Collectors Music Reviews

The Beatles – Yellow Submarine Mono Songtrack (Unreleased Mono LP - Apple) was released by Dr. Ebbetts in excellent mono [PTM 7070] in 2005 utilizing the true mono mixes of each song including previously official unreleased mono mixes of the Yellow Submarine songs.  

DBM-049 is a warm flawless mono transfer that certainly has its moments. I was initially impacted by the chorus of all four Beatles on “Yellow Submarine”. “Only A Northern Song” offered a smattering of instrument filled  fade-ins with stark clarity. The strange mix on ”Hey Bulldog” accentuated the bass perfectly but the rest of the instrumentation, especially the vocals, all sounded like they were a bit in the backround. “It’s All Too Much” sounded a bit cluttered and one dimensional with not nearly enough separation. There was, however, no distortion. The cymbals screamed out and the cowbells sounded fantastic in this 8:08 extended version.

Lennon’s voice rises just a tad above the instrumentation on “All You Need Is Love” to complement the track. The bass is deep and sharp, the orchestration is strong and forceful and impacts the listener.  There is an extra chorus on this version. The mono mix works wonders on this particular track as it ends abruptly without the usual fadeout. A perfect seamless transition to “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” follows with the haunting lead guitar and featuring the voice of Dick Emery on the first verse.

McCartney’s vocals keep pace and in tune with the lavish and stellar orchestration on “Eleanor Rigby”. The guitar just blasts through the mix so clearly on “Nowhere Man” with a defined and tight low end and nice cymbal fade-out.

DBM-049 is a tremendous sounding mono transfer. The 14 tracks, featuring four Harrison tracks,  blend well together. This gorgeous release, once again, comes recommended for quite an enjoyable listen!