Peaches & Herb-"Shake Your Groove..."

From the many CD versions I have, you wouldn't even know that the vocal-intro versions exist. All have the instrumental-intro version. I don't ever remember hearing the vocal-intro version on the radio in NYC, and I don't think I knew it even existed until the movie Priscilla.

I found pictures of the promo 45s in discogs.com. I found white-label 45s for both versions, with printed times of 3:37 and 3:25. I couldn't see the matrix numbers on their scans, and I can't tell which versions are really on the promo 45s. I think the clue is on one scan of the commercial 45, where the 3:25 printed time has a "REV" in the matrix number. If I had to bet a nickel, I'd bet that the 3:37 vocal-intro version came out first and didn't do so well. I'd bet that Polydor then put out the 3:25 instrumental-intro version, which did well and became the hit.

"Shake Your Groove Thing" features a live drummer playing to a click track. A convenient way to reference the various masterings is by the BPM, since they're all a little different from one another.

The first version of "Shake Your Groove Thing" I have on CD is on the first various-artist disco collection on CD, Silver Eagle/Warner Special Products' 2-CD Dancin' The Night Away (1988). It runs 132.9 BPM here. This CD has a very bass-heavy EQ, with practically no high end on this song. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Priority's Mega-Hits Dance Classics Vol. 2 (1989; possible noise reduction added, mastered way too loud and clips severely

Next, Bill Inglot did a new analog transfer for Rhino's Disco Years Vol. 1 (1990). It runs 133.3 BPM here. This CD sounds spectacular, using very low-generation source tapes with the usual Rhino high-end boost. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Warner Special Products' 2-CD Disco Collection (1993)
• Time-Life's Solid Gold Soul Vol. 17 1978 (1997; digitally exactly 0.197 dB quieter)
• Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 46 '70s Dance Party 1978-1979 (1997; differently EQ'd digital clone)

A new analog transfer for Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 19 1979 Take Two (1991). It runs 132.7 BPM here. It sounds very nice here, with less high end than Disco Years but more than Dancin'. The same analog transfer is used for:

• Warner Special Products' 2-CD Ultimate Party Album (1992)
• Polygram's 2-CD Dance Fever (1993, boosted high end)
• Razor & Tie's 2-CD Make You Sweat (1998)

One more new analog transfer, for Rhino's Billboard Top Dance Hits 1978 (1992). I don't know why Rhino didn't just recycle the mastering from Disco Years here. Sound quality is basically the same as Disco Years. It runs 133.1 BPM here. The same analog transfer is used for:

• Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 38 Celebration (1994)

Best Bet

As usual, I recommend Rhino's Disco Years Vol. 1 (1990). In general, if it's not available on Rhino's Billboard discs, go for Rhino's Disco Years discs.

Edited by crapfromthepast

I have a promo, with vinyl trail wriing PD-14514 78 NP-3787-S CP-1,and it has the vocal intro. I'd assume this was the original release.

10 years ago, I see I proposed the possibility of
pasting the vocal intro onto the more common 45 version
to create the rarer 45 version. I finally just tried
that and it runs 3:38.

Does that mean I have the rarer 45 version now?

jimct wrote: John, we absolutely played the version with the instrumental intro at our station in 1979, as I believe most Top 40 stations around the country did, as well.

As did I as both current, and oldie (we still play it
every few days)

Just some follow-up details ... when I posted earlier I
hadn't yet seen the database. So I guess this vocal-
intro mix is not rare on CD at all. It just always
appears in the LP length. My GSC CD is just faded early,
but not quite early enough to be the rare 45 version.

And upon closer listen, I agree with Aaron..after those
cymbal crashes in the opening chorus the mixes are
identical. So erie, the answer to your question is yes,
you created the rarer 45 version.

If I am reading correctly, the real MIA version on CD is
the 2nd LP version with instrumental intro. Aaron posted
that it's on the CD for "2 Hot!" but that CD is not in
the database.

Anyway I pulled the stock copy of the rare 45 and it
matches Jim's promo, listed (3:39) and actual (3:37). The
deadwax # is PD14514 78 NP-3787-S-CP1
As listed earlier in this thread the deadwax on the
common hit 45 is PD14514 78 NP-3787-REV-S-56-1

So all available info confirms the vocal-intro stock 45
was the first early pressing but by the time this was a
national hit, the drum intro version had fully taken over
and that's what most consumers heard and bought.

MM