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eric_a
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| Posted: 01 September 2008 at 11:17am | IP Logged
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I was just reminded of a mystery from years ago. While this isn't exactly a "top 40" question, I'll bet someone here has the answer.
As many of you will recall, George Michael's single "I Want Your Sex" was split into Part 1/Part 2 on 45.
Somewhat strangely, however, I've seen the 12" single in two different jackets and ostensibly with different A-sides. There's one jacket that matches the 7" PS ("I Want Your Sex," parts 1-3 b/w "Hard Day"). Then, there's a second version, selling "Hard Day" as the A-side, backed with "I Want Your Sex").
Does anyone know the story behind this flip? Was "Hard Day" a big club hit? Was it pushed to radio?
On a related note, I just heard "I Want Your Sex" on an old American Top 40 countdown, and Casey avoids saying the title of the song.
Edited by eric_a on 01 September 2008 at 11:18am
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AndrewChouffi
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| Posted: 01 September 2008 at 11:55am | IP Logged
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"Hard Day" was worked to Black/Urban stations (it reached #21 on Billboard's Hot Black Singles chart in a separate chart run after "I Want Your Sex").
"Hard Day" reached #5 on Billboard's Hot Dance Music - Club Play chart.
Andy
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aaronk
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| Posted: 01 September 2008 at 4:42pm | IP Logged
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As a side note, Jim once sent me a dub of "I Want Your Love," which was sent to his station on a reel to reel tape when the song was a hit. It's an interesting edit of the 12" mix that removes all instances of the word "sex."
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Steve Sharp
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| Posted: 01 September 2008 at 7:50pm | IP Logged
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I remember reading about the "I Want Your Love" version, but have never heard it. I would love to get ahold of it.
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Brian W.
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| Posted: 02 September 2008 at 5:02pm | IP Logged
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Well, since the catalog number of the US 12-inch for "I Want Your Sex" was 44-06814 and this is 44-07466, presumably "I Want Your Sex" as the A-side came first.
According to Discogs.com, the US 12-inch of "I Want Your Sex" with "Hard Day" as the B-side used the LP version of "Hard Day." Presumably when that song was remixed, the 12-inch version was given the A-side in a separate release.
Hard Day
I Want Your Sex
BTW, I've mentioned this is other threads, but the original LP Version of "Hard Day" as released on the 12-inch in advance of the album ran slower than the final album version. I have that original running speed on the US CD3 maxi. Same mix, just runs noticeably slower.
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Hykker
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| Posted: 02 September 2008 at 5:25pm | IP Logged
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Steve Sharp wrote:
| I remember reading about the "I Want Your Love" version, but have never heard it. I would love to get ahold of it. |
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Me too.
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eriejwg
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| Posted: 02 September 2008 at 5:46pm | IP Logged
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Steve Sharp wrote:
| I remember reading about the "I Want Your Love" version, but have never heard it. I would love to get ahold of it. |
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Me three. :)
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Roscoe
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| Posted: 02 September 2008 at 8:07pm | IP Logged
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Steve Sharp wrote:
| I remember reading about the "I Want Your Love" version, but have never heard it. I would love to get ahold of it. |
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Boy, I haven't heard that one since 1987! I mainly heard the standard 45 version on the radio stations in my region, but the one pop station in my (very small) hometown played the "I Want Your Love" version, which always bugged me whenever I heard it. I can't even remember how they reworked it; must have blocked it out.
Several years later, this same station played a "clean" version of Dead Eye Dick's "New Age Girl" that put a sound effect over the word "bone" in the "she don't eat me but she sure likes the bone" line. Another travesty.
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elcoleccionista
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| Posted: 03 February 2017 at 10:43pm | IP Logged
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Casey Kasem named the full track name up to a certain point when it
was climpbing up to the top 20, from then on all instances on later
shows I have listened to, he ommitted it.
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elcoleccionista
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By the way, for those interested, there are previously unheard "I
Want Your Sex" vocals on the 2010 Freemasons remixes which were
officially licensed. They appear on the second verse between "...it's
taken too much time... and ..."when you tell me you're gonna regret
it...".
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Plastic Steel
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| Posted: 06 February 2017 at 8:00am | IP Logged
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My local stations generally played the "I Want Your Love" version back in the summer of '87. I took a run at making my own edit based on a cassette I taped off the radio back then. I was able to match the edits but I didn't have the outro since it was cut off on my cassette (unless it sounds exactly like the intro to "Back In The High Life Again" by Steve Winwood, then I have it). I'm also not 100% sure I have the intro since it was also cut off ("Flames Of Paradise," if you're wondering). I should have known I'd need it 30 years later.
Generally, you have to replace "sex" in the chorus with either "love" or no vox so that instead of:
I want your sex
I want your love
I want your sex
I want your...sex
in the regular version, you end up with:
I want your love
I want your love
I want your love
I want your...
Then the ending transitions to the middle third of the "Monogamy Mix" (the version on the LP) with the synth horns. It's actually a nice piece of editing. It's surprising this wasn't released as an actual radio promo on 45 or CD. I probably heard this version more back then than the "filthy" version them big city folk had to listened to.
Edited by Plastic Steel on 06 February 2017 at 8:07am
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Brian W.
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| Posted: 06 February 2017 at 8:05pm | IP Logged
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Yeah, "I Want Your Sex" was the #1 selling single for
three weeks, but it never climbed higher than #4 in
airplay, with a peak of #2 on the Hot 100. I've always
wondered if it would have been #1 on the Hot 100 if it
hadn't been for some radio stations reluctance to play
it.
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PopArchivist
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| Posted: 09 June 2020 at 12:32pm | IP Logged
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Brian W. wrote:
Yeah, "I Want Your Sex" was the #1 selling single for
three weeks, but it never climbed higher than #4 in
airplay, with a peak of #2 on the Hot 100. I've always
wondered if it would have been #1 on the Hot 100 if it
hadn't been for some radio stations reluctance to play
it. |
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Looking back now you are probably right Brian W, in this era the song would be pretty tamed compares to Rihanna's S & M and other more provocative hits.
Edited by PopArchivist on 09 June 2020 at 12:32pm
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RichM921
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| Posted: 10 June 2020 at 5:07am | IP Logged
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PopArchivist wrote:
Looking back now you are probably right Brian W, in this era the song
would be pretty tamed compares to Rihanna's S & M and other more
provocative hits. |
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Even 5 or so years later no one seemed to have an issue with Color Me
Badd's "I Wanna Sex You Up" or R. Kelly's "Sex Me". Attitudes
changed fairly quickly.
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PopArchivist
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| Posted: 28 August 2020 at 6:19pm | IP Logged
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aaronk wrote:
| As a side note, Jim once sent me a dub of "I Want Your Love," which was sent to his station on a reel to reel tape when the song was a hit. It's an interesting edit of the 12" mix that removes all instances of the word "sex." |
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I'm sort of torn whether in my Hot 100 of 1987 (which strives for complete accuracy, radio edits over 45 commercial versions for example) to include this radio I Want Your Love version or to go with the I Want Your Sex, which also got airplay and most of us know and heard back then. The controversy is what I think propelled it to #2.
It is an interesting edit, but it is a very rare case of a radio edit that never made it to the public on any released single version. Any thoughts on what I should do I am all ears.
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Bellenger1981
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| Posted: 28 August 2020 at 8:11pm | IP Logged
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I say go with the one that got the most airplay.
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Jason Bellenger
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Paul Haney
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| Posted: 29 August 2020 at 5:34am | IP Logged
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Personally, I'd go with "I Want Your Sex." It's the one I heard the majority of the time in the summer of 1987.
It's the same reason I prefer the German version of "99 Luftballons" by Nena. I never heard the English version much until
years after the fact.
Of course, a lot depends on which radio market you were in at the time.
Edited by Paul Haney on 29 August 2020 at 5:36am
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PopArchivist
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| Posted: 29 August 2020 at 7:31pm | IP Logged
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Paul Haney wrote:
| Personally, I'd go with "I Want Your Sex." It's the one I heard the majority of the time in the summer of 1987. |
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That's the way I was leaning Paul. I wouldn't begin to deduce which got more airplay that year I want your love or I want your sex, but my money would be on what was commercially available, which was I want your sex. Could a clean version released got it to #1? Possibly. If the label wanted to play it safe a clean version should have been available for purchase but it wasn't. The 45 and the CD promo in 1988 contain no censored lyrics.
I personally never heard I want your love until Ron and Chuck showed me it existed. However, there was a front page article in Billboard on June 27, 1987 which indicates the clean edit was created by an Atlanta radio station and was not approved by Columbia.
Edited by PopArchivist on 29 August 2020 at 7:39pm
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Paul Haney
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| Posted: 30 August 2020 at 4:48am | IP Logged
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Just for the record, I do recall hearing the "I Want Your Love" version a few times on the radio during the summer of 1987. I
believe that KDWB & WLOL were probably only playing it during the day. I was working the overnight shift at 7-11 that summer and I
had the radio on all night long and they were certainly playing the "Sex" version a lot. Frankly, I thought the whole
"controversy" was pretty silly to begin with.
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jebsib
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| Posted: 30 August 2020 at 7:55am | IP Logged
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I travelled a lot around the country that summer (New England, Buffalo, Fla,
Hawaii) and - as Paul said - the song was very heavily dayparted in many
markets - thus only played after 8pm. Never once heard the "Love" remix until
years later.
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Topic: George Michael - Hard Day b/w I Want Your
