The Beatles ‎– Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (UK Mono)

1st UK pressings, XEX-637-1 & XEX-638-1

A Garrod & Lofthouse laminated gatefold cover (flipback glue-tabs on inner spread);
A red half-tone print on white ‘psychedelic’ inner sleeve;
A ‘cut-outs’ card insert (full-color, single-sided. Printed signatures of Blake/Haworth at foot);
A black and yellow logo label with silver text:
“The Gramophone Co.” in the radial text and “Sold in the U.K. Subject To Resale Price Conditions, See Price Lists” across label at center, with “Made in Gt. Britain” at foot.

The only real version of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is the mono version. The Beatles were there for all the mono mixes. Then, after the album was finished, George Martin, Geoff Emerick and I did the stereo in a few days, just the three of us, without a Beatle in sight. There are all sorts of things on the mono, little effects here and there, which the stereo doesn’t have.
Richard Lush, engineer
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn

There are many interesting though subtle differences between the stereo and mono mixes, like Paul’s more prominent screaming at the end of the reprise. You can literally hear the engineer start the applause playback too. Mostly though you’ll easily hear what how superior is the overall mix. The coherence in my opinion refutes charges that this is a “gimmicky” record. Instead what shines through are the musical and production innovations probably never again to be heard on any pop/rock recording by any group.