"Mr. Big Stuff" - Jean Knight

Jim reports the actual and printed commercial 45 run time of Jean Knight's "Mr. Big Stuff" is 2:27. I'm passing this along because database CD times run from 2:27 to 2:33.

The track from Rhino's Soul Hits Of The '70s Vol. 5 is the same as the two CDs you cited, John. It matches the stereo side of my mono/stereo DJ 45.

In comparing the fades on the stereo and mono sides, it's obvious that the mono isn't a fold-down. On the stereo side, the vocal is faded out sooner than the backing track, to the point where the vocal is barely (and I do mean barely) perceptible at all from 2:24 to 2:28. At the same time, the backing track continues to fade in a normal, gradual curve, making it sound like Jean has already left the building.

On the mono side, the vocal fades out at the same rate as the backing track, resulting in a plainly-audible additional "you're never gonna break m..." up 'til the very quick dumping of the fade just shy of the 2:28 mark. For all intents and purposes, these same last couple of sung words are not audible on the stereo side.

Revisiting this song, I noticed that in listening to
several mono 45's on YouTube, there is some vocal reverb
throughout the song. Everything that I've found digitally,
the vocals are dry with no reverb.

Is this a mix difference? What about the vinyl LP?

Pat,

Does this warrant a notation of 'LP mix' in the database?

LP version, which is stereo (2:43)

I believe that the LP version first turned up on CD on Original Sound's Oldies But Goodies Vol. 5 (1986). It sounds pinched and weird, with a screwed-up soundstage, and 60 Hz hum throughout. Avoid at all costs.

Infinitely better is Heartland/Warner Special Products' 2-CD Feel Good Rock (1989), which has a reasonable EQ, a nice soundstage, and no evidence of noise reduction.

Better still is Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 12 1971 Take Two (1990), which has all of the advantages of the Feel Good Rock, but seems to use slightly lower-generation source tapes. The same analog transfer is used on:

• JCI's Only Dance 1970-1974 (1996)
• Time-Life's 2-CD Seventies Music Explosion Vol. 4 Magic (2005)

There's one more additional analog transfer on PolyGram's Pure Funk Vol. 1 (1998), which is excessively compressed. Avoid.

I don't have any of the CD on the Stax label, so I can't comment on those.

Of the CDs in my limited library, I prefer Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 12 1971 Take Two (1990) for the LP version.

LP version faded early, stereo

Stax's 9-CD Complete Stax/Volt Vol. 2 Disc 7 (1993) fades the LP version early to 2:33.

Varese Sarabande's Dick Bartley On The Radio Vol. 6 (2000) fades the LP version early to 2:28.

These versions didn't exist when the song was a hit in 1971; avoid.

Commercial 45 version, which is mono; also on mono side of promo 45 (2:27)

It's a dedicated mix, not a fold-down, and can't be created from any other version of the song.

Unavailable on CD, unfortunately.

Stereo promo 45 version (2:27)

This, too, is a dedicated mix different from the LP version. As noted above, Jean's vocals are mixed down before the rest of the instrumentation, so it sounds like she left the session early.

Surprisingly, the stereo promo 45 version does turn up on CD. It first appeared on Rhino's Billboard Top R&B Hits 1971 (1990). Sound quality is excellent, which is what we'd expect from Rhino. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Rhino's Didn't It Blow Your Mind Vol. 5 (1991) - digitally identical
• Rhino's Didn't It Blow Your Mind Vols. 1-5 Sampler (1990; Rhino PRO2 90055) - I realize that I may be the only person who owns this, and I wanted to document this info somewhere
• Starland Music/Warner Special Products' 2-CD 40 Party Classics (1996)
• Time-Life's Solid Gold Soul Vol. 6 1971 (1996)

All of the above should be listed as "stereo promo 45 version" in the database; they currently say "45 length but LP mix".

My preference for the stereo promo 45 version is Rhino's Billboard Top R&B Hits 1971 (1990).