Hit "live" versions of studio songs that tanked

[buster2]

Example: Cheap Trick's "I want you to want me" was a smash when the Budokan live version was released. By contrast, the studio version (which rarely gets played on radio) sounds awful. The pacing seems slower and it sounds like a garage demo for some reason.

With the caveat that most live versions have been "sweetened" with studio tricks, what other live songs became hits when the original studio version went nowhere?

 

[johnbasalla]

Although I can't say the studio version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" went nowhere, on AOR stations in the 1970s, the monster-length live version was the go-to version.

 

[satech]

Rod Stewart's studio version of "Have I Told You Lately" only reached number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1992, but the live version hit #5 the year later.

And although it was a big AC hit, Sarah MacLachlan's "I Will Remember You" only reached #65 on the Hot 100 in 1995, while the live version hit #14 in 1999.

 

[cd637299]

I still don't know the whole story on this, but Paul McCartney's studio version of "Coming Up" in 1980 was supposed to be the A-side, while the "Live in Glasgow" version of it was the B-side.

Somehow during the chart run, it was decided to make the Live version the one for airplay. (I rarely hear the studio version anymore....to me it had a more commercial sound though.)

It spent 3 weeks @ #1, but I dunno in which week it was decided to pull the switcheroo.

cd

 

[billyg]

Peter Frampton's "Show Me The Way", "Baby I Love Your Way" "Do You Feel Like We Do". The studio versions just sound so tame and lifeless. And when he went back into the studio he never could recapture the magic of his live album.

Kiss' "Rock And Roll All Nite" was a pretty good studio recording that still gets some airplay, but the live version got a lot more airplay in 1975.

 

[hornet61]

Billy Idols "mony. mony" live version shot up to #1, albeit for one week...the studio version Bubbled under the hot100 at #107.....I have always collected Modern quality covers, and I remember getting It when it first came out as a B-side 12"EP Crysalis label .....the a-side may have been "Don't Stop".....because of the profanity on the Live version, it gave new life to the studio version, which is what is primarily played today on the radio, and is on most BI greatest hits packages. The live version has almost disappeared.

this an example of the live version surpassing the studio version and the studio version making a comeback and surpassing the live version.

 

[firepoint525]

Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" became a hit in its "live" version, but I believe the studio version (from his first post-Beatles solo album McCartney in 1970) never really had a chance to be a hit due to having never been released as a single.

Interestingly enough, the studio version is what gets played on the AC station here in Nashville.

 

[firepoint525]

Example: Cheap Trick's "I want you to want me" was a smash when the Budokan live version was released. By contrast, the studio version (which rarely gets played on radio) sounds awful. The pacing seems slower and it sounds like a garage demo for some reason.

Peter Frampton's "Show Me The Way", "Baby I Love Your Way" "Do You Feel Like We Do". The studio versions just sound so tame and lifeless. And when he went back into the studio he never could recapture the magic of his live album.
Kiss' "Rock And Roll All Nite" was a pretty good studio recording that still gets some airplay, but the live version got a lot more airplay in 1975.

Its interesting now, whenever I hear the studio versions of songs like "I Want You to Want Me" and "Show Me the Way," I'm amazed at how "short" they seem because they fade out instead of coming to definite endings. I'm used to those "big finish" endings at the end of them.

"Rock and Roll All Night" (or was it "All Nite"? ;D) is one of the few for which I know the peak positions for both versions, #68 for the studio version, #12 for the live version. Yet for some reason, the studio version is the only one that the "rock" station here in Nashville ever plays anymore. I prefer the live version, but I also like the "unplugged" version which was recorded some time during the '90s, in which they trade off lead singers during the song!

 

[firepoint525]

I still don't know the whole story on this, but Paul McCartney's studio version of "Coming Up" in 1980 was supposed to be the A-side, while the "Live in Glasgow" version of it was the B-side.
Somehow during the chart run, it was decided to make the Live version the one for airplay. (I rarely hear the studio version anymore....to me it had a more commercial sound though.)
It spent 3 weeks @ #1, but I dunno in which week it was decided to pull the switcheroo.
cd

I believe that that switch happened sometime while it was still climbing the charts, because I believe the "live" version was considered the A-side by the time it hit #1.

The B-side always felt (to me, anyway) like an EP, because it had that "live" version, along with the instrumental, "Lunch Box/Odd Sox," one of several instrumentals like that which McCartney has put out over the years.

I prefer the studio version, because it contains a verse left out of the live version, but it was interesting to me to note that the live version did not appear on the CD release of McCartney II, while the LP version of McCartney II had included it with the album as an extra 7" 33 rpm single.

 

[buster2]

Billy Joel had an album in 1981 called "Songs in the Attic" where he took material from the older part of his catalog (pre- "The Stranger" when he became a star) and performed live. "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" live became a top 40 hit from that album. The original studio version sounds very good, but was never a major hit.

 

[hornet61]

All said and done, radio stations seems like, will most always revert to the studio versions, there is still that prejudice towards live recordings, regardless of chart position, except in the case of Framton which might be considered sacrilegious.

 

[billyg]

"Rock and Roll All Night" (or was it "All Nite"? ;D) is one of the few for which I know the peak positions for both versions, #68 for the studio version, #12 for the live version. Yet for some reason, the studio version is the only one that the "rock" station here in Nashville ever plays anymore. I prefer the live version, but I also like the "unplugged" version which was recorded some time during the '90s, in which they trade off lead singers during the song!

The studio "Nite" has been on several greatest hits compilations over the years, and that's probably the reason stations play it.

Another live version that eaisly trumps the studio version, though I don't know if the live version was ever released as a single. I know it's had a lot of AOR airplay: REO Speedwagon's "Ridin' The Storm Out" (with Kevin Cronin on lead vocal).

 

[firepoint525]

"Rock and Roll All Night" (or was it "All Nite"? ;D) is one of the few for which I know the peak positions for both versions, #68 for the studio version, #12 for the live version. Yet for some reason, the studio version is the only one that the "rock" station here in Nashville ever plays anymore. I prefer the live version, but I also like the "unplugged" version which was recorded some time during the '90s, in which they trade off lead singers during the song!

The studio "Nite" has been on several greatest hits compilations over the years, and that's probably the reason stations play it.

It's also on those old K-Tel albums, remember those? ;D It definitely wasn't the "hit" version, but I think the reason why K-Tel went with it was because it was easier to get away with an early fade on it! : K-Tel usually went with the "hit" versions, but made an exception in that case.

 

[firepoint525]

Been hearing a live version of Tom Petty's "Breakdown" on rock radio lately, in which he lets the audience sing the first verse! Have to admit, they did a good job! 8)

That said, though, I still occasionally also hear the studio version on the same station. Interesting that it never really was a "hit," having only reached #40 back in 1978. Another one that wasn't appreciated back in its day.

 

[Talk_Dude]

Been hearing a live version of Tom Petty's "Breakdown" on rock radio lately, in which he lets the audience sing the first verse! Have to admit, they did a good job! 8)

That said, though, I still occasionally also hear the studio version on the same station. Interesting that it never really was a "hit," having only reached #40 back in 1978. Another one that wasn't appreciated back in its day.

There are probably several such songs in the catalogs of all the core artists on classic rock stations. There's easily enough songs like that to enable any station that plays vintage music to keep their sound fresh instead of boring.

 

[billyg]

It's also on those old K-Tel albums, remember those? ;D It definitely wasn't the "hit" version, but I think the reason why K-Tel went with it was because it was easier to get away with an early fade on it! : K-Tel usually went with the "hit" versions, but made an exception in that case.

Yep I remember them. All songs down edited down to 2:30 and then pressed on the cheapest flimisest vinyl K-Tel could find. I used to work at a AM station in Pawhuska OK that had a several of them in the album library.

I think "Rock And Roll All Nite" could have made it into Billboard's Top 10 had the live version just been on the 45. Giving radio stations the choice between playing the live or studio version probably kept it out.

 

[firepoint525]

Bob Seger's Live Bullet album contained the best of his pre-Night Moves material. The Live Bullet songs get far more airplay than their studio counterparts, save for "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man," a minor chart hit in 1969.

Meanwhile, Foghat's live version of "I Just Want to Make Love to You" was the (minor) hit in 1976-1977 or so, while the studio version, which only reached about #83 in 1972, is the one that gets the airplay now.

 

[Kurt Toy]

As popular as the "live" versions of songs may have been, I personally prefer studio versions. For some reason, live tracks sound, IMO, phony.

 

[firepoint525]

I think "Rock And Roll All Nite" could have made it into Billboard's Top 10 had the live version just been on the 45. Giving radio stations the choice between playing the live or studio version probably kept it out.

It was on a 45. And it was their first major chart hit, reaching #12, so it was obviously their highest placement to date. Most stations went with the hit version (albeit a single mix), and that was the live version. I don't think that there was much more that KISS could have done, aside from maybe placing the live version and the studio version back-to-back on the same 45.

 

[buster2]

As popular as the "live" versions of songs may have been, I personally prefer studio versions. For some reason, live tracks sound, IMO, phony.

There's a reason for that: many of them are phony, at least a little bit. They may have been recorded live, but virtually all live tracks have to be edited and doctored in the studio. I'm sure there are exceptions, but the rule is that live recordings have to be helped out a bit. There are lots of explanations, including the fact that mixing sound for a live concert hall is far different than mixing for a recording. And, of course, even the best musicians make mistakes. Very few studio hits were recorded live in one take. It's unheard of now. So a live recording may have spots where a drummer missed a beat or a guitar player mangled a note - it happens. The solution is editing or re-recording in the studio. And crowd noise? Let's say a group has a show in L.A., Phoenix and Dallas. Each show is recorded for a live album. Let's also say the L.A. crowd was kind of tame, Dallas pretty good, but for whatever reason the Phoenix audience was amped and really sounded into the show. But the group in question played a little better in L.A. No sweat to use the L.A. performance with crowd noise out of Phoenix and - presto - you have a great sounding live song.