"Piano Man" 45 version makes CD debut
Printed From: Top 40 Music on CD
Category: Top 40 Music On Compact Disc
Forum Name: Chat Board
Forum Description: Chat away but please observe the chat board rules
URL: https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=159
Printed Date: 18 May 2025 at 7:29pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.07 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: "Piano Man" 45 version makes CD debut
Posted By: Brian W.
Subject: "Piano Man" 45 version makes CD debut
Date Posted: 17 March 2005 at 2:56am
|
A new Billy Joel import from Sony Music Asia includes what I believe is the first CD appearance of the 45 version of "Piano Man," running 4:33.
It's called "Piano Man - The Very Best of Billy Joel," Columbia 519018 2, UPC 4893391121425. It's a single disc comp with a recent and somewhat scary sepia-toned photo of half of Billy Joel's face on the cover. The disc also contains the radio edit of "Tell Her About It" and the 45 versions of "My Life" and and "Just the Way You Are," all of which were on the original issue of his "Greatest Hits Vol. I & II," plus the 45 edit of "We Didn't Start the Fire" and the 4:16 radio edit of "All About Soul." |
Replies:
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 17 March 2005 at 7:04am
|
I appreciate this valuable info, Brian. I didn't realize "Tell Her About It" had been made into a radio edit. Do you know how long it runs?
Now if Sony would only reissue the superior 45 version of "Keeping the Faith"! |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 17 March 2005 at 1:52pm
|
Hold on, I'm wrong about "Tell Her About It." It's the LP version, which was also the 45 version. I was thinking the LP version ran over 4:00. Sorry about that. There is a shorter 3:35 version on the original issue of "Greatest Hits Vol I & II," which I assume that's a radio edit.
And, though the edit within the song is the same, "Just the Way You Are" appears to be faded about ten seconds earlier than the 45. The edit on the original "Gr. Hits" actually fades a few seconds LATER than the 45. So it looks like Sony Music's "Pop Music: The Modern Era 1976-1999" is the only place to get the true 45 version. But the original issue of "Gr. Hits I & II" contains several single edits that are hard to find and were not used on the remastered edition: Big Shot, My Life, Say Goodbye to Hollywood, Pressure. Yeah, Todd, I was really annoyed that none of his remastered CDs contained any bonus tracks. The remix of "Keeping the Faith" is one, also the longer 45 version of "Sometimes a Fantasy," and some rare B-sides. |
Posted By: Bob Lovely
Date Posted: 18 March 2005 at 6:40am
|
To the best of my knowledge, the 12" re-mix version of "Tell Her All About It" has never been released on CD, anywhere. If I am incorrect, I would love to know...
Bob ------------- Just give me the hits... |
Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 18 March 2005 at 7:37am
|
Brian W writes: "A new Billy Joel import from Sony Music Asia includes what I believe is the first CD appearance of the 45 version of "Piano Man," running 4:33"
To Brian: Since I'm assuming you don't have the 45 to A-B, can you compare the panning on this version with the panning on any other CD version? I have the 45 and it's not just an edit -- I remember the left-right panning was different on the 45 (i.e. some instruments that were more over on the left on the LP, were on the right on the 45 -- that sort of thing). So if you can compare two CDs and find this to be the case, then I'd be pretty sure this is indeed the 45 version. Otherwise, it's possible they just took the LP version and edited it down to have the same edits as the 45. |
Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 18 March 2005 at 7:43am
| Brian, it appears this CD may have been released in England, and possibly Canada, too. Do you know if the Asian version is the only one with the 45 version of "Piano Man?" |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 18 March 2005 at 7:49am
Actually, you are incorrect, Bob. It's on one of the UK CD singles (there were two) for "I Go to Extremes." It's a four-track CD single in a slim line jewel case. |
Bob Lovely wrote:Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 18 March 2005 at 8:05am
Will do, but give me a couple days, as I'll have to borrow the LP version from a friend. My Billy Joel Greatest Hits seems to have disappeared over the years -- first disc two, which was in my CD wallet when it was stolen, and now the whole damn thing seems to have vanished.
You know, I was surprised when I found out it was an import, because when I first saw it a few days ago, I thought it was domestic. But the only copy Tower on Sunset Blvd. had was this import, and it's listed on Amazon as an import. So I'm not sure if they're all the same. Mine has 19 tracks, starting off with tell her about it and ending with Just the Way You Are. Scandanavian Skies is track 13. Piano Man is track 4. |
Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 18 March 2005 at 8:35am
| When we are lucky enough to get a single version that has never been on CD before, like now with "Piano Man", I wonder if it's because the comp producer was actually conscious of its lack of CD availability and did it for the fans, knowing it would increase sales -- or if it's just a case of it getting on by accident, or if it's more an issue of the label wanting to stick on as many songs as they can fit in 80 minutes, so they go with the edits. I have a feeling it's usually the latter 2 reasons! |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 18 March 2005 at 1:19pm
I figured that was the reason in this case, too. Too bad they didn't use the single edit of "Goodnight Saigon"! |
Posted By: Bob Lovely
Date Posted: 20 March 2005 at 5:30am
Thanks Brian! I must have missed that one over the years... Bob ------------- Just give me the hits... |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 21 March 2005 at 2:49am
|
I'll be damned, Edison -- it IS a different mix!
Okay, first, the piano-and-harmonica opening are basically mono.. but on the LP version, when the harmonica is on its last note and the drums start in softly, those drums are dead center, and they're ever-so-slightly left-panned on the 45 version. On the first verse, guitar is in the left channel on both, but the drums are slightly further to the right on the LP version -- the edit has the drums almost center. Then the second verse, when I really knew I was listening to a different mix. "He said son can you play me a memory." The accordian and mandolin are REVERSED from what they are on the LP version, and are both mixed louder. After the first chorus the guitar in the left channel (which remains in the left channel through both for the whole song) fades down to practically inaudible level on the LP version by the time the next verse starts, but it's still clearly audible at that point in the edit version -- mixed much stronger. And of course it cuts out the "Bill I believe this is killing me" and "Paul is a real estate novelist" verses. Another difference I noticed is in the ending notes: the accordion is slightly left on the LP version, and VERY far right on the 45 mix. I prefer the 45 mix. I wonder who remixed it. (Though from the biographical write-up in the booklet, the single came before the "eventual album of the same title," so maybe the single IS the original mix. I haven't listened to "Piano Man" closely in many years... it sure is depressing song, isn't it? |
Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 21 March 2005 at 7:46am
| Thanks for checking, Brian. The fact that the "Piano Man" mix on the new "Very Best Of" CD is different than all other CD versions of "Piano Man" would certainly suggest this is the single mix. There's also the possibility that this is an alternate version (not the single or album mix). And since I don't think you have the actual 45, what I'll do is dig out mine and play it and see if your description above matches what's on the 45. |
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 21 March 2005 at 9:19am
Let us know what you find out, EdisonLite!
Yes, the 45 length of "Sometimes a Fantasy" is big on my CD "wish list" as well. But seeing how 1) Billy Joel's songs rarely get licensed on various artist compilations; 2) his catalog has already been remastered; and 3) we've already a healthy helping of best-of collections from him, I'm beginning to think the chances of getting the extended single version of "Sometimes a Fantasy" on a commercial CD release are becoming slim. :-( |
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 31 March 2005 at 6:24pm
| Can anyone who has the Billy Joel Piano Man - The Very Best of import CD verify if the version of "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" on it is the 45 or LP version? |
Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 01 April 2005 at 8:43am
|
Todd writes: <Can anyone who has the Billy Joel Piano Man - The Very Best of import CD verify if the version of "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" on it is the 45 or LP version?>
Well, I don't have the new "Very Best" CD to confirm (though I plan to buy it), but I did compare the 45 version with Brian's description of the "Very Best" mix and they do SEEM to be the same. I also compared the 45 version with the Long Version on CD, which supported the same differences as Brian describes. However, I don't have the "Very Best" CD to see if it is really the same mix. If someone wouldn't mind emailing me a high-quality mp3 of the "Very Best Of" version, I can compare that with the 45, and we can know for 100% certainty if it contains the single mix. |
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 01 April 2005 at 8:55am
| Wait, EdisonLite, are you talking about "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" or "Piano Man"? |
Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 01 April 2005 at 10:07am
|
Todd writes: <Wait, EdisonLite, are you talking about "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" or "Piano Man"?>
Oops -- I was talking about "Piano Man". (But I'd still like to confirm its single mix inclusion on "VBO" if someone wouldn't mind sending an mp3. Otherwise, I will do it once I find the CD myself.) BTW, I don't believe the single mix of "Movin' Out" has been on any CD, US or import. And as far as I can remember, the only difference is that the car engine noise near the end of the song (as if to indicate Billy is driving away) was taken off the 45 version. Can anyone say if there were other differences? |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 01 April 2005 at 2:23pm
|
Wow, I didn't know the single for "Movin' Out" was a different mix. But the car engine noise is present on "Very Best of," Todd, so I guess it's the album version.
Edision, I would email you a high-qual MP3 of Piano Man, but I only have dial-up, so a low-qual is the best I could do, I'm afraid. Whenever I try to email high-qual MP3s, it usually hangs up my browser. |
Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 08 April 2005 at 6:42pm
|
OK -- I got the imported "Very Best of BJ" CD for the "Piano Man" mix/edit/version.
I have to back up a second and say that my friend Mark had used some software to clean up his "Piano Man" 45 and had sent me the clean-vinyl version on a CDR a few years ago -- and it was THIS version I was using as a reference when I looked at Brian W's notes. So when I got the CD today, I noticed that this version of "Piano Man" (on "VBO") was longer than Mark's vinyl-cleaning of his "Piano Man" 45 but shorter than the LP version. After some researching and comparing, I've now got the scoop. Luckily, I still had my original 45 so I could compare it to the new CD. And I'm happy to report that the "Very Best Of" import DOES have the single version, which clocks in at 4:31. My friend's clean-vinyl version clocked in at 3:16, but it turns out that's a doubly-edited version which can only be found on promo 45s. The real 45's were all the 4:31 edit and it's definitely on this CD. The 3:16 edit is still the same mix as the 4:31 edit, but in addition to missing the "Bill I believe this is killing me" and "Paul is a real estate novelist" verses, the 3:16 edit also eliminates: the harmonica solo after Chorus 2, the "it's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday" verse, the "the piano sounds like a carnival" verse, the "la, la-la-la" part that follows it AND Chorus 3! I know my friend did the cleaning on this because he liked the single MIX more than the mixing on the album version -- but my guess is he didn't realize this was even shorter than the actual single. I hope that clears up everything. |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 08 April 2005 at 8:37pm
| Thanks for the info! Glad to finally know what's what with this. |
Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 11 April 2005 at 9:51pm
|
This comment got me curious:
<(Though from the biographical write-up in the booklet, the single came before the "eventual album of the same title," so maybe the single IS the original mix.> I looked into this. The album debuted in Billboard 1/5/74 and "Piano Man" (the single) debuted 7 weeks later. I don't think the single mix necessarily came first. The quote in the liner notes of the "Very Best" CD is misleading -- it says, "The song stemmed from an eventual multi-selling album of the same name." I took this to mean that the album eventually went platinum (presumably years later after "The Stranger" was huge), rather than that the album was eventually released after the single. Maybe both versions were mixed around the same time -- though why the arguably better single mix wasn't also used to mix the long version, I don't know! |
Posted By: budaniel
Date Posted: 09 May 2005 at 8:51pm
| anyone know if there's any import that has the 45 remix of "Keeping the Faith?" It's an entirely different version than the LP mix, and I'd love to have it on CD. |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 10 May 2005 at 2:09am
No, it's never been on CD. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 11 May 2005 at 6:00pm
| Correction, "Keeping The Faith" (Remix) has shown up on a TM Century Gold Disc, but it's a transfer from a vinyl 45. It sounds very good, with surface noise and clicks removed. There is one strange error on their disc. After the second chorus, there is one extra measure of music, and I'm not sure where it came from. |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 11 May 2005 at 6:29pm
| Maybe it's the extended version? |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 12 May 2005 at 11:40am
| I doubt they made an extended version that's only three seconds longer than the 45 version. Everything else matches the 45 exactly. |
Posted By: budaniel
Date Posted: 12 May 2005 at 5:56pm
| Thanks for the info aaronk. Can you clarify what disc you're speaking of? I'm not familiar with it. Is it a compilation? a billy joel collection? an import? Thanks. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 12 May 2005 at 8:36pm
| They are compilation discs produced and licensed exclusively for radio airplay. You cannot buy them in stores. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 12 June 2005 at 2:19pm
| Does anyone own the DVD of Billy Joel's "Greatest Hits Vol. 3"? "Keeping The Faith" is on there, but I'm not sure if they used the 45 version for the video or not. Also, I wonder if the sound quality is good enough to do a transfer to CD. |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 12 June 2005 at 5:56pm
|
I don't have the DVD, but there is a different laserdisc that has the video, and I do seem to recall that it used the remix. I have thought of that before, but haven't gotten around to tracking one down. Of course, there's no guarantee that there isn't talking over portions of the song, etc., that would ruin it.
The laserdisc is where I got my Madonna "Lucky Star" single edit, though it is a bit flat, and hissy on the fadeout. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 13 June 2005 at 12:16am
| Brian - Why not just re-edit the LP version of "Lucky Star" to match the 45? |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 13 June 2005 at 2:04am
|
Well, I've tried, and for some reason I can't get the two edit points sounding EXACTLY like they sound on the 45.
The edits at the beginning, piece of cake, because they're flawless edits on the original. But the one in the middle and then towards the end, when I A/B them with the 45, just don't sound exactly the same to me. I spent quite some time on the final edit in the song in particular, but I just could not get the edit point to sound identical to the 45 edit. It's really hard to duplicate a bad edit. I suppose I should try visually A/B-ing the wave forms, that might help. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 13 June 2005 at 12:43pm
| Were those the edits right before "You may be my lucky star, but I'm the luckiest by far"? I didn't have to edit this one myself, because it was on a TM disc from CD source, but I could tell there were edits there. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 14 June 2005 at 12:04pm
| I rented the Billy Joel DVD with the "Keeping The Faith" video. They used the LP version on the video, and besides, it's quite hissy. |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 31 October 2005 at 4:17pm
|
The 12" Remix of "Keeping the Faith" will be included on the upcoming Billy Joel box set "My Lives," to be released November 22nd. Whether it is the same as the 45 version or if you could edit it down to the 45 version, I don't know.
Many rarities on the set, including every non-LP B-side, but sadly, no full-length 45 version of "Sometimes a Fantasy" on the set... http://www.billyjoel.com/pressrelease_mylives.html |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 01 November 2005 at 12:30am
| Sweet! Let's cross our fingers on "Keeping The Faith." |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 04 November 2005 at 1:25am
| I've done some extensive searching for a 12" single of "Keeping The Faith," and I can only locate a promo 12" that has the 45 version (aka "Special Mix") on both sides. I don't think a commercial 12" was ever released for this song. At least, it gives me more hope that we will finally have the 45 version of this one on CD---one I've been searching for a CD copy of for a long time! :) |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 04 November 2005 at 2:15am
| Oh, that would so great. I've got my fingers crossed too! |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 04 November 2005 at 10:33am
|
Hello "aaronk"
I own the promo 12" of "Keeping The Faith" [AS 1982]. Despite the fact that is LISTED as 'Time 4:44' & "(Special Mix)" JUST LIKE THE 45 (which I also own), it is not the same as the 45 version!! Admittedly it is very similar, but there are some key differences including: 1) Percussion intro 2) No bass guitar lick intro 3) Percussion based, instrument drop-out final verse 4)Time-delay echo on a "Yeh, Yeh, Yeh" 5) A tad more punchy kick-drum mix. Talk about confounding! Both mixes are excellent, overall. Andy |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 04 November 2005 at 1:02pm
| Thanks for the info, Andy. I wonder if we'll get the actual 12" mix on the forthcoming box set or the 45 mix??? |
Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 04 November 2005 at 1:27pm
|
Hi Andy,
How long is the actual 12" mix? Is it still 4:44? |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 06 November 2005 at 11:40am
|
Hi "EdisonLite"
12" promo of "Keeping The Faith" times out at 5:27. 7" single of "Keeping The Faith" times out at 4:52 Minor correction from my previous comment: Echo on the one "Yeh, Yeh, Yeh" IS present on the 45 mix, albeit mixed lower than on the 12" version. While timing the two versions I noticed a few additional differences that I didn't mention in my previous posting. These include Joel "Whoa Whoa"-ing over the instrumental bridge on the 45 but not the 12"; two spots where a couple of measures were excised on the 45; a longer extro ('outro' if you prefer). Andy |
Posted By: Fetta
Date Posted: 07 November 2005 at 4:15pm
|
Just doing a little venting as I read a quote from Billy Joel's press release on the new box set:
"I wanted some more obscure things to be represented on this set," commented Billy Joel on the assemblage of My Lives. "I said, ‘Let's dig into the tapes, the B-sides, the recording sessions and movie songs, things that had never been released officially,’" My question is, How can you not put "Sometimes A Fantasy" 45 Mix, how can you not put "Tell Her About It" 12" Mix. These are some of the most sought after recordings on CD. I just dont understand how they can not be represented on this box. Something tells me that we won't ever see these on a USA cd release. |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 07 November 2005 at 4:36pm
| Yeah, I wish artists would let their FANS decide what's gonna go on these things. But then, Joel has withheld "Modern Woman" from every previous hits compilation simply because he doesn't like the song, so that says a lot right there. |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 27 November 2005 at 9:09pm
| Uh, guys... has anyone bought "My Lives" yet? 'Cause All Music lists the running time of "Keepin' the Faith 12-inch Dance Remix" at 4:53... as does the download on Walmart.com. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 28 November 2005 at 1:23pm
|
I listened to the 30 second snippet on iTunes for "Keepin' The Faith" and I have two conclusions:
1) The mix does not sound like the 45 mix, and 2) The source on the sample sounds vinyl-ish to me. While this could just be the compressed file, the other song samples don't sound that way. Does anyone acually own the box? |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 28 November 2005 at 3:47pm
|
Hi People.
I just downloaded "Keeping The Faith" from Wal-Mart. It is neither the 45 or the 12" promo mix (but it is closer in arrangement to the 45 with a slightly longer fade). This mix has the percussion & Joel's lead vocal somewhat buried in the mix & a rhythm guitar more pronounced in the (phantom) center channel. Yes there is some vinyl-sounding anomolies(!) but I don't think it's dubbed from vinyl, I just think it's poorly mastered (too compressed, sibilant, etc.). Andy |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 28 November 2005 at 4:05pm
|
Screwed by Sony again!
|
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 29 November 2005 at 10:33pm
|
Just to clarify my last posting, the 45 has a slightly longer fade than this new alternate mix on the box set.
Andy |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 30 November 2005 at 12:16am
| I also noticed in the 30 second sample on iTunes that there were added synthesizers and a different mix on the rest of the instruments, which I am guessing is how the 12" version sounds. Sony has a way of messing all of their products up... |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 01 December 2005 at 1:45am
|
Hi "aaronk".
No, the 12" promo mix sounds somewhat close to the 45 version with the differences noted in one of my previous posts in this thread. I don't know where they got this 'alternate mix of the single remix'. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 01 December 2005 at 10:10am
|
Hmmm, that is very interesting. So, this mix has never appeared anywhere except the box set. Thanks for the info, Andrew!
---Aaron |
Posted By: anthology123
Date Posted: 09 March 2006 at 10:09am
|
Sometimes a fantasy not only has the extended ending, but the intro touch
tone phone number sounds different than the LP version, too. |
Posted By: edtop40
Date Posted: 17 April 2006 at 8:41am
|
is brian saying what it looks like he's saying.........that the re-issue of the 2 cd set "greatest hits vol 1 & 2" DOES NOT contain the 45 versions like the original???? ------------- edtop40 |
Posted By: sriv94
Date Posted: 17 April 2006 at 9:55am
Taking a look at allmusic.com, that seems to be exactly right. The original had the single versions of "Pressure," "Say Goodbye To Hollywood," "My Life" and "Big Shot" (plus a faded-earlier edit of "Just The Way You Are"). The reissue used the LP versions. ------------- Doug --------------- All of the good signatures have been taken. |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 17 April 2006 at 12:45pm
That's right, Ed. Fortunately the original is easy to find used. |
Posted By: chendagam
Date Posted: 07 September 2006 at 7:16pm
Does anyone know why the car engine is not on the 45? Was this the first single from "The Stranger" album? If it was maybe the engine was addeed to the LP after the single was relased. I'm just taking a guess right now. |
Posted By: cmmmbase
Date Posted: 07 September 2006 at 7:29pm
| Movin' Out was the first and third single from "The Stranger"... |
Posted By: chendagam
Date Posted: 07 September 2006 at 9:40pm
| First and third? Can you explain. I've been trying to find a detailed singles discorgaphy on Billy Joel but haven't had any luck. Can anyone point me in the right direction? |
Posted By: cmmmbase
Date Posted: 07 September 2006 at 11:45pm
|
ok, chendagam, the 5 different 45s from "The Stranger"
1 - "Movin' Out" on Columbia 10624 2 - "Just The Way You Are" on Columbia 10646 3 - "Movin' Out" on Columbia 10708 (re-release) 4 - "Only The Good Die Young" on Columbia 10750 5 - "She's Always A Woman" on Columbia 10788 |
Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 08 September 2006 at 7:53am
|
Are there any differences between 10624 and 10708? Does the first one lack the car engine sound and the second one have it?
I had no idea "Movin' Out" was the first single. One of the biggest albums of the '70s and the first single first bombed! How many months before "Just the Way You Are" was "Movin' Out" released, and was it before the LP was even released? |
Posted By: jimct
Date Posted: 08 September 2006 at 10:23am
| Gordon: I have never heard a "Movin' Out" 45 with the car engine sound, but I don't have the Columbia 10624 to check against. "The Stranger" LP debuted on Billboard on 10/9/77, before the initial release of "Movin' Out", as best as I can tell. FYI, Earth, Wind & Fire's anxiously awaited 1st 45 in about a year, "Serpentine Fire" was the next sequentially released Columbia 45, 10625, and debuted on Billboard on 10/29/77. While labels don't ALWAYS release 45 exactly sequentially, it seems likely the Columbia 10624 release of "Movin' Out" was during the same week, about 3 weeks after "The Stranger" LP entered Billboard. It is strange to say this, but at this time it had been more than 3 1/2 years since the #25 hit "Piano Man", and nearly 3 years since his #34 hit, "The Entertainer." Billy Joel was VERY much a struggling Columbia artist at this time, who was VERY badly in need of a hit song. "Just The Way You Are" was just 21 numbers away, sequentially, from the initial "Movin' Out" 45 release, at Columbia 10646, and debuted just 2 weeks later than EWF, on 11/12/77. Two weeks is a highly unusual and short amount of time between an artist's 45 releases. When this does occur, it is normally done because radio would tell the Columbia label reps, who are calling us to try to get us to play the "Movin' Out" 45, something like, "You know, ___________, we're not too impressed with the "Movin' Out" 45, but WE think that the song off the album, "Just The Way You Are", is a smash! THAT should've been the single!" Billy's career was at a MAJOR crossroads here. I was still a year away from personally working in Top 40 at this point, but similar scenarios are not uncommon in the world of Top 40. Columbia seemed to quickly react, change course, and gave Top 40 the track that RADIO preferred - turned out to be his first gold single. And Billy's been a superstar artist ever since. The Columbia 10708 re-release of "Movin' Out" debuted on Billboard on 3/18/78. From the first time my local station played it, I heard them play the LP version, with the car engine sound. Personally, I always thought it was one of the best parts of the song. To this day, I have NEVER heard "Movin' Out" on the radio WITHOUT hearing the car engine SFX - in other words, the 45 version. |
Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 08 September 2006 at 11:57am
| Thanks Jim. |
Posted By: cmmmbase
Date Posted: 08 September 2006 at 12:44pm
| both 45 releases of Movin' Out do not feature the car fx.. |
Posted By: chendagam
Date Posted: 08 September 2006 at 7:35pm
| I agree that The car engine sound is the most important part of that song. It sounds so weird without it. I'm anal about playing 45 versions on my personal radio station so I play the one without it. Why do you think radio stations played the LP version when the "rule" was usually to play the single version. |
Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 17 June 2011 at 8:17pm
| In response to Jim's comment above, I was actually listening to an old AT40 show from 1978 and they did in fact play the single version of "Movin' Out" (without the car engine sound)! |
Posted By: VWestlife
Date Posted: 14 February 2021 at 11:57pm
The cue burn on this radio station copy of the "We Didn't Start the Fire" 45 confirms two things: 1.) that Columbia's styrene 45s were just as crappy near the end of their production as they always had been, and 2.) just as I remembered, radio stations skipped over the crowd noise intro and started it where the instrumentation kicks in -- I'm surprised that didn't become the official 45 edit, rather than (or in addition to) a slight early fade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6WnWG_McjM |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 15 February 2021 at 7:47pm
|
That's a noisy start to the 45. ------------- John Gallagher Erie, PA https://www.johngallagher.com" rel="nofollow - John Gallagher Wedding & Special Event Entertainment / Snapblast Photo Booth |
Posted By: thecdguy
Date Posted: 16 February 2021 at 6:54am
Weren't most radio stations being serviced with promo CD Singles by the time this song was a hit at the end of 1989? If so, they could easily cue the song to start where the instrumentation comes in, correct? I guess whatever station had this 45 didn't get the promo CD. ------------- Dan In Philly |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 16 February 2021 at 10:18am
|
I worked for an AM/FM combo in 1990 and the FM had been
using CD 's/CD singles since 1986 or so. ------------- John Gallagher Erie, PA https://www.johngallagher.com" rel="nofollow - John Gallagher Wedding & Special Event Entertainment / Snapblast Photo Booth |