Debby Boone - You Light Up My Life

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   The database has approximately 50 discs containing Debby Boone's lone top 40 hit "You Light Up My Life."  I just discovered that some discs contain a "dry" mix, while others have stereo reverb added over the entire song.  When trying to compare the two, the reverb is most noticeable on the last note at the very end of the song.  On the "dry" version, the strings have no reverb and come to a distinct end.  On the version with stereo reverb added, there is a long trailing reverb after the strings end.

I only have a handful of the CDs in the database, but here is what I can definitely detect.

Dry Version:

- Easy 70s (Razor & Tie)

- Classic Country - Great Country Gospel (Time Life)

- Echoes Of Love (Time Life)

- Country Romance (Sessions/Warner Special Products)

- Billboard Top Movie Hits - 1970s (Rhino)

- Lifetime Of Romance (Time Life)

Stereo Reverb Version:

- Ultimate Love Songs Collection - When A Man Loves A Woman (Time Life)

- AM Gold - Mellow Hits Of The 70s (Time Life)

If I had to guess, I'd say the stereo reverb was not part of any 1977 mix/version.  A giveaway is that the tape hiss at the end comes to an abrupt end while the stereo reverb continues to trail out.

Edited by aaronk

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aaronk Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 16 January 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 118	Post Options Post Reply Quote aaronk Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Debby Boone - You Light Up My Life Posted: 18 September 2015 at 9:32pm
	The database has approximately 50 discs containing Debby Boone's lone top 40 hit "You Light Up My Life." I just discovered that some discs contain a "dry" mix, while others have stereo reverb added over the entire song. When trying to compare the two, the reverb is most noticeable on the last note at the very end of the song. On the "dry" version, the strings have no reverb and come to a distinct end. On the version with stereo reverb added, there is a long trailing reverb after the strings end. I only have a handful of the CDs in the database, but here is what I can definitely detect. Dry Version: - Easy 70s (Razor & Tie) - Classic Country - Great Country Gospel (Time Life) - Echoes Of Love (Time Life) - Country Romance (Sessions/Warner Special Products) - Billboard Top Movie Hits - 1970s (Rhino) - Lifetime Of Romance (Time Life) Stereo Reverb Version: - Ultimate Love Songs Collection - When A Man Loves A Woman (Time Life) - AM Gold - Mellow Hits Of The 70s (Time Life) If I had to guess, I'd say the stereo reverb was not part of any 1977 mix/version. A giveaway is that the tape hiss at the end comes to an abrupt end while the stereo reverb continues to trail out. Edited by aaronk
	Aaron Kannowski Uptown Sound 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop

crapfromthepast Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Music Fan Joined: 14 September 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 25	Post Options Post Reply Quote crapfromthepast Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 September 2015 at 7:23pm
	Aaron has good ears! This exercise also demonstrates how much you can learn from just listening to the fade (loudly, if possible - I amplify the fade by 40 dB in Cool Edit Pro for my tests). I re-listened to the versions I have, and can give a little bit of extra mastering info. The oldest version I have is on Sessions/Warner Special Products' 2-CD Country Romance (1990), where it sounds pretty lifeless. Not much high end, probably not the lowest-generation source tapes, but no evidence of noise reduction, and a decent dynamic range. There's a new, and much better, analog transfer on Time-Life's 2-CD Echoes Of Love (1991). Much better high end, and also no evidence of NR, and a decent dynamic range. The same analog transfer is used on: Razor & Tie's 2-CD Easy '70s (1993, left/right balance adjusted) Heartland/Warner Special Products' 2-CD Night Songs (1994) Better still, there's an even clearer analog transfer on Time-Life's Classic Country Vol. 22 Great Country Gospel (2001). I don't own any of the Rhino discs, but I'd be willing to bet that this version is a digital clone of one of those. (I'll gladly check this if someone sends me a Rhino version.) Now, the "problem" children, with the reverb. The reverb is not drastic, and it's difficult to hear during most of the song. Mostly, it makes the song sound muddy. But it's very pronounced on the fade - you can hear the tape hiss stop dead, and the string notes continue on for another second or two. I don't think I've heard anything like this for other songs. The reverb version shows up on Time-Life's AM Gold Vol. 31 Mellow Hits Of The '70s (2000), with a differently-EQ'd digital clone on Time-Life's Ultimate Love Songs Collection When A Man Loves A Woman (2004). Oddly enough, it seems to use the same analog transfer as Country Romance (1990), but with the added reverb. I'd be willing to bet that the reverb originated from one of the Curb discs or one of the Reader's Digest collections, but that's 100% speculation on my part, since I don't have any of them. Edited by crapfromthepast
	There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one Crap From The Past.

davidclark Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Music Fan Joined: 17 November 2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 21	Post Options Post Reply Quote davidclark Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 23 September 2015 at 7:15am
	I have it on Curb's "70's Hits Great Records Of The Decade Volume 1" (1990) and do not think it is the reverb version, based on the info given here. I would like to hear the reverb version to compare... Edited by davidclark
	dc1

crapfromthepast Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Music Fan Joined: 14 September 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 25	Post Options Post Reply Quote crapfromthepast Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 24 September 2015 at 5:37pm
	Thanks to Mark M, I can confirm that the CD 70's Hits (Curb 77317, 1990) does not have the reverb version. Pat updated the database, and it looks like the reverb appears on just some of the Reader's Digest collections and some of the Time-Life discs (plus some newer collections). I don't have the release dates for these, so I can't definitely pin down the source of the reverb, but I'd bet a nickel that it's one of the Reader's Digest collections.
	There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one Crap From The Past.

MMathews Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Music Fan Joined: 18 August 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote MMathews Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 24 September 2015 at 10:44pm
	All it takes is that one mastering engineer that does something odd like that to a master..and in the digital jungle it spreads like a weed to other CD's. I'm sure the subsequent engineers who used that source never would've guessed in a million years that anyone arbitrarily added reverb to it. Very odd. MM

Scanner Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Music Fan Joined: 14 August 2019 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Scanner Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 01 December 2020 at 12:47pm
	Does anyone know why this single's B-side was changed "Midstream" (pun intended - name of Debby's second album) from "He's A Rebel" to "Hasta Manana" both previously recorded by Debby with her sisters as The Boones? "Hasta Manana" (yes, the ABBA song) was released as a single before "Light" reaching No. 32 on Billboard's AC chart. I always thought "Hasta Manana" would have been a great follow-up to "Light" - uptempo, ABBA connection at their US commercial peak. This certainly would not have been the first time a previously released song that originally flopped took off on the charts when re-released. But, I think Debby was contractually obligated to release another Joe Brooks composition.

garye Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Music Fan Joined: 02 August 2017 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote garye Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 01 December 2020 at 10:03pm
	The whole truth about Joe Brooks and "Life" being released is another tale in itself, which took decades to resolve. Sad story.

Scanner Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Music Fan Joined: 14 August 2019 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Scanner Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 December 2020 at 9:22am
	It's so disgusting that he proved to be such a sleaze. His music worked well for Debby as heard on the tracks he produced and/or wrote on her "You Light Up My Life" and "Midstream" albums. But, even then, he was rumored to be a very difficult person to work with. In hindsight, it may have been to Debby's benefit that "California" flopped so that she could sever ties with him... ...which complicates my original question. "Hasta Manana" was produced by Mike Curb. Once Debby's "Light" album was collated, I wonder if Brooks pushed to get one of his songs on the B-side.

MMathews Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Music Fan Joined: 18 August 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote MMathews Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 09 December 2020 at 10:01pm
	Ya know, this thread got me curious .... I had heard something about this Joe Brooks years ago but I couldn't recall what. So I found his Wiki page. OMG, all can say is: DON'T. It was a horrific read. I'm not the better off knowing that he existed and the things he did...BAD SEED. Don't read it. You won't find anything good. "Sleaze" doesn't even begin to cover it all. And yes, Debbie was much better off cutting ties with him right away. I feel like a need a shower now to try and wash off that info. Wow. MM [Edit]: P.S. - Just wanted to add that I never punish the ART for the failings of the artist. Many many artists have gone down in history as being "bad" people in their actions, but the art itself made millions happy. I always keep those two things separate. -MM Edited by MMathews

Scanner Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Music Fan Joined: 14 August 2019 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Scanner Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11 December 2020 at 3:45pm
	Debby herself said the same after he died: "I have been saddened to hear of the horrible tragedies surrounding Joe Brooks and his family over the years," Boone said in a statement released through a friend on Monday. "My only real association with Joe was in 1977 for a couple of hours in a New York recording studio when I recorded his beautiful song. I will continue to sing it proudly and hope that people will be able to separate the song from Joe's severely troubled life," Boone said. https://www.today.com/news/songwriter-left-three-page- suicide-note-wbna43144781 Brooks was also responsible for Roberta Flack's 1978 hit, "If Ever I See You Again." Apart from Debby's "California" and the soundtrack version of "Light," I don't believe any of his other songs ever charted.