| Author |
|
80smusicfreak
MusicFan
Joined: 14 October 2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 527
|
| Posted: 09 March 2006 at 4:27am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Frankly, I'm w/ budaniel on this one - in fact, I agree
w/ almost everything he said. I've been truly amazed
reading the lengths that most of the regulars here have
stated they go to just to come up w/ the "45 versions" of
hit songs on CD, and had often thought about asking the
same question. Like budaniel, I've almost always
preferred the longer album versions - my basic philosophy
being, the more I get to hear of a song that I like, the
better! (Yeah, sometimes 8- or 9- or 17-minute 12"
versions of tunes can get a bit drawn out, but those
mixes rarely appeared on the album.)
I suppose my preference is due in part to the fact that
when I first started buying music in the early '80s, I
bypassed cheaper singles from the get-go, and always
sprung the $8-$9 it cost back then for the entire album
(and back in those days, doing so didn't carry nearly as
much risk as it does today - nor cost as much!). Of
course, it didn't help that back in '83, singles were
pretty much available only in the less desirable vinyl
format - I could already tell then that vinyl was on the
way out, so I never even bothered w/ a turntable, and
started w/ cassettes. (And wow - cassettes were also
smaller, recordable, could hold more minutes of music,
and best of all, were PORTABLE, so it was really no
contest!)
Besides, w/ very few exceptions, I didn't feel that the
single versions I heard on the radio were all that
different from the album versions that I ultimately
invested in. And hey, I guess unlike most here, I spent
just as much time listening to my collection of cassettes
(w/ the album versions) as I did the radio, so those
longer "LP versions" ended up being just as much a part
of the soundtrack of my life during that period, and
therefore, don't ruin any memories for me when I
re-purchase & hear them on CD today (which seems to
really be the only argument most people are making here,
anyway)! :-)
Also like budaniel, I invested in hundreds of V/A
compilations back in the day (I primarily used them as a
way of introducing myself to hits that I might've missed
on the radio the first time around, or to "re-discover"
past hits that I never heard on the radio anymore), so I
have a fairly good amount of 45 versions from those as
well. And yep, those infamous K-tel and Ronco
compilations of the '70s and '80s were w/o a doubt an
excellent source for me, too, and I still have 'em all to
this day (including "The Elite")...
Personally, I prefer to broaden my collection by digging
past the top 40 (believe me, there really is a lot more
great music out there from the past than just the songs
that made it close to the top of the pop charts!), as
opposed to tracking down the LP, 45, 12", dj edit, and
Hindu-language versions of the exact same song - my
fairly wide taste in music already makes this hobby
expensive enough, lol. But to each their own...
:-)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
edtop40
MusicFan
Joined: 29 October 2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4996
|
| Posted: 09 March 2006 at 7:08am | IP Logged
|
|
|
my feeling is...
if you can't make your point in a 3 minute song, then you're either not focusing properly or don't have the ability to do so....
edtop40
__________________
edtop40
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Grant
MusicFan
Joined: 12 October 2004
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 211
|
| Posted: 09 March 2006 at 10:50am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Well 80smusicfreak, I hate to say it, but this may be a case of "you had to have been there", meaning you didn't live through the golden top 40 era to really appreciate singles. And, those differences between singles and LP mixes are very significant, especially when it comes to things like overdubs, mono, and sonic qualities.
Those K-Tel and Ronco LPs are a valuble resource for hearing music, but in no way did they ever represent the actual singles or even radio dj versions. And, don't forget, many times the LP versions were "incomplete", with the songs only fully realized on the single, as with Three Dog Night's "Joy To The World" or "An Old Fashioned Love Song". If you have been concentrating on the LP versions, you have NOT heard the songs!
Edited by Grant on 10 March 2006 at 12:26am
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
EdisonLite
MusicFan
Joined: 18 October 2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2237
|
| Posted: 09 March 2006 at 1:19pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
<Besides, w/ very few exceptions, I didn't feel that the
single versions I heard on the radio were all that
different from the album versions>
I think this is where you differ from a lot of people on the board.
As a comparison, I know people that listen to greatly remastered CDs and poorly mastered (muffled) CDs and truly cannot hear any difference between the two. It all sounds the same to them, and they have no problem with the dull, muffled CDs. I hear a BIG difference between bright CDs and muffled CDs. The same can be said about two mixes of a song.
I think why you feel different than many of the people who post on the board is your statement above (that you don't hear much of a difference). I hear a BIG difference between the single mixes and album mixes. You don't (with few exceptions). When I purchase these CDs, and there's instrumentation and/or vocals MISSING, it just sounds wrong to me. So I seek out the version I remember. Since I played my 45s a lot over the years, I still continued to hear (and remember) the single mixes. Since you never bought a turntable, the single mixes you heard on the radio are probably things you haven't heard in 20 years and therefore those recordings hold no little or no value to you.
The only other comparison I can make is -- if you bought the DVD of the "Wizard of Oz" and it showed Dorothy's yellow slippers, the wicked witch of the west looked like Marilyn Monroe, and you saw Dorothy go through the forest with her friends -- the duck, the giraffe and the turtle (and her white cat Whitesnake), you might wish to seek out the other DVD ...
OK, that's not a perfect comparison since the other version of the movie doesn't exist, but hopefully it shows the reaction we have when we buy a CD and say "Huh? What's this? This isn't the way I remember it going!"
Edited by EdisonLite on 09 March 2006 at 1:23pm
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
budaniel
MusicFan
Joined: 12 October 2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 430
|
| Posted: 09 March 2006 at 1:31pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
i definitely am a huge proponent of having the single version if it's a
radically different mix than the album version. But many times the posts
here say "how can I EDIT the album version to make the single version?"
We're talking about cutting out verses of songs, specific instrument solos,
etc. In these cases, the way the song was written, recorded, and intended
by the artist is the way it is presented on the album. In order to jam more
hits on the radio, the music biz has those works of art butchered. That's
like saying, "let's cut the corners off these Picasso's, Michelangelo's,
etc....so that we can fit more paintings in the art gallery."
Saying it in more than 3 minutes leads to masterpieces from the likes of
Jim Steinman and Pink Floyd. On the other hand, I'd agree that I don't
want to hear more than 3 minutes of, say, Mambo No. 5 or the
Macarena...in fact, 3 seconds is enough.
My goal is to hear and own each song the way the artist intended it....and
to also own the completely altered, completely remixed dance versions
that sound nothing like the original...
tee hee! I'm such a hypocrite...
But, no matter what version you're after, we must give thanks to Pat for
making it possible for all of us to find that version we seek on CD.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Brian W.
MusicFan
Joined: 13 October 2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2507
|
| Posted: 09 March 2006 at 6:30pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Well, that's the whole nature of collecting, to collect something very specific. Yeah, it is a little insane, but collecting ANYTHING just for the sake of collecting it is a little insane.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Grant
MusicFan
Joined: 12 October 2004
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 211
|
| Posted: 10 March 2006 at 12:41am | IP Logged
|
|
|
budaniel wrote:
We're talking about cutting out verses of songs, specific instrument solos,
etc. In these cases, the way the song was written, recorded, and intended
by the artist is the way it is presented on the album. In order to jam more
hits on the radio, the music biz has those works of art butchered. That's
like saying, "let's cut the corners off these Picasso's, Michelangelo's,
etc....so that we can fit more paintings in the art gallery." |
|
|
BUT, those edits became the "master" recordings in and of themselves. We can't always say that the long LP versions are what the artist intended. We just can't know this inevery case. In fact, there are many artists that prefer the single versions of their hits. They just sound tighter, more to the point. They don't noodle around.
Quote:
Saying it in more than 3 minutes leads to masterpieces from the likes of
Jim Steinman and Pink Floyd. |
|
|
Not all music is classic rock. Not every type of music benifits from long, extended jams or pieces of abstract art. There is also such thing as a song being stretched out too long without a purpose. That describes a lot of songs. I couldn't bear to hear "Layla" or "Stairway To Heaven" chopped up, particularly if I never heard them any other way, but I also have no time for the long version of "In-a Gadda Da-vida".
I want the version I heard on radio and bought on singles. And, I want them in digital form. So, I do what I have to do to get it.
Quote:
But, no matter what version you're after, we must give thanks to Pat for
making it possible for all of us to find that version we seek on CD.
|
|
|
I've been seeking out single versions since the 70s, whe I realized that the stereo mixes weren't the same songs that I remembered as a kid.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Grant
MusicFan
Joined: 12 October 2004
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 211
|
| Posted: 10 March 2006 at 12:43am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Grant wrote:
budaniel wrote:
We're talking about cutting out verses of songs, specific instrument solos,
etc. In these cases, the way the song was written, recorded, and intended
by the artist is the way it is presented on the album. In order to jam more
hits on the radio, the music biz has those works of art butchered. That's
like saying, "let's cut the corners off these Picasso's, Michelangelo's,
etc....so that we can fit more paintings in the art gallery." |
|
|
BUT, those edits became the "master" recordings in and of themselves. We can't always say that the long LP versions are what the artist intended. We just can't know this for a fact in every case. In fact, there are many artists that prefer the single versions of their hits. They just sound tighter, more to the point. They don't noodle around.
Quote:
Saying it in more than 3 minutes leads to masterpieces from the likes of
Jim Steinman and Pink Floyd. |
|
|
Not all music is classic rock. Not every type of music benifits from long, extended jams or pieces of abstract art. There is also such thing as a song being stretched out too long without a purpose. That describes a lot of songs. I couldn't bear to hear "Layla" or "Stairway To Heaven" chopped up, particularly if I never heard them any other way, but I also have no time for the long version of "In-a Gadda Da-vida".
I want the version I heard on radio and bought on singles. And, I want them in digital form. So, I do what I have to do to get it.
Quote:
But, no matter what version you're after, we must give thanks to Pat for
making it possible for all of us to find that version we seek on CD.
|
|
|
I've been seeking out single versions since the 70s, whe I realized that the stereo mixes weren't the same songs that I remembered as a kid. |
|
|
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
80smusicfreak
MusicFan
Joined: 14 October 2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 527
|
| Posted: 10 March 2006 at 6:00am | IP Logged
|
|
|
edtop40 wrote:
my feeling is...
if you can't make your point in a 3 minute song, then
you're either not focusing properly or don't have the
ability to do so....
edtop40
|
|
|
It sounds like you're looking at only half the song -
i.e., the lyrics. To me, instrumentation counts very much
toward a song's appeal, too, and certainly in the case of
dance music, could be argued as even more important than
the lyrics. Can one's attention span not exceed three
minutes??? I agree w/ budaniel's point that some artists'
styles are more suited for three-minute songs, while
others may need ten or more (and still be quite
enjoyable, if you give it a chance). And what's wrong w/
variety??? :-)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
80smusicfreak
MusicFan
Joined: 14 October 2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 527
|
| Posted: 10 March 2006 at 7:16am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Grant wrote:
Well 80smusicfreak, I hate to say it, but
this may be a case of "you had to have been there",
meaning you didn't live through the golden top 40 era to
really appreciate singles. And, those differences
between singles and LP mixes are very significant,
especially when it comes to things like overdubs, mono,
and sonic qualities. |
|
|
While I don't deny that my personal collection of singles
(all formats) pales in comparison to albums (again, all
formats), singles were certainly still a major seller and
presence in stores during my childhood and teen years of
the '70s and '80s. Most kids and teens my age were
definitely still buying singles when I started in the
early '80s, and I admit that I took a route (i.e., going
straight to albums) that was different from most, even
then...
Let's face it, most of us choose to collect (or certainly
favor) the music of our child and teen years, and it
definitely sounds like you're a little older than me, so
for you to prefer the music of the late '60s/early '70s
is certainly understandable. Fortunately, most of the
music I collect/prefer doesn't fall in that era when
there were stereo/mono issues, and differences in "sonic
quality" were greater (my focus is primarily the mid '70s
to late '80s)...
Quote:
Those K-Tel and Ronco LPs are a valuble resource
for hearing music, but in no way did they ever represent
the actual singles or even radio dj versions. And,
don't forget, many times the LP versions were
"incomplete", with the songs only fully realized on the
single, as with Three Dog Night's "Joy To The World" or
"An Old Fashioned Love Song". If you have been
concentrating on the LP versions, you have NOT heard the
songs! |
|
|
Yes, I agree that the Ronco collections in particular
were butchered! But not as much w/ K-tel - and as
budaniel apparently agrees, my only real complaint was
the sound quality (and it didn't matter which format you
bought them on - i.e., vinyl LP, 8-track, or cassette).
But I also bought hundreds of V/A compilations from the
majors, which in most cases did contain "unbutchered"
versions of the hits - but I always felt those darn K-tel
and Ronco collections offered the best snapshot of top 40
music from any given time, and I rediscovered many past
favorites by buying them, so to this day, I still have a
soft spot for 'em... :-)
As for "45 versions", there are definitely some artists
that are high enough on my list of personal faves where I
do make the effort to go beyond owning just the "LP
versions" of their hits. And while I certainly enjoy
Three Dog Night as well (and have long owned a couple of
their hits collections), they admittedly aren't one of
them; in their case, the LP versions suit me just fine
(but that's not to say some of their "45 versions"
weren't
superior)...
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
budaniel
MusicFan
Joined: 12 October 2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 430
|
| Posted: 10 March 2006 at 7:54am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I think the styles of music we're talking about here are what lend
themselves to our tastes in song lengths. 80smusicfreak and myself
didn't grow up in the golden age of the single...we grew up in the golden
age of the MAXI single. While I totally agree that the long version of In
Gada is something I don't want to sit through (but still want to own along
with the 7" version for completist's sake), when i hear, let's say, "We Are
Family" by Sister Sledge, or any of the Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder
synth masterpieces, I want to hear those full length album versions,
because the songs just start getting good at the point where the single
fades out! As 80s dance music took over 9and even "rock" music was
dance music at that point), the "extended remix" was pretty much
planned from the start and was usually the better version...For instance, I
listen to any Dead or Alive album version, and I feel totally cheated
because there is so much more going on in the extended remixes--the
singles are actually all out boring to me.
Songs of the 50s and 60s, most often, just don't lend themselves to
extended or long versions--although, I still get all giddy when I look in
the database under, say, The Supremes, and see "15 second longer fade
than any previously released version." The thought of hearing 15 more
seconds of ad-libbed fade by Diana and the girls never heard before---
AWESOME.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Grant
MusicFan
Joined: 12 October 2004
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 211
|
| Posted: 10 March 2006 at 8:47pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
budaniel wrote:
I think the styles of music we're talking about here are what lend
themselves to our tastes in song lengths. 80smusicfreak and myself
didn't grow up in the golden age of the single...we grew up in the golden
age of the MAXI single. While I totally agree that the long version of In
Gada is something I don't want to sit through (but still want to own along
with the 7" version for completist's sake), when i hear, let's say, "We Are
Family" by Sister Sledge, or any of the Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder
synth masterpieces, I want to hear those full length album versions,
because the songs just start getting good at the point where the single
fades out! As 80s dance music took over 9and even "rock" music was
dance music at that point), the "extended remix" was pretty much
planned from the start and was usually the better version...For instance, I
listen to any Dead or Alive album version, and I feel totally cheated
because there is so much more going on in the extended remixes--the
singles are actually all out boring to me.
Songs of the 50s and 60s, most often, just don't lend themselves to
extended or long versions--although, I still get all giddy when I look in
the database under, say, The Supremes, and see "15 second longer fade
than any previously released version." The thought of hearing 15 more
seconds of ad-libbed fade by Diana and the girls never heard before---
AWESOME. |
|
|
I love soul and funk music of the late 70s and early 80s, so i'm in there with you!
I am in my 40s and started collecting records in 1968, at the age of five! I listen to all kinds of music, so I am well-rounded. But, it was usually the singles for me. Whe I started buying albums in 1973, I still bought many more 45s. More music that way. In many cases, I like and have both or all versions.
About "We Are Family", I had the 45 first. Then a year later I got the LP. I apreciate both versions for what they are, and listen to both. But, I prefer the version of the Rhino-Atlantic CD because it is at the slower, recorded speed.
Even in the late 70s, there were many times major differences between singles and LPs. Some people may not care to much about differences, but I do, right down to the fade! I once went through several CDs looking for the full-length version of "Everybody Plays The Fool" by the Main Ingredient. I finally found it. lol! I also keep the Billboard Top Hits 1975 around because it is the only CD I have that contains the full-length version of Elton John's "Philadelphia Freedom". If you have any EJ comps, you just don't have it. They all fade the song too early. All the more reason to seek out single versions. Sometimes they are longer than the album versions. More music to gear! Right?
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
AdvprosD
MusicFan
Joined: 12 June 2020
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 354
|
| Posted: 09 August 2020 at 9:01pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Did anyone comment on the details of the Three Dog Night, "Joy To The World?" I have to admit I only skimmed this thread.
What I remember about this song was that there was certainly a radio version that had a sweet guitar solo in the bridge that other versions didn't have.
I also had a more album oriented approach to collecting until I started doing DJ work. At that point, it was clear that folks didn't want to hear the album
cuts at parties as often as the single, or radio 45 versions. The 45 versions often were brighter and easier to keep a dancing group's attention with. So
I had to start re-collecting songs I already had.
Somewhere, I posted a comment about Chuck Mangione and the song, "Feels So Good." Though I'd never play it except maybe for a dinner selection, I still prefer
the whole album cut. Same with Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida. (To me), some songs just shouldn't have had a 45 version. If you were there you knew those songs in long play
because many FM stations were happy to play whole album sides. I had to put "To me" in parentheses, obviously others won't agree with that comment.
When "Oxygene" made it's debut on STL radio, I was there and waiting for the complete album experience. Later, "Part IV" became a hit from the album. I have no
idea if there was an actual 45 version or not. I'm sure I could go to the books and check that one.
__________________
<Dave> Someone please tell I-Heart Radio that St. Louis is not known as The Loo!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
eriejwg
MusicFan
Joined: 10 June 2007
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3509
|
| Posted: 10 August 2020 at 10:03am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Welcome aboard, Dave! I, like a few here over the years,
began a career in radio. I started in my teens and
remained in the radio business until 1997 (23 years.)
While in the radio business, I also began to mobile DJ.
First, in many bars and clubs, then moving into weddings
in the mid-1990s. I began subscribing to music services
for DJs, first with Hot Hits, then Top Hits USA, then
PrimeCuts, and now Promo Only. I always was aware of
radio edits and single versions (or 45 versions), but it
didn't really hit me until around 2007 when I realized
client music requests of older songs I was getting were
way longer than they would have been when released. Case
in point, Tupelo Honey from Van Morrison.
I then did a Google search to figure out differences in
lengths and versions. I came across a site with an
article including information from a James Abbott, who I
discovered through further links was a regular
contributor to this site. This led me to become a
subscriber to Pat Downey's online database and following
the posts. This led to a huge light bulb going off in my
head that my perception was correct. There were
differences. That led me to start asking questions,
buying a turntable after many years and dubbing 45s and
recreating single edits.
Jim Abbott has since passed away but had I not found
that article where Jim described the differences between
several songs, some DJ short edits etc., I would not
have parked myself here for the last 13 years and
counting!
In reference to "Joy To The World" from Three Dog Night,
the 45 version has made it to CD but fades a few seconds
early to hide vinyl noise. It really is the superior
version vs. the LP version.
Enjoy your stay, I'm sure you'll become as addicted
about finding the 45 version and DJ edits much like I
have. And, I'm still DJing at weddings and events,
though this year has really proved challenging at best.
__________________
John Gallagher
John Gallagher Wedding & Special Event Entertainment
Snapblast Photo Booth
Erie, PA
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
AdvprosD
MusicFan
Joined: 12 June 2020
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 354
|
| Posted: 10 August 2020 at 2:49pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Hey John!
Thanks for dropping in and giving me that mini-bio of how you got here. I find all that kind of stuff fascinating! I wonder, does the mod allow a single thread to have us describe ourselves?
It sure would be cool to hear a number of stories about all the in and ex-radio folks that still hang out just for the fun of it. Of course, I also know there are some who like to keep all the
radio and production stuff private too.
I never did actually make it on-air. Though I had a year and a half at the STLMO based "Broadcast Center." It was kind of like a trade school for on-air wanna bees. It also had a valuable format
of having local radio and TV folks to mind the students along with a fair amount of self study. I had plans to jump directly into the metropolitan market to bypass all the small station startups,
which wasn't really a smart way to start. I think the original guy who started the school was Gephardt. Later, his son I believe carried on the management. Geez! was that really forty years ago?
I did however meet a lot of folks in the industry. All with stories of stations and music. I guess that was plenty of value to me right there as it was.
There's a lot more to those stories but, I guess I have to jab about a single here to keep this post legit!
I have to re-check but, I think there is also another one that I sometimes hear in single form by the band Looking Glass. "Brandy You're a Fine Girl" has some instrument differences between single
and album versions too, if I'm not mistaken. I'll have to go figure it out or, more than likely it's been covered in an old thread.
I'm glad to have found this forum!
__________________
<Dave> Someone please tell I-Heart Radio that St. Louis is not known as The Loo!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
eriejwg
MusicFan
Joined: 10 June 2007
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3509
|
| Posted: 10 August 2020 at 3:16pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Yes, there are differences between the 45 and Lp versions
of Brandy as well. The CD's that contain the 45 version
are documented in the database.
There was a radio DJ that worked here in the 1970s, later
leaving for Philadelphia, Birmingham and some other cities
eventually ending up in St. Louis. Not sure if you ever
worked with him but his name is David Craig on-air, real
last name is Lankford. His air name here in Erie, PA in
the 1970s was "Smokey Burns."
__________________
John Gallagher
John Gallagher Wedding & Special Event Entertainment
Snapblast Photo Booth
Erie, PA
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
dacs2000
MusicFan
Joined: 21 February 2019
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 10
|
| Posted: 10 August 2020 at 5:22pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Wow! this thread is really up my alley, as I'm almost
finished compiling a complete digitisation of
Australia's entire Ktel Compilation run from 1974 to
2000.
This subject wasn't really relavent as for being a kid
in the late 70s and 80s, I would just tape much of the
stuff off radio, Sydney getting it's first FM stations
in April 1980, this was a real thrill.
But as much as I used my father's hi fi cassette deck
in combination with TDK AD and Maxell UD tapes to get
the best results, it kind of lacked something, and
just when I started buying my own music, CD came out,
so I was kind of straight into CD from the get go.
Finishing school and my part time jobs here and there,
I started earning better dollars and with that in 1988
and 1989 started buying many more CDs, and the very
first thing that really punched me in the stomach
harder then a kick up the behind was Paul Youngs "No
Parlez" CD; completely different from the record.
"Come back and Stay" was unrecognisable, "Love of the
common people" was stretched to insanity, and
"wherever I lay my hat" was just going on, and on, and
on, and on, and on, you get the idea. The next one
shortly after was Dead or Alive's "Youthquake".
"Lover come back" and "you spin me round" sounded
fine, but "In to deep" was what the hell? Whatever
happened to that big huge Synth intro, instead was
just a solo rhythm guitar, this album version really
really sucked.
1990 I started getting into community radio, and it
was at this time that the ducks started aligning, the
people at the record store I regularly visited, HMV
Mid CIty, started appreciating that I was a regular
customer, and gave me a few perks. One of which was
being able to return and swap CDs without the hassle
if I didn't have the docket. I guess some would have
used this opportunity to buy CDs, record them to a
good tape, and return the CD back, but this wasn't my
intention at all.
CDs were still very expensive back then, and it was
often a purchase of AU$25 to $30 for a disc, for
getting one or two songs. If these were the wrong
versions, I felt that I was shafted, and luckily with
this they were many albums I had to return and swap,
just because they DID NOT have the correct single
version.
At the same time, they were suddenly an abundance of
greatest hits and best of compilations appearing under
budget labels, and 1990 and 1991 were the two years
that saw not just a huge boost to my CD collection,
but finally starting to get many correct single
versions and edits.
For the next several years I worked at various
community stations in Western Sydney, and then from
the late 90s established my own internet radio
station, hoping to get broadcast spectrum. With the
rise of automated playout systems and computers, I
digitised my entire CD collection. By 2010 I had
around 16,000 tracks, and it was at this point that
the penny dropped that compiling the entire Australian
Ktel series was a serious possibility.
In 2012 I researched some australian websites, and
eventually discogs and with the relavent info,
compiled quite a few hundred ktel comps. They were
still several tracks missing. This is where second
hand record fares, torrents, lossless streaming hosts
like deezer and tidal, and a few UK digital flac
stores came in very handy. One DJ service I would like
to recommend on this board, but don't know if it's
outside of the rules, specialised in hosting WAVs of
every UK charting hit from the 50s onwards.
But with me, I am a singles version maniac, but as my
era of music is the 70s, 80s, and 90s, the length of
an average single was around 3:30 to about 4:45, and
this is really the absolute attention span of me
enjoying a song, album versions do make me sleepy, as
I actually do drift off.
THey are a few album versions that do stand out as
being great:
Billy Ocean - When the going gets tough
Michael Jacksons - Thriller
Far Corporation - Stairway to heaven
Jon Bon Jovi - Blaze of glory
Elton John's - Chloe (full ten minute version)
Abba - Summer night city
Roxette - It mut have been love
But again, these are few and far between and with this
most importantly the one thing that was often
understated was that single edits had over dubs, extra
instruments, slightly different configurations in the
instrument mix that just made them sound more
appealing. I don't know about others on here, but
aside from finding the right single edit, I'm also
trying to find such versions without them being
dynamically smashed to pieces - many record labels
today seem to be hell bent on destroying every piece
of head room and nuance that's contained within a
track.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
aaronk
Admin Group
Joined: 16 January 2005
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6513
|
| Posted: 10 August 2020 at 5:35pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
AdvprosD wrote:
I wonder, does the mod allow a single thread to
have us describe ourselves?
It sure would be cool to hear a number of stories about all the in and
ex-radio folks that still hang out just for the fun of it. Of course, I also
know there are some who like to keep all the
radio and production stuff private too.
|
|
|
Pat and I are the only mods, and I’m fine with that. I haven’t asked Pat,
but I feel he would be okay with it, too. We are all excellent about
staying on topic, so one thread that doesn’t talk about top 40 music on
CD is not an issue IMO.
__________________
Aaron Kannowski
Uptown Sound
91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
AdvprosD
MusicFan
Joined: 12 June 2020
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 354
|
| Posted: 10 August 2020 at 5:51pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I can't seem to recall if David Craig spent any time on air here as "Smokey Burns." However, the name David Craig sure does sound familiar.
One guy I used to listen to back in the '60s I believe was Mort Crowley on KXOK-AM. I was surprised to find out that one of my classmates in grade school was actually his daughter. Though she almost
never spoke about it much. Later, I was watching a documentary on bands and stations in Chicago, and his name popped up there too. I'm guessing he and the old sports caster "Harry Carey" traded cities.
I ought to see if I can find some info online about him sometime.
The '70s were wild here for top-40 radio. It was a mixed bucket of just about everything pop or country. The big rock station KSHE seemed to cater to more of the Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath etc. Rock
stations didn't seem to have the "Single" in mind when they programmed the day, but they did stick to repetition on a lighter scale than the top-40 stations did.
I still remember a night when a friend and I got bored after work and called into the FM pop station, KSLQ. After talking to the DJ for a while, (This was late at night after we both got off work at
the local Steak n Shake), we got an invite to hang out with the guy on-air. It was a blast to sit in the booth as a teenager and see how stuff was actually done before automation came along. I have
no idea who the DJ was anymore, but it sure was a good way to spend an hour or so watching him work.
One thing that stuck with me from broadcasting school was the voice training. I was told numerous times that I ought to do parties in the late '80s, so I tried it out and was entrenched for two decades!
I also held down a regular 9-5 job at the same time. Times were pretty good for a guy who moonlighted as a Mobile DJ here. Also, I expanded my knowledge of music and genre while doing it. I hope to
read a number of stories here of folks in other cities who did likewise.
__________________
<Dave> Someone please tell I-Heart Radio that St. Louis is not known as The Loo!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
PopArchivist
MusicFan
Joined: 30 June 2018
Location: United States
Online Status: Online
Posts: 1524
|
| Posted: 07 November 2020 at 12:40am | IP Logged
|
|
|
budaniel wrote:
Hey all. Just curious. Why are so many determined to recreate single edits
of songs? |
|
|
Because those edits encompass the versions on the radio we all knew and grew up with. The LP versions don't need recreations most are out there somewhere on CD, and if they are not you can buy a nice vinyl LP and listen.
Sometimes the edited versions make a song. I know for me Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer at 4:02 is a tight song, compared to the almost 5-6 minute 45 version. For me, the edit wins everytime.
Where you have Layla by Derek and the Dominos, the 7 min version is sacred and the 2-3 min edit is what it is.
You may have asked the question 14 years ago, but the newbies on the board have no idea how bad most of our OCD is concerning single versions, radio edits and 45 commercial versions are...
__________________
"I'm a pop archivist, not a chart philosopher, I seek to listen, observe and document the chart position of music."
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
Active Topics 
Memberlist 
Search 
Help
Register 
Login
Top 40 Music on Compact Disc : Chat Board
Topic: Wondering, why an obsession about...
