Radio Versions That Annoy

[Mike Walker]

One of the worst cleanup jobs on lyrics ever has to be "Jet Airliner" by the Steve Miller Band. The line on the lp talks about "funky sh#t goin' down in the city". On the "radio edit" it's "funky kicks going down in the city." Really? "Kicks"? I think by the mid to late 70s that term was as dead as Elvis is today! What's that Congresswoman Bachmann? Oh, I'm sorry...he didn't die, it was his birthday!

 

[firepoint525]

One of the worst cleanup jobs on lyrics ever has to be "Jet Airliner" by the Steve Miller Band. The line on the lp talks about "funky sh#t goin' down in the city". On the "radio edit" it's "funky kicks going down in the city." Really? "Kicks"? I think by the mid to late 70s that term was as dead as Elvis is today! What's that Congresswoman Bachmann? Oh, I'm sorry...he didn't die, it was his birthday!

Gotta blame the record company (in this case, Capitol) for that one. They did that, not the radio stations. It probably wouldn't have gotten played at all if not for that one. I am noticing that radio is now tending to play the version from the '74-'78 Greatest Hits album with "Threshold" as a lead-in.

But I've got to admit, "I don't want to get caught up in any of that funky kicks goin' down in the city" didn't make much sense. Got to hear Paul Pena's original version once, and he did indeed say, "funky shit goin' down in the city."

 

[radioman148]

One of the worst cleanup jobs on lyrics ever has to be "Jet Airliner" by the Steve Miller Band. The line on the lp talks about "funky sh#t goin' down in the city". On the "radio edit" it's "funky kicks going down in the city." Really? "Kicks"? I think by the mid to late 70s that term was as dead as Elvis is today! What's that Congresswoman Bachmann? Oh, I'm sorry...he didn't die, it was his birthday!

Gotta blame the record company (in this case, Capitol) for that one. They did that, not the radio stations. It probably wouldn't have gotten played at all if not for that one. I am noticing that radio is now tending to play the version from the '74-'78 Greatest Hits album with "Threshold" as a lead-in.

But I've got to admit, "I don't want to get caught up in any of that funky kicks goin' down in the city" didn't make much sense. Got to hear Paul Pena's original version once, and he did indeed say, "funky shit goin' down in the city."

Lots of radio stations would not have played the funky s**t version originally and getting the most airplay was what it was all about.

 

[firepoint525]

One of the worst cleanup jobs on lyrics ever has to be "Jet Airliner" by the Steve Miller Band. The line on the lp talks about "funky sh#t goin' down in the city". On the "radio edit" it's "funky kicks going down in the city." Really? "Kicks"? I think by the mid to late 70s that term was as dead as Elvis is today! What's that Congresswoman Bachmann? Oh, I'm sorry...he didn't die, it was his birthday!

Gotta blame the record company (in this case, Capitol) for that one. They did that, not the radio stations. It probably wouldn't have gotten played at all if not for that one. I am noticing that radio is now tending to play the version from the '74-'78 Greatest Hits album with "Threshold" as a lead-in.
But I've got to admit, "I don't want to get caught up in any of that funky kicks goin' down in the city" didn't make much sense. Got to hear Paul Pena's original version once, and he did indeed say, "funky shit goin' down in the city."

Lots of radio stations would not have played the funky s**t version originally and getting the most airplay was what it was all about.

That's why I'm puzzled by his complaint. Would he have preferred "funky stuff goin' down in the city," or maybe "funky crap goin' down in the city"?

 

[radioman148]

One of the worst cleanup jobs on lyrics ever has to be "Jet Airliner" by the Steve Miller Band. The line on the lp talks about "funky sh#t goin' down in the city". On the "radio edit" it's "funky kicks going down in the city." Really? "Kicks"? I think by the mid to late 70s that term was as dead as Elvis is today! What's that Congresswoman Bachmann? Oh, I'm sorry...he didn't die, it was his birthday!

Gotta blame the record company (in this case, Capitol) for that one. They did that, not the radio stations. It probably wouldn't have gotten played at all if not for that one. I am noticing that radio is now tending to play the version from the '74-'78 Greatest Hits album with "Threshold" as a lead-in.
But I've got to admit, "I don't want to get caught up in any of that funky kicks goin' down in the city" didn't make much sense. Got to hear Paul Pena's original version once, and he did indeed say, "funky shit goin' down in the city."

Lots of radio stations would not have played the funky s**t version originally and getting the most airplay was what it was all about.

That's why I'm puzzled by his complaint. Would he have preferred "funky stuff goin' down in the city," or maybe "funky crap goin' down in the city"?

All I know is that it was a big hit so they must have done something right.

 

[muskrat14]

"Right Down The Line," by Gerry Rafferty. The 3:27 single version is hacked up and sped up. Gerry sounds like a Chipmunk. The 4:16 LP version is much better.

"I Just Died In Your Arms," by Cutting Crew. Stupid because it fades only about :15 before it would cold fade anyway.

"Make Me Smile." That edit makes my skin crawl.

"Fooled Around and Fell In Love."

I also always preferred Journey's "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin," to be followed by "City of the Angels," like the AOR's did it. I realize no Top 40 every played it that way, though.

On a side note: I worked for a PD who asked me (I was Production Director at the time) if I could edit "Eyes Without A Face," By Billy Ido to get get ride of the guitar solo in the middle. He actually said, 'this would a be a killer song without the obnoxious solo in it." I declined to do the edit, and we ended up playing it anyway. This is also a guy who had me redub the entire library sped up 1.5% to make us sound "brighter" than our competition. When he left for another market, I redubbed it all at the correct speed.

 

[Kurt Toy]

What always annoyed me were those single edits that ended within seconds of the actual ending of the song anyway! If you had the album versions, you would know what I am referring to. A couple of examples include "Golden Years" by David Bowie, and "Shout it Out Loud" by KISS.

I'll throw in "[I've Been] Searchin' So Long" by Chicago. Not complete without the cold end.

 

[willdav713]

"Make Me Smile." That edit makes my skin crawl.

That is because that version of Make Me Smile by Chicago was on their Greatest Hits Album. I have both Stereo and Quadraphonic versions of both. In the second verse on the Quad release the "whoo woo" when I hold you is replaced, along with the background vocals of Now I need you more than ever "oh yeah" the "oh yeah" is not present on the Quad release. The longer version on the Chicago II LP has a instrumental ending followed by a handful of other songs, then Now More than Ever was the Reprise of Make Me Smile. It wasn't until the remastering of Chicago II until they made a complete version of Make Me Smile. I remember in the early 90s KZEP in San Antonio redubbed Make Me Smile and it had the complete drum beat before the Now I need you More than Ever

 

[CTListener]

One of the worst cleanup jobs on lyrics ever has to be "Jet Airliner" by the Steve Miller Band. The line on the lp talks about "funky sh#t goin' down in the city". On the "radio edit" it's "funky kicks going down in the city." Really? "Kicks"? I think by the mid to late 70s that term was as dead as Elvis is today! What's that Congresswoman Bachmann? Oh, I'm sorry...he didn't die, it was his birthday!

Gotta blame the record company (in this case, Capitol) for that one. They did that, not the radio stations. It probably wouldn't have gotten played at all if not for that one. I am noticing that radio is now tending to play the version from the '74-'78 Greatest Hits album with "Threshold" as a lead-in.
But I've got to admit, "I don't want to get caught up in any of that funky kicks goin' down in the city" didn't make much sense. Got to hear Paul Pena's original version once, and he did indeed say, "funky shit goin' down in the city."

Lots of radio stations would not have played the funky s**t version originally and getting the most airplay was what it was all about.

That's why I'm puzzled by his complaint. Would he have preferred "funky stuff goin' down in the city," or maybe "funky crap goin' down in the city"?

Even "crap" may not have been safe at that time. Remember what happened to "the crap I learned" on the "clean" version of "Kodachrome"?

 

[Groove1670]

Abracadabra by Steve miller is also edited and pitched up on the single. Also Naked Eyes "Promises Promises" has various pitch versions. I have heard two versions of Soft Cell's Tainted love (I don't mean "Where did our love go attached).

 

[firepoint525]

One of the worst cleanup jobs on lyrics ever has to be "Jet Airliner" by the Steve Miller Band. The line on the lp talks about "funky sh#t goin' down in the city". On the "radio edit" it's "funky kicks going down in the city." Really? "Kicks"? I think by the mid to late 70s that term was as dead as Elvis is today! What's that Congresswoman Bachmann? Oh, I'm sorry...he didn't die, it was his birthday!

Gotta blame the record company (in this case, Capitol) for that one. They did that, not the radio stations. It probably wouldn't have gotten played at all if not for that one. I am noticing that radio is now tending to play the version from the '74-'78 Greatest Hits album with "Threshold" as a lead-in.
But I've got to admit, "I don't want to get caught up in any of that funky kicks goin' down in the city" didn't make much sense. Got to hear Paul Pena's original version once, and he did indeed say, "funky shit goin' down in the city."

Lots of radio stations would not have played the funky s**t version originally and getting the most airplay was what it was all about.

That's why I'm puzzled by his complaint. Would he have preferred "funky stuff goin' down in the city," or maybe "funky crap goin' down in the city"?

Even "crap" may not have been safe at that time. Remember what happened to "the crap I learned" on the "clean" version of "Kodachrome"?

I have never heard any other version of "Kodachrome" other than the one with "crap" in it. And I don't ever remember it not getting played. Maybe I am a little too young to remember any controversy over it.

 

[firepoint525]

Abracadabra by Steve miller is also edited and pitched up on the single. Also Naked Eyes "Promises Promises" has various pitch versions. I have heard two versions of Soft Cell's Tainted love (I don't mean "Where did our love go attached).

"Promises Promises" actually has a different second verse on the single from the version on the album. (The chorus is slightly different, too.) That is the only time that I ever recall a verse being substituted with another verse, rather than simply being edited out without being replaced. (I believe I also pointed this out in the "second verse curse" thread.)

As for "pitching up," that might actually be your own turntable doing that. I used to have a stereo system which had a turntable that played all my 45s way "too fast" for my taste. But it did not have pitch control, so no way I could do anything about it. (I seem to recall that LPs were "pitched up," as well.)

 

[CTListener]

One of the worst cleanup jobs on lyrics ever has to be "Jet Airliner" by the Steve Miller Band. The line on the lp talks about "funky sh#t goin' down in the city". On the "radio edit" it's "funky kicks going down in the city." Really? "Kicks"? I think by the mid to late 70s that term was as dead as Elvis is today! What's that Congresswoman Bachmann? Oh, I'm sorry...he didn't die, it was his birthday!

Gotta blame the record company (in this case, Capitol) for that one. They did that, not the radio stations. It probably wouldn't have gotten played at all if not for that one. I am noticing that radio is now tending to play the version from the '74-'78 Greatest Hits album with "Threshold" as a lead-in.
But I've got to admit, "I don't want to get caught up in any of that funky kicks goin' down in the city" didn't make much sense. Got to hear Paul Pena's original version once, and he did indeed say, "funky shit goin' down in the city."

Lots of radio stations would not have played the funky s**t version originally and getting the most airplay was what it was all about.

That's why I'm puzzled by his complaint. Would he have preferred "funky stuff goin' down in the city," or maybe "funky crap goin' down in the city"?

Even "crap" may not have been safe at that time. Remember what happened to "the crap I learned" on the "clean" version of "Kodachrome"?

I have never heard any other version of "Kodachrome" other than the one with "crap" in it. And I don't ever remember it not getting played. Maybe I am a little too young to remember any controversy over it.

"The girls I knew" from the second verse was spliced in where "the crap I learned" was in the first verse. WBZ (AM) Boston, a full-service AC, played this version, but WRKO, a CHR, aired the "crap" original. Might have been a case of not wanting to offend an older, more conservative audience, rather than fearing an FCC citation.

 

[skippertthomas]

"Make Me Smile"-Chicago is the absolute botched single in its first form.. The second edit created by the MD/PD's in Chiacgo on 'CFL and 'LS and reissued by Columbia was the full front end with the tail end from "Ballad For A Girl In Buchannan" on the second album.... About 4:30 to 4:50 in length, if I remember...

 

[dtuba]

"Blinded By the Light" by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Single edit chops out most of the good instrumental stuff in the middle of the song.

 

[oldies76]

The single version of "Abracadabra" is annoying. Rather hear the LP version, with the instrumental portion ending the song.

 

[SolidGold16]

Green Eyed Lady (Sugarloaf) had that great intro and buildup to the first verse, always chopped off.

Someone mentioned "Amie" by PPL, and that was the first song that came to my mind that IMO the best part of the song, the intro, was completely cut off the single. Love the guitar work on that one.

One song that I never knew there was more to until very recently, and that no one has mentioned so far: "American City Suite" (1972) by Cashman & West (Jim Croce's producers)

This song was chopped down to "only" 7:44 from it's original 10:49

(single - 7:44 version) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKMyl5IORM0

There's an entire center section of the song called "Hello, Jack" that I had never even known about until this guy posted almost the entire song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ued72oKvrw

So almost 40 years after I heard this song for the first time, I found out even a song as long as this one had still been edited!

The entire song is available on Amazon MP3 downloads, both the 7 and 10 minute version.

Another song that irritated me to no end when it was played on AM: "Roundabout" (Yes). I didn't even see the point of played this great song edited, may as well leave it off completely.

Another one: "Chicago/We Can Change The World" (Graham Nash). It always seems to be faded at the end of "Chicago", at least on the AMs.

One more: "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" (Fifth Dimension) became just "Aquarius" in most cases, with the song abruptly chopped off on the first note of the second part of the song.

 

[oldies76]

One more: "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" (Fifth Dimension) became just "Aquarius" in most cases, with the song abruptly chopped off on the first note of the second part of the song.

Have never heard this version, w/o "Let the Sunshine In"......Song would be incomplete without the second half.

Also heard a 5 1/2 minute version of "Hey Jude"....basically, the repetitious 2nd half faded way too soon.

"Beginnings" also bad, when chopped to 3 minutes.

 

[LibertyNT]

One more: "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" (Fifth Dimension) became just "Aquarius" in most cases, with the song abruptly chopped off on the first note of the second part of the song.

Have never heard this version, w/o "Let the Sunshine In"......Song would be incomplete without the second half.

You should hear the edit where Aquarius Is Cut out only leaving "Let The Sunshine In"

 

[SolidGold16]

One more: "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" (Fifth Dimension) became just "Aquarius" in most cases, with the song abruptly chopped off on the first note of the second part of the song.

Have never heard this version, w/o "Let the Sunshine In"......Song would be incomplete without the second half.

Also heard a 5 1/2 minute version of "Hey Jude"....basically, the repetitious 2nd half faded way too soon.

"Beginnings" also bad, when chopped to 3 minutes.

Must have been the AMs where I lived at the time (WKXY,Sarasota and WLCY,Tampa) that chopped it off. I'm pretty sure it wasn't that way on the single.

I agree, they destroyed "Beginnings" when they edited it down. It's a crime! ;D

"It was a beautiful song but it ran too long, so they cut it down to 3:05" - Billy Joel