Let’s discuss any and all music here. Got a new artist who’s rocking your boat that you want to talk about? Post a video! Found out about that unearthed Coltrane album that has the jazz freak in you losing your mind? Lay it out for us! Have a theory about what your favorite band might do for their next album? Let’s hear it! Anything and everything music-related goes here.
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ANNOUNCEMENT: In case you missed it, The Avocado’s very own Headphone Princess is currently hosting a 30 Day Challenge to celebrate National Hip Hop History Month. The challenge started on November 1, but it’s never too late to join the fun and hear some great music – and maybe even discover a few “new-to-you” favorites along the way! For anyone interested in catching up, all the previous challenges for the month so far can be found under the “30 Day Challenge” tag (in the Repeats menu at the top of the page).
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This week’s discussion prompt comes courtesy of The Avocado’s very own Lindsay Gay Disaster:
What are some examples of songs where the radio edit (or single version) is more famous than the album version?
BONUS PROMPT: Which version do you prefer?
“Deeper Shade of Soul” by Dutch rap rock band Urban Dance Squad was a big hit for the group internationally in 1990, reaching number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. However, the version that was ubiquitous during that time (and is more likely than not the one many people of a certain age still remember fondly today) was noticeably different from the one that originally appeared on the group’s debut album Mental Floss for the Globe. While both versions sample “Knock on Wood” by Eddie Floyd and Ray Barretto’s song of (almost) the same name, the memorable horns that punctuate the opening of the UDS single (heard at 1:43 on the Barretto track) and recur throughout the song are largely absent from the album version, not appearing until near the end.
That’s the most obvious change, though there are other noticeable differences: the mix on the single version is cleaner (especially on the choruses), whereas the album version is more densely layered with various sounds. And while the single version spends the last minute repeating the chorus and then fades out around the four-minute mark, the last minute and fifteen seconds of the album version (which clocks in at 4:32) continues on more like a jam session, ending with a saxophone part (credited to Luther Renaldo Francois) not even heard on the much better known single version.
Which version do you prefer? I love them both, though push comes to shove I guess I’d have to go with the single version1 as that horn part really does open the song in grand fashion and ties it all together nicely; that said, I also wish they’d left that other saxophone part from the end of the album version in there as well.
As always, any and all music-related posts are welcome. Have fun, and rock out with yr guac out!