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Paul Haney
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| Posted: 11 January 2009 at 8:29am | IP Logged
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The original US commercial 45 of "Live Is Life" by Opus has a listed time of (4:07) and it's lone domestic CD appearance runs (4:05).
However, I once had this on an import CD titled "18 Chart Hits Vol. 4 (1982-1985)" and on there it runs (3:20). Does anyone here know anything about this shorter version (I'm guessing it's the DJ edit)?
Edited by Paul Haney on 11 January 2009 at 8:31am
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crapfromthepast
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| Posted: 11 January 2009 at 10:47am | IP Logged
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Good question, Paul. I'd further ask if that version was the studio version of the song. Such a thing exists - I heard it with my own ears on a mix tape that my friend had around 1986. But I've never seen it on vinyl or on CD.
I don't know if Polydor US ever put out an edited version on a promo single...
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jimct
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| Posted: 11 January 2009 at 10:56am | IP Logged
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Paul, I have just pulled out my DJ 45 to check on it for you. It has the same, listed (4:07), actual (4:05), version (with the exact same deadwax info on both sides of the promo 45) that appears on its lone domestic CD. My U.S. promo 45 says "1984 Sound Mill Vienna" on it. Since the band was from Austria, the "Vienna" part is no surprise, but the 1984 date is a bit unusual for a song that didn't peak here until early 1986, so the left-field-hit-song was likely "kickin' around" for a while. It sounds to me like you thought that your import CD featured the same "live" recording that appeared on the U.S. 45; just in a shorter version. Is that true? But, unless there was a 2nd, different promo 45 issued for the song, that we never got into the station (and we did play it as a current), I'm thinking that the (3:20) edited version must be unique to Europe. I also wonder if their U.S. Polydor LP, "Up And Down", is exactly the same as its European counterpart was, or if U.S. Polydor decided to make changes for release here. That answer may help us get to the bottom of this one, Mr. Haney! And thanks, Ron, for the "studio version of the song" info. Not overly surprising, but I had never known of one before, and I will now try to track it down.
Edited by jimct on 11 January 2009 at 10:59am
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crapfromthepast
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| Posted: 11 January 2009 at 1:06pm | IP Logged
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Good luck hunting down the studio version of the song - it's eluded me for the last 23 years!
I can give you pointers on where not to look!
The US Polydor album Up And Down has five live tracks on side 1, and 5 studio tracks on side 2. It starts with the live version of "Live Is Life", with a printed time of 4:09 - same as the Polydor 45. It also has a 1984 copyright date.
There is an Italian album called Live Is Life, which has a black cover an a yellow neon Opus logo in the center (OK-Musica Records, also 1984). This album is entirely live, including the five live tracks from the US Up And Down album and seven more from the same performance. "Live Is Life" is the same live version as the US, but with a printed time of 3:56. The inner sleeve shows a picture of the Up And Down album - maybe the European pressings have studio versions on side 1?
There is a European 8-CD set called "Greatest Hits Of The 80s", Disky CB 791642, released 2002. The last track on there is "Live Is Life (live)", but it's a different live performance and not the hit version.
The hit live version is found on an Icelandic 2-CD set called Pottpett 80's (not quite right because their alphabet is different; Skifan Records PC00106, released 2001), and on a Canadian (?) CD called something like Dance Classics - The Hits Vol. x - I don't own this anymore and don't remember much about it except that it was the hit live version.
And to severely complicate matters, they've rerecorded the song in the mid-'90s (?), so any CD singles you find will almost certainly be the rerecordings.
Hopefully, you have some good European contacts!
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Paul Haney
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| Posted: 12 January 2009 at 7:26am | IP Logged
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Ron & Jim, thanks for your responses!
Yes, this is the original hit live version. This is one of my favorites from 1986, so it came as quite a surprise to hear the shorter version. I prefer this version as it tightens up the song quite a bit.
I'd still like to know the source of this edit, if possible.
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boynamedfoo
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| Posted: 10 August 2012 at 2:58pm | IP Logged
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This song is also on the domestic soundtrack "Take Me Home Tonight" Universal Republic B0015451-02 in a live version, it's not in the DB, and there are 7 other DB songs on the cd. But as with many soundtracks there is crossfading issues.
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crapfromthepast
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| Posted: 10 August 2012 at 6:21pm | IP Logged
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FYI - In the three years since the last set of posts, I've
spoken to the guys in the band. They said that there
wasn't any studio recording of "Live Is Life" that
Opus recorded before the live version. It was all brand
new, even for the audience at that live performance.
There have been cover versions by other acts and
rerecordings by Opus, but no original studio version by
Opus.
I still don't know who performed the studio version of the
song that I heard back in the '80s.
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Top 40 Music on Compact Disc : Chat Board
Topic: "Live Is Life" - Opus
