https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Sun, 03 May 2026 14:09:12 +0000 Tue, 05 Dec 2023 13:10:39 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.07 360 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=7924 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum//images/Top-40-Music-on-CD-Forum-Logo.png https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/ https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=64111&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#64111 Author: mjb50
Subject: 7924
Posted: 05 December 2023 at 1:10pm

Well, I'm not hearing dry drums on Sounds of the Eighties: 1981. But the tambourine is another story.

The database has still not been updated to acknowledge that there are 2 mixes or to say which versions are on which CDs.

Some subtle differences I've noticed:

• Tambourine is louder on the 45, and clearly panned slightly left.
• Tambourine reverb is lighter (almost dry) and less spread out on the 45.
• Clap reverb is lighter on the 45.
• Tambourine & clap reverb kinda smear together on the LP; they're more distinct on the 45.

Easier to spot are differences in the vibraslap (spinner-like sound) and flexatone (saw-like bendy sound):

• 1:05, 2:30, 2:38: vibraslap relatively audible on 45 version, very quiet on LP.
• 1:12: vibraslap plainly audible on 45 version, entirely inaudible on LP.
• 1:23, 2:16, 2:23: vibraslap mono on 45 version, wide stereo on LP version.
• 0:27, 1:28, 1:38, 1:47, 1:54, 1:58, 2:05, 2:19, 2:58: flexatone mostly mono on 45 version, wide stereo/right-panned on LP version.

(As these times get higher, they may be off by 1 second or more due to speed differences.)

If you're wanting to check very quickly, just skip to 1:12, right after "hey hey, hey, HEY!", and if you can hear the vibraslap (spinny noise), it's the 45 version.

Also, in the 45 version, at least on the CD masterings I have, at about 3:12, there's two momentary dropouts of the sax in left channel, so it sounds like the sax pans to the right for a split-second.

And then there's the already noted, very easy to spot edit near the end: at about 3:08.5 on the LP version, there's no "ow, girl", whereas the 45 has that ad-lib, because the 45 mix cuts out 7.3s starting at this point (right before the sax's high note, I believe).


Edited by mjb50]]> Tue, 05 Dec 2023 13:10:39 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=64111&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#64111 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61751&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61751 Author: davidclark
Subject: 7924
Posted: 07 September 2022 at 7:15pm

I also notice two difference mixes for this song. I have the 45 version on TL
"Sounds Of The Eighties 1981", and it opens dry, while other versions I've
heard open with reverb on the drums and sound different overall. A 45 on YT
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjPxBbzBKFM) has it without reverb.
Anyone have the LP?]]> Wed, 07 Sep 2022 19:15:32 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61751&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61751 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61749&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61749 Author: Brian W.
Subject: 7924
Posted: 07 September 2022 at 4:27pm

Slightly off topic, but my manager at my last job, Lisa
Sarna, was a backup singer for Rick James in the late
'70s and early '80s. One of the "Colored Girls," I think
Rick James called them-- she and Jackie Ruffin. She sang
on "Super Freak" and most of his other songs of the
period. She is actually the "Say whaaaat?" voice on "Give
It to Me Baby."

We're still friends, we still keep in touch. She was
interviewed (briefly) in the Rick James documentary that
aired on HBO or one of those a year or so ago. I always
say "Say whaaaat?" to her, and she laughs.

She also sang backing vocals on Laura Branigan's
"Branigan" album.
]]> Wed, 07 Sep 2022 16:27:21 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61749&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61749 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61747&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61747 Author: aaronk
Subject: 7924
Posted: 07 September 2022 at 3:03pm

If that's true, it would explain the looped ending.]]> Wed, 07 Sep 2022 15:03:41 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61747&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61747 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61746&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61746 Author: vanmeter
Subject: 7924
Posted: 07 September 2022 at 1:42pm

I could've sworn I read an interview at one point where he (James) discussed accidentally erasing the end of the track on the multitrack while trying to do overdubs by himself and completely freaking out, and his engineer realizing the only way to save the track was to loop the end. Did I dream this or does anybody else recall it? Mix Magazine maybe?

Edited by vanmeter]]> Wed, 07 Sep 2022 13:42:06 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61746&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61746 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61745&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61745 Author: crapfromthepast
Subject: 7924
Posted: 07 September 2022 at 12:28pm

Just determined that the nice-sounding version on Motown 30th Anniversary (1988) is a differently EQ'd digital clone of Greatest Hits (1986).]]> Wed, 07 Sep 2022 12:28:01 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61745&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61745 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61743&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61743 Author: crapfromthepast
Subject: 7924
Posted: 07 September 2022 at 11:21am

Bellenger1981 wrote: You guys have amazing ears. That's why I figured that I would bring this observation to the experts. Thanks for the info.

You did the hard work here! Once I knew there was a difference to listen for, it was easy.

Seriously, A+ observation on your part!]]> Wed, 07 Sep 2022 11:21:16 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61743&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61743 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61742&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61742 Author: Bellenger1981
Subject: 7924
Posted: 07 September 2022 at 11:14am

You guys have amazing ears. That's why I
figured that I would bring this
observation to the experts. Thanks for the
info. ]]> Wed, 07 Sep 2022 11:14:35 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61742&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61742 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61739&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61739 Author: aaronk
Subject: 7924
Posted: 07 September 2022 at 7:29am

It's not only an edit; it's a looped section of music. The part with the "ow girl" is note-for-note identical each time. I was able to get them synched up, and they stay together perfectly, which tells me it's a loop and not just the same piece of music played two different times.]]> Wed, 07 Sep 2022 07:29:47 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61739&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61739 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61737&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61737 Author: crapfromthepast
Subject: 7924
Posted: 07 September 2022 at 6:55am

Great find, Jason!

There is indeed an edit somewhere in there.

The LP version has Rick's vocal of "Blow, Danny!" (for sax player Daniel LeMelle) at 2:59. There's an ad-libbed vocal of "ow girl" (or something like that) 8 beats after the downbeat following "Blow, Danny!". The ad-libbed vocal repeats 40 beats after the downbeat following "Blow, Danny!", or, equivalently, 32 beats after the first "ow girl".

The 45 version also has "Blow, Danny!" at 2:59. There's an "ow girl" 8 beats after the downbeat following "Blow, Danny!". The ad-libbed vocal repeats 24 beats after the downbeat following "Blow, Danny!", or, equivalently, 16 beats after the first "ow girl".

So, compared to the LP version, 16 beats are cut out of the 45 on the sax part at the end. I didn't figure out where the edit points are.]]> Wed, 07 Sep 2022 06:55:23 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7924&PID=61737&title=rick-james-super-freak-part-1#61737