Single or album version preferences

[TwizzleUK]

Many of PSB's singles mixes are different to their parent album versions. I'm interested to know which versions you guys prefer. My list below (with my preferences stated) excludes singles that were exactly the same as the album versions, plus a couple with hardly any differences (2nd version of 'Opportunities' had just 2 bars of extra intro percussion on 'Please', as did 'Before'. And it obviously excludes all other remixes:

1. Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money) - Original 7" Version compared to 'Please'/1986 single version: album
2. West End Girls: album
3. Suburbia: single
4. Rent: single
5. Always On My Mind: single
6. Heart: single
7. Domino Dancing: single
8. Left To My Own Devices: album
9. It's Alright: single
10. Being Boring: album
11. How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?: single
12. Jealousy: single
13. I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing: single
14. Yesterday, When I Was Mad: album
15. Paninaro '95 - compared to original 7" version and/or 'Disco' version: Disco
16. Single-Bilingual: single
17. A Red Letter Day: single
18. I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More: album
19. New York City Boy - UK and/or US Radio Edits compared to 'Nightlife' version: UK Radio Edit
20. I Get Along: album
21. London: single
22. Flamboyant - compared to UK 'PopArt' version: single
23. Minimal: album
24. Numb: album
25. Integral: album
26. All Over The World: album
27. Memory Of The Future: single
28. Axis - Radio Edit compared to 'Electric' version: Radio Edit
29. Vocal - Radio Edit compared to 'Electric' versions: album
30. Love Is A Bourgeois Construct: single
31. Thursday: album
32. The Pop Kids: single
33. Twenty-Something: album
34. Say It To Me: album
35. Burning The Heather: album
36. Monkey Business: single
37. I Don't Wanna: album
38. Loneliness: album

Which are your preferred versions?

[daveid]

I would only compare versions that are substantially different, not just edits or slight remixes

So these I wouldn't -

Jealousy is imperceptibly different in its single version
Being boring is just an edit of the album version
Even Heart isn't hugely different in its single mix

But these I would -

Yesterday when I was mad is a complete rework
Suburbia is a re-recording
Memory of the future is faster and completely remixed.

To give a few examples...

[daveid]

Singles that are substantially different -

Opportunities.....album
Suburbia.....single
Always on my mind....single
It's alright.....single
Seriously.....album
Normally.....album
Yesterday.....single
Numb.....album
Integral.....album
All over the world.....album
Memory.....album

[TwizzleUK]

I would only compare versions that are substantially different, not just edits or slight remixes

For the purposes of this, I'm interested in whether people prefer those edits or slight remixes as well - hence my (almost) full list above.

[telys]

Many of PSB's singles mixes are different to their parent album versions. I'm interested to know which versions you guys prefer. My list below (with my preferences stated) excludes singles that were exactly the same as the album versions, plus a couple with hardly any differences (2nd version of 'Opportunities' had just 2 bars of extra intro percussion on 'Please', as did 'Before'. And it obviously excludes all other remixes:

1. Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money) - Original 7" Version compared to 'Please'/1986 single version: album
2. West End Girls: album
3. Suburbia: single
4. Rent: single
5. Always On My Mind: single
6. Heart: single
7. Domino Dancing: single
8. Left To My Own Devices: album
9. It's Alright: single
10. Being Boring: album
11. How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?: single
12. Jealousy: single
13. I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing: single
14. Yesterday, When I Was Mad: album
15. Paninaro '95 - compared to original 7" version and/or 'Disco' version: Disco
16. Single-Bilingual: single
17. A Red Letter Day: single
18. I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More: album
19. New York City Boy - UK and/or US Radio Edits compared to 'Nightlife' version: UK Radio Edit
20. I Get Along: album
21. London: single
22. Flamboyant - compared to UK 'PopArt' version: single
23. Minimal: album
24. Numb: album
25. Integral: album
26. All Over The World: album
27. Memory Of The Future: single
28. Axis - Radio Edit compared to 'Electric' version: Radio Edit
29. Vocal - Radio Edit compared to 'Electric' versions: album
30. Love Is A Bourgeois Construct: single
31. Thursday: album
32. The Pop Kids: single
33. Twenty-Something: album
34. Say It To Me: album
35. Burning The Heather: album
36. Monkey Business: single
37. I Don't Wanna: album
38. Loneliness: album

Which are your preferred versions?

Over all I prefer the album versions except for Suburbia, Vocal (album version too long), All Over The World
It's Alright, Seriously, Yesterday, Normally do this, Memory o T F etc have album versions which mostly fit well in the album context. Taken out of their context it's most likely that the 7'' versions are better to my ears.

[misterme]

TwizzleUK, I'm using your template to give you my list. So thank you for that.

1. Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money) - Original 7" Version compared to 'Please'/1986 single version: original 7"
2. West End Girls: album
3. Suburbia: single
4. Rent: single (agree with the Boys, album version too repetitive)
5. Always On My Mind: album (epic Introspective version)
6. Heart: single
7. Domino Dancing: album (epic Introspective version)
8. Left To My Own Devices: album
9. It's Alright: album (never understood why the Boys think the album version is weak, it's among my top five)
10. Being Boring: album
11. How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?: album (it may sound dated but I still enjoy it more than the BIR remix)
12. Jealousy: single (real orchestra at the end instead of synths)
13. I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing: album (agree with Neil on this, I prefer the economy of the album version)
14. Yesterday, When I Was Mad: album
15. Paninaro '95 - compared to original 7" version and/or 'Disco' version: original 7"
16. A Red Letter Day: single
17. I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More: radio edit
18. New York City Boy - UK and/or US Radio Edits compared to 'Nightlife' version: UK Radio Edit (the USA edit is boring)
19. I Get Along: album
20. Flamboyant - compared to UK 'PopArt' version: single
21. Minimal: album (epic ending missing from the single version)
22. Numb: album (two verses is better than two bridges)
23. Integral: album
24. All Over The World: album (if it counts as a single - the new mix has no power in the chorus)
25. Memory Of The Future: single
26. Axis - Radio Edit compared to 'Electric' version: album
27. Vocal - Radio Edit compared to 'Electric' versions: album
28. Love Is A Bourgeois Construct: album (butcher edit for the single version, half of the song is missing)
29. Thursday: album (butcher edit for the single version, half of the choruses are missing)
30. The Pop Kids: single
31. Twenty-Something: album
32. Say It To Me: single
33. Burning The Heather: single (having heard the radio edit first, the extra verse of the album version didn't seem natural afterwards)
34. Monkey Business: single
35. I Don't Wanna: album

[spacewalker]

Single version for Always on my mind, Heart, It's alright, Jealousy and Flamboyant.
Both for Suburbia and How can you expect to be taken seriously?
None for Numb and Twenty-something.
Original for Paninaro and UK edit for New York city boy.
Album version for every other song.

[jasonjohn]

The single version of Monkey Business ends with the chorus callout, which is terrific.

On the album they just fade out - which is the way to end a song when you don't know how to end it. So it's weird to not choose the single method, imo.

[Ghost within this house]

Everything I loved about Flamboyant seemed to be taken out of the single mix. Tomcraft all the way for me..

[Straight_Talker]

The single version of Monkey Business ends with the chorus callout, which is terrific.

On the album they just fade out - which is the way to end a song when you don't know how to end it. So it's weird to not choose the single method, imo.

I’m pretty sure that “Fundamental” is the only PSB album that has absolutely no fade-outs. All the tracks have a defined ending, culminating with quite possibly my favourite ending of all…”Perfect”!

[jasonjohn]

Oh wow never noticed that about Fundamental, good point Straight_Talker - definitely one of their best produced albums

[Spittingcat]

One of the things I love about Fundamental.... I hate a fade out... unless the song actually demands it for some reason... like Into thin air... and even then there's a properly written ending AND a fade out.


Singles that are noticeably better* than their album versions? Suburbia, Burning the heather.

Album version that are noticeably better* that their single versions? I'm not scared, Loneliness.

[* sorry, I mean that I prefer... better is entirely subjective ]

[daveid]

Everything I loved about Flamboyant seemed to be taken out of the single mix. Tomcraft all the way for me..

Completely agree. They obviously didn't think highly of it - didn't even make the Further Listening of Release

[VRIDD]

You forgot Home and Dry!

These are my preferred versions

1. Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money) - Original 7" Version compared to 'Please'/1986 single version: single
2. West End Girls: single
3. Suburbia: single
4. Rent: single
5. Always On My Mind: single
6. Heart: album
7. Domino Dancing: single
8. Left To My Own Devices: album
9. It's Alright: single
10. Being Boring: single
11. How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously?: single
12. Jealousy: single
13. I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing: single
14. Yesterday, When I Was Mad: single
15. Paninaro '95 - compared to original 7" version and/or 'Disco' version: two different songs for me
16. Single-Bilingual: single
17. A Red Letter Day: single
18. I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More: single
19. New York City Boy - UK and/or US Radio Edits compared to 'Nightlife' version: US Radio Edit
20. Home And Dry: single
21. I Get Along: album
22. London: single
23. Flamboyant - compared to UK 'PopArt' version: single
24. Minimal: single
25. Numb: album
26. Integral: single
27. All Over The World: single
28. Memory Of The Future: single
29. Axis - Radio Edit compared to 'Electric' version: Radio Edit
30. Vocal - Radio Edit compared to 'Electric' versions: album
31. Love Is A Bourgeois Construct: album
32. Thursday: album
33. The Pop Kids: single
34. Twenty-Something: album
35. Say It To Me: single
36. Burning The Heather: album
37. Monkey Business: album
38. I Don't Wanna: single
39. Loneliness: album

[Gabby]

Thursday is a real conundrum. They fixed the crappy inaudible vocal for the single, then cut it to shreds for the radio friendly length.

I call that a tie.