montell jordan "this is how we do it"
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Topic: montell jordan "this is how we do it"
Posted By: edtop40
Subject: montell jordan "this is how we do it"
Date Posted: 15 April 2006 at 6:12pm
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pat
my full length cd of "this is how we do it" contains as track three the song "this is how we do it" which runs 3:56 and is identical to the version that is on the commercial cassingle issued as PMP/RAL 851468..........the database says that there is 0:40 of coda.........is it possible that there are 2 versions of this cd.........or is it that the 0:40 coda is really from track 2 that lapse into track 3........anyone? ------------- edtop40 |
Replies:
Posted By: edtop40
Date Posted: 15 April 2006 at 6:18pm
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never mind.........the coda is AFTER the track not before.....sorry... ------------- edtop40 |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 15 April 2006 at 6:45pm
| What I've always wondered about this song is that several radio stations have played a version that has a completely different vocal take. I've never been able to figure out where this comes from. The background track is the same, and I believe it's a version without rap (if my memory serves me right). Montell sings kind of off key in this version, but it's not live. I'm wondering if early DJ copies had this mix, and then he resung it to improve his vocals for the final LP mix. |
Posted By: Brian W.
Date Posted: 15 April 2006 at 11:54pm
| I do have a promo CD for that song with both a rapless version (called Radio Edit, running an actual 3:38, and called Radio Mix on the import), plus the LP Version, but both sound to me to be the same vocal take that is on the commercial single. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 16 April 2006 at 6:47am
| Yes, I used to play that promo single on the air, and it's the same vocal take as the album. There's another version floating around somewhere. |
Posted By: Jeff H.
Date Posted: 17 April 2006 at 12:52pm
| There is another promo CD that has an alternate lead vocal to the one that appears on the LP and single. I don't have it in front of me to give the exact catalog number but I did get copy back in '95. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 17 April 2006 at 10:45pm
| Thanks, Jeff. Any other info on this mix? Was it an earlier issue? I never liked it, because he was singing off-key in several parts of the song. |
Posted By: Jeff H.
Date Posted: 19 April 2006 at 10:07am
| Hi Aaron. Yes I do think the version that slipped out on that promo CD single, might have been an earlier vocal take that shouldn't have been released. The commercial CD, cassette single, and 12" did not have this version. |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 05 December 2007 at 8:04pm
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Revisiting this, my version from RPM Top Hits USA runs 3:32, whereas the 45 version runs about 25 seconds longer.
Was the RPM version the same as Jeff H's promo CD single? |
Posted By: jimct
Date Posted: 05 December 2007 at 8:35pm
| My only promo CD single for this, (PRCD 6912-2), on the front of the disc itself, states only one track, the (LP Version - 3:59). However, a sticker on the front of my jewel case says, "(PRCD 6912-2) Montell Jordan-This Is How We Do It, contains 1-Radio Edit (listed 3:34; actual 3:38), and 2-LP Version (listed 3:52; actual 3:57)". (I added the actual timings.) This promo CD single does, in fact, have the two tracks stated on the sticker, in what appears to have been a simple promo CD single production error. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 26 April 2009 at 7:20am
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I recently obtained the same promo CD that Jim mentioned (PRCD 6912-2). This is the one with the earlier, alternate vocal take. Like Jim's, the back insert and disc itself just state "LP version"; however, there is a sticker on the front of the case indicating there are two tracks, the first one being a "Radio Edit."
The station I worked for received a different promo CD, and it didn't have inserts nor a sticker on the front of the case. That copy also did not mention that there were two tracks. I don't recall if it even listed a version, or if it just said "LP Version," like the copy I have. Brian, when you get a chance, can you check your promo CD that has the same vocal take as the commercial CD single and LP version? The matrix number on mine is "PRC D69 122 02%". |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 07 June 2009 at 6:26pm
| Bringing this back to the top to see if anyone can supply info on the promo CD that matches the LP vocal take. By the way, there is a copy of the promo CD listed on eBay right now that has the earlier, non-LP vocal take. The seller is cdteria. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 15 May 2013 at 2:09pm
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Mystery finally solved on this one. There are two promo CD singles with identical catalog numbers and track listings. One comes with front and back artwork, and the other does not. One has the alternate vocal take, and the other has the LP vocal take.
PRCD 6912-2 Matrix: PRC D69 122 02% Notes: This is the version with the alternate vocal take. It comes with front and back inserts, as well as a sticker on the front listing the correct track list. The disc and insert incorrectly list only one track, "(LP Version) 3:59". The track list, as printed on the sticker, is: 1. Radio Edit (listed & actual 3:34) 2. LP Version (listed 3:52; actual 3:54) PRCD 6912-2 Matrix: PRC D69 122 03! Notes: This disc contains the LP vocal take and does not come with inserts. It only has the sticker on the front of the jewel case with the track listing. The disc itself incorrectly lists "(LP Version) 3:59". 1. Radio Edit (listed 3:34; actual 3:38) 2. LP Version (listed 3:52; actual 3:57) ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 01 August 2013 at 11:21pm
| Thanks to the information supplied by Jim and Aaron, the database consists of nicely detailed promo CD single info for Montell Jordan's "This Is How We Do It". I thought I'd also pass along that cassette single copies contain the "LP Version" and have an actual run time of 3:55, not 3:59 as stated on the label. (Thanks once again to Ed for assisting with this!) |
Posted By: 80smusicfreak
Date Posted: 24 August 2014 at 2:17am
aaronk: Eight years on, but I just wanted to give a belated "thank you" for originally bringing up the topic of the initial (off-key) vocal take of this song, and then aggressively sorting out its origins in such detail (after the assist from Jeff H.)! This was one of my all-time favorites from the '90s (along w/ his later hit, "Get it On...Tonite"), and I admit I was previously unaware of the alternate vocal version. I bought the commercial 4-track CD maxi-single (PMP/RAL 422 851 469-2) back in '95, and that's been my go-to CD for the song ever since. :-) Over the past eight years, I've been checking eBay off & on for a first pressing of PRCD 6912-2, as I know it doesn't turn up often, and a couple times I realized I'd just missed out on a copy, as they'd already sold a few weeks before. :-( Then about three weeks ago (July 30), MJ's "Unsung" episode premiered on TV One, and that spurred me to check eBay again - and this time, I FINALLY nabbed one! It arrived about a week ago, and of course I'd never heard the original vocal version before - very interesting! I agree it's not as good, though, so I'm glad they had him re-do it at the time. No mention of having to do the re-take on "Unsung", but in case you haven't already seen it, you can watch the entire 35-minute episode (uninterrupted) here: http://www.soultracks.com/unsung-montell-jordan - Montell Jordan - "Unsung" (full episode) A shame he ended up having to sell the rights to his entire catalog a few years ago - didn't know about that, either! :-( |
aaronk wrote:Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 14 June 2015 at 2:02pm
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I recently obtained a very rare promo CD single for "This Is How We Do It," which does not have a catalog number. It is a factory pressed CD on RAL/PMP Records (Def Jam), though, with the following tracks:
1. Studio Ton Radio Remix (actual 3:42) 2. Puff Daddy Radio Remix (actual 4:23) The matrix number is MJ-1 <01>. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: 80smusicfreak
Date Posted: 14 June 2015 at 9:09pm
While this latest promo CD single that you've found may indeed be the rarest yet for this particular song, aaron, I assume its contents are identical in every way to tracks 4 & 6 (respectively) on the not-so-rare 1995 commercial U.S. CD maxi-single for his follow-up hit, "Somethin' 4 da Honeyz" (PMP/RAL 422 856 963-2)??? Used copy on eBay, w/ several photos: http://www.ebay.com/itm/MONTELL-JORDAN-single-CD-Somethin-4-Da-Honeyz-THIS-IS-HOW-WE-DO-IT-6-track-/221789183305?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33a3aa5d49&nma=true&si=qlWfqsXbqXBV2Zu%252FJfVu%252BQKmAUY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 - MONTELL JORDAN - "Somethin' 4 da Honeyz" (commercial U.S. CD maxi-single) |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 15 June 2015 at 4:34am
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Great observation! Yes, I would assume they are the exact same on
both discs, and I had completely forgotten about those remixes appearing on "Somethin' 4 Da Honeyz." ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: 80smusicfreak
Date Posted: 15 June 2015 at 8:54am
| *re-christens self as "90smusicfreak"* :-) |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 15 June 2015 at 11:07am
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To create the 3:38 radio edit using the 45 version:
Keep 00.00 - 2:42.666 Remove 2:42.666-3:01.189 Keep 3:01.189 to the end of the track Your file runs 3:38. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 15 June 2015 at 11:23am
I expect you to uphold your new name by posting many new threads regarding '90s songs! BTW, I hope this isn't just some feeble attempt to make yourself look younger. :) ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 22 November 2018 at 8:46am
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I just obtained Hitmakers Volume 110, and it has yet another alternate mix of "This Is How We Do It." (For those who are unaware of the Hitmakers series, these were various artists promo CDs sent out by Hitmakers magazine to radio stations to promote the latest pop/top 40 releases.)
This version runs 3:51 and has a new jack swing beat to it. The disc does not label the name of the mix, and given that it was released on February 17, 1995, there's speculation it could've been an early alternate mix that Def Jam eventually scrapped before releasing the single and LP. In an email exchange between me and AndrewChouffi, he said one of his local top 40 stations played this mix. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: promojunkie
Date Posted: 18 March 2022 at 11:17am
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I've read through the thread and am curious about the
different versions on the 2 promo cds PRCD 6912-2. What are the alternate lyrics/vocal take? How would one distinguish which version they are listening to? ------------- Rick |
Posted By: AdvprosD
Date Posted: 18 March 2022 at 7:48pm
I would make the case that this Hitmakers version might be an early alternate mix as the vocals are exceptionally clear. For the longest time I always thought the lyric went, "Ever since I was a lower K-C," but in this version it is plain as day when he says "Ever since I was a lower case 'G'." In the other versions I hear a lot of bass distortion covering up everything. Which seemed to be the style of the day. ------------- <Dave> Someone please tell I-Heart Radio that St. Louis is not known as The Loo! |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 18 March 2022 at 8:44pm
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The release timeline is interesting. Hitmakers 110 has a date of February 17, 1995. According to Wikipedia, the official Def Jam single came out February 6, 1995 (before the Hitmakers disc). Another possibility is that it was an "exclusive" remix given only to Hitmakers, even if they didn't label it as such. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: promojunkie
Date Posted: 18 March 2022 at 9:04pm
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What are the alternate lyrics/vocal take? How would one
distinguish which version they are listening to? I see someone on discogs is selling the alt lyrics for over $125 ------------- Rick |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 18 March 2022 at 9:33pm
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The alternate vocal take has the exact same lyrics, but there are
several places where it sounds off-key—enough to make you think “oooh, that was a sour note.” ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: Hykker
Date Posted: 19 March 2022 at 5:13am
What sort of lead time did Hitmakers (and other non-official promo samplers) require to compile and manufacture their CDs? We received any number of these at our station back in the 90s, and it wasn't uncommon for them to have a song before we were serviced by the label for it, which tells me they'd heard thru the grapevine about upcoming releases that may not have been finalized yet. I remember a different sampler series around that same time using a version of Gina G's "Ooh Ah Just A Little Bit" with a cold ending which we received several months before the official release. We'd added it to our Saturday night mix show, and just kept playing that version (actually, the cold ending suited the song better) during its chart run. |
Posted By: AdvprosD
Date Posted: 19 March 2022 at 12:00pm
Do you remember the name of that series? I'd be interested in looking that one up. ------------- <Dave> Someone please tell I-Heart Radio that St. Louis is not known as The Loo! |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 19 March 2022 at 1:00pm
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According to some notes and if you can find a copy, the 3:00
cold end was also on this CD - https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/JsgAAOSwvmhhoxLH/s-l1600.jpg ------------- John Gallagher Erie, PA Celebrating 28 years as a full-time wedding & special event DJ! |
Posted By: AdvprosD
Date Posted: 19 March 2022 at 10:06pm
Thanks John! I'm looking at the listing now but don't see it on the page(s). Perhaps it is on a different disc? I'm going to look over a few sites and see which issue it appeared on. ------------- <Dave> Someone please tell I-Heart Radio that St. Louis is not known as The Loo! |
Posted By: Hykker
Date Posted: 21 March 2022 at 5:36am
| The disc John G. linked to is the one we used back in '96. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 21 March 2022 at 6:13am
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Regarding Gina G., the cold ending version also appears on the 2-track commercial CD single and is labeled "Eurovision" version. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: crapfromthepast
Date Posted: 05 September 2025 at 7:56pm
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Just documenting some mastering info. Non-hit earlier Radio Edit (released on promo CD single with matrix number 6912202) There are no background vocals until 1:06, starting with the first chorus. The background vocals are flanged at 1:06, and are flanged at every instance thereafter. At 3:11, Montell sings "and I'm never coming back..." You can find this version on:
Hit later Radio Edit (released on promo CD single with matrix number 6912203) Background vocals appear in the intro, four beats after the first sung line of the song. Background vocals are clear (no flanging) throughout the whole song. The vocals are completely resung, compared to the earlier version. Most of the lyrics are the same, but there are some diffrent ad-libs in the last minute of the song. At 3:11 (or the point in the song equivalent to 3:11 in the non-hit version), Montell sings "straight up coming from the west side". These are the same lyrics, and the same vocal take, used for the LP version. This same vocal take is also used in all of the remixes that I could unearth. This version turns up on:
Unknown mix The first line of the song is the backing vocals, not Montell. The intro features a really weak drum track, which pumps up after eight beats and continues strong for the rest of the song. It's on:
It uses the same vocals/vocal take as the LP version (with a different backing track), which leads me to think that it's not just a really early mix, or it would have used the same vocals from the non-hit Radio Edit version described above. I'd bet that this was on a real promo disc, because it appears on promo samplers from two different companies. It's odd that it's never appeared anywhere else, though. ------------- There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one http://www.crapfromthepast.com" rel="nofollow - Crap From The Past . |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 05 September 2025 at 9:07pm
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I agree that the mix on the Hitmakers disc is not an early mix but a remix. The "official" remixes on the Def Jam promo CD are the Studio Ton and Puff Daddy mixes, and they don't sound anything like what's on Hitmakers. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: crapfromthepast
Date Posted: 07 September 2025 at 12:15pm
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Update, thanks to Dave L: The TM Century discs fade in the intro, so that it's missing the first 7 seconds of the low-volume chatter. The fading-in is done after the opening two drumbeats. After that, it's a level-adjusted digital clone of the promo CD version. The promo CD has the non-hit "Radio Edit" described above, but also has a non-hit "LP version" that uses most of the non-hit earlier vocal take! This non-hit "LP version" includes the n word at 3:12. It's replaced by "neighbors" in the non-hit "Radio Edit". That's right, the n word appears on a promo CD single. The actual LP version, the "LP version" from the hit ("3") promo CD single, and the "Radio Edit" from the hit ("3") promo CD single all include the word "neighbors", clearly pronounced in the lyrics. I'd bet that someone at the label noticed that the n word appeared on a track that they sent to radio stations, and told Montell and his production team to go back and do it again without the n word. Pure speculation. ------------- There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one http://www.crapfromthepast.com" rel="nofollow - Crap From The Past . |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 07 September 2025 at 5:52pm
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I'm not convinced it's the n word, because that line is repeated in every chorus. The line you're thinking was changed (at 3:11 of the non-hit LP Version) occurs at 2:52 of the non-hit Radio Edit version. There aren't any vocal/lyrical changes between the two; it's just one edit, removing 2:43 to 3:01. The "neighbors" line also appears at 1:20, 2:15, and 3:11 of the same non-hit Radio Edit, and it doesn't make sense he would sing "neighbors" in those places but use the n word once instead of "neighbors" like all the other times. I do agree, though, that it's sung in a way that it could be misheard. While it's also speculation on my part, I still think that someone realized that they released the wrong vocal take on the promo CD, and it was quickly swapped out. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: crapfromthepast
Date Posted: 07 September 2025 at 9:04pm
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OMG! Aaron is indeed correct - the word in question does appear in the non-hit radio edit at 2:52. Aaron's explanation makes perfect sense. I attribute my error to not knowing the song lyrics as well as I should. (I still hear the whole song as "something something something this is how we do it something something something".) ------------- There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one http://www.crapfromthepast.com" rel="nofollow - Crap From The Past . |