M.C. Hammer - "Pray"

Was there an edited version issued on a US promo CD single?

I found an edit on Now That's What I Call Music 19 (Virgin EMI PolyGram UK CD NOW 19, 1991, run time 4:08), and I would guess that this was the version on the UK single. All the other versions I've seen are the 5:11 LP version.

Here are instructions for creating this UK edit, with timings based on Big Hits '91 (PolyTel 845 832-2, 1991):

Keep 0:00.0-3:43.9 of the LP version.
Edit on the snare following the words "we outta here/that's why we pray".
Remove the 128 beats from 3:43.9-4:47.1.
Keep 4:47.1-5:14.5 (end) of the LP version.

As with "U Can't Touch This", the sound quality of "Pray" is all over the map, depending on the CD source.

The edited version on Now That's What I Call Music 19 has the most natural-sounding EQ, and doesn't clip at all. I think this sounds the best, out of the CDs I have, even if the tapes are a generation removed from the US CDs.

The version on Big Hits '91 runs a close second, also with no clipping. Based on my experience with PolyTel, this version is probably fairly close to Please Hammer Don't Hurt Em, which I don't have.

Rhino's New Millennium Hip Hop Party clips severely.

Sounds Of The '90s - 1990 (Time-Life, 2001) is the most disappointing of the bunch. In addition to clipping, the left/right channels are reversed, and the EQ is incredibly grating, with WAY too much high-end. In the mastering world, I've heard this type of EQ referred to as "ear bleeding".

In addition, there was a U.S. promo 45 of "Pray" with two versions. In keeping with Capitol protocol of the era, both sides had different numbers.

7PRO-79284: Radio Edit
7PRO-79295: LP Version

The British 45, Capitol CL 599, had the following.

Side A: Radio Edit
Side B: Jam the Hammer Mix

Airplay probably varied from station to station. I
believe the stations around here played the full album
version, but in general it didn't have as much airplay as
"U Can't Touch This", despite peaking higher on the
chart.

The Billboard compilations tended to use whatever was
issued as the commercial single version, but in this case
the 45 had the Radio Edit as its A-Side and the Cassette
Single had the LP Version for its A-Side, so not sure how
they decided which version to use in that case. (Unless
they went with the LP Version because the 45 with the
edit was technically a promo).

Edited by thecdguy

chendagam wrote: Probably because the commercial cassette single was the official single.

That is correct. For that particular series, Rhino sent
us the versions they were planning to use and we had to
verify that they were the correct commercial single
versions. There were a couple of times they had the wrong
versions and we had to let them know about it.

I believe that listing is for the promo 45 but says “CD” in error. Capitol
never used the prefix 7PRO for any of their promo CD singles, and also
the matrix info listed on the page says “Side One” and “Side Two.”