This past week, I explained one of the younger members of my staff the reason why different mixes were done for albums and 45s. Like the top 40 AM stations, the singles were in mono and mixed to sound loud on the radio and on portable, kids' and teenagers' personal record players. That meant a lot of compression but also an exaggerated kick of a bass drum and that wooden THWACK on the drums. Full-length LPs, either mono or stereo, had to sound smoother, cleaner and more dynamic for the adults who paid the extra dough to purchase them. There were other technical issues at play: stereo in particular dealt with a series of limitations on excessive bass and treble. Engineers were still expected to create a high-fidelity-sounding mix within the parameters of the medium.

If singles were designed to make a song POP on AM radio,  perhaps Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" was almost too much of a good thing. It was not a hit in the United States except on FM radio where it became a rock standard. In this original mono 45 mix, which has never been reissued since it's original pressing, the track has a crunchy, garage band vibe. Especially prominent in this mix is a co-lead vocal by the late Danny Whitton of Crazy Horse. Knowing how much Neil likes distortion and loudness, it's hard to believe it hasn't been reissued in any form.

If anyone has a copy that they'd like to sell, let's talk!

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