Elton John - Nikita

A friend of mine has the DJ 45... The actual run time is 4:07.

For those wondering, the short DJ 45 is one simple edit.

Keep 00:00-03:01.129
Delete 03:01.129-04:35.429
Keep 4:35.429 to the end.

Resulting file runs 4:07.

I have the 7" promo copy of this; one side is shown as 4:54 (U.K edit) the other side as 3:59 (U.S. edit). I also have a 12" promo; one side has the 4:54 U.K. edit, the other side is 5:42 (LP version). All timings are as listed on the label.

From what I recall there was an instrumental bridge that was on the U.K. & LP versions that was edited from the "U.S. edit". The LP version is similar to the U.K. edit, only with a longer intro (and maybe longer fade).
IIRC, the U.K. edit was what was on the "To Be Continued" box set. I don't have a copy of the commercial 45.

eriejwg wrote: Todd: I believe commercial copies run 5:42.

No... Unless you have a different commercial 45 pressing, John, the correct 45 time is 4:52. You may be confusing the 5:42 time with the LP version length.

Edited by Todd Ireland

I'm not doing something right here.

I started with the LP version.

I took out 0:05 - 0:16.

I took out 2:48 - 3:10.

I took out 4:37 - 4:48.

At this point, I had created the single edit (with perhaps a bit too long of a fade at the end).

When I then try to take out 3:01 - 4:35, editing at the down-beat before "...need you so..." I actually take 2:35 to 3:47...

...resulting in a BIZARRE jump in volume, and a file only 3:48 in length, & that's with some un-trimmed silence at the end.

Are you telling me the short DJ edit DOESN'T edit the intro?

I'm really scratching my head on this one.

Having a little difficulty recreating the US commercial 45 from the album version. It sounds like there are just four (4) beats, or about 2-1/4 seconds of audio, in the 45 version that aren't in the LP version.

First, my 45 is Geffen 7-28800, printed 4:54 (no designation of LP version, edit, or anything like that), actual 4:53, 86.6 BPM before 2:50, 86.4 BPM after 2:50. The matrix number has a "B" scratched out and an "A" written after. (Same as one side of the promo 45? Hmmm.)

I chose to use the LP version from the To Be Continued box set. My very old notes indicate that the version on GH 1976-1986 is a differently EQ'd digital clone of both To Be Continued and GH 3, for what it's worth. All three sound good. The To Be Continued version runs 5:42, 86.6 BPM before 3:40, 86.5 BPM after 3:40.

Here are editing instructions that will get you really, really close to the commercial 45 version:

Keep the first 8 beats from 0:00.0 to 0:06.0.
Edit on downbeat.
Remove the 16 beats from 0:06.0 to 0:17.1.
Keep the 235 beats from 0:17.1 to 2:59.9.
Edit on the snare at the repeat of the words "hold you".
Remove the 32 beats from 2:59.9 to 3:22.0.
You'll pick up with the repeat of the words "oh no".
Keep the 153 beats from 3:22.0 to 5:08.1.
Edit on the downbeat right before the word "counting".

Then there's a problem - the four beats that include the line "counting ten tin soldiers in a r...", downbeat-to-downbeat, aren't in the LP version. You can hear it most clearly in the bassline, which is playing more notes on the 45 during the end of the 4-beat passage.

The corresponding 4-beat passage should be in the LP version either from 5:08.1 to 5:10.9, or from 5:19.2 to 5:22.0, but it's not. Actually, the 4-beat portion from 5:08.1 to 5:10.9 is repeated at 5:19.2 to 5:22.0 (you can line them up, invert one and get digital cancellation!), which is a nuisance. Unless you're a stickler for having the proper bass notes, you can use either 5:08.1 to 5:10.9 or 5:19.2 to 5:22.0 here, since they're the same, and they're pretty close to what ended up in the 45.

For reference, the 4-beat portion in the 45 that's not in the LP is from 4:34.9 to 4:37.7 of my 45.

Assuming that you've gotten past the 4-beat issue (either by ignoring the extra bass notes that are missing from the LP version or by grabbing the audio from the 45)...

Keep 5:22.0 to 5:43.9 (end) of the LP version. This portion starts on the downbeat in the middle of the word "row".

The tail of the 45 ends about 8 beats before the corresponding point in the LP version, so if those 6 seconds are important, fade to a point that's exactly 4 beats after the crash cymbal that's hit with a snare.

Your mixdown will have edits at 0:06.0, 2:48.8, 4:34.9 and 4:37.7, with a fade that ends around 4:53. It will also use 4 beats of incorrect audio from 4:34.9 to 4:37.7.

Edited by crapfromthepast

I haver this cd set:
https://www.discogs.com/release/5062248-Elton-John-The-Songs -Of-Elton-
John-Bernie-Taupin-1974-1993

Roon times Nikita at 4:11.

When Brian and I worked on compiling Elton's singles, I seem to recall him also saying the US 45 version cannot be edited from the LP (confimed above by Ron). I believe this is because both the LP and 45 versions were edited down from a longer take. The US promo 45 can be edited from the LP, though.

The US promo 45 version is basically the same as what TM Century issued, but TM put the edit in the wrong place. The true US promo 45 removes 3:01 to 4:35. Attempting to replicate this, TM accidentally removed 3:07 to 4:41, which is not correct. The end result is close, but the section from 3:01 to 3:06 of the TM version differs from the US promo version slightly due the missed edit point.

Check your PM.