Monday, March 1, 2010

Music Monday: A Few Hatchet Jobs

Back in the olden days of radio, some songs were shortened for radio play. Every once in a while, the edit was minor, but often, the result was a hatchet job that frustrated me. Here are a few examples.

Edgar Winter Group: Frankenstein
When this rock instrumental was released as a single, the record company hacked it back to a paltry 4 minutes. This radio version pales in comparison to the full nine-minute version. I also like the version by Marcus Miller's group.

The Chambers Brothers: Time Has Come Today
Compare the short radio edit to the original longer version (this is actually a bit shortened, but not much). The long version is one serious psychedelic trip, which is totally missing from the short version. I had no idea that this longer version existed, and after listening to it, I feel like I just walked through the Haight.

Yes: Roundabout
When I heard Roundabout on the radio back in the 70's, I often heard a version that was about 3.5 minutes long (which I can't find online now). This hacked up version stank when compared to the full album version. Every time I heard the song, I held my breath when it got to the cut point.

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