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The East Coast Mix
Most copies of Rubber Soul were pressed in Los Angeles, but a small number were pressed in New York and were mastered differently. These versions featured "Dexterization" of the masters, named for Capitol executive Dave Dexter, Jr., who modified many early Beatles records by compressing the sound and adding reverb. This version of Rubber Soul is commonly referred to as the "East Coast Mix" (even though the mix is not actually different) and only applies to stereo masters.
Further clarification is provided by Doctor Ebbetts: "From For those not familiar with it, it is also known by some as the 'East Coast' version. It is identical the 'regular' US stereo version of the Rubber Soul LP in every way except that it has a layer of reverb across the entire album. That's right...Capitol reverb across the whole LP! It is not dramatic, but it is very noticeable on specific songs where the vocals are completely or partially isolated. Songs like Girl and Wait are particularly noticeable...It can be heard clearly on a song like Think For Yourself, which normally ends cold and dry. On the 'Dexterized' version, there is a very definite echoey decay on that last note."
The best way to tell if a pressing features the East Coast Mix is to check the record matrices: affected copies feature the letter W or X in the matrix number (i.e. ST1-2442-W4P), signifying the New York plant. It may be possible to differentiate by checking the cover: the "New Improved Full Dimensional Stereo" logo at the top of the cover appears in black text against a white background in the East Coast Mix, above the photo which is therefore shortened, as opposed to appearing in brown/orange text against the dark brown background of the cover photo.
