George Benson-"Greatest Love Of All"
Printed From: Top 40 Music on Compact Disc
Category: Top 40 Music On Compact Disc
Forum Name: Chat Board
Forum Description: Chat away but please observe the chat board rules
URL: https://www.top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3327
Printed Date: 02 April 2025 at 3:38pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.07 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: George Benson-"Greatest Love Of All"
Posted By: jimct
Subject: George Benson-"Greatest Love Of All"
Date Posted: 23 April 2008 at 5:43pm
| My commercial 45 has a listed time of (3:29), but an actual time of (3:35). |
Replies:
Posted By: Hykker
Date Posted: 24 April 2008 at 5:34am
| There were 2 different versions of this one. I don't have my copy handy, but IIRC it runs a good minute + longer. |
Posted By: TimNeely
Date Posted: 25 April 2008 at 11:25am
|
My stock 45 has a listed time of (5:35). There's no question the length is in that ballpark.
I have a white-label promo 45 that matches jimct's timing. |
Posted By: jimct
Date Posted: 30 May 2008 at 5:40pm
| Pat, I have just acquired a promo 45 for this song that includes a version that you do not have noted in your current database comment for this song. The shorter stereo side has the same listed (3:29), actual (3:35) timing info I initailly reported for my commercial 45. But the longer stereo side of my promo 45 has both a listed & actual (5:35) version, which is omitted from your existing DJ 45 timings. |
Posted By: Hykker
Date Posted: 31 May 2008 at 2:45pm
| I just checked my promo copy and it agrees with Jim's commercial copy (and the short version of his promo)...mono/stereo same timing. This version has a :25 intro. I seem to recall that when the song was current, playing a slightly longer version (but not as long as 5:35) with a cold intro. |
Posted By: torcan
Date Posted: 10 January 2011 at 6:56am
|
I just acquired a US commercial 45 (with the original picture sleeve) for this title. The time is 5:35, and it states "long version" on the label.
I honestly don't remember hearing George's version at all on pop radio back when this was on the charts, but he does a pretty good job with it. Not having heard the shorter version, can anybody tell me what's removed from the longer version to make the short version? I assume most of the second verse and chorus is because it's just a repeat of some of the first, but is the ending in tact? Thanks :) |
Posted By: edtop40
Date Posted: 29 July 2011 at 7:08pm
|
does anyone's 5:33 cd version have a glitch at the 2:30 mark?
in addition my vinyl 45 runs only 5:33 ------------- edtop40 |
Posted By: boynamedfoo
Date Posted: 09 September 2011 at 7:41am
| And yes Ed, my 5:33 version does have the glitch. |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 23 October 2020 at 10:51am
|
I read that there was a 4:18 promo of this.
Does anyone know where the edit points are, or have a dub? Andy |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 02 December 2021 at 1:42pm
|
All of the short 45 versions in the database run 3:32 and
Jim's 45 ran 3:35. Is the reason for the 3:32 versions running shorter a pitch issue? ------------- John Gallagher Erie, PA https://www.johngallagher.com" rel="nofollow - John Gallagher Wedding & Special Event Entertainment / Snapblast Photo Booth |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 03 December 2021 at 7:50am
|
I'm still looking to see if anyone has ever heard the 4:18
promo edit and can comment. Thanks! Andy |
Posted By: Santi Paradoa
Date Posted: 19 December 2021 at 12:00pm
|
Andy:
I have the answer for you. The shortest and longest versions (running 3:35 and 5:35) both start off with a 23 second piano intro and end cold. The promo version with the 4:18 listed time has the cold intro mentioned above (which means no long piano intro so first thing you hear is George's vocals). It then fades at the end. ------------- Santi Paradoa Miami, Florida |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 20 December 2021 at 4:19am
|
Thank you, Santi!
Now I'm curious if this edit is identical to the version you let me listen to on the 'Super Bad On Celuloid' CD or if the CD's an approximation. Do you, or anyone else out there actually own that 4:18 promo vinyl? It must be extremely rare! Andy |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 20 December 2021 at 8:47am
|
There are two different promo pressings with the 4:18 version, and there are multiple copies for sale on Discogs. I'll check to see if I already have one. If not, I'll order a copy. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 20 December 2021 at 10:26am
|
Thanks Aaron and Santi!
The reason why I'm so curious is twofold: 1) I've always loved George Benson's original version of the future Whitney Houston classic (I only heard the 3:35 edit on the radio, but I did eventually purchase the 5:35 full-length version). 2) The version on 'Super Bad On Celuloid' runs a little longer than 4:18 and I'm not too crazy about the way it starts and the way it fades out so I'm just wondering if it's totally authentic. Assuming it is authentic, I'm surprised Arista in the latter '70s would release to radio this incomplete-sounding version. Does anyone know if this was released later than the other long/short promo as a reservice, or if it was released reasonably contemporaneously with the long/short promo? Andy |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 21 December 2021 at 3:01pm
|
I do have a copy of the 4:18 listed promo, which is mono/stereo. The actual run time of the stereo side is 4:23. This does a quick fade in just before the first vocal, and then does a rather quick fade out at the end. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: Santi Paradoa
Date Posted: 21 December 2021 at 3:24pm
|
Great info Aaron. Thanks again everyone. ------------- Santi Paradoa Miami, Florida |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 21 December 2021 at 7:29pm
|
Thanks for reporting, Aaron!
Andy |
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 20 March 2025 at 4:00am
| Is the original motion picture soundtrack of The Greatest considered the parent vinyl LP of George Benson's "Greatest Love of All"? Or did the song originate from another album in 1977? |
Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 20 March 2025 at 4:15am
Yes, the hit studio version didn't appear on a George Benson LP until The George Benson Collection in late 1981. There is a live version on Weekend In L.A. from early 1978. |
Todd Ireland wrote:Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 21 March 2025 at 11:36pm
| Thanks for confirming that, Paul. This is leading me to debate in my mind whether I think it might be useful to add "LP Version/45 version" comments next to each database CD entry, although in this case, the comments would have to read something more specifically like: (LP version and long 45 version) vs. (short 45 version). One thing that complicates this somewhat, however, is the fact that nearly every database CD containing George Benson's "Greatest Love of All", incredibly, runs several seconds shorter than their respective 45 lengths, so this would probably need to be acknowledged as well. Then again, perhaps there's already adequate information in the title notes to enable database users to deduce all of this on their own? I don't know, does anyone have an opinion on whether it would be helpful to include individual CD comments here? |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 23 March 2025 at 8:22am
|
My opinion, for consistency, is to leave the LP/long 45 versions with no designation since they are the same. For sure, CDs with the "short 45 version" should be labeled accordingly. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 23 March 2025 at 1:44pm
|
Re asking a question of mine from 2021 -
All of the short 45 versions in the database run 3:32 and Jim's 45 ran 3:35. Is the reason for the 3:32 versions running shorter? Is it a pitch issue? ------------- John Gallagher Erie, PA https://www.johngallagher.com" rel="nofollow - John Gallagher Wedding & Special Event Entertainment / Snapblast Photo Booth |
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 23 March 2025 at 11:00pm
|
I could only find one commercial short 45 vinyl copy of George Benson's "Greatest Love of All" uploaded on YouTube, and it's from a reputable user named "AnotherProf", whose turntable speed seems to be fairly reliable overall. (I can't recall an instance offhand when I have found the 45 run times on any of his videos to be off by anything more than maybe one second.) What's interesting here is that his 45 copy runs 3:32, just like all database appearances containing the short 45 length:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjWywlM2xac - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjWywlM2xac Now, I exercise great caution with utilizing YouTube videos as a means of definitively determining run times because, obviously, there could be several factors in play here. For example, the fade at the very end of this video is pretty abrupt. Is this reflective of what's on the 45 itself, or did the video creator possibly "help along" the fade in the final second(s) by potting down the volume himself? Also, was his turntable speed properly calibrated at the time when his video was created? Of course, we really have no way of knowing for certain, even if the speed may appear to sound "normal" (at least, to my ears, anyway). Or are we perhaps looking at a case here where there are two different 45 pressings with differing lengths of 3:35 and 3:32? This would certainly not be a first. Another possibility is that perhaps Jim's 3:35 timing was slightly off, for whatever reason. I would say this is probably the least likely scenario, however, because he was always a stickler for accuracy with this sort of thing, and his 45 timings have historically reflected this. Does anyone else in the forum have a commercial 45 pressing of either, or both, the long 45 and short 45 versions of "Greatest Love of All" who are willing to time and report their findings for us? By the way, on an unrelated side note, I very recently picked up a copy of The Greatest soundtrack CD on the Varese Sarabande label, and it's a treat to be able to hear a couple of tracks on it -- "Stand by Me" and "I Am the Greatest" -- sung by Cassius Clay, or better known around the world as Muhammad Ali himself! These songs were released as a double-sided single in 1964, and both sides actually cracked the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 singles chart. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised to hear how reasonably well the legendary boxer could carry a tune... Better than I had imagined, anyway! |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 24 March 2025 at 7:37am
|
I have a dub of this 45 from Chuck, and his copy also runs 3:35. I believe the YouTube video posted by AnotherProf is a CD copy. There's not a trace of vinyl noise in that video. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 24 March 2025 at 7:43am
|
CD versions with the short version run just a tad faster than the actual 45 and fade about a second sooner. It's fairly insignificant, but that's what accounts for the :03 difference. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 25 March 2025 at 8:59pm
|
Thanks for clarifying, Aaron. I suspect that a similar explanation is why nearly all CD appearances containing the LP version/long 45 version of "The Greatest Love of All" run several seconds shorter than the vinyl 45, though it would be great if someone could confirm this as well.
Meanwhile, now that I'm listening to the uploaded YouTube video of the short 45 version more closely, it does indeed sound like it was sourced from CD. Given this user's extensive history of uploading restored vinyl 45s onto the site, I had previously been under the (incorrect) impression that all of his uploads were sourced from whatever vinyl 45 was posted in his thumbnail photos. Now that I know otherwise, I will be more cognizant of this going forward. |