

HoneyBee, I understand your view but if you don't like them you aren't forced to buy it or listen to it (if it's on a set like Hawthorne, CA). I do agree with you that some of the stereo mixes fail to reproduce that magic in the original mixes (as I said before Please Let Me Wonder is one of the main ones that I prefer the mono version by a LONG way - not even close) but I still find them interesting listening experiences and of course if I don't like them then I just listen to the original. Easy.

I also perfer the mono mix of "All I Want To Do"...omg it sounds killer in mono! So much raw energy!!!

[b00ts]

I'd go beyond the stereo and put in a call for more 5.1 mixes. If it can be done with Pet Sounds, then can it not be done for most if not all post-PS releases? I love the Pet Sounds 5.1 and even Imagination comes alive in that format.

As the author of 3 or 4 sparsely-commented on "Beach Boys in 5.1" threads on this here board, I agree with you. I would love to hear more Beach Boys / BW mixed in surround. I love the differences between the Imagination surround mix and the original stereo mix.

Unfortunately, it's not something we're going to see any time soon, at least not on legitimate releases. Surf's Up was scheduled to be released as a DVD-Audio at one point, not to be confused with the "Surf's Up" compilation released circa 2005.

Luckily, there are 5.1 mixes of albums like Surf's Up floating around out there, and they're pretty well done for being unofficial and existing only in my imagination.

b00ts

[Andrew G. Doe]

I also perfer the mono mix of "All I Want To Do"...omg it sounds killer in mono! So much raw energy!!!

Strictly speaking, there is no mono mix of "All I Want To Do" - the 'mono' 20/20 released in the UK isn't a pukka mono mix but a simple fold-down of the stereo mix. That is to say, no-one mixed the master in mono from the original 8-tracks.

[Chris Brown]

Beach Boys songs remixed in stereo can be hit or miss, but it's always nice to have them available.  I love Brian's original mono mixes, but on albums like Wild Honey, they can be quite muddy.  Stereo mixes bring out more of the details that are lost in mono mixes, details which are usually really cool to hear. 

I say bring them on whenever technically possible.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Pukka?

[the captain]

Genuine, authentic, proper, etc.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Ahh...okay

[Rocker]

Broadly speaking, yes.

That's good. But since the album is so short I guess if there ever will be a release of the whole album it has to be maybe the mono version plus the stereo mix and session outtakes. I'd love that.

[LittleSurferGirl]

I also perfer the mono mix of "All I Want To Do"...omg it sounds killer in mono! So much raw energy!!!

Strictly speaking, there is no mono mix of "All I Want To Do" - the 'mono' 20/20 released in the UK isn't a pukka mono mix but a simple fold-down of the stereo mix. That is to say, no-one mixed the master in mono from the original 8-tracks.

Thanks I didnt know that!

[Shady]

I also perfer the mono mix of "All I Want To Do"...omg it sounds killer in mono! So much raw energy!!!

Strictly speaking, there is no mono mix of "All I Want To Do" - the 'mono' 20/20 released in the UK isn't a pukka mono mix but a simple fold-down of the stereo mix. That is to say, no-one mixed the master in mono from the original 8-tracks.

Thanks I didnt know that!

You understood that, it's like french to me..

Wish I could talk music 

[buddhahat]

Tunestony has just posted the following at the Hoffman board:

I've heard that version - and it IS that good.  There's an emotional quality to it that was missing in his earlier piano demo.

Also, my interview with Mark Linett sheds a little light on where that version came from.  Apparently, while working on the first-ever stereo mix of Wild Honey, they found a few run-throughs of "Surf's Up" with just Brian and a piano, AFTER Smile had been aborted.


Tony

I think he posts here. If so, Tunestony - any further info on the above?!!

[hypehat]

he'll be posting his Linett interview soonish, he mentioned it in another thread.

[Shady]

I just made a thread about this but let's use this one because I made this one too


I'm so happy!!!