Boyz II Men - Motownphilly

prisdeej wrote: I share this sentiment. In the late 90's WFHN would play the Single Edit Without Rap, but I swear that's the first time I heard it.

I was at Fun from 1993 to 2000; that absolutely is the
version we played, from a TM Century Golddisc.

If you're still in New Bedford, we added "Motownphilly"
to the rotation at WNBH/Big 101.3 this week; we're
playing the LP version. Maybe I'll change it out for
this edit.

eriejwg wrote: I see Kwame is on Fun 107. He previously was PD here in Erie, PA at Star 104.

He's Townsquare's brand manager in Portland, Maine now
(Q97.9 WJBQ) and voicetracks for a bunch of their
stations (including Fun 107 - he's on Sundays 3 to 7).

I was having trouble sorting this out based on past discussion and what's in the database.

The commercial releases of the single, including the vinyl 45, all contain the "LP Version", duration printed as 3:52, actual a little over 3:51.

Notably, despite always saying it's from the forthcoming Cooleyhighharmony album, the actual album contained a somewhat different mix which was not on the singles. Aside from effects & instrument changes, it is prefaced by 2½ seconds of a wailed "ne-eh!" & spoken "it don't matter, just don't curse!"

I'm sure I've heard both of these versions on the radio. Nowadays I only hear the latter.

I don't have the CD45-1336 one-track promo CD containing the "Album Version" (3:52). Can anyone confirm that this is the same as "LP Version"?

Also, I found that although the database implies the version on the Hitsville USA CD release is the 45 version, it is not. See below.

All three of these have the same basic structure and vocals, and just have some mostly minor changes to the instrumentation and effects:

Cooleyhighharmony album version – as described above.
• printed duration 3:55
• actual duration 3:55
• usually listed with no version title, or sometimes as Original Version

45 version, often labeled LP Version – the original US hit single version.
• printed duration 3:52
• actual duration 3:51

promo single version – a mix appearing on the 2-track promo CD single (PRD-90023) and on the 1993 v/a compilation Hitsville USA vol. 2 (not to be confused with the band's 2007 album with a very similar name). The left & right channels are swapped. Several instruments are mixed louder, imparting a denser sound. A delay-type echo was added to the "Boyz II Men, A.B.C., B.B.D. — mm-hmm!" at the very end. The most striking difference is that when the rap starts at 1:30, the drum machine stops, the rap vocal has chorus-type reverb on it, and there's no background vocal samples ("Boyz II Men, Boy, Buh-Boy, Boyz II Men") or hard-panned instrumental stabs.
• printed duration 3:55
• actual duration 3:52
• listed as LP Version on the promo CD single, and with no version title on the Hitsville Two release

Continuing on...

US remixes by Boyz II Men member Dallas Austin. All except Quiet Storm contain the iconic "Mardi Gras bells" sample:
• 5:40 12" Version a.k.a. 12" A [printed as 5:50 on UK releases]
• 4:47 12" Version (Edited)
• 3:52 7" Main
• 3:20 7" Main [edited by Robin Albers, only on European CD]
• 4:09 12" Dub
• 4:06 Quiet Storm
• 3:21 Single Edit (Without Rap) [only on promo CD; printed duration 3:17]
• 3:50 Bonus Beats

While researching this, I found in Discogs that the retail US 12" sleeve & labels say the record has a 5:50 Instrumental, but it plays the regular 12" Version, and no instrumental of that duration was ever released, as far as is known. (Or was it actually pressed on some copies?)

UK house mixes by Camelle Hinds and Steve & Paul Jervier. They all sound similar and contain the "I'm talkin' to you" sample from Tears for Fears' "Shout":
• 5:35 12" Extended Club Mix a.k.a. 12" Club Mix Edited
• 3:50 7" Radio Version a.k.a. 7" Version a.k.a. Remix Radio Edit
• 3:50 Philly Instrumental
• 3:49 Mo' Bass Mix
• 4:08 Dub Mix
• 3:54 Dub Mix 1 [on UK promo 12"; uniqueness unconfirmed]

Remix Radio Edit is the only one of these house versions that has been released in the US, I think; it appears on the 1992 (UK/EU) and 1993 (US) Cooleyhighharmony reissues, with the original album version as a bonus track.


Edited by mjb50

No, the edited 7" Main and the Single Edit (Without Rap) are different right from the start.

The durations for this song don't tell us much. So many versions have basically the same length as each other!

Edited by mjb50

I made another correction to my list of mixes, to clarify that the version on Hitsville USA vol. Two was in fact released first as an "LP Version" on the 1991 2-track promo CD single. I renamed that mix to "promo single version". Beware of fake rips floating around with the 45 version as track 2.

In headphones, I noticed another easy way to tell the difference between the 3 regular versions: just listen to the panning of the first musical sounds. Notice how the initial percussion sample hits 4 times, and the tonal stab hits 3 times.
• 45 version: first sample is heard on the right twice, then on the left twice, and the tonal stabs are centered.
• promo single version: first sample is heard on the left all 4 times; tonal stabs are on the right.
• actual album version: prefaced with banter, then first sample is in the center all 4 times; tonal stabs are on the left.



Edited by mjb50