Beastie Boys - "It’s The New Style"

John, I just sent you a copy that I re-created from my promo 45. I don't recall which part or parts were edited out, so perhaps you can report back after hearing my copy. The only thing I can say for sure is that the fade on the promo 45 runs a little longer than the fade on the LP.

I didn't realize that License To Ill had six singles released from it in the US and a seventh promo 45! The album sold 9 million copies in the US, making it the fourth best selling rap/hip-hop album of all time (only topped by The Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show, and Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em).

Using discogs.com as a reference, here are the singles from License To Ill. All times are printed (not actual), and I presume that all 45s contain the LP versions with the exception of "It's The New Style."

"Slow And Low" (3:37) (CS7 2264) (promo only)

"Hold It Now, Hit It" (3:30) (38-05864) (stock/promo)

"It's The New Style" (3:34) (38-06341) (stock/promo) [stock is b/w "Paul Revere" (3:42); promo has "It's The New Style" on both sides; this is an edit of the LP version, although the 45 has a slightly longer fadeout]

"(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)" (3:28) (38-06595) (stock/promo) [b/w "Paul Revere" (3:42)]

"She's Crafty" (3:36) (38-06675) (stock/promo) [b/w "No Sleep Til Brooklyn" (4:07)]

"Brass Monkey" (2:38) (38-07020) (stock/promo) [stock is b/w "Posse In Effect" (2:27); promo has "Brass Monkey" on both sides]

Side notes: "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" and "Girls" were also released overseas on 45s. Music videos were made for the songs "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)," "No Sleep Till Brooklyn," "Hold It Now, Hit It," "Rhymin' and Stealin'," and "She's Crafty."

aaronk wrote: I didn't realize that License To Ill had six singles released from it in the US and a seventh promo 45!

And FOUR of them actually charted, between the r&b (Def
Jam 05864, 06341, and 07020) and pop (Def Jam 06595 and
again, 07020) charts - only Def Jam 06675 missed (not
counting the promo-only "Slow and Low", which I was not
previously aware of, until I read your post). That always
surprised me, even going back to '87, since I remember
the video for "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" got so much
airplay on MTV, and everyone loved it - yet week after
week, I'd hit the newsstand to pick up my latest issue of
Billboard, and the song was nowhere to be found!

For whatever reason, Def Jam/CBS released the last four
commercial singles from the album within just a FOUR-
month span (November of '86-March of '87), which barely
gave some of them a chance, and IMHO, ultimately hurt
potential sales (not that the label was complaining about
5,000,000+ album sales at the time, I'm sure)...

I always thought it was funny how "Hold It..." mutated
from "Hold It, Now Hit It" on the 45 in May of '86 to
"Hold It Now, Hit It" when the album was ultimately
released six months later, in November...

So, what was the sixth commercial single that's missing
from your list??? :-)

Oh, and don't forget U.K. trio Morris Minor and the
Majors' parody of "No Sleep Till Brooklyn", the great
"Stutter Rap (No Sleep 'Til Bedtime)", which went all the
way to #4 across the Big Pond in an 11-week chart run
from 12/87-02/88... ;-)

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