|
Frankie Avalon "Venus" |
Post Reply 
|
Page 12> |
| Author | |||
EdisonLite 
Music Fan 
Joined: 18 October 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 0 |
 Post Options
 Thanks(0)
 Quote Reply
 Topic: Frankie Avalon "Venus"Posted: 03 July 2016 at 10:45am |
||
|
In listening to Sirius XM's "all 1976" 3-day weekend this holiday weekend, I noticed they played a disco-fied version of Frankie Avalon's #1 '50s hit "Venus". I'd never heard this disco version before. Turns out it was released in 1976, and though it just fell shy of the top 40, it did go to #1 on the AC chart. So I looked in the database and saw some CDs that say "re-recorded". Are any of these the disco version? (I'd tend to think Pat's notations would say "1976 disco version" or something like that; the current notation would suggest these are simply re-recordings done in the style of the original record.) Any CDs (even import) with this disco version?
BTW, it's nice hearing 1976's lesser played songs this weekend, like Hamilton Joe Frank & Reynolds' "Winners and Loser", Boz Scaggs' "It's Over", Henry Gross's "Springtime Mama", Melissa Manchester's "Just You and I", America's "Today's the Day", Carpenters' "Calling Occupants", Eric Carmen's "Sunrise", ONJ's "Don't Stop Believin'", Smokie's "Living Next Door to Alice", George Baker's "Paloma Blanca", Brotherhood of Man's "Save Your Kisses for Me", to name a few. I've even heard below-top-40 hits like Osmonds' "I Can't Live a Dream", Jigsaw's "Brand New Love Affair" and many I haven't heard before. Fun stuff! I wonder if they're playing every hot 100 hit from 1976 over the 3-day weekend. I think most of these aren't on Sirius XM's 70s channel normally (although they probably were before Sirius took over XM). Edited by EdisonLite |
|||
 |
|||
|
sriv94
Music Fan
Joined: 16 September 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 03 July 2016 at 4:35pm |
||
I'm not aware of one. There's a version on iTunes from Frankie Avalon. . .Live! that sounds like it, but it only runs (3:06); Discogs has the 45 running (3:30) (with a longer (4:50) version on the B-side). At any rate, with that kind of time discrepancy I would venture to guess the rerecordings are more like the original than the discofied. |
|||
|
Doug
--------------- All of the good signatures have been taken. |
|||
|
|||
|
80smusicfreak
Music Fan
Joined: 14 October 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 03 July 2016 at 7:09pm |
||
Don't know which one you heard on Sirius XM, but there were actually three versions of the '76 hit on De-Lite: (3:30) = 45 version (4:50) = LP version (a.k.a. "short disco version") (6:08) = 12" version (a.k.a. "long disco version") As sriv94 mentioned, the LP version (a.k.a. "short disco version") is what also appeared on the B-side of the 45 (De-Lite 1578). That same LP version and the 12" version (a.k.a. "long disco version") are what were featured on the 12" single (De-Lite DISCO 1578)... After being out of the music biz for quite a few years, in 1975 Avalon signed w/ De-Lite Records (of all labels - they were indeed primarily known for dance/funk/disco, their biggest act being Kool & the Gang, of course). That new version of "Venus" appeared on his 1976 debut album for the label, also titled Venus (De-Lite 2020)...
Agreed, as NONE of the 140+ listings for the song currently shown in Pat's db exceeds (2:34) in length, whether original or labeled as "re-recorded" - so none are the '76 version...
Yes. In 1993, the Canadian label Unidisc re-issued the song's original 1976 parent album, Venus, on CD (Unidisc SPLK-7159). In addition to the original (4:50) LP version, Unidisc included the (6:08) 12" version as a bonus track, so that is definitely the one you'll want. (I'm not currently aware of the 3:30 45 version ever appearing on CD.) Page on Discogs: FRANKIE AVALON - "Venus" (1993 Canadian CD). It appears the CD is still in print, and can be had for less than $12 (inc. shipping) from this Canadian seller on eBay (whom I've bought from before): FRANKIE AVALON - "Venus" (1993 Canadian CD) |
|||
|
|||
|
MMathews
Music Fan
Joined: 18 August 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 03 July 2016 at 8:04pm |
||
|
Out of curiosity I checked the version on "Frankie
Avalon...Live!" on Google Play. The last 2 tracks are not live. Last track labeled "Venus (Disco)" is indeed the 1976 disco version but with the first :15 of the intro chopped off and it's faded early. It's taken from vinyl with lots of noise reduction. Sounds like it's from a De-Lite 45. They were pressed on bad vinyl, lots of distortion. |
|||
|
|||
|
EdisonLite
Music Fan
Joined: 18 October 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 04 July 2016 at 3:55pm |
||
|
Thanks Gregg, I ordered the CD from that ebay seller. Not sure if Sirius XM played the 45 or LP version (it didn't seem long enough to be the 12" version) but they're playing lots of repeats today as it's still all '76 programming, so maybe I'll find out.
Thanks, Mark, for your info, too. |
|||
|
|||
|
EdisonLite
Music Fan
Joined: 18 October 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 04 July 2016 at 6:34pm |
||
|
Well, sure enough, Sirius XM played "Venus" again and it was definitely the 3:30 version - nothing they edited from CD, as I could hear the "overplayed" vinyl sound. Gregg, do you know if the 3:30 disco single version can be edited from either of the longer versions?
Edited by EdisonLite |
|||
|
|||
|
musicmanatl
Music Fan
Joined: 22 June 2011 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 05 July 2016 at 3:16am |
||
|
I really enjoyed the special Bicentennial music on '70s on 7 this past weekend too! It was so fun to hear the songs you mentioned. I didn't hear the disco version of "Venus", though. I wish they'd do more theme weekends like this, so liven things up from time to time.
|
|||
|
|||
|
80smusicfreak
Music Fan
Joined: 14 October 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 09 July 2016 at 3:00am |
||
Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't help you there, EdisonLite - although my hunch would be yes. I know I've got the '76 version of "Venus" on a disco compilation or two on cassette, but am pretty sure I don't (yet) have it on CD, in any form. I checked, and both the 45 & 12" versions of the '76 hit on De-Lite are currently posted on YouTube, so for your comparison, here are the links (although I couldn't seem to find the 4:50 LP version): FRANKIE AVALON - "Venus '76" (45 version) (3:30) FRANKIE AVALON - "Venus '76" (12" version) (6:08) However, in the end, I'm afraid we're gonna have to agree to disagree on this one. :-) After listening to both of the above versions of the '76 re-make on YouTube as a refresher, IMO, this version of "Venus" epitomizes the WORST of disco music! Don't get me wrong - I grew up on disco, and like any other genre of music, I think there was great disco, inc. almost anything by Donna Summer (saw her in concert back in 2008 on the Crayons tour, less than four years before she passed - RIP), Chic, the Bee Gees, and ABBA, as well as classics like "Get Up and Boogie (That's Right)", "Boogie Oogie Oogie", "Get Off", "Disco Inferno", "Let's All Chant", "Dance Across the Floor", "Ring My Bell", etc., etc... But there was also plenty of BAD disco that still makes me cringe to this day, inc. songs like "Copacabana (At the Copa)", "Take Me Home", and most of the disco-fied cover versions of earlier hits, such as Wing and a Prayer Fife and Drum Corps.'s "Baby Face", Tuxedo Junction's version of "Chattanooga Choo Choo", not to mention Leif Garrett's covers ("Surfin' USA", "Runaround Sue", etc.), all of which represented much of the genre's excesses, IMO - and yes, that includes FA's updated version of "Venus", w/ its very generic beats. (Two notable exceptions in the latter category for me would definitely be Santa Esmeralda's cover of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", as well as Amii Stewart's version of "Knock on Wood" - now those were done WELL!) Oh, and although it didn't chart here in the U.S., another disco hit I can't stand is Baccara's "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" (1977), which seems to turn up on almost every disco or '70s compilation I've picked up from the U.K. - I'll bet cftp knows what I'm talking about there. (Ugh!) :-( |
|||
|
|||
|
musicmanatl
Music Fan
Joined: 22 June 2011 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 09 July 2016 at 11:12am |
||
|
I'm glad to see someone else hating on "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie"! I'm still stupefied that "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" hit #1 in the UK! It sounds some hack disco producer found two random women in a club to sing lead vocals and they have no idea what they are saying. And "Chattanooga Choo Choo" is simply awful in every way - so formulaic and by the numbers. However, I do like "Take Me Home" a lot! :) In a random coincidence, British dance singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor did covers of both "Take Me Home" and "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" and managed to salvage even the second one.
Edited by musicmanatl |
|||
|
|||
|
sriv94
Music Fan
Joined: 16 September 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 09 July 2016 at 8:53pm |
||
Why, sir, do you hate America? :) |
|||
|
Doug
--------------- All of the good signatures have been taken. |
|||
|
|||
|
Post Reply
|
Page 12> |
| Tweet |
| Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |
Topic Options
EdisonLite wrote: