Top 40 Music on Compact Disc: "Maniac" -- Michael Sembello

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Topic: "Maniac" -- Michael Sembello

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Indy500
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Posted: 26 May 2009 at 5:32pm \| IP Logged

Is there any difference between the 45 and the soundtrack version other than the 45 plays slightly longer?

My 45 is too scratched up to listen for mix differences.

AndrewChouffi
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Posted: 26 May 2009 at 7:55pm \| IP Logged

The 45 is a different mix; most notably the vocoder sounds after the first chorus.

Please note: I'm only going by memory.

Andy

Indy500
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Posted: 26 May 2009 at 8:45pm \| IP Logged

Thanks, I got out that 45 and knowing what to listen for you can really hear it. My 45 plays right along with the soundtrack version on CD so it isn't a speed issue but that distinctive sound (vocoder) sounds to be at different pitches on the two versions and where it appears in the mix during the guitar solo on the soundtrack version it is completely absent on the 45.

Definitely a version difference.

Edited by Indy500 on 26 May 2009 at 9:04pm

budaniel
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Posted: 27 May 2009 at 2:46pm \| IP Logged

the 45 mix is a remix with heavier percussion--I only have that mix on CD with no info about who remixed it, but I always believed it to be an alternate short mix of the Jellybean 12" mix, but the 7" mix is even noticeably different than the 12". Back in the day, radio stations in NY played the album mix mostly, although one station eventually started playing an edit of the 12" mix.

eriejwg
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Posted: 27 May 2009 at 3:04pm \| IP Logged

Are the non-soundtrack entries in the database the 45 version?

Roscoe
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Posted: 27 May 2009 at 7:19pm \| IP Logged

eriejwg wrote:

Are the non-soundtrack entries in the database the 45 version?

They must be, although I only own 3 of the CDs with a no version indicator in the database...those are the 45 version (Class Reunion 1983 and the Disco Nights titles).

Actually, the database notations are somewhat confusing. I thought that the Flashdance soundtrack was the official LP release of "Maniac", with the 45 being released as a single off this album in a different mix. Seems like a classic case of "45 version" and "LP version" distinction to me, but the database makes no notation on the 45 versions.

budaniel
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Posted: 29 May 2009 at 1:27pm \| IP Logged

actually, it might be done that way because what we're calling the 45 version is probably the version that was on Michael Sembello's Bossa Nova Hotel album. Therefore, the 45 version IS the LP version just not the "flashdance soundtrack LP version."

MMathews
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Posted: 29 May 2009 at 1:59pm \| IP Logged

Hi All,

LP versions for this song can be confusing -

It was first released on the Flashdance soundtrack, so that was the first LP version.
It was then released on the 45, remixed. This was the "hit" version.
It was then released on Sembello's album "Bossa Nova Hotel", and they used the 45 mix on this album.

And yes i too was from NY (long island) and i remember hearing both versions, the AC stations tended to play the soundtrack LP version, and the Hot Top 40 stations tended to play the 45 mix.

The 12" mix was the 3rd version released and is a unique mix different from both of the others.
The 45 mix is not an edit of the 12", but the 12" is a more pumped up mix similar to the 45 with the extra percussion, and of course extended. After it was a big hit, Z-100 (the big top 40 station in NYC "the flame-thrower!" as they would say..) had switched over to an edit of the 12" mix, and they started doing that quite often with other hits.

Hope that helps!

-MM

Hykker
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Posted: 29 May 2009 at 7:44pm \| IP Logged

My 12" singles are packed away right now due to some renovations I'm doing on the house, but I don't recall the 12" of "Maniac" being much more than a minute longer than the 45. WROR in Boston played this version regularly during its chart run.
"Flashdance" by Irene Cara was 8 min + on the 12" and contained an extra verse that was not on either the 45 or the album.

Indy500
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Posted: 29 May 2009 at 11:29pm \| IP Logged

MMathews wrote:

Hi All,

Hope that helps!

-MM

It does.

bwolfe
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Posted: 30 May 2009 at 3:13am \| IP Logged

What version would that be on Casablanca's Greatest Hits?
I don't have access to my single at this time.

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crapfromthepast
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Posted: 31 May 2009 at 10:51am \| IP Logged

And now... the be-all end-all "Maniac" post! :)

The first version of the song to appear anywhere was on the Flashdance Soundtrack LP. (Casablanca 811492, released 1983, printed 4:12, actual 4:09, 157.6 BPM throughout). CDs weren't quite on the market yet, so the vinyl LP was all there was.

The first single from the soundtrack was Irene Cara's "Flashdance...What A Feeling", and it was a big hit.

The second single from the soundtrack was "Maniac". The 7" was Casablanca 812 517-7, released 1983, printed 4:13, actual 4:15, 157.4 BPM throughout.

The 45 was a remix of the soundtrack version, featuring a more interesting drum track with an accented snare sound and actual drum fills (listen for the two tom-toms that start the song; the soundtrack version has no such tom-toms and starts on the downbeat), new background vocals (listen for "maniac, maniac" during the chorus behind the lead vocal, and the new "crazy crazy crazy crazy" at the very end of the chorus right before the next verse). The guitar solo is the same in both versions (Michael is a terrific guitarist, who played on Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life, among others.) The fade starts in the same place as the soundtrack version, but the tail is longer.

The B-side of the commercial 45 was the instrumental (printed 4:13, actual 4:14, 157.4 BPM throughout). Don't know what promos were released to radio.

The single was huge. So huge, in fact, that there was a minor backlash - WPLJ in New York held a "Maniac"-free weekend! I remember hearing both versions on the radio at the time, but I don't remember which stations played which version.

American Top 40 initially played the soundtrack version for the first few weeks (I checked the 7/23/83 show), and switched over to the 45 remix after that (I checked the shows of 8/6/83 and 9/3/83, and the year-end special).

The 45 label read, "From the original soundtrack from the motion picture 'FLASHDANCE' 422-811 492-1 M-1". The label also read, "Michael Sembello appears courtesy of Warner Bros. Records".

Later in 1983, Michael Sembello released the Bossa Nova Hotel album (Warner Bros. 23920), which had the minor hit "Automatic Man" starting side 1 and "Maniac" closing side 1. I've never listened to side 2.

The Bossa Nova Hotel album uses the 45 remix of the song, printed 4:18, actual 4:17, 157.6 BPM throughout. Compared to the Casablanca 45, the very tail end of the fade lasts two or three seconds longer.

So, as of the end of 1983, there were two versions of the song: the Flashdance soundtrack version running 4:09, and the 45 remix/Bossa Nova Hotel version running 4:15-4:17. It appears that both radio (judging by AT40) and Michael himself (judging by Bossa Nova Hotel) prefer the 45 remix.

And then, CDs were introduced to the market. Confusion reigned, society broke down...

The first version of the song on CD was on the Flashdance Original Soundtrack CD. (Casablanca 811 492-2 - a very early CD release, and one of only 59 titles listed on the catalog in PolyGram's Hear The Light Vols. 1 and 2 CDs)

According to Pat's book, the Flashdance CD ran 4:01 and faded :08 earlier than the vinyl LP version. Odd, but true. The mastering was also substandard - there was quite a bit of tape speed variation throughout, causing the tempo to average at 159.0 BPM, but vary by +/- 0.4 BPM in places. Yikes!

There were a handful of CDs that either used digital cloned versions of the Flashdance CD or used analog transfers of that mastering. All had the same tape speed variations:

Hear The Light Volume II (PolyGram 816 055-2, 1984, actual 4:01)
Hits On CD (Vol. 1, but not listed as such because there weren't any other volumes yet, Mercury [W. Germany] 818 273-2, 1984, printed 4:00, actual 4:00)
Mega-Hits Dance Classics (Volume 1) (Priority CDL 7971, actual 4:01, mastered way too loud and clips severely)
Disco Fever (cheapie 4-CD set; Dominion [Germany] CD 5555, 1993, actual 3:59)

Finally, in 1990, there was a new transfer to digital from the analog tapes, which ran a tiny bit shorter than the proper soundtrack length but didn't have any tape speed variations:

After Hours (3-CD set, Silver Eagle Records/Warner Special Products OPCD-4523, 1990, printed 4:05, actual 4:06, 158.5 BPM throughout)
Mystic Music Presents Good Times (2-CD set, Warner Special Products OPCD-3523, 1991, printed 4:05, actual 4:04, 158.5 BPM throughout; digitally identical to After Hours)
Awesome '80s (2-CD set, Razor & Tie/Warner Special Products OPCD-4551, 1994, printed 4:05, actual 4:04, 158.5 BPM throughout, sound very close to above two)

Next, in 1992, Bill Inglot did a new digital transfer of the analog tapes, now running the proper soundtrack length:

Billboard Top Hits - 1983 (Rhino R2 70678, 1992, actual 4:09, 157.1 BPM throughout, excellent sound - best yet)
Sounds Of The Eighties: Cinemax Movie Hits Of The '80s (Time-Life R988-31, actual 4:09, 157.1 BPM throughout; differently-EQ'd digital clone of Billboard CD)
Sounds Of The Eighties: 1983 (Time-Life R988-03, 1994, actual 4:09, 157.1 BPM throughout, not digital clone but sound very close to Billboard CD)
Sounds Of The Seventies: Celebration (Time-Life R138-38, actual 4:09, 157.1 BPM throughout; not digital clone but sound very close to Billboard CD)
Like Omigod (7-CD set, Rhino, actual 4:08, 157.1 BPM throughout, mastered too loud and clips a lot)

So up until 1996, all the versions that appeared on CD were the soundtrack versions, despite the apparent preference of the 45 remix from radio and from the artist himself.

In 1996, the 45 remix finally saw a release on CD:

Casablanca Records - Greatest Hits (Casablanca 314 526 253-2, 1996, printed 4:17, actual 4:17, 156.8 BPM throughout; sound as good as you'll find for the 45 version)
Retro Lunchbox - Flashback Flix (Sony Music Special Products A33658/9532, 1998, actual 4:17, digitally exactly 3.5 dB louder than Casablanca Records CD - clips severely - avoid!)

There is a 12" mix available on CD, which essentially exaggerates the characteristics of the 45 remix, with a different tonality to the drums. (I don't really like it.) It's on:

The Casablanca Records Story (4-CD set, Casablanca 314516917, actual 5:53, runs 155.2-155.1 BPM)
Selections From the Casablanca Records Story (Casablanca SACD 921, 1994, same as above)

So there you go. "Maniac" was Casablanca's last top 40 entry.

Now I'm entitled to a "Maniac"-free weekend!

Edited by crapfromthepast on 31 May 2009 at 10:56am

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budaniel
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Posted: 03 June 2009 at 8:29am \| IP Logged

interestingly, the Michael Sembello album has recently been issued on CD. I don't have the CD, but the sound samples are available on amazon--and they have a sound sample for the Flashdance version of Maniac! I don't know if that's the version that ended up on the CD, but if it is, it means they have not released the actual LP on CD as it was originally released! I was disappointed in this release because I would have hoped it would have had bonus tracks, including the 12" version of Automatic Man...

mstgator
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Posted: 05 June 2009 at 6:41pm \| IP Logged

The Bossa Nova Hotel album available on iTunes appears to have the correct 45 mix / album length version. (Of course, what's on iTunes doesn't necessarily equate to what's on the physical CD.)

eric_a
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Posted: 17 January 2010 at 10:08pm \| IP Logged

To add to this, based on the descriptions above, I believe the 7" mix is also on the "No. 1 Hits of the 80's" disc on Rebound.

Hykker
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Posted: 18 January 2010 at 6:28am \| IP Logged

MMathews wrote:

After it was a big hit, Z-100 (the big top 40 station in NYC "the flame-thrower!" as they would say..) had switched over to an edit of the 12" mix, and they started doing that quite often with other hits.

crapfromthepast wrote:

The single was huge. So huge, in fact, that there was a minor backlash - WPLJ in New York held a "Maniac"-free weekend! I remember hearing both versions on the radio at the time, but I don't remember which stations played which version.

This is more of a radio timeline question, but wasn't WPLJ still an AOR in 1983? Maybe they just did it as a gag, but it's not likely a rock station would have played a "disco" (ie-anything danceable) song. When did Z-100 come into being? I thought it was in the late summer of '83, making it in mid-chart run of this song.
What other N.Y. stations might have played this song? Seems a little too uptempo for an AC station.

budaniel
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Posted: 18 January 2010 at 7:50am \| IP Logged

yes. that's exactly when Z100 began--and their play list consisted of the same handful of songs repeated again and again. It was something like this:

Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams
Stevie Nicks - Stand Back
Culture Club - I'll Tumle 4 Ya
Men Without Hats - Safety Dance
Taco - Puttin on the Ritz
Billy Joel - Tell Her About It
Donna Summer - She Works Hard for the Money
Michael Sembello - Maniac
The Police - Every Breath You Take

OVER and OVER and OVER again. And me and my friends were listening to it repeatedly because they were giving away 100 dollars every hour, so we kept trying to win.

And I believe 83 was when PLJ went top 40 pretty much competing with Z100.

NightAire
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Posted: 12 March 2014 at 2:42am \| IP Logged

crapfromthepast wrote:

...sound as good as you'll find for the 45 version...

I'm curious about this one; is there distortion in every copy of the single mix of this song? I came into a copy of the version from either Bossa Nova Hotel or Retro Lunchbox -- whatever the source, it is horribly clipped as you described.

I assumed the distortion I heard, almost a "tearing" sound in the voice in places, was from this clipping; however, I've been able to hear another digital copy that was not clipped (perhaps from the Casablanca Records Story, perhaps from a VERY clean vinyl source), and similar distortion is audible.

I don't remember this distortion on the radio, but that was 30+ years ago and I might have blamed it on the station's processing or multipath or whatever. I was a teenager listening on cheap equipment, so the odds of me noticing were a million to one anyway. :-)

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aaronk
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Posted: 12 March 2014 at 8:45am \| IP Logged

NightAire wrote:

I'm curious about this one; is there distortion in every copy of the single mix of this song?

I have a copy on Casablanca's Greatest Hits, and I hear the distortion you are talking about. For instance, on the word "before" at around 2:15, it's very noticeable. Guess what? The distortion pops up in the exact same places on my 45 copy. So, my conclusion is yes, the distortion is inherent in the recording.

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NightAire
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Posted: 12 March 2014 at 1:58pm \| IP Logged

Good info, Aaron... thank you!

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