Worst single edit songs

[Oldbones]

When I was a lad, I remember "The Ballad of John and Yoko" being edited. Up here in the woods of Maine, all the stations played it with "Christ you know it ain't easy", but I remember at night while tuning in 1510 WKBW-Buffalo and 1540 WPLR-Albany "Christ" was edited out and it sure sounded different.

For some reason, I thought I heard at the time that it was a state of New York mandate that it occurred, but hey, I still hadn't discovered the wonder of women yet, so what did I know?

I also remember Boston's big stations (WBZ, WRKO, WMEX) playing it with "Christ" left in.

Of the 3 Boston stations you named, only WMEX played the song at all, and as you said left it intact. WBZ was an MOR/AC station in 1969 having dropped Top 40 a couple years earlier, and WRKO did not play it, probably because it was impossible to do a "smooth" edit.

 

[Oldbones]

There's a version of J. Geils Band's "Give It To Me" that does not have the long instrumental riff that the longer version does. Instead, the lyrics "You've Got To Give It Up [Give It Up] are repeated as the tune fades out.

I personally preferred that version (it was the promo single edit). The album version with the long instrumental riff made no sense to me...it didn't fit the rest of the song.

 

[CTListener]

Is there a slightly shorter version of the Tremeloes' "Here Comes My Baby" out there? Every time I hear it on WDRC-FM, it fades very abruptly, right after the first "no matter how I try" of the final refrain. The first time I heard it, I figured the jock was just getting out of the song early for some reason, but no, every single spin has the same early, abrupt fade.

 

[Kurt Toy]

Speaking of single edits, I prefer the short version of Tommy James and the Shondells' 1969 hit "Crimson And Clover", with the two fast guitar riffs, over the long version with what is, IMHO, that stupid long instrumental bridge that has a "psychedelic"-sounding guitar sound. It just ruins the song for me.

 

[DougD]

Speaking of single edits, I prefer the short version of Tommy James and the Shondells' 1969 hit "Crimson And Clover", with the two fast guitar riffs, over the long version with what is, IMHO, that stupid long instrumental bridge that has a "psychedelic"-sounding guitar sound. It just ruins the song for me.

The longer versio IS my favorite version!

I thought THAT VERSION was the original because I heard it on an FM Top 40 station in 1984 during a daypart (yeah, no one likes "oldies.").

Then on DICK BARTLEY, he only played the comparatively weaker single edited version.

Only later did I learn online that the SINGLE version was the ORIGINAL version and that for LP reasons, it was lengthened.

Cool guitar solo, much like CHICAGO's 25 or 6 TO 4 and GERRY RAFFERTY's BAKER STREET.

 

[ixnay]

Speaking of single edits, I prefer the short version of Tommy James and the Shondells' 1969 hit "Crimson And Clover", with the two fast guitar riffs, over the long version with what is, IMHO, that stupid long instrumental bridge that has a "psychedelic"-sounding guitar sound. It just ruins the song for me.

The longer versio IS my favorite version!

Same here. Is the long version still in print?

ixnay

 

[johnsummers]

Apparently, Tommy James was so inspired by "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf that he went and added that psychedelic guitar. Also, have you noticed, the middle part is pitched a bit flat when compared to the rest of the song. It must/should be 'fixed' before contemplating airplay. Someone mentioned this before but, I think the worst single edit of all time is "House of the Rising Sun'. It's so bad that NOBODY ever plays it. In fact, I don't think it's ever been available on CD. You gotta wonder what they were thinking! I've always disliked airing 'single edits' with the exception of those containing the overly long hippie, drug induced solos or 'noodling' as someone put it a few posts back. If it's just a matter of :30, :45 0r even :60 seconds longer, why not play the whole thing? I've always felt that if that's someone's favorite song, and you'd better hope it is if it's on the air, they'll probably feel 'gypped' by hearing the edit. I have these arguments all the time with my PD and he'll even give in on occaision but, usually, he wins. (LOL)

 

[DougD]

Speaking of single edits, I prefer the short version of Tommy James and the Shondells' 1969 hit "Crimson And Clover", with the two fast guitar riffs, over the long version with what is, IMHO, that stupid long instrumental bridge that has a "psychedelic"-sounding guitar sound. It just ruins the song for me.

The longer versio IS my favorite version!

Same here. Is the long version still in print?

ixnay

Not sure about that. I have the RHINO CD (?) called TOMMY JAMES & SHONDELLS- CRIMSOM & CLOVER and CELLOPHANE SYMPHONY, 2 LPs on one CD.

It has the long version whle RHINO's other anthologies include only the less satisfying shorter version.

Perhaps we could trade MP3s.

 

[FRR]

Did you know there are two versions of Skeeter Davis' I Can't Stay Mad At You. The one that made radio was shorter

 

[Kurt Toy]

"Green-Eyed Lady" by Sugarloaf is another example of a song that sounds better intact.

 

[OldiesCat]

single edit songs

"Green-Eyed Lady" by Sugarloaf is another example of a song that sounds better intact.

Most hit songs do. The mindset that it's better to play edits so you can get more songs in per hour is 1973 thinking.

 

[amfmsw]

There are two versions of Tremeloes "Here Comes My Baby". One is a standard 45 version that starts with a bass downbeat and a lot of hootin' and hollerin'. The full version has the boys starting out talking, clapping, and the beginning of the "party sound"...sort of like the Beach Boys version of "Barbara Ann".

The Goldisc service offers choice of both cuts.

 

[Steve Eberhart]

anyone ever notice the difference between the LP version and the promo 45 version of Magic Carpet Ride...
on the promo the first line is a different "take"...listen closely and you can hear the different pitch in Jon Kay's voice.

Something I am looking for is the Motown promo 45 edit of Papa Was A Rolling Stone. I distinctively remember playing a white promo 45 on a station I worked for that was under 5 minutes....I actually have a white label promo 45 of it, but it is still the 6 minutes or so....anyone?

[email protected]

 

[surfdude]

I believe its on I-tunes Steve.

 

[amfmsw]

The Steppenwolf pitch may have been created between the differnce in reel-to-reel machines when bumping down to a mono edit. A very noticible differnce in pitch and tempo is heard on the Isley Brothers "This Old Heart Of Mine" stereo LP version and the Tamla 45 mono version. They ARE the SAME recordings, but the 45 is faster.

Here's a question: Why two versions of the Jaggerz "The rapper" on Kama-Sutra. One was called the famous "echo" version...ormeeormeeormee

 

[Markieo]

anyone ever notice the difference between the LP version and the promo 45 version of Magic Carpet Ride...
on the promo the first line is a different "take"...listen closely and you can hear the different pitch in Jon Kay's voice.

I have the original Dunhill 45. It's a different vocal altogether. On the LP John Kay says "Goes far, flies near, to the stars away from here" but on the 45 he says "Flies far, goes near".
Mark Q¿Q

 

[Steve Eberhart]

it is different

 

[gr8oldies]

Ventura Highway...no difference in time but I alsways liked the 45 version with just Dan Peek's solo vocal, rather than the LP version with it phased or doubled or whatever.

 

[Oldbones]

Re: single edit songs

"Green-Eyed Lady" by Sugarloaf is another example of a song that sounds better intact.

Most hit songs do. The mindset that it's better to play edits so you can get more songs in per hour is 1973 thinking.

Why is this 1973 thinking and why is it so evil? Granted there were a lot more shortened versions of songs played back in the 70s, but then again there were a lot of needlessly long songs back then too. It's almost like it was an ego thing with musicians back then to see how long they could stretch a song. A handful warranted it, most (including GEL imho) did not.

 

[amfmsw]

Many of those "full length" versions did NOT translate well into AM Top 40 Radio. To get airplay and sales started, like Billy Joel Sang in his edited 45 version of "The Entertainer": "so they cut it down to 3:05" And they did.

Let's face it, a 7+ minute version of "Time Has Come Today" sounded terrible on AM