Listening to music recorded in mono

I think maybe with stuff released around the time stereo releases were emerging (so music would be released either as mono or  stereo pressings) the stereo was a bit of a novelty and was often a bit over-egged (a bit like films intended for a 3D release where things loom into the foreground for no real reason)  Not that big a deal unless maybe you're listening on headphones and stuff is jumping about from left to right and is maybe pretty distracting. Some tracks you pretty much had two different songs if you turned the balance hard to the left of the right. A lot of stereos at the time had a 'mono' button so you could turn the 'stereo' effect off, so I guess wanting to listen without it isn't that new a thing.

I can see why people would like the option.I'd pay extra for cinema tickets for screenings where the surround sound is turned off.

Well considering a lot of bluetooth speakers are mono, even those with 2 channels and multiple speakers, they are so close together, they can't really create a stereo sound stage.

Also, there is craze of retro formats at the moment. A nephew of mine, takes lots of vinyl with him when he's away and listens to it on a crappy portable turntable. Completely pointless but he seems to like it.

Got a few late 60s vinyl records and the quality of sound on the mono pressings is far better than the stereo ones. A dealer told me they're sought out by aficionados.

A dealer told me they’re sought out by aficionados.

Did this dealer happen to be selling some of these mono pressings?

Did this dealer happen to be selling some of these mono pressings?

No he was offering me an obscene amount for mine.

Mono is used a lot in techno (and other types of music) for low frequences to avoid signal cancelling in venues. Junior and his mate DJ as "Blame the Mono" which makes reference to the particular sound their vinyls have - there are other more subtle references. Can't quite work out why they sometimes gig wearing "stereo saved us" T-shirts.

I knew I’d kept the Dansette for a reason

If the music was recorded in mono what choice do you have? Talking about some of the best recordings ever made like early blues and rock'n roll.

I remember an interview with Tom Jones (the one when he told the story about when he was in the shower and Elvis came in and took a crap in the bog while he was showering, and when he’d finished he gave him a pistol as a present). He said Elvis always preferred mono because it gave better bass… not sure if that’s the case.

He said Elvis always preferred mono because it gave better bass… not sure if that’s the case.

Well, bass is effectively mono anyway. Certainly, early stereo could be… interesting where separation was concerned, and in any case, most people would only have had mono reproduction anyway, if they had a stereo player, chances are the speakers would have been little more than three feet apart. The recent remaster of ‘Revolver’ has some of the original mono recordings, and having listened through the whole album, it’s sometimes difficult to pick them out.
TBH, what does it matter, if you’re listening on a portable radio, everything is going to be mono, and nobody cares.

Certainly, early stereo could be… interesting where separation was concerned,

just like @maccruiskeen ‘s ‘3D’ comment. You’ve both listened some of the ‘stereo’ records from the early days. Rhythm guitar in one ear, bass in the other, drums where ever, vocals here and there. Awful. Maybe Some of those were just producer/engineer responding to record company/stereo record player company requests for ‘make it more stereo, we need to sell this tech!’. A good mono recording is way better.

I seem to remember reading either an interview or maybe it was part of a biography of Marc Almond. When he and Dave Ball recorded ‘this last night in Sodom’ they did some tracks, if not all, in mono and were amused when various reviewers commented on the stereo effects.

Down by the Jetty? 🤔

Hendrix (or his studio engineer, Eddie Kramer?) LOVED dicking about in stereo.

We went through a phase at high school of always sitting at the far side of the classroom so we could listen to one headphone undetected by the teacher. Hendrix songs always sounded weird.

This seems to address the issue, written by Damon from Galaxie 500 and Damon & Naomi in 2014.

https://pitchfork.com/features/oped/9492-back-to-mono/

I have to admit I don't care enough to fully digest the argument, but the gist of it seems to make sense.