George/Elton - "Don’t Let The Sun ..."

The album version of George Michael and Elton John's "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" turns up in a few places, including Hot No. 1 Hits! (Realm 1CD 8195, 1992), Now That's What I Call Music 22 (Virgin EMI PolyGram UK 7 80228 2, 1992), and Now 1992 (Virgin EMI PolyGram UK 8 27086 2, 1993). All three sound pretty good and run about 5:45, give or take a second.

Thanks to an old post from Todd, we know that there are two versions of the promo CD single out there: Columbia CSK 74086 has one track, labeled "Edit", that runs 4:27, and Columbia CSK4287 has one unlabeled track that runs 5:46.

I have the short edit on Top Hits USA RH10, and I assume that it's the 4:27 version from the promo CD single.

Here are instructions for creating the short edit from the album version. I used the timings from Now 1992, so your results may be off a little if you use one of the other sources.

Keep 0:00.0-0:44.6 of the LP version.
If the 3-note piano roll after the words "black and white" are counted as beats "4-and-1", with the loud middle note being "and", then edit on beat "2" at 0:44.6.
Remove the 32 beats from 0:44.6-1:12.7.
Keep the 203 beats from 1:12.7-4:09.4.
Edit on the downbeat, following the short, gentle drum fill that follows "someone else I see".
Remove the 56 beats from 4:09.4-4:58.2.
Keep 4:58.2-5:45.7 (end) of LP version.

Your mixdown will run 4:28.7 with edits at 0:44.6 and 3:41.2.

Edited by crapfromthepast

crapfromthepast wrote: Thanks to an old post from Todd, we know that there are two versions of the promo CD single out there: Columbia CSK 74086 has one track, labeled "Edit", that runs 4:27, and Columbia CSK4287 has one unlabeled track that runs 5:46.

Make that at least three. According to the book Collectible Compact Disc Price Guide 2 by Gregory Cooper (1998), there was also a "press kit in custom box" issued on Columbia CVK 4288 (note consecutive catalog no. w/ the other above) that included a promo CD single and VHS tape - and he actually included a picture of that three-piece promo set in the book (pg. 389). No mention of the song's length/version on that one, though...

Columbia CSK4287 isn't even listed in the book, but Columbia CSK 74086 is...

In addition, Cooper lists a COMMERCIAL U.S. CD single for the song, on Columbia 44K 74130 (again, no length/timing listed, but I'd assume it's the 4:27 "edit")...