Glass Animals - Heat Waves

Climbing up the charts after a record 59 weeks this 2021 Hit has quite a few versions around. Now ascending to #1 this week I thought for those who might want to hear it or collect it to know all the versions out there.

I've gathered together what appears to be 4 different versions of the song...

    Ian Door Mix - Runs 2:54. Haven't heard this one on radio at all but it's been commercially available for awhile on digital sites.
    LP version - Runs 3:58. Some stations have played this LP version which is off their Dreamland album or edited the intro and outro off. It also appears on NOW 78 here in the US.
    Radio Edit - Appears on the UK Now That's What I Call Music 108 and I have heard this version here in upstate New York where I am. It runs 3:27 and is by far IMHO the hit version of the song.
    Radio Mix - Never heard it on radio, keeps the intro from the LP version but cuts a good portion of the song that is necessary and runs 3:06.
   
My recommendation:

In this era of digital only hits it is okay to go with the UK Radio Edit, it has gotten airplay in some US regions and it is a tight mix that some radio stations have adopted as a US edit. Either that or if you don't want to get the NOW 108 from overseas, you can essentially trim the LP version by the first 17 seconds and end at 3:42 to recreate the alternative 3:27 that radio stations have custom made. To my knowledge I have never heard radio play the LP version with the instrumental intro and outro intact.

Edited by PopArchivist

Top Hits USA included the song three times in their weekly discs:

• T1618 (Feb 2021) - 4:01
• T1637 (Jun 2021) - "Radio Mix" 3:13
• T1664 (Dec 2021) - "Radio Mix" 3:13

Top Hits USA included the song once in their pop recurrents, which is what they consider to be the "hit" version at pop radio:

• RH185 (Apr 2021) - 4:01

The song crossed over to multiple formats. Top Hits USA also included the 4:01 version in recurrent discs for Adult Contemporary stations (RA190, Feb 2022) and rock stations (RK142, Mar 2021).

We'll see if they include the "Radio Mix" on any future recurrents discs, given the song's absurdly long history at radio.

Top Hits USA also included a 4:18 version as "w/ Intro" as an mp3 release in Feb 2021. Not sure what that is, or who it was sent to.

Edited by crapfromthepast

I bought the original stand-alone digital single, released
on June 29, 2020, which appears to be the album mix, since
it runs 3:58.

crapfromthepast wrote: Top Hits USA also included a 4:18 version as "w/ Intro" as an mp3 release in Feb 2021. Not sure what that is, or who it was sent to. Top Hits USA included the song three times in their weekly discs: T1618 (Feb 2021) - 4:01 T1637 (Jun 2021) - "Radio Mix" 3:13 T1664 (Dec 2021) - "Radio Mix" 3:13 Top Hits USA included the song once in their pop recurrents, which is what they consider to be the "hit" version at pop radio: RH185 (Apr 2021) - 4:01 The song crossed over to multiple formats. Top Hits USA also included the 4:01 version in recurrent discs for Adult Contemporary stations (RA190, Feb 2022) and rock stations (RK142, Mar 2021). We'll see if they include the "Radio Mix" on any future recurrents discs, given the song's absurdly long history at radio.

I think I have the answer to your 4:18 Version, (Mp3 Release.) The DVD monthly service has T1618 included along with a folder full of bonus tracks. (M-254 February 2021.)
In the bonus tracks folder, they might have goofed on the title as the song begins on solid beats and not the soft intro like on T1618. I didn't listen to the whole song as once
or twice was more than enough for me tonight. Maybe for this version they added a few extra beats somewhere else, and dropped the soft intro. The song is better without
that soft beginning anyway, IMHO.

As a side note, I had to cut and paste the quote for this post as using the quote button yielded some awfully confusing text in the box.

You're right, Gary. Promo Only initially serviced the LP
version, then the 3:06 Radio Mix, then several remixes, then
the 3:24 radio edit.