Peabo Bryson - If Ever You’re In My Arms

I know the 45 speed/length is on a couple of CD's, but can the 45 speed/length be recreated? If so, speed/fade points, if possible...

For some reason, I felt that the pitch increases as the song goes on, incrementally of course so it's not noticeable. For instance (and I don't know the exact numbers), it might start out at 1% faster but by the last chorus be 2.5% faster. I could be completely wrong about this - this is sort of what I noticed back in the '80s. Is there anyone here who's an expert on speeds who can determine if this is what's going on? Or is it exactly 2.5% faster all the way through from beginning to end?

EdisonLite wrote: Is it exactly 2.5% faster all the way through from beginning to end?

Good question. I essentially looked at the database, found one that was labeled "45 speed," and found a sample of that CD online to determine how much it was pitched up. One of the K-Tel discs, during the 30 second sample, was pitched up by 2.5%, which is where my number comes from. I probably shouldn't assume that the pitch is constant throughout, so I'll see if I can track down an actual dub of the 45. I will say, though, that in the hundreds of custom edits I've worked on, not once have I needed to do a gradual pitch increase to the source file.

One thing to note about the sample I heard was that the 2.5% pitch was toward the beginning of the song, so that would lead me to believe that if there is a gradual increase, it would have been all the way to "top speed" by about a minute into the song. Also, there is a key change later in the song, so maybe that's what you're remembering, EdisonLite?

Edited by aaronk

Aaron, I'm familiar with the key change and it's definitely not what I'm remembering. And also, if it does speed up, it doesn't mean it stops at 2.5% in the middle. It could well go all the way to 3.5% by the end.

Crapfromthepast, if you check the database, are any of your CDs you reference above using what Pat labels the 45 speed/length? If they're all the album speed/length, there would be no speed up. It would only occur in the single. Also, there's the possibility that some of these CDs contained a sped up tape but may not exactly be the single master (it's not likely but it IS possible.)

I analyzed this song on CD probably around 1985-1986, so it's been 25 years, and my ears weren't as good then as they are now, but my recollection is that the difference between the 45 and CD speed at the beginning of the song was definitely noticeable but minor - and by the end of the song, the 45 seemed a lot faster than the CD.

Unfortunately, I don't know where the 45 is now. But perhaps someone like Jim has one he can share with you for reference.

Edited by EdisonLite

Aaron, no I wasn't recalling what I heard on the radio. It was definitely a comparison of 45 to LP.