The new CD of the songs of Mughal-E-Azam has vastly improved sound quality for
the original voice recordings compared to the HMV CD (includes Mother India too) I
also have. I noticed that some songs are not the same recording on both CDs. There
are differences in speed, intonation etc. Is it normal for Bollywood songs of that time
to have different takes stored away in archives? Or is the HMV CD a later recording?

Mike Bhaii!! MEA was digitally remastered audio to dolby digital/surround etc under supervision of Maestro Naushad himself with the help of Uttam Singh and his orchestra!! and sounds million times ahead of original.
There was a big hoopla around release and CD was being sold as hot cakes..very nice packaging too..

Where were you thou?

I am glad you too liked and appreciated their effort.

I got this CD - love every min of it , its prob my most played CD, beating lot of my IR collection ( yes ! )

For a while it was common practice to record a short version for the 78rpm discs and a longer version for the film. This may have been done for MEA, since 78rpm records were produced in India through the mid or late 60s.

I do remember hearing a slightly different take of "Mere Sapnon Ki Rani" in the trailer for Aradhana than what was in the film and CD. In some cases the album and film versions of a song differ in length, but I don't know if these are separate takes or the short version was just edited down.

You might try asking and searching in the rec.music.indian.misc newsgroup about this.

I know, but some songs are the same recording of the voice (just cleaned up) and some are not.

It is suprising nice to know that people here appreciate when technology is put to good use. Most people think the original recording should be left alone.

Indeed..Restoration with enhancing, digitally of these classics is way to go..Umrao, Sholay, Sahab Bibi, Don...but Orig are being rotten some where no one care, here we are using technology to REMAKE them with all trashed added!!!

I wish Indian Govt!! Will participate RESTORATION of these FOREVER CLASSICS!! NOT TRASHING!