Top 40 Music on CD Forum : George Baker Selection

George Baker Selection : The LP version that I've...

Sat, 20 Dec 2014 21:16:08 +0000

Author: Steve Carras
Subject: 444
Posted: 20 December 2014 at 9:16pm

The LP version that I've heard had, besides the two
instrumental intro back-to-back pre-vocal verses, the
chorus also done as instrumental before the opening
verse lyrics, "When the mountains.." and it's
apparently a different take. The single doesn't have
that instrumental (oboe?) chorus pre-vocal.:)

Edited by Steve Carras

George Baker Selection : Robert wrote:I just picked...

Thu, 18 Dec 2014 22:38:44 +0000

Author: EdisonLite
Subject: 444
Posted: 18 December 2014 at 10:38pm

Robert wrote:

I just picked up a DISKY series, one of which is titled "Best of 1974-1975" and my first discovery in it is a 3:47 version of this song. The only differences are (1)it's got a :20 second longer intro than the 45 and my vinyl LP and (2) it's about 1.4% faster than the 45. Perhaps that is the USA LP/45 version, while the 3:47 version is the UK version. Don't know. Maybe someone can shed some light on that.

Since it is an import, it'll probably never appear in the DB, but the info should probably be changed to "45 & LP edit" or something.

I can finally shed a little light on this now. And I also have an understanding about what appears in the database:

PALOMA BLANCA (LP length is (3:28) not (3:49) as the record label states)

Well, there IS a reason why the label would wrongly state the length is 3:49 - I now have the original "Paloma Blanca" album on CD, imported from Holland where George Baker is from, and on this CD, Paloma Blanca is longer than anything on any US release - it's 3:49 - just like the US LP label (wrongly) states. That's probably why they had the time listed that way. As Robert says, it's a longer intro. It's over a minute! I actually really like this version - but then again, I really like the original. I'm not sure what the UK version would be, which Robert asks about above - but the Dutch/Holland version is certainly 3:49. Robert writes:

Maybe "45 & US LP" would be a good indication for the database? I know we're not comparing things to overseas releases in the database, but with a notation like that, at least it might allow people to examine further and find out what the non-US LP lengths are. Just a suggestion.

George Baker Selection : Oh... I actually thought you were...

Sun, 24 May 2009 10:51:24 +0000

Author: Todd Ireland
Subject: 444
Posted: 24 May 2009 at 10:51am

Oh... I actually thought you were talking about "Little Green Bag". My mistake!

George Baker Selection : Todd, yes it is stereo and very...

Sat, 23 May 2009 15:51:16 +0000

Author: Robert
Subject: 444
Posted: 23 May 2009 at 3:51pm

Todd, yes it is stereo and very clean sounding. As for the 4:24 LP version, I think that's the LP version of "Little Green Bag," not "Paloma Blanca." Incidentally, my Disky version of "Bag" is the LP version faded early. It would be nice to find the rest of it in stereo, but only Collectables has it, and as Pat says, it's rechanneled.

Back to "Paloma," I've just finished timing my vinyl LP version of "Paloma" and it times out at 3:27, just like the 45. That's what led me to believe that the version on Disky, with the additional :20 intro was perhaps the original UK version that was edited for its US release.

George Baker Selection : Good info, Robert. Does the song...

Fri, 22 May 2009 21:24:24 +0000

Author: Todd Ireland
Subject: 444
Posted: 22 May 2009 at 9:24pm

Good info, Robert. Does the song appear on the DISKY CD in stereo? Also, you mention the 45 and LP version both run 3:27, yet the database shows the lone CD containing an "LP version" comment as having a run time of 4:24. Are there two different LP pressings, or is the database CD in question labeled incorrectly?

George Baker Selection : Sorry to be hauling this one back...

Wed, 20 May 2009 16:11:59 +0000

Author: Robert
Subject: 444
Posted: 20 May 2009 at 4:11pm

Sorry to be hauling this one back to the front, but I have some new info on this song.

I just picked up a DISKY series, one of which is titled "Best of 1974-1975" and my first discovery in it is a 3:47 version of this song. The only differences are (1)it's got a :20 second longer intro than the 45 and my vinyl LP and (2) it's about 1.4% faster than the 45. When the edit is made and the speed is corrected, the 45 version is indeed 3:27, as is my vinyl LP version. Perhaps that is the USA LP/45 version, while the 3:47 version is the UK version. Don't know. Maybe someone can shed some light on that. I didn't know that a longer version even existed till I picked up this Disky series, which I hope will provide me with several more unknown nuggets.

Since it is an import, it'll probably never appear in the DB, but the info should probably be changed to "45 & LP edit" or something. Incidentally, to create the 45 edit, simply take out from :39.185 to 1:02.767 and then slow it down.

Now...how to we create that DJ edit??

George Baker Selection : I never listened to RKO. It was...

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 10:43:02 +0000

Author: EdisonLite
Subject: 444
Posted: 17 February 2008 at 10:43am

I never listened to RKO. It was always VBF and BZ-FM and PRO-FM from Providence, RI.

George Baker Selection : EdisonLite wrote: It could...

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:39:21 +0000

Author: Hykker
Subject: 444
Posted: 16 February 2008 at 3:39pm

EdisonLite wrote:

It could be that the Boston radio stations all edited it down exactly the same exact way, and that that was all I knew. But I know when I got the song on CD the first time, I expected the intro to be a certain way, and it surprised me to hear it twice as long.

WRKO was notorious for doing custom edits of songs, that may be what you remember. Wasn't there some edict from their national PD about song length? I rarely listened to WVBF so I don't know what they played.

George Baker Selection : Quite possible, the label scan...

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:26:41 +0000

Author: eriejwg
Subject: 444
Posted: 15 February 2008 at 10:26pm

Quite possible, the label scan shown, instead of 2:37, could really be 3:27...

George Baker Selection : I have two stock and four promo...

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:02:03 +0000

Author: Yah Shure
Subject: 444
Posted: 15 February 2008 at 10:02pm

I have two stock and four promo copies (hey, the folks at the local WEA office said "help yourself to whatever 45s you want," and boy, did I.) All copies list the time as 3:27. The promos all have the full :43 intro on both the stereo and mono sides. Matrix numbers on all four promos are identical; stereo TAA-6856-S-1B and mono TAA-6856-1A.

The stocks also have the :43 intro. Machine-stamped matrix # is TAA (scratched out numbers) S-1C , followed by hand-etched 6856.

The Stardust 45 reissues I've bought over the years were usually the original versions, though not always of the best sound quality. Ditto for some of the earlier Underground yellow label reissues. However, the yellow-label Underground 45s licensed from Capitol were the real deal. I'd bought the T-Bones' stereo "No Matter What Shape" (Underground 1050) years ago, but the B-side turned out to be the treasure. "Half Past Midnight" by The Staccatos (the label credits the group's later name, The Five Man Electrical Band) was in crisp, true stereo, and even ran a bit longer than the original Canadian Capitol / US Tower 45s.