Debbie Gibson - "Only In My Dreams"

I just noticed that there are two different mixes on the various CDs out there. Both are virtually the same length, and the differences are subtle enough so that if you hadn't heard the song 100,000,000 times on top 40 radio as a kid (as I did), you might not even notice.

The commercial 45 has "ST A 50918-1" in the deadwax, with a printed time of 3:50 and an actual running time of about 3:52. There is a credit on the label that reads, "Mixed by Little Louie for Small Wonders Productions, Inc." The DJ 45 has this version on both sides, and the same inscription in the deadwax.

I found this 45 mix on the following CDs:

Totally '80s (Razor & Tie OPCD-4544, 1993; mastered by Steve Hoffman and sounds phenomenal; best-sounding version in existence)
Like Omigod! (Rhino; sound is quite good, quite uncompressed, and better than most tracks on this collection)
Atlantic's Year In Review: 1987 (Atlantic PR 2187-2, 1987; sound is a bit muffled)

I found a different mix on a few other CDs. The best way to describe this mix is that it's "busier" and more cluttered. In a side-by-side comparison, the intro to this version has more prominent "whoosh" effects than the 45 mix. I don't have the LP, so I can't say whether this is an LP mix or not. I can say that this wasn't the mix that got all the airplay in '87.

This mix is on:

Sounds Of The Eighties 1986-1989 (Time-Life R988-21, 1997; mastered well - crisp detail, good EQ, very little compression, but not the hit version)
Super Sessions Volume Two (Foundation 26097-2, 1988; mastered with levels too low - over 4 dB of headroom)
Gold & Platinum Volume Six (Realm 1CD 7899, 1989; an exact clone of the Super Sessions CD)


BTW - I apologize if the mastering comments aren't of interest; I'm compiling a month-by-month collection of everything that hit the Hot 100 in the '80s, and I'm choosing the best-sounding version of each track that I can find (within time and $ reason). You pretty quickly learn the names of the mastering engineers, and the quality of their work.

The original vinyl LP is the busier "whoosh effects" mix (mixed by "Little" Louie Vega & Doc Dougherty); the single was issued prior to the LP (single mix credited only to "Little" Louie).

Andy

Minor quibble--that CD isn't from Rhino; I believe it's a JCI release.

Another very easy way to tell the album version from the 45: that "swoosh" sound is centered on the LP version, whereas it pans from left to right on the 45.

Her "Greatest Hits" CD contains the album version.