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jimct
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| Posted: 11 September 2009 at 3:54pm | IP Logged
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I just happened upon some info, attributed to WCBS-FM DJ/oldies expert Bob Shannon. Shannon states that Eugene Pitt's vocal on the 45 and LP versions of this song are different. Bob says that UA apparently felt that Pitt's mono 45 vocals were a little "mumbly", and demanded a "better-enunciated" vocal effort for the LP. Apparently, this diction difference can be detected right away, on Pitt's cold-intro opening line sing. Would any of our "trained ears" on here be kind enough to compare/contrast the two versions in question for confirmation? Thanks.
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Yah Shure
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| Posted: 11 September 2009 at 7:43pm | IP Logged
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It's a challenge to compare these, since the 45 runs noticeably slower than the track on EMI's Rock Is Dead But It Won't Lie Down CD. As the two first played, the only real difference I noticed was that the CD track began with Eugene singing "I'm..." while on the 45 it sounds more like "Ah'mm..."
But it's at the fadeout where it really becomes apparent that they are, indeed, different vocals. At 2:20 on the CD, Pitt sings "waaaaaaa-yeah-heahh, I'm a happy man, baby, as someone in the background sings "ah, ha, mama bama.." before Pitt adds a "woooooo..." On the 45, Pitt sings "waaaaaa-yea-aaa, I'm a happy man, wooo-ooooooooo..." There's no "baby" or background singer here.
While the vocals are different, I don't really hear that the LP lead is any better-enunciated than the 45, aside from the opening note. It's doo-wop; it's supposed to sound "mumbly!" Eugene should have enlisted Stan Freberg's help to show United Artists what real mumblification sounded like. :)
Great call on this one, Jim!
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jimct
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| Posted: 12 September 2009 at 1:48pm | IP Logged
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Thanks a million, sir, for both your time and your "expert ear song analysis" in this case, Yah Shure!
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Topic: Jive Five-"I’m A Happy Man"
