Why the mono version?

The mono track does the best job of minimizing the movie-specific attributes of this track.  It’s not so much a musical performance as it is a comedy performance in which music occurs, and as such, when approached with the usual audio formalities (reverb, stereo spread), it takes on a scope that I don’t believe it was ever intended to have and that takes away from the enjoyability in terms of “just listening” to it as a performance on one’s hi-fi set.  In the film, the music is downplayed for the benefit of the comedy, not the other way around.  Sinatra and Holm are not “beautifully” singing the song while doing funny things.  Singing a song “as a song,” (even overdubbed) while doing funny things looks and sounds like this:

(I first saw that ad 35 years ago.  It still slays me.)

Sinatra and Holm, rather, are “sacrificing” the song for comedic effect, i.e, singing into a bowl, making goat sounds, doing Gleason imitations, mocking opera singers, etc.  To try to place this into a “formal audio setting” is problematic.  With no visuals, the original stereo mix is quite unintentionally humorous, and verily so, and slighly over-baked, unnecessarily so:  We hear each singer in their own corner, standing still as statues, with lots of reverb poured on, as if they are standing in front of the orchestra on stage at a concert in formal dress.  Really?  What performer in their right mind would ever perform this song that way?  It doesn’t work at all, and every stereo audio-only release does this to some degree.

While the mono still contains some of the hammy moments that, in my view, work much better with visuals than without, and while I think the audio performance would have benefitted from being re-recorded in a toned-down version for release on record, the mono version at least prunes the proceedings down a bit, presenting the piece in a diminutive  form that is appropriate for what can best be described as a comedic musical trifle.

By the way, the 5.1 remix is excellent, with dry and stationary vocals, no added nothin’ in terms of reverb, panning, etc.  (Some live-recorded sounds and Foley effects are audible, but that’s to be expected when watching a movie!)

Top Choice:

•Original mono LP (See NOTES)

Best Stereo:

•In Hollywood CD (CD remix)

Not as good:

•All the other audio-only releases

Recommended top choice:

•Frank Sinatra Sings the Select Cole Porter CD (mono)

Second Choice:

•Original mono LP

Best Stereo (and, in reality, best overall sound, but with a significant caveat):

•In Hollywood CD (See NOTES)

Avoid:

•All the other audio-only releases

NOTES

•Capitol releases and (oddly) In Hollywood have a 4-measure instrumental introduction; the film itself has a 6-measure intro.

•In Hollywood is far and away the best audio-only mix in terms of sound quality.  However, because it is (mostly) the film version (not the Capitol version), it does not include a true conclusion to the song, but a somewhat forced-sounding fade at the beginning of what is, in the film, a lengthy instrumental coda.  Also, there are places where a flute obligato competes a bit with the vocal, a byproduct of the In Hollywood track being created from the 5.1 audio master (or perhaps some other source), not by freshly revisiting the actual mag film (unlike other tracks from High Society).  There are also some noise reduction artifacts in the opening.

•The other stereo CD/LP releases are truly dreadful sounding.  Larry Walsh was smart (as usual) to choose the mono mix for his CD mastering in the Cole Porter set.

Recommended top choice:

•Rhino That’s Entertainment CD - conservative bass, “dry” presentation

Also excellent, but different style:

•Reprise In Hollywood CD - increased bass/warmth, added reverb

NOTES

•Dvd stereo audio is very similar to That’s Entertainment, but the dvd has foley effects audible in places, so is not proper for “pure listening.”