Introduction: 99.99% of the text below is by Mathijs
van Heteren. The original text is available here.
I just copied it to my own webserver so that this excellent work does not
get lost! Thanks for his excellent research. The text examines
the different Rolling Stones CDs and tells you why you need the German
/ Japanese pressings on the London label. Here we go:
The Rolling Stones official back catalogue from 1963 until 1969 is most confusing, and frustrating to! The Stones management decided to make a distinctive difference between the U.S. and U.K. market by releasing different singles, track listings on albums and sometimes even song versions. When in 1984 most of the Stones sixties catalogue was released on CD by LONDON (in association with ABKCO), suddenly some tracks appeared in true stereo instead of the original mono and some tracks were even alternate versions. Especially the compilation CD’s “Hot Rocks” and “More Hot Rocks” featured some nice surprises.
In 1986 ABKCO released the complete catalogue again for the American market, and this time with a “Digitally Remastered From Original Master Recordings” banner. These releases are beyond doubt horrible! First, they all have the original American, thus shortened, track listings and all tracks appear in MONO, even where stereo versions are available. But worse, all ABKCO albums seem to be taken from vinyl, and not from the master tapes! (Listen to “Time is on My Side” from the Singles Collection…) Pops and surface noise can be detected, and the sound is condensed and distorted! It is really a shame that one of the best sixties albums “Aftermath” is not available in store these days the way the album was meant to be: 14 tracks in true stereo, as can be found on the original U.K. CD release. The copies of “Aftermath” found in store these days are truly horrible sounding.
The CD’s to look for are the LONDON European (except one which was only released in Japan) releases. These releases have the blue and red LONDON label printed on the front inlay and do not feature the “ABKCO” and “Digitally Remastered” banner on the bottom of the front inlay. 8 LONDON titles were released in Japan with a “Digitally Remastered” banner in the left upper corner and these versions also feature the stereo versions These Japanese versions are harder to find. The order numbers of the U.K. LONDON catalogue exist of 7 digits and the first three always being “820”. Except for the Japanese “The Rolling Stones NO. 2”, LONDON titles are not hard to find in Europe in second hand CD-shops and record fairs, and the value is approximately 25 U.S.$. On the auction site E-Bay some people ask ridiculous prices (like $100 for the U.K. edition of Aftermath) for these LONDON titles, which is criminal in my opinion. (Ed.: I beg to differ. In late 2001, the London titles have become really hard to find. Yes, it was easy in 1999/2000 but now, the CDs are really gone!)
Here the deviations of the Stones 60’s discography can be found. In the tables the (true) stereo versions can be found.
N.A. means Not Applicable. If a stereo version can only be found on the U.K. London version, the order number for the U.S. ABKCO version is not applicable. The denotation “1”, “2” or “3” means “total of titles on which this stereo track can be found”. E.g., “Time is on My Side” can be found on 2 CD’s: the Japanese “The Rolling Stones NO.2” and the European “Hot Rocks 1”. The denotation “1” means that the track can only be found on one CD title; therefore this title is a must. The order numbers given are the order numbers of my own copies; I do acknowledge the existence of other copy numbers.
Discography
1. “England’s’ Newest Hit Makers “
The Stones’ first album, released as “The Rolling Stones” in the U.K.,
and as “England’s Newest Hit Makers” in the U.S.Differences
between the versions are the added “Not Fade Away” and the missing “Mona
(I Need You Baby)” on the U.S. version. The U.K. version has a different
“Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)” then the U.S. version (the U.S. version
can also be found on “Singles Collection: The London Years”). The U.K.
version features a guitar break and runs longer. Note: on some extremely
rare vinyl pressings “Mona (I need You Baby)” was listed as just “Mona”
(credit to Basement News, No. 16). “It’s All Over Now” from “England’s
Newest Hit Makers” can be found in stereo on the “More Hot Rocks 1” title.
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Origin
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Order
number ABCKO
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Order
number LONDON
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It's
All Over Now
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2. “12 * 5”
The U.S. only 12 by
5 features no stereo tracks, but has a different “Time is on My Side” then
the single version released a month before. This version has an organ intro
instead of a guitar intro. The guitar ‘single’ version can be found on
ABKCO’s “Singles Collection: The London Years”, including crackles.
3. “The Rolling
Stones, Now!
Released January 15,
1965, the U.K. version “The Rolling Stones No. 2” features a different,
slower “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” then its U.S. equivalent “The
Rolling Stones, Now!”. “The Rolling Stones No. 2” has only been released
in Japan on CD, and features 4 stereo tracks. For the European and American
market LONDON decided to release the U.S. version on CD, featuring 3 stereo
tracks. Fortunately the stereo “I Can’t Be Satisfied” can be found on the
European “More Hot Rocks 2” title. I do not know if ABKCO used any stereo
tracks for their version of “The Rolling Stones, Now!”.
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Origin
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Order
number ABCKO
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Order
number LONDON
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Time
Is On My Side
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What
A Shame
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Down
The Road Apiece
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I
Can't Be Satisfied
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Heart
of Stone
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4. Out Of Our Heads
The first album released
in (reprocessed) stereo. Early vinyl pressings of “Out Of Our Heads” had
a different version of “The Under-Assistant West Coast Promotion Man”,
with extended vocal lines during the fade out of the song (“I break My
Ass Everyday”). This version can be found ABKCO’s “Singles
Collection: The London Years”. “Satisfaction”
does not appear on the U.K. version. Two songs from “Out Of Our Heads”
can be found in true stereo.
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Hot Rocks 1 |
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Origin
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Order
number ABCKO
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Order
number LONDON
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Satisfaction
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Play
With Fire
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5. December’s Children
(and Everybody’s)
This U.S. album “December’s
Children (and Everybody’s)” is a compilation of unreleased tracks, single-only
tracks, and tracks only released in the U.K. The ABKCO version on CD is
in MONO, whereas 2 tracks appear in stereo on the LONDON version.
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Origin
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Order
number ABCKO
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Order
number LONDON
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Look
What You've Done
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Get
Off Of My Cloud
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6. Aftermath
The ABKCO release of
Aftermath is completely worthless. In order to get all tracks from the
Aftermath sessions (and in stereo!), one must get the LONDON (“purple”)
version of “Aftermath and “Hot Rocks 1” for the stereo “Paint it, Black”.
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Origin
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Order
number ABCKO
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Order
number LONDON
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Mothers
Little Helper
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Paint
It, Black
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Stupid
Girl
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Lady
Jane
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Under
My Thumb
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Doncha
Bother Me
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Think
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Flight
505
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High
and Dry
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Out
Of Time (Long Version)
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I'ts
Not Easy
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I
am Waiting
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Take
It Or leave It
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What
To Do
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Going
Home
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6. Got LIVE If You
Want It!
The LONDON version
of Got LIVE If You Want It! (820 137-2) features an incomplete introduction
of the Stones (the fantastic Rolling Stones! Billy Wyman!!), a shortened
version of Satisfaction and a different version of Under My Thumb, compared
to the ABKCO version (844 467-2). “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and “Fortune
Teller” are actually studio versions with added screaming teenagers. The
LONDON version is stereo, whereas the ABKCO version is mono. All vocals
have been redone in the studio. Amazing album in my opinion, it is the
earliest punk available!
7. Between the Buttons
The same here as for
“Aftermath”: the ABKCO version is horrible! It sounds bad and most tracks
are mono. In order to get all tracks from the “Between the Buttons” sessions,
one must get the LONDON version (820 138-2) and the LONDON “Flowers” for
the “Black Street Girl” and “Please Go Home”. These tracks are in mono
on the ABKCO version.
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Origin
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Order
number ABCKO
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Order
number LONDON
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Let's
Spend The Night Together
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Ruby
Tuesday
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Back
Street Girl
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Connection
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She
Smiled Sweetly
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Cool,
Calm & Collected
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All
Sold Out
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Please
Go Home
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My
Obsession
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Who's
Been Sleeping Here
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Complicated
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Miss
Amanda Jones
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Something
Happened To Me Yesterday
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8. Flowers
Released outside of
Europe, “Flowers” contains the songs missing on the U.S. version of “Between
The Buttons” added with some single tracks and three new tracks. I do not
know if “My Girl” and “Ride On, Baby” are in stereo on the ABKCO version.
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Origin
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Order
number ABCKO
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Order
number LONDON
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Out
Of Time (short, bass intro version)
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Out
Of Time (short, strings version)
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My
Girl
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Ride
On, Baby
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Sitting
on a Fence
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9. Beggar’s Banquet
I have always assumed
this album to be only available in stereo on both LONDON and ABKCO. To
my big surprise, on ABKCO the “Beggar’s” takes are in MONO! “Beggar’s Banquet”
can be found completely in stereo on the LONDON version, order number 800
084-2. I do not know if the ABKCO version is in stereo or in mono.
10. Let It Bleed
“Let It Bleed” is in
stereo on both the ABKCO and LONDON version.
9. Bits and Pieces
Some songs can only
be found on compilation. The return to the blues, and to most people the
start of the golden period, “Jumping Jack Flash” was only released as a
single, only to surface one year later on the “Through the Past, Darkly”
big-hits album.
“We Love You” can be
found in true stereo on “More Hot Rocks 2”and it is remarkable the Stones
released this song initially in mono. The production is inspired by the
Beach Boy’s “Pet Sounds” and it is strange to put so much energy in the
production only to release it in mono. The stereo version is breath taking!
“Try a Little Harder”,
originally from the “Metamorphosis” album, is the only originally mono
track to appear in stereo on the ABKCO’s “Singles Collection”. Note: even
“No Expectation” is in mono on this title! Note: The 3 CD Singles Collection
has been released by ABKCO in a thick clamshell jewel case. However, LONDON
has released “The Singles Collection” as three single CD’s, in as box set
with a booklet (order no.’s: 820-905-2-01, 820-906-2-01 and
820-907-2-01). I have
never heard this release, but it is reported to feature several more stereo
tracks, e.g. the stereo Honky Tonk Women.
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Origin
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Order
number ABCKO
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Order
number LONDON
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Through the Past, Darkly |
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Honky
Tonk Women
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Dandelion
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We
Love You
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More
Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies)
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Child
Of The Moon
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Singles Collection: The London Years |
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Try
a Little Harder
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10. What Do We Need
If you want to have
all tracks in best possible sound, you need to purchase all releases by
LONDON. For extra tracks, or tracks in stereo, in order to be complete,
you must purchase:
1.Both
LONDON and ABKCO “Got LIVE If You Want It!”
2.The
LONDON “Flowers” for 4 tracks;
3.The
LONDON “Hot Rocks 1” for 3 tracks;
4.The
LONDON “Hot Rocks 2” for 1 track;
5.The
LONDON “More Hot Rocks 1” for 1 track;
6.The
LONDON “More Hot Rocks 2” for 2 tracks;
7.The
ABKCO “Singles Collection” for 3 tracks.
Back to information about
Stones CDs