SirRoxalot said:
Speaking of long versions, is it just Buffalo where it seems that everybody played the long version of songs? As I recall, even the AM powerhouses played a lot of long versions instead of radio edits.
Case in point? "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes"? When I hear the edit on WHTT, it seems so incomplete that it really annoys me. Ditto "Blinded by the Light" by Manfred Mann. I seem to recall 3 versions of that one - short, medium, and long.
I don't remember 3 "Blinded By The Light"s...doesn't mean there weren't. I recall only the 3:48 single and 7:00 album version. I do remember 3 "Abracadabra"s...I think there was a 4:35 long edit.
Also there were 3 "I Ran"s. The 3:58 version is the original U.S. album cut.
TMagoo - There was a short version of "Slow Ride"...about 3:50 or so.
SirRox: 13Q/Pittsburgh played mostly long versions - in all dayparts - Jackie Blue, Miracles, Roundabout, all the Eagles hits, Listen To The Music, Hot Child In The City, to name just a few...oddly, I think they played the studio single of "Rock & Roll All Nite" instead of the live cut. Also the single of "The Boys Are Back In Town". Don't think I heard the album version of "Suite:Judy Blue Eyes" on a Top 40 until WNBC when Bob Pittman was programming it and positioned them as "playing the long versions of the songs"...although I'd caught them throwing in a single in here and there...once right after the "we play the long versions" sweeper.
WRKO/Boston had a brief policy of editing everything down to 3:00...WABC/NYC usually played the short versions except for some obvious classic oldies (Light My Fire)...WCFL/Chicago and CKLW/Windsor-Detroit must've been on a case-by-case basis.
Many years later when I worked as a Country MD under WGR alumnus Larry Anderson in Wheeling, WV, playing the album versions was SOP. Only if the single was a better mix would we go that route. That was 20 years ago...seems no one in Top 40 or Country cares to play album versions anymore. We have a few at my current station...but only a few.
HDBG - I remain proud to this day of my 6:02 "Purple Rain" and 4:38 edit of the Blaster Mix of "Dancing In The Dark"...done back when both were currents at OK100/Cortland-Ithaca.