Different Versions Of Songs For Different Radio Formats

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The drummer for Semisonic was on NPR today plugging his new book called So You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star (it is a cautionary tale, i believe) and he played 3 different versions of "Closing Time". One was the version given to alt-rock stations - bigger guitars, louder drums. One was the version given to Top 40 stations - big vocals, guitars not as loud, more tambourine. And one was the version given to Adult Contemporary stations - electric guitars almost gone, acoustic guitars and strings way up front. It was pretty neat! And I guess I've never really thought too long and hard about this kinda thing. But I was wondering how common it is (And I'm not talking about stuff like Shania putting out 3 versions of one album and people singing in Spanish/English/etc, acoustic/unplugged versions hitting it big. live versions. But the same song mixed differently for different audiences. ) Any recent or not so recent examples of this that you can recall?

(I looked for a thread about this, but couldn't find one. If there is one, please direct me to it.)

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 12 August 2004 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I heard Scott Stapp's solo stuff is going this way

― Red Panda Sanskrit (ex machina), Thursday, 12 August 2004 15:17 (twenty-one years ago)

What, going the Semisonic way? Well, that makes perfect sense. You make a helluva lot more money with ballads.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 12 August 2004 15:19 (twenty-one years ago)

well, doing different mixes for top 40 and rock

― Red Panda Sanskrit (ex machina), Thursday, 12 August 2004 15:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, okay. Gotcha.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 12 August 2004 15:21 (twenty-one years ago)

so if there are three different versions released to radio, which one d'you get when you walk into a shop and buy it?

Sounds like very interesting book by the drummer from a very boring band, in theory...

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 12 August 2004 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)

There must be country examples of this. Where they take out the fiddle or something for top 40 radio. I guess I haven't really been paying attention!

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 12 August 2004 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

The top 40 version he played sounded like the video version that I remember. so maybe that was the album version.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 12 August 2004 15:26 (twenty-one years ago)

They took out the Lady Saw bit in No Doubt's "Underneath It All" (?) for more AC-leaning stations, if I remember correctly.

― Sam Benson (Sam Benson), Thursday, 12 August 2004 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

AC stations omitted the rapping parts when Maxi Priest's "Close to You" was a massive hit way back when.

Lonestar's "Amazed" was mixed for pop radio by bringing the strings to the front back in 2000.

― Joseph McCombs, Thursday, 12 August 2004 18:13 (twenty-one years ago)

ive never heard of a mix difference, but i do remember when MC skat kat's rap used to be cut out of "opposites attract" for top 40 but not for rap/r&b stations. also, the rap at the end of tlc's "waterfalls".

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 12 August 2004 18:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Shania Twain to thread!

― phil d., Thursday, 12 August 2004 18:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Apparently the early 2 Unlimited singles were released abroad without the rap verses.

― Siegbran (eofor), Thursday, 12 August 2004 19:02 (twenty-one years ago)

I can definitely see the taking-out-the-rap thing happening a lot.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 12 August 2004 19:04 (twenty-one years ago)

"TODAY'S HOTTEST MODERN ROCK ... AND NO RAP"
(actual station id)

― sexyDancer, Thursday, 12 August 2004 19:10 (twenty-one years ago)

the local shite alternative rock station always gets cryptorascist when discussing black musicians

― Red Panda Sanskrit (ex machina), Thursday, 12 August 2004 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

so do video directors for over-the-hill canadian industrial acts
(see skinny puppy thread)

― sexyDancer, Thursday, 12 August 2004 19:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Morgan Geists remix of Franz Ferdinand's Take Me Out vs. original version. Morgan's version is not intended as a "dance" remix, but a remix in any case.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Thursday, 12 August 2004 19:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I really hate Black Eyed Peas' "Let's Get It Started", but I LOOOVE "Let's Get Retarded".

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 12 August 2004 19:19 (twenty-one years ago)

"Picture" by Kid Rock and Sheryl Crowe (rock),
"Picture" by Kid Rock and Shelby Lynne (country)

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Thursday, 12 August 2004 23:58 (twenty-one years ago)

for some reason the local alt-rock station plays a version of Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" without electric guitars (the drums/bass/vocals are from the same mix, but the guitars are all acoustic. It sounds like SHITE.)

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 13 August 2004 00:42 (twenty-one years ago)

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