Stereo/Mono in Pop Vocals and Jazz Options

[tinpanalley]

How would one know whether a particular jazz or pop vocals artist originally released their records as Mono or Stereo? When there is a Mono available I'd prefer that but often when you find a record in a shop there's no way to know if you're holding a stereo record that sounds better in its mono release, right? Sinatra's Capitol albums for example are known to be better in mono. I would imagine that in the mono era, mono is how records sound "better" than their simulated stereo releases. So... any foolproof way to know if I'm looking at a record that is also available in Mono?

Anyone know of a music forum that gets people into this kind of music together?

[JJZolx]

Then it sounds like vinyl is your answer.

In my experience, most older vinyl covers explicitly stated mono or stereo (stereo was a big selling point at first). If a CD duplicates the original cover, they'll often either remove 'mono' if mixed in stereo, or else add a 'stereo' label.

This post has been edited by JJZolx: Jul 6 2012, 19:01

[2Bdecided]

AFAIK, everything Sinatra ever recorded in mono-only is available on CD

Actually, I believe that the case is that nothing Sinatra on Capitol has ever been reissued in mono on CD except for "Only the Lonely" and that the only way to get mono Capitol is on vinyl. There have been two major remasters and both were of different stereo mixes. Which is what has made the mono mixes so sought after.

Is there a typo in your first sentence? Or do you mean that where stereo and mono exist(ed), only stereo has been released?

I like the few Frank Sinatra CDs I have - they're 1980s remasters of late 1950s stereo recordings, and they sound like it - but apart from the tape hiss they're fine. Makes you realise how subjective this is though, when you see the opposite opinions here...

http://www.head-fi.org/t/559554/audiophile...tra-suggestions

Anyone in the UK/EU is free to needledrop and commercially release the mono versions - the recordings up to 1961 are all out of copyright here (though the music+lyrics may not be - you should pay those fees when releasing such CDs). IANAL!!!

Cheers,
David.