"Isn't She Lovely"?

[Dick Skinner]

Killer thread!

 

[johnsummers]

The version airing on K*LUV WAS done in-house.

 

[ken barnett]

Actually Mike, if you had known Ron, you would know that the LAST thing he would have wanted on his station was more time for SPOTS. Any editing of songs that KVIL did, was strictly for the "sound & feel" of the station.

 

[billyg]

That's the kind of stuff that makes this such a weird mystery. No, I'm not going to lose sleep here or anything, but could this have been some sort of a "bootleg" copy that the record company let slip out (against Wonder's wishes?) Peter, I'm sure you all have a copy of Joel Whitburn's "Billboard Top Adult Contemporary 1961-1993" somewhere...see if there's a catalog number listed with the song (Wiki showed that "Lovely" hit #23~ on that chart in 1977.) If so, that shoots down much of my little theory! And it would also explain why there is such consistency across the radio world for what the 'radio edit' is of that song.

I just found something interesting! ...scroll down to the end of the page, bingo! http://www.stingme.dk/sting_for_sale/sting_for_sale_5.html
Or if you don't want to wait: http://www.stingme.dk/b/RIMG2875_resize.JPG

Now that we have proof of a legit edit, I bet back in the 70's Motown did press and mail out radio promo 45's, reel to reel tapes, and 12" acetates were still being used back then too. I'm sure it was easy for Motown to do so, since Stevie couldn't see 'em! (sorry) ;D

 

[MikeShannon914]

I'm sure it was easy for Motown to do so, since Stevie couldn't see 'em! (sorry) ;D

DOUBLE OUCH!!! 8)

 

[dfaulkner]

Any editing of songs that KVIL did, was strictly for the "sound & feel" of the station.

That's what I was thinking. I wasn't there, but, I've heard others say that. I do remember someone saying that no song on KVIL could longer than 04:00 (or it may have been 04:30) but I don't know what the reason was.

 

[Lancer]

Couldn't stations save a few bucks by playing the long version?

Like if you played the short version, then play another song wouldn't you be paying ASCAP/BMI twice for the same amount of air time? (Not sure if it's a set monthly fee or per song.)

Not to mention the aforementioned opportunity to make a run to the john...

 

[DFWPT]

Uh, the "KVIL edit" today is the "TM Century" edit. Most of the songs are dubbed in from their CDs.

Ben's right. This is the cut KEOM uses today.

 

[Steve Eberhart]

If anyone at KVIL did an edit on "Isn't She Lovely" at that time, it would have been X-Rey, who was the music director at the time...

I've asked him but he hasn't answered yet, but if he does I'll post it.

We did re-cart every song while I was Music Director at KVIL and I'm pretty sure most songs were carted from the TM Century library CD's...some were dubbed from the collection of reels of "KVIL edits" from X-Rey, Chuck Rhodes, and myself.

One day represenatives from TM walked in and asked for all of our "KVIL edits" and Christmas albums. They were putting together Christmas CD's and also wanted the KVIL version of some songs. After clearing it with Ron
( - always - ), I gave it all to them. They returned it a few days later. Shortly after that, they issued those original "AX" series Christmas CD's, made generously from KVIL Christmas albums. Some of those albums were long out of print and we had the only clean copies anyone could find. Funny 'cause I don't think we thought that much about it at the time. I'm imagining they are all available somewhere now but not back then.

I laugh when I think about how many Christmas tunes are heard across the world in the years since that were dubbed from those old albums!

 

[Steve Eberhart]

this just in from X-rey:

You mean the KVIL edit I played in the late '70's on cart? Yes. I did that, among many other better edited-for-radio singles we played ("Miracles", "We Are Family", "One of these Nights" all suddenly come to mind) .

If there's another one you're currently hearing, I doubt if it's my edit. The tape oxide would have likely fallen off my master by now unless all that was digitized after I left!

Out here Jhani Kaye @ KRTH plays "ISL", but they fade it before the crying baby part comes in, and totally misses the cold ending.

Motown never, ever issued that as a commercial or promo single that I ever saw. And in those days I used to hang out and talk with Alta Hays in Big State Distributing's warehouse...and got to see EVERYTHING that came in!

 

[johnsummers]

...fades!!?? YUCK!

 

[cowboybud]

Isn't there a similar story with "Stairway to Heaven," where it was never released as a single, but is still a bonafide classic still today?

Ya, der vas no schingle releesed but I remember playing one on der air in 19 und 77.
It vas der Atlantic promotional 45-RPM vit der blue label dat looked just like dis von.
http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Image:Sthpromo1972.jpg

Atlantic did release "Stairway" as a 45RPM single in 1991 (20th anniversary).

 

[Steve Eberhart]

I have a copy of Stairway to Heaven on 45. It was actually released in 1977 as a "radio promo" only - never sold in retail....every once in a while one could find one in a Used record store. They did re-release it in the early 90's to commemerate the 20th anniversary. I have that package Atlantic put out too. Never played...wonder what they'd give me for that on ebay?

 

[MikeShannon914]

Took a year and a half, but I finally resolved this one: According to the Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts (Whitburn book, 1961-93 coverage,) "Isn't She Lovely" did indeed chart, but as an "album cut" (not an uncommon thing in the last 18-20 years, but very weird for 34 years ago)--it entered the AC Top 40 on 1/8/77, stayed for 5 weeks, and peaked at #23. Considering its staying power over the years, I'm surprised that it only charted at 23. Then again, that was without it being pressed as a single (at Wonder's behest,) and leaving it up to individual AC/Top 40 stations to "break" it, and/or people buying the album ("Songs in the Key of Life") and discovering it that way.

 

[BBontheRadio]

I am *so* glad you figured this out. It was causing many sleepless nights.

 

[Steve Eberhart]

I just re-read this whole thread.
Just to clarify, there was NEVER EVER any policy at KVIL in those days regarding length of songs. In fact, we CHOSE to play long versions many times vs the edited version.
Suite Judy Blue Eyes comes to mind. Long versions were often preferred and usually played directly off vinyl LP. We didn't cart the whole library till well into the 80's.
Regarding spots ... Ron never allowed more than 2 UNITS in a break, be it spot & promo or 2 spots. We stopped 8 times an hour MAX if we had a full spot load, never more.
We did edit objectionable material from songs, usually screaming guitar solo's or screaming vocals in songs that were otherwise perfect for the target demo. We would occasionally also EQ a part of a song to minimize the piercing loudness. Sometimes we'd take a verse out too if it was objectionable.
I made copies of all the reels of KVIL edits before I left. I'm sure there around here somewhere!

 

[flashback]

personally unless a part of a song is edited for something that will get a station fined or cause the owners to lose the station by the FCC i find any editing objectional.

 

[nivlekbrad]

Ahhhh...."As" is one of my all-time favorites, hands down. Beautiful tune. Didn't get much AC airplay back in the day, let alone on K-104 or KNOK. (Keen-eyed classic TV fanatics [like me!] might remember the Sisters Sledge performing it on "The Jeffersons" in 1984.) "Another Star," another minor hit that didn't get much local airplay, either, was performed at length at the 1999 Super Bowl halftime show. "Send One Your Love" was a different album...seems like later on in 1979. Guess Stevie took 1978 off. :-\

I think Stevie was working on the "Secret Life Of Plants" album back in 1978. I've heard that it wasn't a bad album, but compared to the mega-grammy success of "Songs" it was a big disappointment to a lot of critics and fans that he never really recovered from.

You should listen to "Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants." It is an excellent piece of work. It is NOT mainstream by any means. If you liked songs like "Pastime Paradise" and "Village Ghetto Land" from SITKOL, you'll get it. It was a soundtrack to a movie of the same name.