The Smiley Smile Message Board

It might be easier to go the other way with it, but everybody list some "Long" versions of songs that are better than the shortened edit.  I guess really they're almost ALWAYS better, although I can see where trimming it down helps promote it.

The two that immediately spring to mind are:

1. Crimson & Clover - They cut out so much of the trippy guitar work in the edited version, I think it makes it much better Long, the extended version rocks. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXrAUXbQ7Iw

After listening to it again, in my opinion that's possibly some of the most beautiful guitar work I've heard.  I know it's not all that but it's such a pretty song.  I used to work at a photo lab when I was a teenager, I had this guy come in the grocery store one day who swore up and down he was in the Shondells and played guitar on most of their hits including this one.  Wish I would have got his name.  At the time I honestly didn't give a sh*t. 


2. Amie by Pure Prairie League - on the album, it had an extended intro that they cut off for the single.  It's awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhbN1LCDcAM


Post me some more examples guys and girls where prudence got in the way of over the top can't contain themselves self indulgent 8 minute long rock songs, lol. 

The Doors - "Light My Fire"
The Doors - "Riders On The Storm"
Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Freebird"
Pink Floyd - "Money"

Well, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", obviously - the single version is absolutely worthless.  (There are MUCH better ways to condense that song onto a 45.  I've tried.)

Sometimes, the 'extended' version IS the true, complete song; for example, "Macho Man."  The extended version has verses the condensed version doesn't.

Rapper's Delight by the Sugarhill Gang.
Mr. Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan is better than the cover version (shortened cover version) by the Byrds
I honestly have heard some amazing mixes of 10-20 minute versions of Heroes and Villains and they blow even the Smile Sessions version out of the water.

Probably a controversial opinion, but I agree with you. Too bad the Byrds didn't do a longer version for their first album, as their arrangement is classic, but yeah, I prefer Bob's version simply because he does the complete song.

"Won't Get Fooled Again" -- the single version is just plain insulting.

"Fooled Around and Fell in Love" by Elvin Bishop.  The single excises a wonderful guitar solo -- a highlight of a great pop record.

Gotta go find it gotta go find it :)  I love that song and I dont' think I've ever heard the album version.  


Edit: Found it, I think the single might have part of the solo on it or something, becuase I've heard some of it but you're right that makes the song MUCH better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39Xf6XTgohA

You're right -- the solo is partially there on the single version.  But very brief.

Ballet for a Girl in Buchanon vs. the 2 or 3 singles cut down from it. (Chicago). Does that count?

I have no clue what you're talking about.  So it may count.  Here's what I gleaned from your post.

You MAY be talking about the band Chicago, which I like.  I don't know much about them, but I know they have a propensity for making really long songs.  So maybe they made a really long piece of music alled "Ballet for a Girl in Buchanon", and it was so fucking long that they made two or three different singles (which I've never heard) from different parts of it. 

How close am I? 

On the nose. "Ballet" was a side-length suite, and "Make Me Smile" and "Color My World" were cut from it for singles. There might've been a third--or, actually, "Make Me Smile" was cobbled together from the first/last songs of the suite. And yes, they're great as singles, but the suite is pretty damned cool.

In the 70s a lot of R&B/Soul hits would be truncated versions or divided into "Parts 1 & 2" on each side of a single -- James Brown had a few like this ("Sex Machine").  Edited examples are "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" by the Temptations and I think "Shaft" by Issac Hayes.  Another group that did the "1 & 2" thing were the incredible Isley Brothers.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3Kf1Iy5E6U

Man!

 :afro :hat

I'm not sure I like any single edit better than the extended version.

Yeah, I was thinking maybe I should have made it the other way around :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCvOiwUMNW8

loop this endlessly and you got one monster of a track!

someone should post a 100 hour youtube vid of Shortenin Bread, it's just that great! just like Nyan Cat

I definitely prefer the full length version of "Love Is Like Oxygen" by The Sweet.

Kraftwerk - Autobahn

Ding Dang

Surprised nobody has picked this...

'Cool Cool Water'.

Life

All of James Brown's stuff is better in the full versions

Cool, Cool, Water is much better to me in the long edit. Livin With A Heartache is far better short.

Allman Brother's epic live version of Whipping Post totally annihilates the studio version (the SANE applies to many Grateful Dead songs, esp. Dark Star).

Time Has Come Today by The Chambers Brothers. Blinded By The Light by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Who Are You by The Who. The Kids Are Alright by The Who. I'll think of more as soon as I hit the "post" button.  ;D

Yes - Into the Lens. The short version is my nomination for sloppiest single edit of all time. Have a listen; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCjU7ZwqI4U

I've never completely understood the genesis of this song though so I can't comment.... I was under the impression that it was kind of hacked together after Brian fiddled with it for a while, and Carl just married a bunch of sh*t together into a long mix.  I mean I love the long version better too but since it's piecemeal, I don't know what to think about it. 

Don't think. Trust your feelings Luke

I'm much more Anakin, actually. 

A song that in my opinion benefitted greatly from being shortened to single length, despite the blatant edit, is Free's "All Right Now". It may be because I heard the album track a couple of years later but that extra verse sounds to me like one verse too many...

In general, I hate shortened versions of songs.

The lone exception I can think of is Foghat's "Slow Ride."  The radio version just under 4 minutes is perfectly compact, while the LP version is stretched out for no apparent reason IMO. 

This weekend I heard the Trammps' "Disco Inferno"... and it was the shortened version, which cuts off the end part, with the lead singer going "Now how many people know what I"m talkin' about??? I'm not talkin' bout burnin' down a building.... It's comin' from the soul yall!  It's comin' from my soul, yall!   Don't you rescue Me!!!!! Let My Spirit Burn Free!!!!"


Another example of a great song neutered by the almighty scissors of the record company....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfewgUR0dUU

"Light My Fire" - The Doors
"On The Road Again" - Canned Heat
"25 Or 6 To 4" - Chicago

"Save It for Later" (12-inch) -- English Beat:   
https://youtu.be/08Q2PxcpR3Q

Never wanted this song to end...   :)

There are a couple of other songs, edited down for 7" singles, that took up a whole side of the original LP----and sound much better that way:

"Get Ready"----Rare Earth (side 2)
"Love To Love You Baby"----Donna Summer  (side 1, unedited for a 12" single)

I initially thought (erroneously, it turns out) that The Temps' "Masterpiece" (another to get the 7" chop) was a side-filler...

Suzie Q by CCR

David Bowie - "Heroes" and "Young Americans"

The "radio edit" of Sweet Child O Mine cuts short one of the greatest guitar solos in history.

Agreed. 

There was an awful chopped up version of The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again. 

Love is Like Oxygen by The Sweet

Don't Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult sometimes chops off Buck Dharma's guitar solo. 

The Who "Love Reign O'er Me"
The single version doesn't have nearly as much intensity as the album version.  Same with "Won't Get Fooled Again" as has been mentioned a few times in this thread.

Also the radio edit of My Sharona cuts short another incredible guitar solo. 

To me, the only way to experience 10cc's "I'm Not In Love" is in the album versions full form. The original 45 mix has some sloppy editing that messes with the flow. Another favorite of mine is Neil Young's "Sample and Hold" 12" which features an extended alternate version of "Sample and Hold" as the a-side and the "Mr. Soul (Dance Mix)" as the b-side. Great stuff that makes the versions on Trans sound tame.

Thanks for the heads up, VM. There are some gaping voids in my acquaintance with Mr Young's music and the Trans era is one of them.

As for the topic in general: I think it depends a lot on which version you heard first. I bought The Doors' debut album (after listening to "The End" in the shop) because they were on the same record label as Love (Elektra) and loved it, not least the spectacular end to side one. Later I heard the 45 of "Light My Fire"----and to me it was a travesty of the original, emasculated beyond belief. Not to say a downright insult to the band.           

No Good Vibrations? I miss the hum-de-dum section in that profusely!

Big Country: "In A Big Country"

album version > 7" edit.

Big Country's The Crossing (1983) is a superb album, which I bought at the time and still own. My favourite track from it is "Chance", an utterly gorgeous song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKkhNV8zn-s

I hope Stuart Adamson has found peace now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Country (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Country)

I bought my first copy of The Crossing used about 21 years after release. Inwards skipped on the first line and also did on at least one copy I bought as a gift for someone. I wonder if the part of the disc that passage is on is more natural for people to pick it up by and improperly handle. Bought the then-recently remastered CD soon after. It was great to finally hear all the words on Inwards but the drums didn't sound so hot. Third time's a charm with the old cassette.