george baker "little green bag"

You're correct, Tom. However, if the "E" version on CD matches the vinyl LP, we could at least try to fold it down and have the mono 45 version.

TomDiehl1 wrote: Whether you add on the mono 45 ending or the ending from the mono lp, it still can't be considered the stereo 45 version, if the end piece is still in mono.....

Tom: My 1970 Colossus 45 is in mono. I have no DJ 45 on it. When you refer to the "Stereo 45 version", unless it's on one side of the 1970 DJ 45, I do not believe the true U.S. 45 version has EVER been released in stereo. Since Aaron says the 45 version can ONLY be recreated from the mono LP, not the stereo, I believe the goal here is to obtain better mono 45 version sound by editing from the mono vinyl LP, as opposed to dubbing off of a styrene 45. Tom, I know you are a stereo guy, but I don't believe anyone to date is claiming to be able to put together a correct "stereo 45 version" here. What would they use as the stereo 45 version "source audio?" To my knowledge, a correct, legitimate version didn't exist back in '70, and doesn't exist now, despite numerous flawed CD attempts and a '70 stereo LP release. "Hybrid" mixes, desired by some, are what they are - the best that can be accurately re-created. No one is claiming that a combo, hybrid mix has ANY hope of meeting "stereophile" standards. It's impossible when required 45 source audio is ONLY found in mono. And unless you're a supergroup, how often does "bonus" session tapes ever see the light of day? I'm not holding my breath.

I just picked up an import 2-track CD single that has "Little Green Bag" running (3:24). Unfortunately, this is the stereo LP version faded early. I would not recommend picking this one up.

This post just documents findings, which really aren't that significant for this track.

Mono LP version (4:26)

I found this in Aaron's collection.

In the US, the closest you can get is the 1993 Collectables CD release of the Little Green Bag album, which runs 4:24, but is in fake stereo. I don't know if you can extract nice-sounding mono by using one of the two channels of this release.

Discogs shows additional CD releases of the full album in the Netherlands, with release dates of 2005, 2014, and 2020. No idea what's on these, although the 2020 release is a deluxe edition that includes the original 1970 album, and a whole disc of singles, B-sides and rarities. One track is "Little Green Bag (US Single Edit)", and another is "Little Green Bag (Single Version Stereo)".

Mono 45 version (3:19)

You can edit the mono 45 from the mono LP version, by keeping 0:00-1:52, 1:57-2:30, 2:49-3:29, and 4:09 to the end. If you then hasten the fade by about five seconds, you'll have the mono 45 version.

Eric Records has done us all a favor by including the mono 45 version on Hard To Find 45s On CD Vol. 17 Late Sixties Classics (2017). Best to just get this disc and be done with it.

Stereo LP version (3:58)

I should point out that I don't know in what country or countries this was actually released, or if it was released as an LP or a 45. Let's just call it the "stereo LP version" for convenience.

This turns up on EMI Australia's 5-CD Seventies Complete Vol. 2 (1999), where it runs significantly faster than Aaron's file of the mono LP version. It follows the same structure as the mono LP version, but fades from 3:49 to 3:57. (Those fade point match up to 3:55 and 4:02 on the mono LP version, due to the speed difference.) It sounds pretty bad on this disc, with seemingly very high-generation source tapes being used.

Stereo edit of LP version that doesn't quite match up with the mono 45 (3:15)

You can't edit (what I called) the stereo LP version to match the mono 45, because the mono 45 uses the very end of the mono LP version, after the stereo LP version has faded out. The last portion of the mono 45 simply doesn't exist in stereo.

You can get this edit from the stereo LP version, by keeping 0:00-1:50, 1:55-2:26, 2:45-3:24, and 3:44 to the end, without having to hasten the fade. It's a pretty good edit, and unless you know the 45 version really well, it doesn't sound jarring at all.

I can say that Rhino didn't create this edit, because it existed on CD before the Have A Nice Day disc.

As far as I know, it first appeard on JCI's Groovin' Sixties (1987), where it sounds pretty good. Nice dynamic range, decent EQ, no evidence of noise reduction on the fade.

It appeared next on PolyTel Canada's 2-CD Ready To Rock (1988), which I obtained in the late '80s as a mail-order disc through Silver Eagle Records. It sounds hideous here.

Next, it turned up on Rhino's Have A Nice Day Vol. 2 (1990), with sound quality comparable to the JCI disc. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Rhino's budget Seventies Smash Hits Vol. 2 (1993) - digitally identical
• Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 32 AM Pop Classics (1993)

For reference, although I don't know who'd actually need this information, the edit points on the Have A Nice Day Vol. 2 disc occur at 1:51.3, 2:23.7 (I think), and 3:03.5.

I would guess that all the compilations (except the Eric disc) use the same analog transfer as Have A Nice Day, but I can't confirm.

The full-length mono version is available on a 25th
Anniversary release of the album from earlier this year,
but it's expensive... like $35. It is available as a
download only on the Netherlands version of 7Digital.

But I tried and tried to download it the song, and I
couldn't... I used a proxy server, I used a VPN. Always
got to the checkout and it said "can't connect to
PayPal." It must have some way of knowing I'm not in
the Netherlands, even though I'm not getting that error
message.

Edited by Brian W.