Quicksand - Martha & Vandellas
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Category: Top 40 Music On Compact Disc
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Printed Date: 15 April 2025 at 5:55pm
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Topic: Quicksand - Martha & Vandellas
Posted By: Pat Downey
Subject: Quicksand - Martha & Vandellas
Date Posted: 03 January 2009 at 3:25pm
| Several weeks ago when Jim and I were exchanging emails regarding Martha & The Vandellas single "Quicksand" as it appears on the Complete Motown Singles, I noticed that there was something fishy in Detroit. There are two versions of Quicksand appearing on the Complete Motown Singles and they are titled version 1 and version 2 and both versions begin with a bass drum beat. Jim sent me a copy of his original vinyl 45 of Quicksand and lo and behold there is no opening bass drum beat on his single which he swears is an original domestic pressing of this song. So did Harry Weinger screw up by not placing all vinyl pressings of Quicksand on the Complete Motown Singles or what???? |
Replies:
Posted By: Yah Shure
Date Posted: 04 January 2009 at 1:28pm
| Apparently so, Pat. My original http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh240/YahShure/MarthaTheVandellas-Quicksand.jpg - commercial 45 (pressed by RCA) is just like Jim's, with no opening bass drum beat. |
Posted By: Pat Downey
Date Posted: 04 January 2009 at 6:47pm
| Does anyone have an original 45 of Quicksand that does start with a bass drum beat? |
Posted By: JMD1961
Date Posted: 11 June 2010 at 3:18pm
| Not an answer to the question of this thread, but I thought I'd point out that my copy of Time-Life's "Classic Rock - 1964: Shakin' All Over" contains this track, but it's not noted in the DB. |
Posted By: KentT
Date Posted: 06 July 2010 at 7:55pm
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First pressings of this track have no opening bass drum beat. Second pressings forward have the bass drum beat. All first pressings I have seen have emanated from RCA Victor's Indianapolis, Indiana plant. Second pressings onward I have seen are all ARP (American Record Pressing) made in Owosso, Michigan. Our UK Tamla-Motown EMI pressing is the second version and sounds the best of our 5 different pressings we own. We also have a Canadian pressing which is superb. ------------- I turn up the good and turn down the bad! |
Posted By: TomDiehl1
Date Posted: 08 July 2010 at 3:58pm
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My copy of the 45 is a styrene pressing and is missing the opening drumbeat. ------------- Live in stereo. |
Posted By: edtop40
Date Posted: 11 May 2013 at 12:32pm
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my commercial 45 issued as gordy 7025 contains the drum
intro.....the run out groove etching is 'PK4M-5343-2A' ------------- edtop40 |
Posted By: davidclark
Date Posted: 30 October 2021 at 4:58am
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There's much confusion with this one. For anyone who can sort out the
mess, here are my findings: Mono versions: 1) A version without an opening drumbeat (I found two 45s like this on YouTube). The vocal starts at 0:23 with "Quicksand". Runs 2:36. This is on "The Ultimate Collection". From above, seems to be the "common" 45 version (if we can assign such a title to one). The two versions on The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 3: 1963: 2) The longer one, marked "(first pressing)" opens with a "clean" drumbeat. Vocal starts at 0:29 with "Quicksand". Runs 2:45. 3) The second version, marked "second pressing" also starts with a drumbeat, but not the same as the other "clean" drumbeat. There's a bit of "echoey vocal" over the drum. Vocal starts at 0:23 with "Like Quicksand". Runs 2:36. I question the authenticity of this one (perhaps mono 1966 "Greatest Hits"?) Stereo versions (all with clean drumbeat): 4) One marked "LP version". Vocal starts at 0:23 with "Like Quicksand". Runs 2:33. I can't seem to find a parent LP for this - it was not on on "Heat Wave". Seems this version was first issued on stereo May 1966 LP "Greatest Hits". 5) The May 1966 "A Collection Of 16 Original Big Hits, Volume 3" version. Vocal starts at 0:29 with "Like Quicksand". Runs 2:42. Strange that the above two versions differ, yet both stereo LPs were issued May 1966. 6) "The Motown Box" version, marked "remixed 45 version". Vocal starts at 0:24 with "Quicksand". Runs 2:45. This does not match any of the above versions. So, looking at the mono issues, what's up? I would go with 1) being legit, but I'm not sure about 2) and 3). I would like to confirm if the "other (1st) 45" is indeed 2) above. Then there's the vocal start time, the "Quicksand" vs. "Like Quicksand" vocal, the opening drumbeat and timing differences...what a mess! Can anyone offer up any other "original" 45s for this? Or knowledge? I believe it's a challenge! edtop40 and KentT, can you offer more specifics on your 45s? ------------- dc1 |
Posted By: mjb50
Date Posted: 14 April 2025 at 3:30am
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I started to try to figure out which versions are from where & when, but ran out of time. So for the benefit of Ron or whoever wants to continue the research
Some differences to listen for: mono or stereo? opening drum beat present? opening beat includes echo tail of what sounds like the "4" from a count-off? vocal harmonies abruptly cut off by horn stabs at 0:11? 4 bars of instrumental or 6 before lyrics start? sax around 0:18 is mostly staccato (halting), or partially legato (notes join together)? lyrics begin with "Like quicksand" or just "Quicksand"? heavy reverb on drum break near end? |
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 14 April 2025 at 3:49am
Hmmm... If the latter two tracks appeared on The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 3: 1963, then this would strongly suggest that they were most likely issued on some commercial 45 pressings, given how those box set compilations were meticulously dedicated and devoted to Motown's singles output, right? Or is anyone aware of any examples of tracks appearing on the Complete Motown Singles series that never actually saw the light of day on a 45 pressing? (Paging Brian W! If anyone would know the answer to this question, it's probably him!) |
davidclark wrote:Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 14 April 2025 at 7:01am
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There are a few mistakes on those box sets, so anything is possible. I seem to recall a wrong mix of a Junior Walker song being used, and for sure there was a wrong mix of "Mama's Pearl" by Jackson 5. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 14 April 2025 at 11:54am
| I remember when the Complete Motown Singles box sets first came out, Brian W and others were corresponding with the compilation producer Harry Weinger regarding several incorrect versions that appeared on the series, and Weinger reportedly suggested that he was going to look into reissuing new discs with the corrected versions on them. I don't know what ultimately became of that, but I do recall being impressed at the painstaking lengths that Weinger underwent to try to get everything accurately represented on those box sets. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 14 April 2025 at 12:14pm
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It seems they left no stone unturned, but given the huge scope of the box sets and massive number of songs each one covers, I don't fault the producers if a few things slipped through the cracks. It's possible the "second pressing" version was labeled as such on a tape they pulled from the vault, but did they really have ALL the original 45s, including pressing variations, to check each version against what was on the tapes? ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 14 April 2025 at 12:59pm
Agreed... As kids today might say, no shade being thrown here against Weinger and company! 
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