"Have You Seen Her" - Chi-Lites

Bwci Bo wrote: Is the fuzz guitar gone completely during the first verse narration?

Yes. It is completely gone before the word "one" is uttered.

Bwci Bo wrote: Or is it just mixed down lower, yet still audible?

What you're describing here would actually be the "extra instrumentation" version.


Here's the 45/LP version* without any fuzz guitar during the first verse:

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


And here's the "extra instrumentation" version with the subdued fuzz guitar playing (in the left channel) through the first four lines of the first verse:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVYxKRXDT2I


* = At least on my vinyl copies, the channels are reversed between the 45 and LP. The fuzz guitar during the intro is in the right channel (with the delayed reverb in the left) on the Brunswick stock 45 (as confirmed in the youtube clip with the 45 label shown), but it's in the left channel (with the delayed reverb in the right) on the Brunswick LP (For God's Sake) Give More Power To The People. There seems to be more than enough fuzziness to go around!

Edited by Yah Shure

The examples were really helpful. I can hear the difference between the two very clearly now.

My sole copy appears to be the version with extra instrumentation.

Thanks for your help, Yah Sure! I really appreciate it.

aaronk wrote: For the record, I hear absolutely no fuzz guitar on the MC Hammer version ;-)

*chuckle*

In every copy of the 45/LP version on CD I've heard,
right before the narration, "one month ago today" The
narration starts in the right channel "one month.." then
the full narration is centered starting with the "one
month ago today...

Was this a mastering error? False cue for the beginning
of the narration? Was it like that on the 45? Am I
crazy, lol? (wait, don't answer the last question.)

I think that the "extra instrumentation" versions may actually be the UK 45 version.

Here's a YouTube video that shows the UK 45 and plays the "extra instrumentation" version with vinyl artifacts. The video doesn't show the needle being dropped on the actual Brunswick 45 from the UK, but at least the vinyl artifacts show that the "extra instrumentation" was released on vinyl somewhere.

Here's another YouTube video that shows that the "extra instrumentation" version appears on a US 45. It's a US rerelease on Eric Records, with the Eric logo at 9 o'clock and the Brunswick label at 12 o'clock.

I'll trace the mastering history.

(possibly) UK 45 version (about 5:09)

The (possibly) UK 45 version is in stereo, with the opening fuzz guitar note being primarily in the left channel. At 0:30, after the line "one month ago today", there is a prominent ascending fuzz guitar riff in the left channel.

The first appearance on CD is probably on Sony's Seems Like Yesterday Vol. 1 (1989). This disc has the left and right channels reversed, fades early to 4:55, and is compressed around -6 dB. There's a digital clone on Madacy's Rock On 1971 (1996), which is digitally exactly 1.5 dB louder. Avoid both of these.

The first proper appearance on CD is Rhino's Billboard Top R&B Hits 1971 (1990). It sounds great here - excellent source tapes, nice dynamic range, full EQ, and no evidence of noise reduction. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Time-Life's Superhits Vol. 10 1971 (1991) - left/right channels reversed
• Time-Life's AM Gold Vol. 6 1971 RE-1 (1991) - left/right channels reversed
• Heartland/Warner Special Products' 2-CD Night Songs (1994)
• JCI's Only Soul 1970-1974 (1996) - left/right channels reversed and hastens the fade
• Time-Life's Solid Gold Soul Vol. 6 1971 (1996)

Time-Life's Sounds Of The Seventies Vol. 12 1971 Take Two (1990) uses a different analog transfer of the same source tape as Billboard, and also sounds quite nice.

Rhino's Didn't It Blow Your Mind Vol. 6 (1991) runs 1.2% too fast and fades early, even accounting for the speed error. Not sure what happened here to warrant a speed error and an early fade, but here it is. The same analog transfer is used on these Rhino promo CDs:

• Didn't It Blow Your Mind Vols. 6-10 Sampler (1991, PRO2 90070)
• Didn't It Blow Your Mind Vols. 1-20 Sampler (1995, PRCD 7136)

US 45 version (about 5:08)

The US 45 is stereo, with the opening fuzz guitar note being primarily in the right channel. At 0:30, after the line "one month ago today", there is no fuzz guitar.

The first appearance of the US 45 version on CD is on Rhino's Chi-Lites Greatest Hits (1992). It sounds great here - excellent source tapes, nice dynamic range, full EQ, and no evidence of noise reduction. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Rhino's cheapie Seventies Smash Hits Vol. 5 (1993)
• Rhino's Billboard Hot Soul Hits 1971 (1995) - digitally identical
• Rhino's promo Billboard Sampler (1995, PRCD 7135) - digitally exactly 0.72 dB quieter
• Time-Life's 2-CD Body And Soul Vol. 4 Night Moves (1998)

My recommendations:

For the (possibly) UK 45 version, go with Rhino's Billboard Top R&B Hits 1971 (1990).

For the US 45 version, go with Rhino's Chi-Lites Greatest Hits (1992) or Rhino's Billboard Hot Soul Hits 1971 (1995).

To Ron & Bill:

I do not own the first 'Greatest Hits' LP from '72 with sixteen tracks.

But I do own the different 1983 'Greatest Hits' vinyl LP with ten tracks. This contains the "extra fuzz guitar" version.

It was the first time I had ever heard it, although it certainly could have existed prior.

Andy

Edited by AndrewChouffi