Sade - Smooth Operator

The UK mix only has a single tracked vocal. The US has a double tracked vocal remix.

Speaking of "neato instumentals", does anyone know where I can obtain, digitally, the full 8:47 version of "Smooth Operator" (the one released in the USA promotionally on Portrait AS 2013)? The second half of this version is awesome; I believe it came to be known as "Red Eye" in the UK.

Andy

The database currently shows "Smooth Operator" on The Best of Sade CD (Epic 66686 and Epic 85287) with the comment: "neither the 45 nor LP version".

In light of the new information on this thread, it would probably be more accurate to have that comment modified to read something like: "this is the U.K. 45 version, which is an edit of the U.S. 45 and LP version".

It's also likely that the other database CDs where "Smooth Operator" runs 4:14-4:15 is also the U.K. 45 version.

So, I had attempted this many times through the years, but never ended up with a final result that I liked, but today, I completed a pretty flawless re-creation of the U.S. "Short Version" (which was the
version I heard consistently on the radio in the mid-'80s). I am sharing my edit points and notes below in case anyone else needs them/wants to give it a shot.

Note: if you're like me, and a little OCD about keeping the beat/rhythm correct in your editing, be ready to relax your eyes a little when performing these edits. It will look like you are moving
the next beat a little bit too far to the left on, well, most of the cuts made--but this is necessary to avoid including bits of errant vocals here and there. Apparently, Ms. Adu had a habit of leading
into the beat, which is a great jazzy touch, but frustrating for an editor.

So, the U.S. "Short Version" can be re-created from either the full U.S. LP/CD version, or from the UK Single Version. I started with the UK Single Version as found on Epic's The Best of Sade.
(If you were to use the full U.S. LP/CD version, you would need to add another step at the beginning where you edit out the spoken intro):

1) You will need two copies of your source file to do this easily. We'll call them "A" and "B". (File "A" will be for your main editing work, and file "B" will be to keep you from pulling your
hair out when you realize that the portion of the song you need for the 2nd edit has already been edited out by your 1st edit.)
2) So, for file "A": Cut about 48 seconds from 1:37.032 to 2:25.346. This will take you from the halfway point of the first chorus straight to the actual second verse, removing all traces of the
"Coast to coast..." lyrics and the jazzy musical breakdown that follows. Edit is on the downbeat concurrent with the word "Coast", but I think I had to pull the edit just slightly "to the left" to avoid
the "C" in "Coast".
3) From File "B" (which should be an undisturbed file, identical to the one you started with), copy 1:53.152 to End of File. Paste (or "Replace") into File "A" at 2:33:354. In your edited file,
this should result in cutting from halfway through the second chorus to the jazzy musical breakdown at 2:33:354, again aborting the "Coast to coast..." section. You can discard file "B" now.
4) From the resultant file: Cut 43 seconds from 3:05.541 to 4:01.858. Finally, the "Coast to coast..." lyrics/second half of the chorus makes an appearance!
5) From the resultant file: Delete from about 3:48.800 to end of file.
6) From the resultant file: The fade starts about about 3:28 on the word "operator". I used a bell curve from here to the end of the file, and it matched the promo 12" rip that I used as a guide
just fine.

I am also happy to share my edit as a guide if needed.

(My apologies if this information is already out there somewhere, I searched and did not find!)

Edited by EternalStatic

Here's the promo 45 artifact in question!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmcV-YHeYR4

The Red Eye long mix is also on Ben Liebrand's Grand 12
inches vol 17 in addition to the Blank & Jones ‎– So80s
(Soeighties) volume 12.


Edited by AutumnAarilyn