richard harris mac arthur park
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Topic: richard harris mac arthur park
Posted By: edtop40
Subject: richard harris mac arthur park
Date Posted: 21 April 2012 at 9:56pm
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my commercial 45 for the richard harris song mac arthur
park issued as dunhill 4134 states the run time as 7:20 but actually runs 7:23 and matches all the db entries......question is, was there ever a shorter dj edit released?...it seems odd that a 7 plus minute song could reach number 2 on the billboard charts in 1968.... ------------- edtop40 |
Replies:
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 21 April 2012 at 11:16pm
| As hard as it is to believe, Ed, I'm pretty sure a shorter DJ edit was never serviced to radio stations for Richard Harris' "MacArthur Park". I believe any shorter edits that were heard on Top 40 stations back then would've been constructed in-house. |
Posted By: Hykker
Date Posted: 22 April 2012 at 6:21pm
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If there was an edit, I've never seen a copy. For a while we played a "house" edit at the station I did weekends at in the spring of '68...ISTR the intro was shortened and the bridge was mostly removed. It sounded awful and at some point the cart "mysteriously" got irreparably jammed, and we just started playing the 45.
I'm also surprised there never was an official edit (though it is a hard song to edit without losing a lot of the story, not that that's ever stopped them before). I do recall there being considerable label hype about it being a 7-minute song...ISTR the promo having a picture sleeve touting that fact in large type. |
Posted By: TomDiehl1
Date Posted: 22 April 2012 at 9:07pm
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Somewhere in my storage locker I've got the song on a special 7" 33 1/3 rpm promotional single with an odd promo number on it. I can't remember offhand but I seem to recall the flip side had 2 songs on it...MacArthur Park has the giant promo A on it, though, and was certainly the full version of the song, not an edit. ------------- Live in stereo. |
Posted By: Yah Shure
Date Posted: 23 April 2012 at 8:42pm
Tom, aside from its giant "A" designation, the configuration of your promo single sounds identical to the 7-inch, 33 1/3 RPM A Tramp Shining http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh240/YahShure/RHarris-ATSjboxLP.jpg - jukebox LP . My local Musicland store had a couple copies in their oldies 45s section about a year after the 45 had been a hit. I bought the jukebox LP because I'd never heard "Mac Arthur Park" in stereo, but after one spin, I stashed it away. Not only did the stereo mix sound lifeless compared to the punchier mono 45,the disc itself was badly pressed on cheap vinyl. "Mac Arthur Park" was so off-center, it made Richard Harris sound like he'd taken a few meandering pathways too many through the park, if you know what I mean. Not that that would have been at all out of character for him, but still... On the other hand, hearing the triumphant "O-o-H-h No-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O!" ending sung in a three-sheets-to-the-wind fashion did have its charms. Might've even sounded normal on the corner bar's Wurlitzer. :) |
TomDiehl1 wrote:Posted By: bwolfe
Date Posted: 24 April 2012 at 6:36am
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Tom is correct. I worked for a station in the 80s where we had that same 7 inch 33 1/3 speed version. I'm almost positive the flip side was blank. Its been almost 30 years since I saw that one! ------------- the way it was heard on the radio |
Posted By: Yah Shure
Date Posted: 24 April 2012 at 7:13am
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Discogs has scans of the Dunhill D-32 33-1/3 promo label http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=2344193 - here and the standard 45 DJ 45 labels http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=3277862 - here . Both were pressed by Monarch. The former was probably on vinyl, but the latter was styrene, which would have been promptly cue-burned to a crisp under normal airplay conditions.
According to the promo 33-1/3's Discog listing, the two sides on its B-side are the same as on the 7-inch jukebox LP. |
Posted By: KentT
Date Posted: 25 April 2012 at 7:41am
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No radio edit I know of ever serviced to radio. Only the 33 1/3 promo D 32, the promo 45, or the LP. All the full length. And the 45 was cut at low level and noisy as sin. The MCA Clouds label last pressing reissue single is the best pressed and quietest surfaces of the 45 singles domestically. And sounds a little bit better than the originals and early Goldies 45 singles I've owned. ------------- I turn up the good and turn down the bad! |
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 10 June 2013 at 9:57pm
| By the way, I have Richard Harris' "MacArthur Park" on the various artists CD compilation Top Hits of the Sixties Volume 1 on Collectables 9656. However, the database currently shows the CD title for Collectables 9656 as Top Hits Of The Sixties - Amazing Hits. Not sure if this is an error or if this CD release was issued under two different titles. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 10 June 2013 at 11:41pm
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I had no idea, until I just now looked him up on Wikipedia, that Richard Harris is the actor who played Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films. Crazy! ------------- 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: MMathews
Date Posted: 11 June 2013 at 12:27am
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Oh, sure, Aaron, he was a very prolific actor. The
singing and poetry reading was just a side gig. Sadly, my vinyl Dunhill 45 of this offered no "punch" whatsoever - it was a typical noisy Dunhill pressing that was over-tinny from the narrow groove. As for the stereo, when i was 18 i was given a never- played mint copy of his Dunhill Greatest Hits album. The sound is simply stunning on that LP. The vinyl was so quiet all you heard was the pleasant re-assuring hiss of the master tapes. His almost-top 40 "My Boy" is also on this album (in stunning sound). When i figured that no re-issue of this Hits album was going to be forthcoming from UMG, i preserved it for myself on CD. Sooo glad i did. I can't imagine why, but these master tapes are long lost. All MCA ever re-issued was the "A Tramp Shining" LP from a woefully high generation safety copy, and it sounds dismal. For online digital release, made even more dismal with lots of noise reduction. Geez, can't they even find any decent tapes in the UK for him? |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 11 June 2013 at 1:47am
| Could have burned up in the Universal fire. |
Posted By: jimct
Date Posted: 11 June 2013 at 8:48am
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It's amazing to me that only 5 db CDs feature a #2 hit song from 1968! For
years, I've had a 1995 import CD from his native Australia, on reissue label Raven (RVCD-52), titled "The Webb Sessions 1968-69." It is both still in print and available on Amazon. Aaron has confirmed to me that the sound quality on it is fine. But this specifically Jimmy Webb-produced, earlier set, while fairly complete, didn't have the 1972, #41 hit, "My Boy." So I just both found and ordered another, more recent and complete Richard Harris Raven hits comp, called "Man Of Words Man Of Music: The Anthology 1968-1974". I expect that the sound quality on it will be just as solid as the one I already have. |
Posted By: MMathews
Date Posted: 12 June 2013 at 2:56am
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Ah, so tapes are somewhere! Just certainly not in this
country, where there's been no interest in upgrading whatever they are stuck with. Thanks Jim and Aaron for the tip. I will seek out that Raven CD. MM |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 13 June 2013 at 10:47pm
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Mark, before you spend money on the Raven CD, I should warn you that at least for "MacArthur Park" the quality is better on the Collectables CD that Todd has. The Raven CD likely has a small amount of noise reduction applied, and it has been slightly brickwalled. It's not bad-sounding, but judging by your above post, the Dunhill Greatest Hits LP you have probably sounds better. ------------- 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: The Hits Man
Date Posted: 14 June 2013 at 4:16pm
45 of it and did a nice needle drop. It's on the ABC/Dunhill label. There are no etchings in the runout groove whatsoever, and it is a vinyl copy. 45-4134 AMP 4501196RE. The song title uses what looks like the Constantia font. ------------- |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 15 June 2013 at 1:11am
Time to get very picky. First off, the mono 45 is a unique mix and not a fold-down. Compared to the stereo version on cd, Richard's vocals are much lower (almost buried in some places) on the 45. This is not enough to warrant an "LP version" designation for Pat; however, there is one unique spot at the very end that may. On the stereo version, the cymbals fade out as the background singers are holding the last note. By contrast, on the 45, those cymbals come to a natural end just before the singers stop. Also the trailing reverb is different between the two mixes. These are subtle differences, but things like these are often worthy of a "version" notation in the database. ------------- 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: Pat Downey
Date Posted: 16 June 2013 at 7:43pm
| Todd my cd on Collectables 9656 is definitely titled Top Hits Of The Sixties - Amazing Hits and it runs 57:37. My guess is that Collectables retitled the cd at some point. |
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 17 June 2013 at 11:31pm
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Looks like this may indeed be the case, Pat. By the way, I just double-checked the CD title I have on Collectables 9656 and regret that I didn't report it exactly right in my prior post... The correct title is actually Extreme Hits of the Sixties Volume 1.
For what it's worth, I also have a various artists CD titled Extreme Hits of the Fifties Volume 1 on Collectables 6846. The database currently shows Collectables 6846 with the title Top Hits of 1956 (in my opinion, the latter title makes more sense to me given that the tracks all came from that particular year!). The track listing appears to be the same on both releases. Oh, and by the way, nice catch on the "MacArthur Park" 45/LP version difference, Aaron! |
Posted By: MMathews
Date Posted: 15 September 2016 at 3:02pm
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Ok - I have to revive this topic because of reported
times. Ed reported his copy states (7:20) but actually runs (7:23). However, a couple of years ago I was sent a really nice cleaned dub of the 45 and it runs exactly (7:20). Can anyone shed light by sharing their actual times for this? There could certainly be multiple pressings. Thanks MM |
Posted By: Yah Shure
Date Posted: 15 September 2016 at 9:05pm
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Mark, are you sure you didn't mean Maurice Williams' "Stay"? ;)
I don't have a pressing from Clarion, but do have stocks from the other plants. Here are the label variations and deadwax details: Specialty (Dunhill label with "A subsidiary of ABC Records, Inc."... along bottom perimeter.) "01196-RE-1" and "LW". (for Long Wear Stamping Co.) There wsn't enough room for the "SRC" logo, which does appear on the "Didn't We" flip side. Plastic Products (Dunhill label with "A subsidiary of A.B.C.-Paramount Records, Inc."... along the bottom perimeter. "01196-RE-1". Monarch (Dunhill/ABC in rainbow box label) "01196-RE". There's a Monarch logo and a delta number, but they're pressed into the label side of the locking groove, mostly into the raised ridge, making both illegible. Sun Plastics (Dunhill/ABC in rainbow box label) "01196-RE-1" "LW". That's four different pressing plants, three "RE-1"s and one "RE", two with and two without "LW". And all four run 7:21, just shy of 7:22. Mark, you'll be getting a bill for a half-hour's stylus wear. ;) |
Posted By: The Hits Man
Date Posted: 20 September 2016 at 7:25pm
Mark, my very clean styrene mono 45 runs 7:20. ------------- |
Posted By: michaelwatkins
Date Posted: 22 February 2017 at 7:01am
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Does the mono 45 version appear on a commercially-
available CD? |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 22 February 2017 at 7:44am
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Not to my knowledge. It was part of the infamous tape purge at Dunhill,
so if any mono tapes still exist, they would be in non-US vaults. ------------- 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: eric_a
Date Posted: 04 October 2024 at 8:39pm
Well, it finally happened. After 50+ years, there is an official edit! I just noticed that Universal has released a streaming single with a 5:34 edit, removing the whole instrumental break and some other bits. Apple Music doesn't show a release date but the YouTube clip shows it was added 3 weeks ago. The song is featured prominently in the new Beetlejuice movie, so I bet this is in conjunction with that sync. |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 07 October 2024 at 12:15pm
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Is this a newly created edit or was this edit available
when the song was a hit? ------------- John Gallagher Erie, PA https://www.johngallagher.com" rel="nofollow - John Gallagher Wedding & Special Event Entertainment / Snapblast Photo Booth |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 07 October 2024 at 1:32pm
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Based on Eric's post, it's a new edit created in conjunction with the movie. ------------- 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: eric_a
Date Posted: 07 October 2024 at 3:09pm
To be clear, the connection was just my inference - and the artwork doesn't refer to Beetlejuice. On further reflection, the edit is a strange length -- shortchanging the overall package but still long for radio, if they were hoping for a sync boost a la "Running Up That Hill" |
Posted By: MPH711
Date Posted: 07 October 2024 at 5:02pm
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Looks like I found this new edit on YouTube. I don’t like it.
https://youtu.be/z9i2I8K2u-w?si=RGW1RM65T7kB0qiC |