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Todd Ireland MusicFan
Joined: 16 October 2004 Location: United States
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Posted: 24 November 2007 at 2:54pm | IP Logged
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Is there a long promo 45 version of Meco's "Theme from 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'"? I think I might have read somewhere that there is.
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jimct MusicFan
Joined: 07 April 2006 Location: United States
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Posted: 24 November 2007 at 7:15pm | IP Logged
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Todd, I just e-mailed a friend of mine yesterday, wondering where two of my promo 45s are: "I Want You", by Marvin Gaye, and this one, "Theme From Close Encounters" by Meco. I know they will both turn up soon (just SO many 45s!) The LP version ended with a high-pitched alien voice, saying "Goodbye!...........Goodbye!" My promo 45 has the short, stock 45v on one side, and it had a "long" version one the other. I believe this version was simply faded slightly earlier than the LP version, before the "goodbye" is heard. So, it IS a unique-to-the-promo 45 version, which is why I've been really lookin' for it lately. Can anyone else, obviously with better organization skills than I do, and owner of this promo 45, possibly come to our aid here?
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jimct MusicFan
Joined: 07 April 2006 Location: United States
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Posted: 26 November 2007 at 4:56pm | IP Logged
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Todd, I have finally found my promo 45 for this. The "long version", in my estimation, fades out only about :12-:15 seconds before the LP version's cold end, JUST before that "Goodbye!....Goodbye!", alien-voiced ending. To me it is clear THAT was the part that Millennium DIDN'T want to have appear on the promo 45. One side of my promo has a listed time of (2:59) and an actual time of (3:00) (same as my stock 45 does), while this "long version side" has a listed time of (4:33) and an actual time of (4:31).
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sriv94 MusicFan
Joined: 16 September 2005 Location: United States
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Posted: 27 November 2007 at 8:52am | IP Logged
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jimct wrote:
Todd, I have finally found my promo 45 for this. The "long version", in my estimation, fades out only about :12-:15 seconds before the LP version's cold end, JUST before that "Goodbye!....Goodbye!", alien-voiced ending. To me it is clear THAT was the part that Millennium DIDN'T want to have appear on the promo 45. One side of my promo has a listed time of (2:59) and an actual time of (3:00) (same as my stock 45 does), while this "long version side" has a listed time of (4:33) and an actual time of (4:31). |
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the stock 45 have the "goodbye...goodbye" at the end?
Which would lead me to wonder if the short promo side is the same as the stock 45 (if Millenium didn't want the two "goodbye"s to appear on the promo).
__________________ Doug
---------------
All of the good signatures have been taken.
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jimct MusicFan
Joined: 07 April 2006 Location: United States
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Posted: 27 November 2007 at 9:06am | IP Logged
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EXACTLY right, Doug - thanks for refreshing my memory on that; I had forgotten. My station had good success with this song in '78, and the only version we ever played, for some reason, was the "long version" of the promo 45. Because of that, the "goodbye...goodbye" ending being included on the short 45 version wasn't at all imprinted in my memory banks!
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Todd Ireland MusicFan
Joined: 16 October 2004 Location: United States
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Posted: 03 June 2009 at 3:04pm | IP Logged
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Something else to add here... The actual commercial 45 run time of Meco's "Theme from Close Encounters" is 3:00. (Thanks to Jim for providing the timing info. The printed record label time is 2:59.) At the moment, the database notes only DJ 45 run times for this song.
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Hykker MusicFan
Joined: 30 October 2007 Location: United States
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Posted: 04 June 2009 at 5:16am | IP Logged
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sriv94 wrote:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the stock 45 have the "goodbye...goodbye" at the end?
Which would lead me to wonder if the short promo side is the same as the stock 45 (if Millenium didn't want the two "goodbye"s to appear on the promo). |
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As is so often the case, there were multiple promo copies of this song. Mine is mono/stereo with a listed time of 3:08 and DOES contain the alien at the end. Indeed, this is the only version I ever recall hearing or playing at the time.
Matrix #s on my copy are MN608 AS RE-1 on the stereo side and MN608 AM DJ on the mono side.
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budaniel MusicFan
Joined: 12 October 2004 Location: United States
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Posted: 04 June 2009 at 9:42am | IP Logged
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funny trivial comment not related to any version of the song, but to the 'goodbye, goodbye.' I always took that to not be an alien voice, but a mimick of the little boy saying goodbye to the aliens at the end of the movie. Anyone remember that moment?
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MMathews MusicFan
Joined: 18 August 2005 Location: United States
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Posted: 22 July 2012 at 9:39pm | IP Logged
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Hi folks,
My assumption also was that "goodbye, goodbye" at the end
refered to the little boy who said it in the movie.
Now, as for various promos of the song, i notice Hykker
has a 3:08 version. I'm wondering if that is the source
for the mystery intro i have.
In '79 K-tel put out a 2-record set called "Superstar
Collection"
It has what would be the 45 version of Close Encounters,
but with an 8 second intro i've never heard anywhere
else. It is merely the theme notes, played on a keyboard
solo, then breaks into the normal intro.
This differs from the LP intro where it fades with a lot
of overlapping sound effects.
So, is a promo 45 the actual source for this? For those
who have not heard this alternate intro, here's a link to
it taken from my Ktel LP:
http://www.4shared.com/mp3/YKx8WSf0/Meco_-
_Theme_From_Close_Encoun.html
Thanks for any info!
MM
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Bill Cahill MusicFan
Joined: 27 June 2005 Location: United States
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Posted: 23 July 2012 at 7:36pm | IP Logged
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My recollection is that the keyboard intro was on a second promo copy, Meco went back in and added it and made other mix changes to get more airplay. I remember switching over to that newer version at the radio station where I worked. I believe I have the promo and I will compare it this weekend.
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EdisonLite MusicFan
Joined: 18 October 2004 Location: United States
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Posted: 04 July 2016 at 5:33pm | IP Logged
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Have any of the longer versions of this (i.e. longer than 3:00) appeared on any import CDs?
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MMathews MusicFan
Joined: 18 August 2005 Location: United States
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Posted: 05 July 2016 at 9:47pm | IP Logged
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Edison: yes, the (4:21) LP version appeared on a Unidisc
CD single in the "12" Classics" series for "Star
Wars/Cantina Band." Close Encounters is the second track.
Unfortunately, my copy was sold in error.
You can see the discogs listing for it here:
https://www.discogs.com/Meco-Star-Wars-Theme-Cantina-
Band-Theme-From-Close-Encounters/release/614898
BTW the Star Wars Theme on this CD is not the 12"
version, but rather it is a re-creation of the 45 edit in
an attempt to eliminate the drop-outs and for overall
better sound. It does sound very good, however they made
an editing mistake so it does not match the 45.
MM
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