My Favorite Things

Recording history and tape provenance

My Favorite Things was recorded across three sessions at Atlantic Records' 56th Street studio in New York City: October 21, 1960 (the title track), October 24, 1960 ("Summertime"), and October 26, 1960 ("Everytime We Say Goodbye" and "But Not for Me"). Engineered by Tom Dowd and Phil Iehle, produced by Nesuhi Ertegun for Atlantic Records, and released in March 1961 as Atlantic 1361 (mono) and SD-1361 (stereo). Personnel: John Coltrane (soprano saxophone on A1 and B1; tenor saxophone on A2 and B2), McCoy Tyner (piano), Steve Davis (bass), and Elvin Jones (drums).

The album is historic for multiple reasons: it was Coltrane's first recording on soprano saxophone, which he had only recently acquired; it represented his commercial breakthrough as a leader; and the title track, edited to single length, became a genuine radio hit in spring 1961. The same October 1960 sessions also yielded material for Coltrane Plays the Blues, Coltrane's Sound, and Coltrane Legacy – making this one of the most productive three-day recording periods in jazz history. Tom Dowd's engineering favours a soft, somewhat atmospheric presentation of the piano in particular – what The Skeptical Audiophile calls "tube amplifier overdrive" giving Tyner's piano a "ghostly" quality – which is distinct from the RVG sound of the Impulse! recordings and requires careful mastering to reproduce well.

The stereo mix and its problems

The stereo mix of My Favorite Things is hard-panned in a manner that many modern listeners find challenging: Coltrane's saxophone and Tyner's piano are split far left and right respectively (or vice versa depending on which generation of tape), with Davis's bass and Jones's drums occupying the centre and opposite side. This makes the stereo version somewhat fatiguing on headphones and can feel spatially artificial. Unlike the Getz/Gilberto situation there is no simple channel-reversal error – the original panning choices were deliberate, if products of their era – but the result polarises collectors. The 2022 Rhino/Kevin Gray 60th Anniversary remaster appears to present a somewhat less aggressive stereo image than earlier releases – listeners report "less panning" and "more bass" compared to previous pressings – though as a stated AAA cut from the original stereo tape this likely reflects different EQ and level choices at the cutting stage rather than any active channel manipulation. Reception is mixed: some appreciate the more integrated feel, others would have preferred the original panning preserved exactly. The mono presents a far more cohesive ensemble picture.

The lost and found mono master

For decades the mono master tape of My Favorite Things was believed destroyed in an Atlantic Records studio fire. When Rhino released The Atlantic Years in Mono box set in 2016, the title was conspicuously absent – present only as a 7" 45rpm single of the title track. In 2021, The Electric Recording Company (ERC) announced that the original mono master tape had been found – it had not been destroyed but rather been re-boxed in a plain, unlabelled case and lost in storage. Warner Music Group confirmed the authenticity based on the edits on the tape. ERC released a strictly limited 300-copy true mono edition in 2021. The 2022 Rhino 60th Anniversary 2LP then made the mono available commercially for the first time on LP, as LP2 alongside the stereo on LP1.

Original US Atlantic pressings (1961)

The original US release carries two catalogue numbers, one for each format:

• Mono: A-1361 (sometimes listed as 1361)
• Stereo: SD-1361

The Atlantic label hierarchy: essential identification

The Atlantic label went through a documented series of changes between 1956 and the early 1970s. LondonJazzCollector's definitive guide and the JazzCollector.com community have mapped the variants specific to this title. The sequence for My Favorite Things is as follows:

First mono pressing (1961): Red/white/purple label with white fan logo and no ® symbol above the fan. Laminated cover in heavy cardboard. The ankh symbol stamped in the deadwax matrices indicates pressing at MGM's Bloomfield, New Jersey pressing facility – confirmed by the VinylDiscovery pressing plant database, which lists the ankh as an MGM Bloomfield plant marker. This was Atlantic's standard arrangement for early catalogue numbers pressed on the East Coast. Matrix etches: 11755-A side A, 11756-B side B (with the ankh). Deep groove is sometimes present on the earliest copies, sometimes not – its presence does not definitively prove a first pressing, but its absence from a copy claiming first-press status with this label is a red flag. This is the true first mono pressing and the most sonically desirable vintage copy.

Second mono pressing: Same red/white/purple label with white fan, but a small ® symbol is now added above the fan. Otherwise identical in appearance. Sonically very close to the first pressing.

Black fan pressing variants (1962–66): Label transitions to black fan with Atlantic's distinctive boxed-A logo. These are meaningfully later pressings, substantially more common than the white-fan variants. The primary tool for dating Atlantic black-fan pressings is the street address printed at the bottom of the label: the earlier address reads "157 West 57th Street, New York" (used through approximately 1963–64); the later address reads "1841 Broadway, New York" (from approximately 1964–66 onward). This address change is the reliable dating mechanism for black-fan Atlantic pressings of this era – more so than subtle variations in the size or boxing of the "A" logo. Black-fan copies are often sold as "originals" – the Jazz Record Center sold one for $255 per the JazzCollector.com account, which the community considered high for a variant this far removed from the first pressing.

Stereo variants: The stereo SD-1361 runs a parallel sequence. First stereo pressing has the white fan on a black/white/blue ground (the stereo Atlantic label colour scheme differs from mono). Later stereo pressings transition through green/blue labels with black fan, then the 1970s orange/green Atlantic "bullseye" label variants. LondonJazzCollector (stereo guide): once the green/blue label era ends, any title in the 1300s series on the subsequent orange label is a reissue, not an original.

Sonic character and collector consensus

The original white-fan mono pressings – particularly the very earliest copies with ankh deadwax marks – are considered the gold standard. Deep Groove Mono blog on hearing the original mono for the first time: "Hearing the original mono pressing of this album for the first time was profound. None of these four brilliant musicians are competing to be heard here, and the mono presentation succeeds at unifying the music without sacrificing each player's individuality. As warm as this recording sounds even in its digital stereo incarnation, this pressing accentuates that. It's one of the most dramatically different listening experiences I've had comparing a record to its digital counterpart." Tom Dowd's engineering gives the piano a unique atmospheric quality that reads particularly well in mono – the ghostly McCoy Tyner touch.

One Discogs community member who has compared across multiple pressings and the AP 45rpm: "As much as I prefer the mono presentation of My Favorite Things to hard-panned stereo in theory, the [ORG] BG cut still has the edge in overall sonics. Coltrane's sax and Tyner's piano are simply more present and alive on the 2013."

UK and European pressings

The UK first release is ATL 5022 on the Atlantic UK label, pressed by Decca at New Malden, London. LJC on the UK pressing: the maroon Atlantic label with silver fan is distinctive – not the London Atlantic crimson/silver of earlier titles but Atlantic's own label merely pressed by Decca. The UK release came in 1964, three years after the US original. European pressings (French, German Polydor-era) circulate but are secondary.

Market values

NM white-fan mono A-1361 with ankh in deadwax commands the highest prices of the mono variants; exceptional copies command more still. NM second mono (white fan with ®) sits well below the ankh variant. NM black-fan mono variants are more affordable again. NM original stereo SD-1361 white-fan falls between the white-fan and black-fan mono tiers (stereo originals are less pressed-upon by audiophiles given the hard panning, but still collectible). UK ATL 5022 trades in its own separate, generally lower range.

The reissue hierarchy

ORG Music 45rpm 2LP (2013) – longtime benchmark

Cat. ORGM-1080 | Barcode: 711574707119 | Format: 2×180g 45rpm, gatefold jacket, numbered limited edition. Mastered by Bernie Grundman, AAA, from the original analog tapes. Pressed at Pallas (Germany). Stereo only.

For a decade this was the consensus best reissue of this album. One Discogs reviewer who compared it directly with the 2022 Kevin Gray 60th Anniversary 2LP: "The Bernie 2LP 45RPM from 2013? That's something special. And as much as I prefer the mono presentation of My Favorite Things to hard-panned stereo in theory, the BG cut still has the edge in overall sonics. Coltrane's sax and Tyner's piano are simply more present and alive on the 2013." A second reviewer comparing the ORG and the earlier Rhino 33rpm: "This ORG edition at 45 rpm sounds way better than the Rhino 33 rpm. More detailed and with wider soundstage." A third comparing ORG and 2022 KG: "For all intents and purposes it's the same mastering on different speeds and I would not recommend one if you have the other."

One caveat: the jacket on the ORG is widely criticised as cheaply made – "plain text on white background inside the gatefold jacket and plain and boring red back cover" – a significant contrast to the Rhino 180g 33rpm's better-produced packaging. Grundman's mastering does however achieve the clarity and presence that the recording demands. Out of print as original numbered edition, commanding a real premium on resale.

Analogue Productions Atlantic 75 Series 45rpm 2LP (2024)

Cat. AAPA 011-45 (Acoustic Sounds SKU: AAPA 011-45) | Barcode: 753088751172 | Format: 2×180g 45rpm, Stoughton tip-on gatefold. Mastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound, AAA, from the original master tape. Pressed at QRP. Released March 29, 2024 as part of AP's Atlantic 75th Anniversary series. Stereo only.

Discogs community responses immediately after release: "This is the absolute best I have ever heard this album!! Kudos to Chad and Ryan K Smith!! Beautifully done!!" Multiple buyers confirm dead-quiet surfaces from QRP and excellent presentation via Stoughton's tip-on gatefold. A direct comparison from one owner who has the ORG, the 2022 Kevin Gray 60th, and now the AP: "The cover is definitely nicer on the AP!!" (the ORG's famously poor jacket is frequently mentioned as a reason to prefer the AP). One dissenting voice on Discogs prefers the 1975 Monarch stereo pressing over both the ORG and AP 45rpm editions – a minority view but indicative that some listeners respond differently to the vintage lacquer character.

The AP is the current new-production benchmark for stereo. Its relationship to the ORG is likely equivalent to the same phenomenon seen on other titles in this series – Ryan K. Smith's Sterling Sound cut has slightly more low-end extension and a slightly different tonal balance compared to Grundman's characteristic approach. Part of the Atlantic 75 series; available at Acoustic Sounds.

Rhino/Atlantic 60th Anniversary 2LP – Stereo + Mono (2022)

Cat. R1 666923 (Discogs r23290832) | Barcode: 603497842827. Format: 2×180g 33⅓, replica original sleeve, 12-page booklet, 11.5"×11.5" cover art insert. Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from the original tapes. Pressed in Germany (Optimal). LP1: stereo; LP2: mono (from the rediscovered original mono master tape). Released 2022.

This is the only widely available pressing to include the mono from the original mono master tape – making it essential for anyone interested in the mono presentation. The Kevin Gray stereo cut appears to present a less aggressive stereo image than prior pressings – likely a result of EQ and level decisions at the cutting stage. Listeners report it sounds "smoother" with "more bass" and less extreme panning. Some appreciate this; others would have preferred the original tape's panning geometry preserved exactly. One Discogs reviewer: "I would recommend the new 2022 60th reissue by Kevin Gray as it actually sounds a bit different with more bass, less panning and includes the Mono version which is also very nice to have for this album." Another: "The KG stereo is not as boosted in the top end, which I like. A 'smoother' sound which works nicely. Kind of wish he left the hard panning completely intact, however."

Rhino High Fidelity mono (2025) – a newly independent mono pressing

Part of a six-album box, John Coltrane: 1960–1964 Mono, released November 2025 as an early launch for Coltrane's 2026 centennial celebration – also issued as a standalone breakout LP for Record Store Day's 2026 "Start Your Ear Off Right" event. AAA cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio directly from the original analog mono master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal. One direct comparison against the 2022 60th Anniversary mono confirmed via deadwax inspection that this is a genuinely different cut, not a repress of the same metalwork – though in careful listening the reviewer found the two "super, super" close, with only a marginally quieter surface favoring the Rhino High Fidelity pressing. Both were judged to have modestly more bass and treble than an original vintage mono pressing, without being dramatically different in character. Packaging uses alternate French cover art on the front, with the original US cover reproduced inside the gatefold. The box is limited to 2,000 numbered copies; the standalone SYEOR breakout LP is a separate, less strictly limited edition.

The mono side is the star of this package for most serious listeners – the first time the true original mono mix has been on LP since the 1960s. Still in print.

Rhino 180g 33⅓ (2010, EU) – the well-packaged earlier reissue

Cat. SD-1361 | Barcode: 081227980498 | Format: Single 180g LP at 33⅓, tip-on jacket. Mastered by Bernie Grundman, AAA, from the original analog tapes. Pressed at Optimal (Germany). Stereo only.

This is the same Grundman mastering as the ORG 45rpm but at 33⅓ speed. The comparison with the ORG 45 goes back and forth: one reviewer who did a careful A/B: "Now I've closely compared the ORG 45 and Rhino 33, specifically on A1 and B1 and have to say there is very little in it... For all intents and purposes it's the same mastering on different speeds." Advantages: the Rhino 33 has better-executed packaging than the ORG's notoriously sparse gatefold – the ORG uses plain white inner pages and a plain red back cover described by multiple buyers as "cheap," while the Rhino tip-on features stronger artwork reproduction and printing. The ORG does have the gatefold format, but the quality of execution makes the Rhino's single tip-on the more satisfying physical object. Quieter vinyl per some reports, and costs a fraction of the ORG's resale price. Vinyl Gourmet: "You'd be hard pressed to find a better pressing of this release. AAA mastered by Bernie Grundman from the original tapes, plated at RTI and pressed on silent vinyl at Optimal." Out of print.

Note: Some copies are the US Rhino variant; others say "Manufactured in the E.U." on the back cover with catalogue number 8122798049 printed on jacket and labels. Matrix etchings confirm: "R1 1361-A BA 04906-01 A1 19023.1(3).. BG" / "R1 1361-B BA 04906-01 B1 19023.2(3).. BG" – the "BG" confirming Grundman.

Electric Recording Company (ERC) true mono (2021)

Limited to 300 copies, cut from the rediscovered original mono master tape. ERC's signature approach: lacquer-cut at their facility in London on vintage equipment, pressed on a dedicated pressing machine. Pete Hutchison (ERC): "It's not a fold down. The original mono tape was thought to be lost in a fire but was in fact re-boxed in a plain case and lost, then rediscovered. The authenticity is identified by the edits on the tape."

With only 300 copies and ERC's customary audiophile-grade process, this is a collector holy grail for mono enthusiasts – the only pressing cut directly from the original mono tape before the Rhino 60th Anniversary. Extremely hard to find; when copies appear they command a substantial premium. For most listeners the 2022 Rhino 60th mono (from the same tape, mastered by Kevin Gray) is the practical alternative.

Various Atlantic/Rhino reissues and pressings to evaluate

1960s–1970s Atlantic represses: The black-fan stereo in green/blue labels (~1962–66) sounds decent and is reasonably priced. The 1970s Atlantic orange/green bullseye reissues are budget-tier quality and not recommended for serious listening.

1975 Monarch pressing (stereo): One Discogs community member who compared the ORG 45 and AP 45 concluded they prefer the 1975 Monarch pressing above both: "the high-pitched instruments and piano sound much fresher." This is a minority but noteworthy view; the vintage lacquer character of mid-1970s Atlantic reissues occasionally earns passionate defenders.

Japanese pressings: Atlantic Japan/Victor Japan pressings from the late 1970s–early 1980s (P-6030A, P-7505A series) carry the standard praise for Japanese vinyl quality – dead-quiet surfaces, faithful reproduction. One Discogs reviewer: "Such a clean sounding pressing on my good sound system. Love the sound stage." Typically found with obi strip.

Back-catalogue 33rpm Rhino (late 1990s–2000s): Standard-weight, variable quality. The Tom Port/Better Records community occasionally finds standout copies but overall these are not recommended over the 2010 Grundman 180g.

Mono vs. stereoing

This is more cleanly resolved than on most titles in this series. Mono is the preferred format for this album among serious collectors, for reasons specific to the recording:

The stereo mix hard-pans the piano far left and saxophone far right (or the reverse depending on pressing generation), placing Elvin Jones and Steve Davis in between. This creates a peculiar listening experience – the two lead voices (Coltrane and Tyner) are separated rather than interacting in a unified space. On headphones in particular the effect is tiring. The mono presentation collapses this into a unified ensemble where the interplay between Coltrane's soprano and Tyner's spare, atmospheric piano – the defining sonic relationship of the album – can be properly heard as a conversation.

Deep Groove Mono: "None of these four brilliant musicians are competing to be heard here, and the mono presentation succeeds at unifying the music without sacrificing each player's individuality." The Discogs community is largely in agreement: "I also have a 1st Mono pressing that I'll be comparing. The 1st Atlantic Mono pressing is so nice to look at, I love those Atlantic laminated jackets."

The 2022 Kevin Gray 60th Anniversary 2LP gives most listeners their best practical access to the mono, from the original mono master tape, at a modest price. The original white-fan mono A-1361 is the vinyl holy grail for those willing to invest in condition-dependent vintage hunting.

What makes this recording particularly demanding on pressings

Tom Dowd's soft, atmospheric piano treatment is the recording's most delicate characteristic. It sits at the edge of "present but ghostly" – a deliberate choice that reads beautifully on well-mastered vinyl but collapses into wooliness on mediocre pressings. The difference between hearing Tyner's piano as a distinct instrument with its own space and hearing it as an undifferentiated wash is largely a pressing quality issue.

Coltrane's soprano saxophone has a particular upper-frequency complexity – the overtones and breath quality of this relatively uncommon instrument in 1960 require good high-frequency resolution. Hard-panning it in stereo to one extreme channel makes this worse by overloading that channel's transient capability; the mono integration is kinder to the instrument.

The bass (Steve Davis) is mixed somewhat back in the original recording – a characteristic of the Atlantic studio approach versus Van Gelder's more prominent bass presentation on Impulse!. Grundman's mastering on the ORG and Rhino boosted this somewhat, which most listeners welcome.

Pressings to avoid

EU grey-market editions: The usual suspects – DOL, Waxtime, Vinyl Lovers and similar unlicensed European pressings. These circulate in large numbers, cheaply, for this title. Atlantic's catalogue is owned by Warner Music/Rhino and is not in EU public domain. Digital-sourced without tape access.

Standard-weight 1980s–90s Atlantic/Rhino budget pressings: Oil-crisis-era thin vinyl, variable surface noise. The recording's quiet passages demand better.

Any pressing described as "original stereo" with a black fan label on eBay: As the JazzCollector.com community documents, sellers frequently describe third or fourth pressing black-fan copies as "originals." A genuine first or second pressing stereo has a white fan. Verify the deadwax.

Buyer's guide by budget

$$ (Affordable): The 2022 Rhino/Kevin Gray 60th Anniversary 2LP is the clear recommendation. It includes both the stereo Kevin Gray remaster and the mono from the original mono master tape. For a casual listener or someone new to this album, it comprehensively solves the format question at once. Pressing quality (Optimal, Germany) is very good. The mono alone is worth the price.

$$$ (Mid-range): The Rhino/Grundman 180g 33rpm (EU, 2010) remains an excellent pressing at used-market prices – Grundman's AAA mastering from the original tapes on quiet 180g vinyl, tip-on jacket. Better packaged than the ORG 45rpm at a fraction of the cost, and sonically very close.

$$$ (Mid-range): The AP Atlantic 75 45rpm 2LP (AAPA 011-45) is the current new-production pinnacle for stereo listening, combining Ryan K. Smith's Sterling Sound mastering with QRP pressing and Stoughton packaging. Buy this if you want the best available stereo presentation from new stock.

$$$$$ (Grail / Rare): The ORG Music 45rpm 2LP (ORGM-1080) on the resale market remains competitive with the AP as a pure-sonic proposition, if you can accept the poor jacket. Grundman's take on this recording has a loyal following. A NM white-fan mono A-1361 original also becomes accessible in this range – the holy grail for mono enthusiasts, offering a listening experience the modern reissues approximate but cannot fully replicate.

$$$$$ (Grail / Rare): Genuine first-pressing white-fan mono with ankh deadwax in NM condition; or the ERC true mono if a copy can be found. Both represent the highest collector tier for this album.

The one-copy answer: The 2022 Rhino 60th Anniversary 2LP for most people – it gives you both formats from the best available tapes at a price that makes sense. If stereo-only listening from the best possible source is your aim, the AP AAPA 011-45 is the current answer. If budget allows, pair them.

Pressing tier summary

References

• Discogs (master): https://www.discogs.com/master/46560-John-Coltrane-My-Favorite-Things
• Wikipedia, "My Favorite Things (John Coltrane album)": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Favorite_Things_(John_Coltrane_album)
• AnalogPlanet, "The Rhino High Fidelity Series Kicks Off Their John Coltrane Centennial Celebration...": https://www.analogplanet.com/content/rhino-high-fidelity-series-kicks-their-john-coltrane-centennial-celebration-aaa-mono
• YouTube, True Audiofiles, "Sound Quality Shootout My Favorite Things mono": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpXgtcEBMzE
• The Skeptical Audiophile, "John Coltrane – My Favorite Things": https://ontherecord.co/2018/07/13/john-coltrane-my-favorite-things/
• The Skeptical Audiophile, "The Electric Recording Company Does My Favorite Things No Favors": https://ontherecord.co/2024/04/20/the-electric-recording-company-does-my-favorite-things/
• Deep Groove Mono, "Vinyl Spotlight: John Coltrane, My Favorite Things (Atlantic 1361)": https://dgmono.com/2017/05/09/vinyl-spotlight-john-coltrane-my-favorite-things-atlantic-1361/
• Discogs release and community listings for all pressings referenced in the tier table above (original white-fan mono A-1361, ERC true mono, AP Atlantic 75 45rpm, ORG Music ORGM-1080, Rhino 60th Anniversary R1 666923, Rhino/Grundman 180g 33rpm, Japanese Warner-Pioneer pressings, black-fan variants)

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