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| Mmt French Ep Odeon Meo 39501/39502 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 22 2015, 05:39 PM (579 Views) | |
| meaning-less | Aug 22 2015, 05:39 PM Post #1 |
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I'm trying to determine if the following catalog number for the French Odeon EP issue of Magical Mystery Tour is Mono or Stereo: MEO HS 39501/39502. The discs are housed in a U.K. Mono gate fold cover. |
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| AurelianDE | Aug 23 2015, 12:13 AM Post #2 |
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Copies with MEO HS on the label and housed in a Garrod & Lofthouse mono (MMT 1) sleeve are those from the first batch, available from Dec 1. Copies with SMO 39501/2 on the label were pressed a bit later, and both variants were also issued in German-made SMO sleeves. But the records were made in France and were all mono. (According to Hocquet/Krasker.) |
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| meaning-less | Aug 23 2015, 03:30 PM Post #3 |
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Would these Mono mixes be the same as the original U.K. Mono or were they mixed from the Stereo masters? |
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| AurelianDE | Aug 23 2015, 09:45 PM Post #4 |
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I haven't listened to it (because I haven't got it :(), so all I can say is what the sources say. There have been rumours that a Spanish catalogue number exists in stereo and in mono (it is listed by the yokono site and mentioned, with caution, by Frank on Frank's Meagre Beatles Site). The most authoritative French discography does NOT include ANY stereo version but doesn't say anything about the source for the mono release(s). The 'Beatles Mixes' book says that I Am the Walrus was a folddown for the singles in France as well as Germany, but doesn't mention the French EP (it does mention Brazilian and Mexican records which are folddowns). It seems, therefore, that the French mono EPs were sourced from a true mono master. Maybe somebody has the French EP? The difference should be noticeable on Your Mother, at the end of Flying, and on Walrus. |
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| namralos | Aug 23 2015, 10:31 PM Post #5 |
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Right. I mention rumors of a stereo copy with the Spanish number, but it's not in my listings. To this day I have only seen the "True French" number (MEO) and the "German" number ("SMO"). I suppose I could play my copy, but from my memory it is in true mono. It has the MEO prefix. |
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| meaning-less | Aug 23 2015, 11:59 PM Post #6 |
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One more question on this subject if I may? Was the original MMT EP released on the same date in every country. I ask because I've seen different dates listed for the INITIAL release. |
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| AurelianDE | Aug 24 2015, 09:34 PM Post #7 |
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The answer is NO. First of all, different record companies (affiliates) had preferences for different days in the week on which to launch new records (US/UK, for instance). Then, official release dates were not always adhered to (Sgt. Pepper was available a bit earlier than 1st of June). And lots of factors from decision making to production requirements would also intervene. MMT was released on Dec 8 in the UK. It was available on the 1st of Dec in France (that was the date when a copy was entered into the Bibliothèque Nationale, the 'legal deposit date'.) And if I am not mistaken, the Australian EP came out as late as March 1968. Still, many dates given in the literature are not terribly reliable because not every country published their release dates and it's hard to establish a definite date years after the event. |
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| meaning-less | Aug 25 2015, 10:22 PM Post #8 |
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I am curious to know why France did not manufacture it's own cover/sleeve to house the MMT EP. |
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| AurelianDE | Aug 26 2015, 12:18 AM Post #9 |
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I have no idea! :D I don't think any of the sources I've found mention a reason for it, but it's a fact and not really an exception. It seems that a small number of sleeves were imported from England and a larger number from Germany. The same is true for Sgt. Pepper. The White Album, too, had an SMO number and came in German sleeves. Covers for the first issue of the WA in Italy were impported from Germany and, very very strange, a number of German Sgt. Pepper inner sleeves surfaced in Australia! |
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| admiral halsey | Aug 26 2015, 06:19 AM Post #10 |
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It seems odd when the release below was EXPORTED(!!) to Belgium. Also, they printed their own sleeves for all other french released eps. AH Posted Image Posted Image |
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| meaning-less | Aug 27 2015, 10:09 PM Post #11 |
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I have just received my copy of the MMT EP on the Red label French Odeon label, MEO HS 39501/39502. The discs are housed in an original U.K. laminated Mono gate fold sleeve. (MMT-1 with MONO printed underneath.) As expected the labels match perfectly the examples given by Frank on his comprehensive site! The booklet is full and intact and includes the Blue lyric sheet firmly secured in the center. I am traveling and unable to play the discs at this time. I am anxious to verify this EP as being a MONO example. |
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