Randy Vanwarmer - Just When I Needed You

For the search engine: Randy Vanwarmer - Just When I Needed You Most

This was the big (and only) hit for him, although I far prefer the 1981 new-wave "Suzi Found A Weapon" (retitled
"Suzi" for the 45).

The first CD appearance is on Silver Eagle/MCA's 3-CD Shades Of Love (1989), where it sounds good. The same analog transfer is used for Warner Special Products' 2-CD Always (1990; absolute polarity inverted, much hissier fade than Shades)

Bill Inglot did a new analog transfer for Rhino's Billboard Top Hits 1979 (1991), which is a little bit better than Shades, but only a little. Then, a flood of CDs that all use the same analog transfer as Billboard Top Hits 1979:

• Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 35 AM Nuggets (1993; has left/right channels reversed - avoid)
• Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 39 Pop Nuggets Late '70s (1995; differently EQ'd digital clone)
• Time-Life's 2-CD Body Talk Vol. 6 Only You (1996; differently EQ'd digital clone)
• Time-Life's AM Gold Vol. 26 1979 (1997; digitally identical)
• Time-Life's 2-CD Singers And Songwriters Vol. 5 1978-1979 (2000; differently EQ'd digital clone)
• Time-Life's Ultimate Love Songs Collection Love Is You (2004; digitally exactly 2.691 dB louder than AM Nuggets, and therefore also has left/right channels reversed - avoid)
• Time-Life's 2-CD Seventies Music Explosion Vol. 1 Sunshine (2005; differently EQ'd digital clone)
• Time-Life's 2-CD Classic Soft Rock Vol. 11 Sweet Freedom (2007; differently EQ'd digital clone)

Best Bet

May as well spring for Rhino's Billboard Top Hits 1979 (1991).

Edited by crapfromthepast

I must've heard that different mix today while listening to Accu Radio online. It even sounds like a different recording plus was shorter (about half a minute shorter). Shame on those stations that play something else that is not the original "hit" recording.

The version I have in my 70's library is from "Hard To
Find Singles" volume 19, more 70's essentials.
They have done such a good job in the past getting the
right 45 mix on CD, I would think that would apply here
also. Does anyone know for sure?

crapfromthepast wrote: Yes, the Eric CD has the hit mix. It's likely from the same analog transfer as Rhino's Billboard Top Hits 1979 CD. Details in this other TID=8823">thread.

I figured if any one would, the Eric Records people
always get it done!

I have this song on a 2003 Warner Special
Products/Compass Productions disc called
"#1 Hits of the 70s - The Pure Gold Collection" where
it sounds, to these ears, really outstanding. I am more
than certain that all the tracks on here are sourced
from other pre-existing VA collections, but I don't
have "Just When I Needed You Most" on anything else to
compare.

However, most of the other tracks that I have on other
discs sound either better or more or less the same on
this particular CD. "Baby Come Back", "Escape (The Pina
Colada Song)", and "Kiss You All Over" all sound
excellent, for instance. Funny, I picked this disc up
cheap at Target back when I was in college and it
turned out to be one of the better-sounding sources for
a lot of my favorite 70s soft rock tunes to this day.


Edited by LunarLaugh