| Author |
|
davidclark
MusicFan
Joined: 17 November 2004
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1102
|
| Posted: 19 September 2014 at 2:22am | IP Logged
|
|
|
ahh. ok Andrew I understand now. What's confusing about this track is that
they seemed to have edited both the 45 and the LP from a longer session (a
12" probably). What makes it more confusing is that they used different
sections in some places for each, but they run the same length!
__________________
dc1
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MMathews
MusicFan
Joined: 18 August 2005
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 978
|
| Posted: 19 September 2014 at 1:34pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
David, I agree about all the edits. Between the LP, the U.S. 45, and the many various edits on import CD's, the mix seems the same (not including later club remixes of course).
They seem to have just randomly chosen different sections to leave in each version. I hope to one day hear the entire unedited recording.
I suspect it was on the 1978 Sire promo 12" single running 7:20. But that item goes for $$$ if you can find one. But for all we know, that could have been yet another edit of an even longer version.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Yah Shure
MusicFan
Joined: 11 December 2007
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1317
|
| Posted: 21 September 2014 at 9:39am | IP Logged
|
|
|
MMathews wrote:
| I suspect it was on the 1978 Sire promo 12" single running 7:20. But that item goes for $$$ if you can find one. But for all we know, that could have been yet another edit of an even longer version. |
|
|
Mark, the 7:20 promo 12-inch is a veritable parade of edits. You may be onto something as far as Frank Farian playing random shuffle with the various segments. There must've been a worldwide shortage of splicing tape by the time he was finished. :)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MMathews
MusicFan
Joined: 18 August 2005
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 978
|
| Posted: 21 September 2014 at 2:42pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
LOL. I now have a picture of Frank sitting surrounded by a
huge pile of tape scraps, and a stack of dozens of cans of
edits to be sent to the four corners of the world.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
EdisonLite
MusicFan
Joined: 18 October 2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2237
|
| Posted: 22 September 2014 at 9:25am | IP Logged
|
|
|
FOUR corners?!? He had so many piles of tape scraps after all these edits, he managed to find EIGHT corners of the world to ship them to.
(And that includes four corners in a parallel universe known as the "Fringe" universe!)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Fetta
MusicFan
Joined: 26 April 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 389
|
| Posted: 22 September 2014 at 1:30pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I haven't read through this entire thread so not sure if it is needed or not, but I do have a needle drop of the 12" if anyone needs it or wants to hear it.
-Jeff
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
AndrewChouffi
MusicFan
Joined: 24 September 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1092
|
| Posted: 23 September 2014 at 9:12am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Hi everyone,
I had a chance to listen (& study) the promo 12" of "Rivers of Babylon" and it appears while all of the pieces of the 45 are included, not all of the album version is there (specifically the passage where only Frank Farian is singing).
While this is purely conjecture on my part, my guess is that Hansa Studios had an early Neve Computer Assisted Mixdown board which while analog allowed the engineer to do different mixes which were virtually identical except for specific passages which could be altered to taste (digitally controlled). This may be why all of the different contemporaneously released versions have virtually the same *basic* mix even though some passages are obviously different.
But, who really knows? What we do know is Mr. Farian loved edits (ever listen to Milli Vanilli's "Girl You Know It's True" or "Baby Don't Forget My Number"?)
P.S. the channels are reversed on the promo 12" compared to the single & album.
Andy
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Scanner
MusicFan
Joined: 14 August 2019
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 215
|
| Posted: 23 September 2022 at 9:17am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Although all the 45s I have seen online show a 4:16 length,
was there ever a 3:56 version released as a single or to
radio as a promo? I have heard this version online
(Spotify, YouTube) and it is the one I recall hearing back
when on the radio. This version shortens the intro and
edits out the male vocal section of the bridge.
Unfortunately, I only heard this song on AT40. Since Kasem
was notorious for editing songs, this may have aired
trimmed on his show. But, his edits were usually more
noticeable and substantial than just 20 seconds.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
AdvprosD
MusicFan
Joined: 12 June 2020
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 354
|
| Posted: 23 September 2022 at 8:07pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Hykker wrote:
Strange to see regional hits even into the late 70s/early 80s. I was living in the Boston area at the time and don't ever recall hearing anything by Boney M. It wasn't until the mid-90s we started getting
calls for "Mary's Boychild" at the N.H. CHR I worked for at the time. We were able to find a copy in a used record store to dub in the automation...it was completely unfamiliar to me. |
|
|
Same for me with this song. I don't remember ever hearing it on the radio in these parts.
I have noted that it seems to pop up on a lot of the youtube greatest hits collections that get put up from time to time. Not a bad song, but maybe easily forgettable?
__________________
<Dave> Someone please tell I-Heart Radio that St. Louis is not known as The Loo!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
AndrewChouffi
MusicFan
Joined: 24 September 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1092
|
| Posted: 24 September 2022 at 9:14am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Does anyone have a dub of the short side of the promo 12"
PRO-A-732 I can listen to?
How about the promo or commercial 45 labeled 'Remastered
Version' 'RE-1' so I can compare with my earlier commercial
45?
Thanks!
Andy
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
aaronk
Admin Group
Joined: 16 January 2005
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6513
|
| Posted: 24 September 2022 at 11:34am | IP Logged
|
|
|
From info posted by Andy and others, it appears we have the following mixes and edits:
- 7:24 promo 12"
- 3:45 promo 7"
- 4:20 commercial 7"
- 4:22 LP version
Can someone summarize 1) if these are all the same mix but edited down from a longer take, 2) if the commercial 7" version is available on CD or digital in good quality (no noise reduction), and 3) if the promo 7" can be edited down from the LP version and/or the commercial 7". I have not done any A/B comparisons on these myself.
__________________
Aaron Kannowski
Uptown Sound
91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
AndrewChouffi
MusicFan
Joined: 24 September 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1092
|
| Posted: 25 September 2022 at 9:20am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Summarization for Aaron:
Slight pitch difference, channel-reversal & EQ
notwithstanding, the promo 12" can produce the commercial
7" (& short side promo 12") simply by editing approx.
3min,29.5sec thru 6min,35.3sec out of the promo 12".
Note: what is edited out is mostly redundant as it is
effectively a loop, but there is some unique audio such
as a Liz Mitchell vocal and a piano solo with an off-
measure edit within.
The 3:45 promo 7" is pretty much the LP version with the
first 38.4 sec. intro lopped off.
Please note: I'm only comparing US releases; I am
confident there are myriad other international edits &
versions as this was a worldwide smash. One version I
know of that has leaked onto some CDs is close to the US
commercial single version but with the 2nd half of the
intro edited out.
If anyone wants to add to this overview, please do!
Andy
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
AndrewChouffi
MusicFan
Joined: 24 September 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1092
|
| Posted: 25 September 2022 at 5:34pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
The version on 'Hard To Find 45s On CD Vol. 8: Seventies
Pop Classics' is the commercial 7", albeit slightly faster
and much crisper than my 45.
I wonder how much different the RE-1 'Remastered Version'
7" sounds? I'm hoping someone out there has a copy for me
to compare.
Andy
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
eriejwg
MusicFan
Joined: 10 June 2007
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3509
|
| Posted: 26 September 2022 at 8:10am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Earlier in the discussion, Jim (RIP) said the promo 45 did
not match the 4:19 45 version even if you took off the
first 38 seconds. I listened to the 4:19 versions on Qobuz
and they either fade much earlier than the promo 45 or are
edited differently.
I was hoping to create a nice, digital copy of the promo 45
but it sounds as though it can't be done from the 4:19
version.
__________________
John Gallagher
John Gallagher Wedding & Special Event Entertainment
Snapblast Photo Booth
Erie, PA
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
AndrewChouffi
MusicFan
Joined: 24 September 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1092
|
| Posted: 26 September 2022 at 8:45am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Hi John,
If you can find the LP version from 'Nightflight To
Venus' and lop off the intro, you've essentially got the US
promo 45 edit.
Don't know where you can find it, but it is on Spotify, so
there's probably a digital source somewhere out there.
Keep us posted...
Andy
Edited by AndrewChouffi on 26 September 2022 at 8:46am
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
eriejwg
MusicFan
Joined: 10 June 2007
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3509
|
| Posted: 26 September 2022 at 8:58am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Just listened to the LP version on Qobuz and it fades to
early at the end. The end result would be about 5 seconds
short if the only difference is the intro that's been
removed.
__________________
John Gallagher
John Gallagher Wedding & Special Event Entertainment
Snapblast Photo Booth
Erie, PA
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
aaronk
Admin Group
Joined: 16 January 2005
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6513
|
| Posted: 26 September 2022 at 11:02am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I also listened to the LP version on Spotify, and the fade out lasts until "by the rivers..." On the promo 45 dub I have, I can also hear "of Babylon" but nothing more. At most, the LP version on Spotify is about 1.5 seconds shorter on the fade.
__________________
Aaron Kannowski
Uptown Sound
91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
aaronk
Admin Group
Joined: 16 January 2005
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6513
|
| Posted: 26 September 2022 at 11:39am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I had the chance to line up the promo 12" and commercial 7" version in the multi-tracker, and while there are segments unique to the promo 12", most of the song matches up with the commercial 7" version, parts of which have been looped. Specifically, the section from 4:06 to 4:24 and 5:29 to 6:35 of the 12" are unique. These sections are not found in the LP version, either.
__________________
Aaron Kannowski
Uptown Sound
91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Active Topics 
Memberlist 
Search 
Help
Register 
Login
Top 40 Music on Compact Disc : Chat Board
Topic: Rivers of Babylon - Boney M
