"It’s a Miracle" Barry Manilow

Pat,

The version of "It's a Miracle" you refer to as "LP version faded :16 early" is not accurate. There are 3 different mixes of the song -- one can be found on the 45, another on the LP, and a third "alternate" mix (missing horns) on the "Ultimate Manilow" CD. There are many differences between the 45 and LP mixes, but one very obvious one regards the background vocals in the opening line:

"You wouldn't believe where I've been (OOH HOO HOO)"

The "OOH HOO HOO" background vocals are on the 45 mix but not the LP mix. If you check the "Barry Manilow II" LP or CD, neither have those background vocals. (There are many other differences, too, like a bomb/explosion sound at the beginning of the bridge, but for the sake of this argument, it's easier just to cite one difference.)

So the version on "The Essential" and "Greatest Hits" cannot be a faded version of the LP version since these recordings do have the "OOH HOO HOO" vocals. By "Greatest Hits", I mean the album with the beige album cover (1979), not "Greatest Hits Vol. 1" which came out in 1989 as part of a 3-volume series.

Pat, we had a discussion about this song a while before the chat board was set up (and before "Essential" was released.) And we had a disagreement on the version of "It's a Miracle" on "Greatest Hits", as I recall.

This makes me think you may have a different "Barry Manilow II" LP than what I have, or a different "Greatest Hits" CD than what I have. Or maybe even a different 45.

So can people verify that the actual 45, "Essential" CD and "Greatest Hits" CD have the "ooh hoo hoo" background vocal in the opening line and that the "II" LP and CD do not? I have all 5 items in question so I am really trying to determine if different versions of the LP, 45 or CD are floating around.

The version on "Essential" and "Greatest Hits" is the same mix as the 45, incidentally. It's not the LP mix. It happens to be longer than the 45. In fact, if you took this mix and did an edit, you would have the 45 -- mix, edit and all. So I think I would call this version "Extended version of the 45 mix."


Edited by EdisonLite

I agree with you on all points except one. Because of the longer instrumental introduction, I must call the version found on "Essential" and "Greatest Hits" (neither the 45 or LP version).

Yes, that's all correct. I guess calling the version on "Essential" the extended 45 mix is wrong in the sense that it is not simply longer on the tail end. Amongst my friends, we refer to this version this way because you can extract the exact 45 version from the version on "Essential" (and older "Greatest Hits" CDs). It's as if they took the original tapes for the LP version, added new instruments, remixed the new version, and got this new mix which matches in length the original LP version. They then took this version and did 2 edits to create the 45 version. Since the 45 version has never been on CD, the only way to get it on CD is to edit this longer version, from which the 45 editing came from. Is there a more precise term to refer to this version to be clearer as to what it is -- I don't mean in terms of Pat's notation, which for his book should be called "neither the 45 or LP version". But "alternate mix" or "alternate version" is so general, I just wonder if there's a clearer way to label this version since it's the same mix as the 45 version, only unedited. "Extended version of the 45 mix" isn't correct because that implies it just goes on LONGER than the 45, right?

How about "unedited 45 mix" or "unabridged 45 mix"?

And I totally agree with you, Brian.... Trying to fade out a CD to exactly match the ending of a 45 is the most tedious and time consuming aspect of replicating a single version from CD!

Edited by Todd Ireland

Hi All!

Happy to chime in here and confuse matters further. :-)
I recently was chatting with EdisonLite about this track since it was his info about it that helped me identify all the different versions.
Before this, I was unaware that the actual 45 "MIX" (even tho unedited) was available on a U.S. CD. Since then I did the above mentioned edit to create the 45.

In my opinion, it would be helpful if my book said "45 Mix, but longer" or "neither the 45 or LP version, but same mix as 45".

If it only says "remixed" I will assume it is not the hit version, remixed at a later time. And if it only says "neither..." I will also assume it brings me no closer to having the "Hit" mix.

One extra note; while working on the track I synched up all the different versions to note the differences.
The mix on "Greatest Hits Vol One" listed as "alternate" - "alternate mix" would be accurate, but in oldies-collector terms we'd refer to it as an "underdub" as it is a previously unreleased incomplete mix, missing overdubs (horns, and some vocals) that were on the LP version. But it is the same take, just unfinished.

Happy listening, all.

-Mark M