Not to mention the early Beatles records were all released (initially) in mono.
My checkered history in college AM radio led me to the realization that many AM stations in the past decades (are there any AM stations that aren't exclusively talk radio around today?) ran only one channel of a stereo feed to the broadcast tower (saves the cost of 2 x 1cent resistors!). Typically the left channel, as that is channel 'one' of a 2-channel feed. Makes for some curiously odd reception when tunes that have exceptional stereo imaging are played. I remember hearing 'grazing in the grass' (Hugh Masekela) before learning about that AM radio practice. Sure sounded weird?
So, I imagine the Beatles and others were similarly afflicted over the years.
