The "Second Verse Curse"

[hornet61]

The top 40 station in the town where I grew up created their own custom edit of, of all things, "Summer Nights" from Grease! First of all, it was only three-and-a-half minutes long to begin with, making it likely one of the (already) shortest songs ever to go under the blade. Furthermore, it had several key changes in it, which must have made it tough to edit. But they left in the choruses containing the key changes, and eliminated most of the ones that did not. The GM of that station later admitted that he hated that song! Have to admit, I don't recall ever hearing them play it again, once it had dropped off the charts!

To your knowledge is there an edited version of "Greased lightning"
We'll get some purple French tail lights and thirty-inch fins, oh yeah
A palomino dashboard and duel muffler twins, oh yeah
With new pistons, plugs, and shocks, I can get off my rocks
You know that I ain't braggin', she's a real ------ wagon - greased lightnin'

"Greased Lightning" was used as part of the "Grease megamix." I will have to dig that one out and listen to it again. Of course, since it was part of a medley, I'm sure that they could get away with simply not using the most offensive lines in that one.

The mega-mixx has the original x-rated version..with all three explict lines intact.

 

[CTListener]

On the subject of custom edits, I recall that AT40 played a custom edit of "Jungle Love" by the Steve Miller Band that did, indeed, lop off the second verse of that one, going straight from the first verse/chorus to the guitar solo. Of course, you typically only heard that one once a week, unless your station carried the countdown more than once, or you happened to also hear it on another station. But AT40 programming was always compelling enough to keep you listening, even through all the severely edited songs in the countdown.

But "Jungle Love" was but only one example. I am certain that there were probably hundreds, if not thousands more songs on the countdown that were similarly edited over the years. Anyone got any more examples?

I've heard long and short versions of "Let's Get It On" and "Midnight Train to Georgia." It's hard to describe the long versions except to say that there's more going on toward the ends of both songs, not really an extra verse, not really an extended fade. Hopefully someone else has heard these as well and can describe them better than I can.

 

[deltas69]

more of a 'VAMP AND AD LIB"...cover bands will "vamp" between songs on stage...keep playing the same tune while the front guy works the crowd and sets up the next tune..usually in the same key so the band can modulate into the next song without stopping the music..not exactly what is going on with those tunes..but very similar.....

 

[firepoint525]

Naked Eyes, "Promises, Promises." The second verse (from the album version) is taken out, but replaced with a completely different second verse for the single mix. (By the way, the album version was at least once played on AT40, but by then, the program was four hours long, and the songs were no longer being as severely edited as they had been during the '70s AT40s.)

 

[firepoint525]

Eagles "Lyin' Eyes"

I just heard this one played on the radio, and since it was the full version, I can't comment authoritatively on what was cut for the edit, but I'm thinking that it was much closer to the end of the song. I'm thinking that they skipped from the line beginning, "she wonders how it ever got this crazy" to the line beginning "my oh my, you sure know how to arrange things." "Lyin' Eyes" is one of the longest songs that I can think of that does not derive its length from excessive repeats of the chorus, or ridiculously long guitar solos or anything like that. It's mostly "meat," and very little "filler."

 

[Les Stock]

Eagles "Lyin' Eyes"

I just heard this one played on the radio, and since it was the full version, I can't comment authoritatively on what was cut for the edit, but I'm thinking that it was much closer to the end of the song. I'm thinking that they skipped from the line beginning, "she wonders how it ever got this crazy" to the line beginning "my oh my, you sure know how to arrange things." "Lyin' Eyes" is one of the longest songs that I can think of that does not derive its length from excessive repeats of the chorus, or ridiculously long guitar solos or anything like that. It's mostly "meat," and very little "filler."

Correct...the middle of the third "verse" was cut for the 45. In addition, the entire second "verse" and chorus were whacked.

 

[firepoint525]

To your knowledge is there an edited version of "Greased lightning"
We'll get some purple French tail lights and thirty-inch fins, oh yeah
A palomino dashboard and duel muffler twins, oh yeah
With new pistons, plugs, and shocks, I can get off my rocks
You know that I ain't braggin', she's a real ------ wagon - greased lightnin'

"Greased Lightning" was used as part of the "Grease megamix." I will have to dig that one out and listen to it again. Of course, since it was part of a medley, I'm sure that they could get away with simply not using the most offensive lines in that one.

The mega-mixx has the original x-rated version..with all three explict lines intact.

Finally got my CD out and took a listen to the "Grease megamix," and while the line that you referenced above occurred in the "megamix" version (twice!), the "shit line," as I call it (because that is the only word that I can understand from that line!), from the first verse was replaced with the line that you mentioned above. It's worth noting that the lines that you mentioned were smothered in doo-wops, and backing vocals, which probably made it easier for them to get away with using it in the song.

 

[firepoint525]

Eagles "Lyin' Eyes"

I just heard this one played on the radio, and since it was the full version, I can't comment authoritatively on what was cut for the edit, but I'm thinking that it was much closer to the end of the song. I'm thinking that they skipped from the line beginning, "she wonders how it ever got this crazy" to the line beginning "my oh my, you sure know how to arrange things." "Lyin' Eyes" is one of the longest songs that I can think of that does not derive its length from excessive repeats of the chorus, or ridiculously long guitar solos or anything like that. It's mostly "meat," and very little "filler."

Correct...the middle of the third "verse" was cut for the 45. In addition, the entire second "verse" and chorus were whacked.

I know that there is about a two-minute difference between the full version and the edit of that one, and the rest of that two minutes must have come from what you referenced here, although I have never paid close enough attention to that, and have thus never noticed it.

 

[hornet61]

To your knowledge is there an edited version of "Greased lightning"
We'll get some purple French tail lights and thirty-inch fins, oh yeah
A palomino dashboard and duel muffler twins, oh yeah
With new pistons, plugs, and shocks, I can get off my rocks
You know that I ain't braggin', she's a real ------ wagon - greased lightnin'

"Greased Lightning" was used as part of the "Grease megamix." I will have to dig that one out and listen to it again. Of course, since it was part of a medley, I'm sure that they could get away with simply not using the most offensive lines in that one.

The mega-mixx has the original x-rated version..with all three explict lines intact.

Finally got my CD out and took a listen to the "Grease megamix," and while the line that you referenced above occurred in the "megamix" version (twice!), the "shit line," as I call it (because that is the only word that I can understand from that line!), from the first verse was replaced with the line that you mentioned above. It's worth noting that the lines that you mentioned were smothered in doo-wops, and backing vocals, which probably made it easier for them to get away with using it in the song.

It's Ironic with all the profanity in some modern music .....that back in the late 50's "Wake Up Little Susie" was banned on some stations, because two teenagers fell asleep in a car till 4:00am..

 

[Silkie]

Not necessarily a second verse curse thing, but Radar Love took a pretty hard hit for radio play.

 

[CTListener]

To your knowledge is there an edited version of "Greased lightning"
We'll get some purple French tail lights and thirty-inch fins, oh yeah
A palomino dashboard and duel muffler twins, oh yeah
With new pistons, plugs, and shocks, I can get off my rocks
You know that I ain't braggin', she's a real ------ wagon - greased lightnin'

"Greased Lightning" was used as part of the "Grease megamix." I will have to dig that one out and listen to it again. Of course, since it was part of a medley, I'm sure that they could get away with simply not using the most offensive lines in that one.

The mega-mixx has the original x-rated version..with all three explict lines intact.

Finally got my CD out and took a listen to the "Grease megamix," and while the line that you referenced above occurred in the "megamix" version (twice!), the "shit line," as I call it (because that is the only word that I can understand from that line!), from the first verse was replaced with the line that you mentioned above. It's worth noting that the lines that you mentioned were smothered in doo-wops, and backing vocals, which probably made it easier for them to get away with using it in the song.

It's Ironic with all the profanity in some modern music .....that back in the late 50's "Wake Up Little Susie" was banned on some stations, because two teenagers fell asleep in a car till 4:00am..

I'm surprised Dan Fogelberg's "Same Old Lang Syne" is still played in these politically correct, we-must-protect-the-children times. Ex-lovers meet, drain a six-pack and drive off. Don't try that, kids....

 

[corporateradiosucks]

Being from Pennsylvania, I always wonder what he bought a 6 pack of at the liquor store - Thunderbird?

I am so happy to have found this thread. That chop version of Lyin' Eyes literally makes me scream every time I hear it.

 

[corporateradiosucks]

Where's the edit button?

Anyway, we forgot Ain't No Mountain High Enough.

 

[Dave Andrews]

"Band On the Run" verse that starts with "Well the undertaker" used to be edited. This could count as the second verse if you are counting from Act III of the tune. If you are counting from the beginning, the "If We Ever Get Outta Here" segment. Both were axed in the edit version but either one could be considered a second verse.


Also, Lou Reed's tune "Walk On The Wild Side". (Of course, that second verse kinda HAD to be cut, knowhutimean?)

 

[trusty]

...can't believe no one's mentioned this...

All I had heard of the Doors' "Light My Fire" was the 45 version - until I bought the album, not expecting to hear the full version. All I could say was, "....Whaaat?.........Cool!...........Oh, I can never go back, now............"

When I heard it on the radio again, I felt cheated.

 

[hornet61]

...can't believe no one's mentioned this...

All I had heard of the Doors' "Light My Fire" was the 45 version - until I bought the album, not expecting to hear the full version. All I could say was, "....Whaaat?.........Cool!...........Oh, I can never go back, now............"

When I heard it on the radio again, I felt cheated.

American Pie-Don Mcclean
Fingertips-Stevie Wonder
Inna-Gadda-Vida - Iron Butterfly
Get Ready - Rare Earth
What I Say - Ray Charles

 

[ChrisInMI]

How about a "first verse curse"? It happened with the studio version of Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You"... verse one (and by extension the second refrain) was chopped out of the single version, which also shortened the bridge. One of the dumbest edits ever made, in my opinion, because there was absolutely nothing wrong with that first verse... radio could have played it as it was originally.

Also, I think Don Henley's "The Last Worthless Evening" had the first half of the first verse chopped out of the single version.

 

[firepoint525]

American Pie-Don Mcclean

How about a "first verse curse"? It happened with the studio version of Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You"... verse one (and by extension the second refrain) was chopped out of the single version, which also shortened the bridge. One of the dumbest edits ever made, in my opinion, because there was absolutely nothing wrong with that first verse... radio could have played it as it was originally.

"American Pie," along with Whitney Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You" were victims of the first verse curse. McLean's song was so long that they almost HAD to cut something. (But I'm thinking that most stations that wanted to cut something probably played side one of the 45, which fades out at about mid-song.) Houston's recording stayed on the charts for so long, and grated on people's nerves to the point that something had to be cut from it, as well. In the case of both of them, they usually struck the first verse, and began with the (first) chorus.

Also, I think Don Henley's "The Last Worthless Evening" had the first half of the first verse chopped out of the single version.

"Living Years" by Mike and the Mechanics had a similar edit.

 

[firepoint525]

"These Dreams" by Heart had the second half of the first verse cut. And to clarify what I posted earlier, "Living Years" also had the second half of its first verse eliminated.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

Lets risk kick-starting this thread-- Here's a "Verse Curse" song that slipped by mostly unnoticed-- "Devil With The Blue Dress" by Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, circa 1966. Believe it was the instrumental bridge to the 3rd verse, then the 3rd verse itself that landed on the cutting room floor. Just went cold to a refrain of "Fee-Fee Fi-Fi-Fo-Fo-Fum..."

Getting off track just a little-- Beatles engineer George Martin was notorious for allowing recordings to slip through with miscues unedited. Remember the album versions of "Please Please Me", with John on lead vocal, & Paul harmonizing, bellowing simultaneously on 2-different verses, and "A Day in the Life"; Paul jumping prematurely with "Woke... Woke up, fell out of bed..."? 45-RPM cuts of these numbers were cleaned up of course, as AM stations would have objected to playing warts-and-all recordings. Just try finding these imperfectly edited songs today.