chiffons he’s so fine

i need the class's help on this one....my commercial 45 for
the chiffons song "he's so fine" issued as laurie 3152
states the run time on the label as 1:53 but runs only
1:52....the db contains a wide range of run times (1:49 to
1:54), not including the stereo re-releases.....the
question i have is, which cd contains the correct vinyl 45
version running 1:52....i have a cdr version which runs
1:52, but is pitched down.....when i adjust the pitch to
match the vinyl 45 it only runs 1:49 and is 0:03
short.....any input is welcomed...

Mono

The oldest CD I have with the hit version is Rhino's Billboard Top Rock 'N' Roll Hits 1963 (1988 original release). It sounds good here. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Time-Life's Rhythm And Blues Vol. 2 1963 (1990) - tail of fade is shortened by about 3 beats
• Time-Life's Solid Gold Soul Vol. 14 1963 (1990) - tail of fade is shortened by about 3 beats
• Rhino's Billboard Top Rock 'N' Roll Hits 1963 (1993 RE-1 reissue)
• Time-Life's Heart Of Rock 'N' Roll Vol. 12 1962-1963 (1996)
• Time-Life's Classic R&B Collection Vol. 2 1960-1963 (2000) - tail of fade is shortened by about 3 beats
• Time-Life's Classic R&B Collection Vol. 6 Heroes And Legends (2001) - tail of fade is shortened by about 3 beats

There's a different analog transfer on Time-Life's Rock 'N' Roll Era Vol. 7 1963 (1988). It has a shrill EQ, runs about 0.3% slower than the Rhino Billboard disc, and runs about 4 beats longer than the Rhino Billboard disc.

There's a different analog transfer on JCI's Sock Hoppin' Sixties (1988). It has a slightly less shrill EQ than Rock 'N' Roll Era, runs about 0.4% slower than the Rhino Billboard disc, and runs about 5 beats longer than the Rhino Billboard disc.

There's a different analog transfer on Rhino's Best Of The Girl Groups Vol. 1 (1990). It has a different (better?) EQ than Billboard, runs 0.3% slower than Billboard, but runs about 4 beats shorter than Billboard. The same analog transfer is used on:

• The Right Stuff's Chiffons Greatest Hits (1996) - same speed and sound quality, but (somehow) runs 4 beats longer; makes me think the mastering is based on another CD that I'm missing
• Rhino's Girl Group Greats (2001)

There's a different analog transfer on the promo The Right Stuff Sampler (DPRO-66684, 1993). The balance is way off, with the right channel being about 2 dB louder than the left. It runs about 4 beats longer than the Rhino Billboard disc.

There's a different analog transfer on Time-Life's Glory Days Of Rock 'N Roll Vol. 7 Girl Group Sound (1999). This one is has some pretty heavy dynamic range compression, compared to most of the earlier masterings. Not good. It runs 1.2% faster than Billboard, and about 2 beats longer than Billboard. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Time-Life's Classic Love Songs Of Rock 'N' Roll Vol. 3 (2003)
• Time-Life's Teen Years Sixteen Candles
• Time-Life's It All Started With Doo Wop The Glory Of Love

Finally, there's one more analog transfer on TM Century's track no. 00000216. I think it may be taken from vinyl? The length is about 4 beats longer than the Rhino Billboard disc, and it runs about 0.2% slower than Billboard.

Stereo

This song was never mixed to stereo.

I have it in stereo on Varese Sarabande's Dick Bartley The All-Time Greatest Girl Groups (2000). It's a synch-up here. It runs 0.8% faster than the Rhino Billboard disc, and runs about 13 seconds longer! I'm not sure where the backing track came from, or if the backing track really runs out 13 seconds past the end of the final track. Some of the vocals are looped at the end, because an "oh yeah" at 1:47 on the Billboard CD is replaced with repeated "so fine"s. The same analog transfer is used on some other Varese Sarabande collections, including Then 4 Totally Oldies (2002).

There is a digitally extracted stereo version on Eric's Hard To Find Jukebox Classics 1960-64, which runs 0.7% faster than Billboard and has the correct vocals on the fade (listen for "oh yeah" around 1:47).

Rerecordings

The Radio Shack house brand put out about five CDs around 1986, so that you'd have something to play on the Realistic CD players that they sold. The CDs were terrible, with either awful sound or rerecordings. The version on 60's Rock (Realistic 51-5007, 1986) was a rerecording. Avoid.

Recommendations

Overall, I prefer The Right Stuff's Chiffons Greatest Hits (1996). It has (seemingly) decent source tapes, good EQ, good dynamic range, no evidence of added noise reduction (no EQ artifacts on the fade), and extends about as long as any of the CDs listed above. (The JCI disc extends a fraction of a beat longer, but that's pretty insignificant.) If the speed of the TM Century track is correct, then GH is very close, to within 0.1% (insignificant). I also have a 45 dub that runs about 1.3% faster than the Right Stuff disc, so I'm unsure about what the speed really should be.

I just joined the chat board and had some information on
"He's So Fine" that might or might not be of interest but
I am posting it. Sorry if it runs very long but I was
trying to get every thing in that I thought might matter
(There is a subject that I can offer some information
on.  It's the conversation about "He's So Fine" and it's
running time.  A few years ago Bob Feldman of FGG who was
a friend asked me to transfer all the FGG half inch
session tapes to digital which I did. He had about 35
tapes and obviously a lot belonged to the labels but he
had them. I kept copies of
the things I thought were important.  One of the tapes
had the three track backing track to "He's So Fine."  Bob
said Bright Tunes Productions (the Tokens) who produced
the record had given FGG the tape so they could use it
for the Angels which they did.  I have the backing track
without the Angels vocals but has bleed through on the
Chiffons vocals but very faint.  It has a count off at
the beginning and runs to 1:57 and the has a studio
breakdown so it does not have the fade the Tokens did for
the single.  So obviously the fade could be made at 1:54
for the single which they must have done.  Anyone who
would like a copy of the backing track let me know and I
will get it to you. My email is:
stevenmassie152@gmail.com.

Edited by OldiesLover

I also wanted to welcome Steve to the board. Another fine
addition to our already esteemed panel of audio experts!

Welcome aboard Steve! IMHO This is the best Chat Board for what you and I have to say about our hobby!
You & I go back to the time when you worked at PGD. I think that was 1980? Having you here will help
all of us. In the next few days, I will shoot out an e-mail to you so we can re-connect since its been
about 15-16 years since we last talked. -Bill.