canned heat on the road again

I was hoping the mastering history would tell a more illuminating story...

Stereo LP version (4:53-ish)

I don't have this on CD, but I found a file in a folder from an unknown source that's mastered way too loud.

1994 stereo remix (4:59)

The first 10 seconds are entirely in the left channel, with silence in the right channel. Same for the portion between 4:40 and 4:47.

The remix was done for EMI's Uncanned Best Of (1994). It sounds terrific by my modern-ear standards, with superb balance among instruments, nice full EQ, a very nice soundstage, and no excessive compression/limiting. Comparing it to the original stereo mix calls attention to the deficiencies in the original stereo mix (why all the drums in the right channel?) It does sound great, but it's not the 1968 hit mix. There's a differently EQ'd digital clone on Disky UK's The Beat Goes On Vol. 7 (1997), which may be part of a 10-CD set. Both run 4:59.

Mono 45 version (3:22)

Original pressings of the 45 (both promo and commercial) are LB-2566, running 3:33 (according to Bill's post).
Later reissues of the 45 (both promo and commercial) are LB-2566-Re, running 3:23 (also according to Bill's post).

It appears that Rhino considers the -Re reissue to be the hit version.

The first instance of the (-Re reissue) mono 45 on CD is Rhino's Blues Masters Volume 7: Blues Revival (1993). I don't have this disc, but it's from Rhino's heyday, and I'd be shocked if the sound quality was anything less than stellar. The database says that it runs 3:22 here.

I do have the mono 45 version on Time-Life's 2-CD Flower Power Time Of The Season (2007). It also runs 3:22 here. I'd bet a shiny new penny that it's a digital clone of the Rhino disc, but I can't confirm. It sounds just fine here as well.

The database says that the only other US CD to include the mono 45 version is Time-Life's 2-CD The Woodstock Collection Time Of The Season (2010), which I don't have. The database says that this disc also runs 3:22, so I'd bet yet another shiny new penny that it's also a digital clone of the Rhino disc, but can't confirm.

The original 3:33 45 doesn't appear on CD.

Non-hit stereo edit in unsuccessful attempt to mimic the mono 45 (3:23)

Sadly, this seems to be the most common version on CD.

I believe that this first appeared on CD on EMI-Manhattan's The Best Of Canned Heat (1987).

The following discs all use the same analog transfer, but I don't know if it originated with Best Of:

• Time-Life's Classic Rock Vol. 4 1968 (1988) - left and right channels swapped; the others below all have correct left/right channels
• Time-Life's 2-CD Guitar Rock (1990)
• Priority's Seventies Greatest Rock Hits Vol. 10 Hitchin' A Ride (1991) - soundstage narrowed and noise reduction added; avoid
• Time-Life's Guitar Rock Vol. 12 The Late '60s (1994)
• CEMA Special Markets' 2-CD Rock N Roll Greatest Hits Of All Time Vol. 3 (1995)
• Ace UK's Chartbusters USA Vol. 1 (1999)

One outlier that uses a different analog transfer: Silver Eagle's 2-CD Ready To Rock (1988), which sounds OK.

If I had to pick (and I don't have the 1987 Best Of disc), I'd go with either of the Time-Life Guitar Rock collections.

I took the 3:22 45 version on Flower Power and slowed it
down by one second since it runs slightly faster than
Bill's 3:23 commercial 45 version.

I wonder why the longer version on the promo 45 was never
released commercially.