"By the Time I Get to..." - Isaac Hayes

Todd, you are correct, it is a bit like "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", but probably even more like Peter Frampton's "Do You Feel Like We Do", due to its still-unusually-long length, for an "edited" 45 version. I only own a promo 45 for this, and the "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" side, for this double-sided hit, has both a listed & an actual time of (6:45). My "Greatest Hit Singles" CD version runs (7:03), so, despite the CD's name, it runs :18 seconds longer. And while I was at it, I also timed its flip side, "Walk On By", which has a listed time of (4:20) and an actual time of (4:19). However, all current "45 version" database CDs state run times of either (4:31) or (4:32), so all CD "45 versions" would appear to run :12 to :13 seconds longer than my promo 45. Would someone owning a commercial 45 be able to confirm my promo 45's findings?

Edited by jimct

Todd, the edited 45 version of "By The Time..." came from Hayes' highly-acclaimed debut LP, "Hot Buttered Soul". This is considered by many to be among the greatest albums, ever! The LP peaked at #8 in 1969, and received surprisingly wide and large "mainstream" acceptance at the time, despite containing (18:00) versions of at least one of its songs!

jim, my commercial 45 issued as enterprise 9003 lists the
run time on the label as 6:45 and runs like your promo at
6:45....the 7:02 version on the stax cd 'greatest hit
singles' needs to be edited down to match the vinyl
45....i have sent the vinyl 45 to mark and we'll see what
he comes up with as an edit.....

The 7:03 version on Greatest Hit Singles (1991) is a stereo edit of the LP version, which doesn't quite match the 45. Time-Life's 2-CD Body And Soul Vol. 11 Night Whispers (1999) uses the same analog transfer as Greatest Hit Singles.

The 6:55 version on Complete Stax-Volt Soul Singles Vol. 2 1968-1971 (1993) is another stereo edit of the LP version, which also doesn't quite match the 45. This version trims a few beats here and there in the first two-and-a-half minutes, compared to Greatest Hit Singles.

Starting with Complete Stax-Volt Soul Singles Vol. 2 1968-1971, if you trim exactly 4 beats, at 2:25 after the word "sham", you'll get the 45 edit, only in stereo. The vinyl 45 was mono. (If Mark M's recreation of the 45 is accurate, then you'll also need to shorten the tail of the fade by two beats.)

The 2009 reissue of Hot Buttered Soul (at least what's on Qobuz) has proper stereo 45 edits of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and "Walk On By", although the 45s were in mono.

This song is the very definition of "epic".

Edited by crapfromthepast