Ongoing History Daily: Is mono the new stereo (part 2)

April 18, 2024 Alan Cross 0 Comments 0 min read

(Find part one here). Stereo records first began appearing in 1958 and within ten years, all the big record labels had abandoned mono in favour of this new technology. Since then, mono recordings have been almost as rare as Toronto Maple Leaf Stanley Cups.

But mono has made a modest comeback, thanks in large part to vinyl collectors who treasure some of those old mono recordings. The best example is a 2014 release of the first half of the Beatles catalogue, which were all originally just single-channel recordings. And if you’ve heard them through a proper sound system, you’ll know that they sound stunning.

Mono single-channel recordings? Not dead yet.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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