Pet Shop Boys Community

I've just heard the radio mix of Numb and they seem to have cut the orchestral intro and the second verse completely. Thereby ruining the unity of the song. About 15 years ago, they'd be doing extended mixes, now it's about dumbing, or is that numbing down, to increase the Radio 2 playlist rating. I just hope the brilliant video achieves more promience than the radio mix.

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wirral39 wrote:I've just heard the radio mix of Numb and they seem to have cut the orchestral intro and the second verse completely. Thereby ruining the unity of the song. About 15 years ago, they'd be doing extended mixes, now it's about dumbing, or is that numbing down, to increase the Radio 2 playlist rating. I just hope the brilliant video achieves more promience than the radio mix.

I fully agree with you, for the full 100%. I feel it's exactly like you said: ruining the unity of the song. But it's fashion. It happens more and more, this unecessary cutting. I also never understood why Flamboyant (orig. playing time 3.56 or so) had to be cut to 3.37 mins.

dVTB wrote:I also never understood why Flamboyant (orig. playing time 3.56 or so) had to be cut to 3.37 mins.

The single mix of Flamboyant is superior to the album version.

I like both versions of Numb.

What's the problem? They've always released radio edits.

Even the radio mix of West End girls is shorter than the album version.

Unfortunately (mainly commercial stations) need advertising space, unless a song is 3.30 or under they rarely get airtime. Its the way things are and we have to put up with it.
Although the album version is longer / better..... at least we get another version of a very powerful song. If it helps sell a few more copies of Fundamental in the process it can only be a good thing IMO.

! wrote:

dVTB wrote:I also never understood why Flamboyant (orig. playing time 3.56 or so) had to be cut to 3.37 mins.

The single mix of Flamboyant is superior to the album version.
I like both versions of Numb.

I didn't say I dislike the single version of Flamboyant. I think it's way better than the album version. Yet I don't understand that it was *shortened* some 21 seconds. When I wrote 'edited', I meant the cutting of the song, NOT the extra production, additional vocals, etc.

kdx125 wrote:Unfortunately (mainly commercial stations) need advertising space, unless a song is 3.30 or under they rarely get airtime. Its the way things are and we have to put up with it. Although the album version is longer / better..... at least we get another version of a very powerful song. If it helps sell a few more copies of Fundamental in the process it can only be a good thing IMO.

I understand the problem... - Last week, I was driving around in my car and listened to several radio stations, including some Dutch commercial stations. Coincidentally, both stations played 'Killer' by Adamski and Seal, BOTH stations edited the single-edit, to make the song ever shorter! One station even skipped the instrumental part completely.
In the past, I also heard a mutilated version of In Private (Dusty) on the radio. Just awful.

It's the equivalent of what happens on Australian commercial TV. An imported half-hour British sitcom is cut by 5 minutes to allow about 10 minutes of advertising throughout the show. And if you've ever seen Australian advertising...

As for the Numb issue, I think the radio mix is dreadful. What kind of song is it if half of its verses are removed.Non fans are going to listen to this and think - why have PSB brought out such a slow song which is perversely cut to one verse making it sound like they ran out of ideas half way through. They'll take it at face value and not buy it.

dVTB wrote:

! wrote:

dVTB wrote:I also never understood why Flamboyant (orig. playing time 3.56 or so) had to be cut to 3.37 mins.

The single mix of Flamboyant is superior to the album version.
I like both versions of Numb.

I didn't say I dislike the single version of Flamboyant. I think it's way better than the album version. Yet I don't understand that it was *shortened* some 21 seconds. .

Actually I think it's one of the reasons that makes the single version better. I like it when the first chorus is shorter than the others, it makes the song less repetitive.

For example I had get used to the single versions of "I don't know..." and "New York City Boy", so when I got the Nightlife album I thought those songs were too long. I prefer single edits!

Radio edit is ok for a casual listening to. It's great that we get different versions.
More effort put in by Neil & Chris, as usual.