Hall & Oates - She’s Gone

A side note regarding "She's Gone"... The actual run time of Jim's commercial 45 copy is 3:26. (The printed record label time is 3:24.) I mention this as a supplement to the database, which presently only shows DJ run time info for the song.

By the way, did we ever determine if the original hit 45 mix has appeared anywhere on CD?

Edited by Todd Ireland

I have to admit, I'm still not entirely clear regarding the 45 version situation with Daryl Hall & John Oates' "She's Gone"... Are we in essence dealing with two different 45 pressings here where one is a straight edit of the LP version and the other is slightly remixed? Do the mixes differ significantly enough to warrant mention in the database? And do all 45 pressings contain the rough edit in question?

Now, if the rough edit on the 45 version of "She's Gone" was smoothed out specifically for CD release, wouldn't this by definition render it an incorrect 45 version? There seems to be some debate here as to whether the term "remix" is appropriate in this instance. Perhaps it might be more accurate to have the "remixed 45 version" comments re-stated to read something like: "this is technically not the 45 version as there is a slightly different edit at the x:xx mark".

Any further thoughts on this?

Wanting to compile a Hall & Oates singles collection, I've begun to research and compare the 45's I have to whatever CD sources I have at my disposal. "She's Gone" has proven to be the trickiest yet to dissect.

Comparing the 45 (1976 press) to the version on the original "Rock n Soul" comp. from 1983 (both LP and non-remastered CD), the subtle level differences Pat has detailed of the hi-hat on the intro and synth at 0:28 (a Moog, maybe) being lower can be heard, though neither is significantly different. The chop edit at 2:00 on the 45 is also less obvious on the RNS version, so the possibility exists that it could be a slight remix of the single. Sonically, the stereo 45 has solid mid-range punch, while the RNS version has those frequencies carved out a bit more. So it's equally possible that eq alterations and mastering preferences could account for the perceived variations. (Personally, I'd opt for the latter.)    

Here's where it gets trickier - the 2006 remaster of the RNS comp. offers a new re-edit. Close listening to either the 45 or 1983 RNS version reveals the first edit point to be at 0:05. The 2006 version has the first edit one full beat and second earlier at 0:04 - the guitar amp in the background can be subtly heard fading up earlier because of the different edit point. The perceived mix variations from 1983 are also gone, but the most noticeable difference is that the rough edit at 2:00 is now almost completely cleaned up and smoothed over. Looking at a visual representation of the audio in a wav editor, it appears they accomplished this with a slight volume drop and a lot of compression and/or limiting. At any rate, it's the best that particular edit point has ever sounded.

But wait - if you act now, you'll get even more confused! How about yet another edit variation? Yep - the "Atlantic Soul (1959-1976)" box features an alternate edit at 2:00 that removes the two-beat drum fill and replaces it with the steady snare hits that lead into the (excised) sax solo. It's a well-done, unique edit that can't easily be recreated without some fancy editing and crossfading, leading me to believe it was created specifically to replace the original Atlantic 45 edit.

So the 45 itself is only an edit and not a remix of the LP version from "Abandoned Luncheonette". Citing just the sources above, there are at least three different variations of it available on CD, with the original, non-remastered "Rock n Soul" version being the closest rendering in the digital realm, but none seem to be a genuine representation of the 45.

Motion seconded. Welcome!

The version on Greatest Hits - Rock 'n Soul, Part 1 matches The45Prof's rip of the 1976 45 perfectly, as well as his rip of the mono-only 1974 promo 45. The only difference is the 45s play 0.39% slow.

The version on Sounds of the Seventies - 1976: Take Two and the two other compilations Ron mentioned is definitely a re-creation. The very first edit, instead of cutting out 18.8s at about 0:04.8 (assuming leading silence was trimmed), cuts out the same duration starting at about 0:03, when the two bass guitar notes play. At the next edit point where they cut out about 12.2s starting at about 0:18.5, they got the timing very slightly off; it's a hair too soon compared to the 45. And at the 2:00 edit point, it's crossfaded for a half-second, which makes the drums kinda mush together.