| Author |
|
crapfromthepast
MusicFan
Joined: 14 September 2006
Location: United States
Online Status: Online
Posts: 2239
|
| Posted: 08 January 2009 at 9:53pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I just started working my way backwards chronologically through the '70s, and I'm up to this song. (This is only the 6th song I've looked at... I have a few thousand left!) Already I'm seeing a HUGE difference in sound quality among the various compilations that include these '70s-era hits - much more of a spread than I noticed for any '80s or '90s-era songs.
The 45 version appeared first on Radio Daze Vol. 1 (1995), then showed up as digital clones on four different Time-Life CDs. Sound quality is great on all of them - Bill Inglot did a terrific job with the Radio Daze discs.
The LP version appeared first (as far as I know) on Shades Of Love, a 3-CD set from Silver Eagle/MCA Records (MSD 35119/SED-10404, released 1989). The sound on this CD is surprisingly good, and much better than some later CDs that include the LP version, like two of the Priority '70s and '80s collections, or a few Warner Special Products collections.
There's also an 4:09 version that appears to be an early fade on the LP version (just a fade from 3:56 to 4:09). It first appeared on Billboard Top Hits - 1979 in 1991. Normally, I would write this off as a failed attempt to recreate the 45, but the same 4:09 version turns up on an Australian collection ("Pop Complete") from EMI. These Australian EMI 5-CD collections have had some 45 version gems ("Hit Me With Your Best Shot", for example) that are hard to find elsewhere. So I ask - could this 4:09 version be the 45 version from some other country?
FYI, the Billboard CD has stellar sound, so here are instructions for taking that 4:09 version and editing it down to match the Radio Daze 45 version:
Keep 0:00.0-3:30.6.
Remove the 8 beats from 3:30.6 to 3:37.5.
Keep 3:37.5 to 4:00.1.
Add a fade from 3:42.7 to 4:00.1.
Your mixdown will run 3:54, with an edit at 3:30.6 and a fade from 3:36 to 3:54.
Edited by crapfromthepast on 08 January 2009 at 9:54pm
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Todd Ireland
MusicFan
Joined: 16 October 2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4219
|
| Posted: 04 June 2009 at 12:49pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Regarding Rupert Holmes’ “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)”, I notice the database currently states: dj copies of this 45 ran (3:50) and (4:40). I consulted my always helpful and good friend Jim about this and he informs me the short side of his DJ copy actually runs 3:52 (the printed record label time is 3:50), while the long side runs 4:35, not 4:40 as stated on the record label.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
crapfromthepast
MusicFan
Joined: 14 September 2006
Location: United States
Online Status: Online
Posts: 2239
|
| Posted: 30 September 2014 at 8:35pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Looks like I've looped back to this song, over five years later!
One could look at it as the last #1 song of the '70s, the first #1 song of the '80s, or just a witty and whimsical treatise on infidelity.
LP version (runs 4:35)
The first place on CD for the LP version was MCA/Silver Eagle's 3-CD Shades Of Love (1989), where it runs 4:35. It sounds quite nice here, despite a 60 Hz hum in both channels. The 60 Hz hum shows up in all the other CDs, too, so there's no way around it.
I think the same tape source was used for Warner Special Products' 2-CD Good Times (1991), but Good Times has some left/right azimuthal alignment problems that Shades doesn't have. (Symptom: If you sum Good Times to mono, it's really warbly.) Good Times runs 4:37, and about 0.4% slower than Shades. There are two discs that use the same analog transfer as Good Times, and both have the same alignment problems:- Warner Special Products' 2-CD Seventies Feelings (1995)
- Razor & Tie's Easy Rock (2001; digital clone)
Avoid all three of the above.
The LP version appears on Priority's Seventies Greatest Rock Hits Vol. 9 #1 Hits (1991), where it's mastered too loud and clips a lot, plus has noise reduction. Avoid.
The LP version also appears on Priority's Eighties Greatest Rock Hits Vol. 7 Light And Easy (1993), where it's mastered too loud, but doesn't have any noise reduction and doesn't have any tape alignment problems. It sounds better than all of the above except Shades Of Love.
Priority seems to agree that it's both a '70s hit and an '80s hit.
45 edit (runs 3:52)
Appeared first on Rhino's Radio Daze Vol. 1 (1995), where it runs 3:52 and sounds great.
There are a bunch of CDs that are all digital clones of Radio Daze:- Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 39 Pop Nuggets Late '70s (1995; differently EQ'd digital clone)
- Time-Life's AM Gold Vol. 26 1979 (1997; digitally exactly 1.5 dB quieter)
- Time-Life's AM Gold Vol. 31 Mellow Hits Of The '70s (2000; digitally exactly 2.073 dB quieter)
- Time-Life's 2-CD Singers And Songwriters Vol. 10 The Late '70s (2000; digitally exactly 2.06 dB quieter)
- Time-Life's Ultimate Love Songs Collection Secret Lovers (2004; digitally exactly 3.211 dB quieter)
- Time-Life's 2-CD Seventies Music Explosion Vol. 2 Escape (2005; differently EQ'd digital clone)
- Time-Life's 2-CD Classic Soft Rock Vol. 3 Into The Night (2006; differently EQ'd digital clone)
All of the above sound great.
Here are editing instructions for creating the 45 edit from the LP version.
Segment 1
End of segment is between beats
Extends from 0:00.0 to 3:30.3 of the 45 edit (on Radio Daze)
Extends from 0:00.0 to 3:32.3 of the LP version (on Eighties Gr. Rock Hits)
Extends from 0:00.0 to 3:31.1 of the LP version (on Shades Of Love)
(The timing differences are due to speed differences among the CDs.)
Remove the 8 beats from 3:32.3-3:39.1 of the LP version (on Eighties Gr. Rock Hits) or 3:31.1-3:37.9 of the LP version (on Shades Of Love).
Segment 2
Ends on the word "on" after the word "dunes"
Extends from 3:30.3 to 3:52 of the 45 edit (on Radio Daze)
Extends from 3:39.1 to 4:01 of the LP version (on Eighties Gr. Rock Hits)
Extends from 3:37.9 to 4:00 of the LP version (on Shades Of Love)
Fade
about 22 beats long, starts on syllable "la" in the word "colada"
Extends from 3:35 to 3:52 of the 45 edit (on Radio Daze)
Extends from 3:44 to 4:01 of the LP version (on Eighties Gr. Rock Hits)
Extends from 3:43 to 4:00 of the LP version (on Shades Of Love)
Early fade of LP version (runs 4:09)
This didn't exist on record in 1979.
It first showed up on Rhino's Billboard Top Hits 1979 (1991).
It later appeared on EMI Australia's 5-CD Pop Complete (1999).
Best Bets
For the LP version, I like Silver Eagle/MCA's 3-CD Shades Of Love (1989). (I don't have any of the single-artist Rupert Holmes CDs to compare.)
For the 45 edit, go with Rhino's Radio Daze Vol. 1 (1995), or any of the Time-Life discs.
Edited by crapfromthepast on 01 October 2014 at 7:35am
__________________
There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one Crap From The Past.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
Active Topics 
Memberlist 
Search 
Help
Register 
Login
Top 40 Music on Compact Disc : Chat Board
Topic: Rupert Holmes - Escape (Pina Colada Song)
