Alan Parsons Project - Days Are Numbers

I'm needing help with this one, a beautiful song that only hit #71 on the pop charts but hit #30 on the mainstream rock charts and #11 on the AC charts in 1985.

The single is listed to run 3:54 on the label, while the LP version runs about 4:26.

Do you chop off the phone ring at the beginning so it starts with keyboards and then just do an early fade to re-create the single, or is it a more complicated edit, or a different mix?

I can't find an example of the single version anywhere; thanks to whoever is able to help!

At long, LONG last, after a job loss and an extended illness, I've been able to compare the stock 45 EdisonLite sent me with the album version... and the edit is much easier than I expected!

If you have the doorbell on the beginning of your LP version, chop off those first four seconds so the song starts with the keyboard notes. Then, cut 0:05 to 0:23 (on the keyboard downbeat right before he sings, "The traveler..." and you're done!

One EXTREMELY odd thing I noticed only because I had one loaded in the left channel and the other in the right: on the downbeat, at 4:00, during the fade, the single loses exactly 1 ms.

Seriously!

And I listened to both the LP version and the single version independently and can't detect the delay... and nothing is edited after 4:00... if you delay the LP version 1 ms it continues on from 4:00 to silence in complete sync.

I'm at a loss to explain it, and would have never noticed it unless I was listening in this way; even A/B-ing it, it would be undetectable.

Thank you for your patience. My apologies for the ridiculous delay! And thank you, EdisonLite, for getting me the copy of the single.