"Gone at Last" - Paul Simon/Phoebe Snow

Here's something that caught my attention... According to the database, all "non-demo" CD appearances of "Gone at Last" by Paul Simon and Phoebe Snow with the Jesse Dixon Singers run 3:37-3:38, except on the Paul Simon 1964/1993 box set (Warner Brothers 45394) where the song runs 3:28. I suspected the latter run time might be a typo, so I took a listen to my copy of the box set. It turns out "Gone at Last" does indeed run 3:28, which is :09-:10 shorter than on the other CDs. And to boot, the song is stereo on the box set up until the 3:16 mark where it suddenly switches to mono for the remainder of the recording!

Does anyone know if this 3:28 appearance of "Gone at Last" on the 1964/1993 set is an early fade or an edit of the vinyl 45 and/or LP? Or could it perhaps be a 45 length/version or LP length/version? Also, does the song switch from stereo to mono on the other CDs in the database?

I heard Barry Scott play a version of this song where Paul sings with Bette Midler instead of Phoebe. Barry explained that their duet was not released because Bette's label at the time objected. So that's how Phoebe ended up on the hit record.

Hykker wrote: Was Phobe signed to Columbia at the time this single was released?

Yes, she'd already gotten out of her Shelter contract by that point. And by the time "Gone At Last" was included on Simon's Still Crazy After All These Years LP that October, Phoebe wasn't listed among the "appears courtesy of" guest artist credits on the inner sleeve.