Boston promo 45 for Don’t Look Back

Hello,

Pat and everybody, FABULOUS forum and database!

I am about to purchase the promo 45 for Boston's "Don't Look Back" (for the DJ edit) and have a question.

Did all promo 45's have the DJ edit?

I never saw a 45 promo with a short/long, it was mono/stereo short 4:05.

FM stations were given a 12 inch promo which said "special FM version). 5:53

Thanks to John and Jim, I got to hear the promo version...if you're looking to make your own, there are just a couple cuts:

-Around 2:37 (or possibly up to 2 bars later - it's hard to tell), cut to the guitar lick at 2:49.

-At 3:39 in your edit (3:50 on the CD), cut back to (3:35 on the CD) and repeat that segment (3:35-3:50) twice.

-The edited song fades from about 3:32 to 4:07

Once, think I saw the short version of "A Man I'll Never Be" on an import CD online. It was called Rock Guitar Legends.

torcan wrote: I've always been curious as to why certain edits were promo-only and why some were released commercially. In other words, it was unusual in 1978 to have a 6-minute single - most of the time they were edited for 45 release. I wonder why that Boston single was released in its full version on 45 when there was an edit available. Does the band have any say in it? Strange when you consider a whole verse and chorus was edited out of "More Than a Feeling".

I think Gordon's reply to John's question in the "Probably A Silly Question" thread provides some great insight.

And don't forget--the primary purpose of a promo 45 is to get it on radio. Top-40 radio would be very reluctant to play a six-minute single in 1978, but a (4:05) promo is much more palatable. Given the number of differences between promo 45s and commercial 45s, it seems labels valued making sure it was played on radio a bit more than making sure consumers bought the single.