Mono vs. Stereo is an endlessly interesting aspect of Sixties Pop music.
The rise of FM radio in the late 60’s was, I would conjecture, a reason why “folded mono” became standard for singles after albums were produced in stereo exclusively.
Mono FM receivers collapse stereo broadcasts into mono. So, if that was what people were already hearing, why bother laboring over dedicated mono mixes for singles played on AM stations?
Barnes Newberry opened this week’s “My Back Pages” on WMVY with selections from Simon & Garfunkel’s Bookends album.
“Fakin’ It” from Bookends is an all-time favorite of mine. There’s so much creativity in the production. I love the “Strawberry Fields Forever” fade-out. All it needs is “I buried Paul (Simon).”
The true mono mix for the 45 provides a striking contrast to the album’s stereo mix. Note the running time.