Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life

Until recently, I had not known that there were two promo CDs for "Semi-Charmed Life" by 3EB. My station always played the "Radio Edit" from PRCD 9763-2:

1. Radio Edit (3:45)
2. Original Version (4:27)

I don't own this promo; however, I recently obtained a different promo:

PRCD 9788-2
1. Clean Version (3:42; actual 3:39)
2. Radio Edit (3:45; actual 3:39)

I know for certain that the Clean Version is what appears on the 2-track commercial CD single. Does the lone database entry containing the "45 version" have the Clean Version? The only difference between that and the Radio Edit is that the words "crystal meth" at 1:24 are reversed in the Clean Version.

Edited by aaronk

i just checked and i actually don't have the cassingle for this track...

I might have partially answered my own question. In the thread "Boston promo 45 for 'Don't Look Back'" there is a whole discussion on which formats dominated. 80smusicfreak states that cassette singles outsold vinyl from 1987 to 1997 (doesn't say which months, though). Todd Ireland posted this info: According to Joel Whitburn in his Top Pop Singles 1955-1999 book, the cassette single was recognized as the standard configuration on the Billboard Hot 100 chart from 1990 to December 5, 1998.

More than anything, I'm just curious to know if the lone database CD with a "45 version" comment contains a censored version or just the shorter radio edit. I'll leave it up to the single version "purists" do decide how to label it.

Edited by aaronk

A quick Google search didn't turn up much info. A couple articles point to 1988, although I don't know how credible the sources are. I did find a Billboard article that confirms 1997 was the year CD singles outsold cassette singles.

aaronk wrote: Until recently, I had not known that there were two promo CDs for "Semi-Charmed Life" by 3EB. My station always played the "Radio Edit" from PRCD 9763-2: 1. Radio Edit (3:45) 2. Original Version (4:27)

I finally obtained a copy of this promo CD just yesterday, and the actual run times are 3:43 and 4:29. The "Radio Edit" on both promo CDs is the same edit with uncensored lyrics.

I can add that I have just obtained the cassette single for
this song and can report that it has the clean version and
the cassette has a printed "clean radio edit" on it.

edtop40 wrote: i would have to disagree about the time line regarding cassingles.....my guess is that vinyl outsold cassette singles up to sometime in late 1989.....then cassingles were surpassed by cd singles sometime in 1997....

Well, I'll be darned, Ed! You were indeed the first to estimate and pinpoint the time period exactly right for when cassette singles were the most dominant commercial single format. The RIAA's annual sales volume data entirely backs this up, so good call!

Also, congratulations on now officially exceeding 5,000 posts on the message board! Many folks here may not realize that the history between the two of us dates back to sometime around early 2004, just prior to the launching of the Top 40 Music on CD database. I was a frequent eBay customer of yours at that time as you had become one of my go-to guys for buying promo CD singles. I was always impressed by your Top 40 music knowledge and careful attention to details on your auction pages, especially concerning version descriptions and run time info, and so I encouraged you to check out this website very shortly after it came into existence. In the two decades-plus since then, you have definitely proven to be an MVP-caliber forum member with your innumerable, valuable contributions! 😊