Yesterday, our pal Steve Simels posted a Stealers Wheel track over at the invaluable funhouse we know and love as the Power Pop blog. The song, "Everyone's Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine," is a sublime piece of pop music, especially the single version, which differs from "Everything Will Turn Out Fine," the album mix that is found on the Wheels' "Ferguslie Park" release. Some prefer the album version. I prefer the single, though I am not certain if the song was remixed, re-recorded, or if it is simply an alternate take from the same session. One thing I am sure of, you can't go wrong with handclaps.
Single mixes and single edits are very common. As a rule, I'm not a fan of edits. I understand why they existed back when real radio existed. You needed to say it in 2:48. But that doesn't always work. I would much rather hear the song the way it was intended. Listen to the absolutely horrible single edit of 10cc's "I'm Not In Love" and you'll understand why. The edit completely decimates the gorgeous bridge and that stunning bass line. You can feel the edit physically. Think, Moe slapping Curly on the back of the head.
Conversely, one of my favorite Elvis Costello tracks is "It's Time" from "All This Useless Beauty." The single edit removes the bridge, which I always thought was clunky, both lyrically and melodically. It was a speed bump in a perfectly good groove. That song works better shorter. Sometimes, Elvis, you need to shut up.
Or how about Randy Newman's classic, "Last Night I Had A Dream?" The album version is your typical, piano based Newman arrangement, whereas the single is a fired up, grungey psych fest! Newman hated it, I believe. I love it.
Single edits are more common than complete alternates. Alternates can boggle the mind. (See Randy Newman.)
I am on the fence with remixes. What Giles Martin has done recently with The Beatles' catalogue has been nothing short of miraculous. This is music that is in our blood and yet, Martin somehow made us hear things we hadn't heard before. Conversely, Tony Visconti, since David Bowie's death, has pointlessly remixed the Bowie catalogue so we can also hear things we haven't heard before. More Tony Visconti.
Now this.
What we have here are two versions of The Romantics' power pop gem, "Tell It To Carrie." The first version from 1978, is how I first heard it. I fell in love immediately. Two years later, when they got signed to a major label, and changed their suits from white to red, "Tell It To Carrie" was re-recorded. Did the indie label Bomp not give Epic the rights, or did Epic not like the original version? Or maybe the band didn't like the original single? All I know is, when I bought the debut LP, I was crushed when the new version of "Carrie" came on.
The differences?
I think there is more passion in the lead vocal on the original.
The production is a little hotter on the new version, maybe to match the red suits. The original feels more Merseybeat.
But the most disappointing change happens on the last verse, which begins around the same time on both, around the 2:20 mark. The original features a call and answer in harmony, which is pure bliss. The new version, well, does not have that call and answer. And that kills it for me. I love that part! There is also a very timely "whoa HO HO" on the original that is missing on the new version. The new version just dies, like a two on, two out pop-up.
I bet you have your faves and non-faves.
7 comments:
My 70s band did a gig with the pre-major label Romantics at some absolutely disgusting East Village dive whose name I have mercifully forgotten. They had the suits, which I was quite in awe of, and were absolutely great live. Super nice guys, too.
As I'm from the greater Detroit area -- I've loved both versions of Carrie for years. They are different, but it probably depends on which version you heard first. To me, the call-and-response in the final verse on the single doesn't work as much, but there's a definite energy in the original single (being that it's slightly faster). But the album version has the better guitar solo and I like the production better! (The guitar sound on that debut album is fantastic throughout though.) I don't think you can go wrong with either version!
How is it that "Layla" cannot be remixed properly?!?!? From the 1970 original to the twentieth anniversary and later box sets, every version is beautiful and infuriating at once as vocals and instruments are either cleaned up, muddied, cluttered or removed.
This is a rabbit hole I've never gone down. I never bought singles and never listened to the radio (not really). I just bought albums, on cassette and then CD and now, sadly, just streaming. When Sal pointed out a Hall and Oates greatest hits set I liked (Rock & Soul Part 1) was a travesty because of this radio edit and that single version rather than the album version, I was like, WTF are you talking about? Huh? Clueless me!
Posts like these are what I like about YOU!
Remember NRBQ had that great song "Get that Gasoline Blues" during the '72 gas crisis. A great tongue and cheek rocker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXxFofpn_yA Bought the LP and the full version (over a minute more) with horns sounding like a funeral dirge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SkgX34mMWs 14:24
Absolutely agree with everything you said about "Tell it to Carrie"!
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