The Doors Forum

For those who are lucky to have mono on vinyl, or reissued mono CDs, if you have never actually played them in TRUE mono on your turntable or player....you are missing the whole point and pleasure of 60's mono!

I still have my 1971 SONY combination TT & amp in one. It has a stereo/mono switch and, believe me, playing a mono classic with the MONO switch ON is like night and day compared to when I forget and leave the switch on STEREO.

If you don't have a stereo/mono switch, make or have made a double Y cable so you can truly channel MONO.

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Some mono must-haves...(I have all these in MONO vinyl)...


-THE DOORS 1967 (we all know what this is a must! It's time for Elektra to release the MONO on CD!)

-THE DOORS, Strange Days

-Dylan, Blonde On Blonde (really different from the stereo!)

-Surealistic Pillow, Jefferson Airplane...perfectly brilliant in MONO!

-Buffalo Springfield s/t, and Buffalo Springfield Again!!

-After Bathing At Baxter's...quite different in places and preferred also by the Airplane over the stereo mix

-Sgt. Peppers, Rubber Soul...Beatles yeah yeah yeah

-Out Of Our HeadsThe Stones

-The Left Bank-Pretty Ballerina/Walk Away Renee...this is an exception to the rule...play this mono LP in the stereo mode--it is somehow enhanced and has a fuller effect...amazing!

-Their Satanic Majesty'sThe Stones

-Fresh Cream

-SUNSHINE SUPERMAN Donovan...you need this!!!!

-Beatles '65

-"Introducing" The Beatles on Veejay...I don't expect most to be able to get this,I was lucky to find it for $10, but it is so cool and sounds so GOOD!

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I'll think of more I have that you all gotta have!! Any MONO masterpieces you want to share?

The only mono vinyl I have is The Doors debut. My turntable doesn't have the stereo/mono switch. I didn't even know they existed.

Does your stereo/mono switch apply to The Beatles' mono CDs?

Encuentro wrote:The only mono vinyl I have is The Doors debut. My turntable doesn't have the stereo/mono switch. I didn't even know they existed.

Does your stereo/mono switch apply to The Beatles' mono CDs?

Yeah...they do sound better with that MONO switch. I run my CD player through the SONY amp so I can switch it to MONO.

I'm not sure exactly how it would layout with a double-Y cable (have your audio shop make it for you), but I read that a double-Y cable set up will "move" all channels effectively into one mono-like channel, and then run through both speakers as one mono channel-- it has the same effect as a mono switch...and sounds much better.

It has more of a live concert experience since you really hear a concert in MONO.


Maybe Len or some of you audiophiles can explain it here...I'm not sure exactly how to set up a cable like that to simulate real MONO through your stereo TT system....

I also have the ability to play those old 78's! It has a switch for 78 RPM, 45, 33 1/3-7", and 33 1/3-12".

I have these two Byrds must-haves in MONO...and they are the definitive mixes. Younger Than Yesterday MONO mix, with Chris on bass and Clarke, finds the rhythm section at it's best...reaching their peak as Paul and Ringo did on Sgt. Peppers. Maybe two of the best albums ever.

The Byrds "Mr Tambourine Man" MONO
(Columbia "two eye" beauty of a label!)

and the jacket is really beautiful without that "Stereo" blurb across the top...




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"Younger Than Yesterday" MONO



Note the blackish "bar" across the bottom that is trimmed off on the Stereo jacket to show "Stereo" across the top.

That "bar" across the bottom is a key design element which leads me to believe that MONO was still the preferred format--and the one the designers also focused on.

As you can see, it's not a very balanced design for the STEREO jacket. Not something often discussed, but the cover art also suffered sometimes with the STEREO version. Sgt, Peppers also suffered in Stereo...






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Oh, I just realized I also have ...

"Turn! Turn! Turn!" in MONO...cool!




As you can see here, the Stereo trim almost totally cuts off Gene & Chris! OUCH! It looks to be a really BAD design but it's not..it's meant to be MONO!






Definitive albums all, especially &, of course, preferred in MoNO.