"Theme from ’Close Encounters..." - Meco
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Topic: "Theme from ’Close Encounters..." - Meco
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Subject: "Theme from ’Close Encounters..." - Meco
Date Posted: 24 November 2007 at 2:54pm
| Is there a long promo 45 version of Meco's "Theme from 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'"? I think I might have read somewhere that there is. |
Replies:
Posted By: jimct
Date Posted: 24 November 2007 at 7:15pm
| Todd, I just e-mailed a friend of mine yesterday, wondering where two of my promo 45s are: "I Want You", by Marvin Gaye, and this one, "Theme From Close Encounters" by Meco. I know they will both turn up soon (just SO many 45s!) The LP version ended with a high-pitched alien voice, saying "Goodbye!...........Goodbye!" My promo 45 has the short, stock 45v on one side, and it had a "long" version one the other. I believe this version was simply faded slightly earlier than the LP version, before the "goodbye" is heard. So, it IS a unique-to-the-promo 45 version, which is why I've been really lookin' for it lately. Can anyone else, obviously with better organization skills than I do, and owner of this promo 45, possibly come to our aid here? |
Posted By: jimct
Date Posted: 26 November 2007 at 4:56pm
| Todd, I have finally found my promo 45 for this. The "long version", in my estimation, fades out only about :12-:15 seconds before the LP version's cold end, JUST before that "Goodbye!....Goodbye!", alien-voiced ending. To me it is clear THAT was the part that Millennium DIDN'T want to have appear on the promo 45. One side of my promo has a listed time of (2:59) and an actual time of (3:00) (same as my stock 45 does), while this "long version side" has a listed time of (4:33) and an actual time of (4:31). |
Posted By: sriv94
Date Posted: 27 November 2007 at 8:52am
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the stock 45 have the "goodbye...goodbye" at the end? Which would lead me to wonder if the short promo side is the same as the stock 45 (if Millenium didn't want the two "goodbye"s to appear on the promo). ------------- Doug --------------- All of the good signatures have been taken. |
jimct wrote:Posted By: jimct
Date Posted: 27 November 2007 at 9:06am
| EXACTLY right, Doug - thanks for refreshing my memory on that; I had forgotten. My station had good success with this song in '78, and the only version we ever played, for some reason, was the "long version" of the promo 45. Because of that, the "goodbye...goodbye" ending being included on the short 45 version wasn't at all imprinted in my memory banks! |
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 03 June 2009 at 3:04pm
| Something else to add here... The actual commercial 45 run time of Meco's "Theme from Close Encounters" is 3:00. (Thanks to Jim for providing the timing info. The printed record label time is 2:59.) At the moment, the database notes only DJ 45 run times for this song. |
Posted By: Hykker
Date Posted: 04 June 2009 at 5:16am
As is so often the case, there were multiple promo copies of this song. Mine is mono/stereo with a listed time of 3:08 and DOES contain the alien at the end. Indeed, this is the only version I ever recall hearing or playing at the time. Matrix #s on my copy are MN608 AS RE-1 on the stereo side and MN608 AM DJ on the mono side. |
Posted By: budaniel
Date Posted: 04 June 2009 at 9:42am
| funny trivial comment not related to any version of the song, but to the 'goodbye, goodbye.' I always took that to not be an alien voice, but a mimick of the little boy saying goodbye to the aliens at the end of the movie. Anyone remember that moment? |
Posted By: MMathews
Date Posted: 22 July 2012 at 9:39pm
|
Hi folks,
My assumption also was that "goodbye, goodbye" at the end refered to the little boy who said it in the movie. Now, as for various promos of the song, i notice Hykker has a 3:08 version. I'm wondering if that is the source for the mystery intro i have. In '79 K-tel put out a 2-record set called "Superstar Collection" 
It has what would be the 45 version of Close Encounters, but with an 8 second intro i've never heard anywhere else. It is merely the theme notes, played on a keyboard solo, then breaks into the normal intro. This differs from the LP intro where it fades with a lot of overlapping sound effects. So, is a promo 45 the actual source for this? For those who have not heard this alternate intro, here's a link to it taken from my Ktel LP: http://www.4shared.com/mp3/YKx8WSf0/Meco_- _Theme_From_Close_Encoun.html Thanks for any info! MM |
Posted By: Bill Cahill
Date Posted: 23 July 2012 at 7:36pm
| My recollection is that the keyboard intro was on a second promo copy, Meco went back in and added it and made other mix changes to get more airplay. I remember switching over to that newer version at the radio station where I worked. I believe I have the promo and I will compare it this weekend. |
Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 04 July 2016 at 5:33pm
| Have any of the longer versions of this (i.e. longer than 3:00) appeared on any import CDs? |
Posted By: MMathews
Date Posted: 05 July 2016 at 9:47pm
|
Edison: yes, the (4:21) LP version appeared on a Unidisc
CD single in the "12" Classics" series for "Star Wars/Cantina Band." Close Encounters is the second track. Unfortunately, my copy was sold in error. You can see the discogs listing for it here: https://www.discogs.com/Meco-Star-Wars-Theme-Cantina- Band-Theme-From-Close-Encounters/release/614898 BTW the Star Wars Theme on this CD is not the 12" version, but rather it is a re-creation of the 45 edit in an attempt to eliminate the drop-outs and for overall better sound. It does sound very good, however they made an editing mistake so it does not match the 45. MM |