The B-52’s-"Roam"

The US commercial vinyl 45 is the "Edit" that has the actual (4:04) and the listed time "4:02" on the record label (Reprise 7-22667)

--abagon

The "Edit" on the promo CD single is an edit of the LP version and starts with the acapella intro. The "Radio Mix" on the stock CD single is remixed and starts with the music (no acapella intro). There are noticeable differences in the mix, including lots of reverb on the drums.

Does anyone out there own the "radio mix" and can let me listen to it? I don't think I remember hearing it when it was a current.

PM me if you can, thanks!

Andy

I agree that I never recall hearing any other mix on my local top 40 except the "Edit," and they always played the acapella intro, if I remember correctly. While the remixes were not sent out on a separate "PRO-CD-" promo single, I believe radio did get copies of the stock CD maxi single.

A bit of history: It looks like the single for "Love Shack" was released in June 1989, but it didn't even crack the Hot 100 until three months later in September. Perhaps this was fueled by MTV video airplay? In any case, given the surprisingly huge hit it became by November '89, Reprise sent out "Roam" as the next single. My guess is that the remixes were not quite ready, but they felt they needed to get another single to radio given how hot "Love Shack" was. Once the remixes were available, I'm betting Reprise simply followed up to radio with hole-drilled copies of the CD maxi.

Reprise & other Warner Bros. family labels seemed to send out stock CD singles quite often to radio around this time period (in addition to the normal promos). I have a lot of CD singles with either a crossed out barcode and/or a hole drilled through the case. My copy of the "Roam" maxi CD does, indeed, have drill mark on the spine.