Tom Clay - "What The World.../Abraham..".

I have two different promo 45s: One has the listed (6:10) stock 45 time for both the mono/stereo sides, and like the stock 45, actually runs (6:16). With radio asking for a shorter version, this "new" promo's label is typed all in attention-getting red; both the mono/stereo sides state "short version"; both sides list a time of (5:19), but both actually run (5:25). It is still Mowest 5002F, but has an "A" after the F on both sides of the label, not appearing in the deadwax. That is MW5002F-P4278-60460-1B-M-RE-1; stereo same, except for 2B-S replacing "1B-M". The difference in the two versions is the editing out of the entire platoon segment, just after Clay's questions to the little girl the first time - those are still heard twice, even on this short version. Finally, to keep the "spirit of short", they dropped the "Abraham..." co-title, and this short promo 45 simply titles it "What The World Needs Now Is Love".

Pat, I have 3 copies of the (6:10) on both sides DJ promo 45 (one of which is now on its way to you as part of your collection.) All 3 of them have the title area shown exactly as (Line 1) Tom Clay's (Line 2) "WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE" (Line 3) (H. David/B. Bacharach) (Line 4) "ABRAHAM, MARTIN AND JOHN" (Line 5) (D. Holler) (Line 6) TOM CLAY. My stock copy is set up the same, except it omits (Line 1). I have never seen any (6:10) promo 45 listed the way you describe, Pat, which was why I worded my earlier post the way I did. I really appreciate the good additional info on this.   

I'd posted these scans on The Complete Motown Singles thread :

Original unedited promo 45, which differs from Jim's description above (and sounds more like Pat's copy) :






Reserviced promo 45 edit, issued to radio in the first part of August, 1971:




Edited by Yah Shure

John, in addition to the platoon segment that Jim mentioned, there is a second segment edited out. At the beginning of the Martin Luther King section, the Blackberries sing:

Anybody here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell me where he's gone?

Then these lines are edited out:

He's freed a lot of people
But it seems the good, they die young

The edit sounds a bit awkward, as it comes just before the word "he's," leaving intact the transitioning note for the lines that ended up being cut. Without the rest of the chorus, that note sounds peculiar hanging there by itself.

I don't have the track on CD, so I'll shoot you a dub and you can report back on your findings.

I had this copy filed with the novelty records. This one - from American Record Pressing Co. (ARP) - matches Jim's long version description.

And speaking of American Record Pressing, today, October 30th (as I'm typing this) marks the 36th anniversary of the day in 1972 when ARP literally went up in flames.