Village People - "Y.M.C.A."

According to MMathews from a post in 2005:

Shortly after the lead singer was replaced (if I recall, by his brother) the new singer re-cut the lead vocal track over the same backing track.

I don't know how I missed this all these years, considering that I used those very CDs to DJ dozens and dozens of frat parties, weddings, you name it. It was my main source for the song for the first few years of the radio show, and no one caught it! I wouldn't have even noticed it, if not for this forum.

The new lead singer is certainly capable, but his voice is a little higher than the original singer, and you'd certainly be able to tell which was which in an A/B test.

I have this alternate vocal take on these CDs:

• Silver Eagle's Dancin' The Night Away (1988)
• Priority's Mega-Hits Dance Classics (Volume 3) (1989)
• Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies - 1979: Take Two (1991)
• Rhino's Billboard Top Dance Hits - 1978 (1992 - for shame, Rhino!)

The last one is particularly egregious, since Rhino had already put out a proper 45 version on a Greatest Hits and a Disco Years CD.

It appears that all the 4:00 versions use the wrong vocal take. All of the version I have that run 3:4x use the hit vocal take.