Kool And The Gang Question

I don't know if there are any "experts" out there on Kool And The Gang. But I always wondered if "Hollywood Swinging" is heavily edited. I own three CDs with this song on it and all three sound the same. Here and there a bad edit is audible, reverb that cuts out and stuff like that. It isn't one of their best cuts, but I still would like to know if it was cut down from a longer version...

Patrick

 

"Hollywood Swinging" is THE song as far as I know. I am not aware of any long versions, if there is any in existience. The recording was undoubtedly heavily edited in the production stage. I guess they were trying to make the best record (as in product) they could for the most chart success. It obviously worked...

 

Yeah, but why doesn't the album contain the full version? That's what I want to know. They did a gang of long songs in the 70s, so...

Well, Grant I thought you would answer my question. I got another one for you. What is the original version of James Brown's Funky Drummer. I actually mean the actual speed, cuz I own a lot of versions of this songs with different speeds, overdubs, lenghts, whatever...

 

Well, I guess there IS no long version. What's there is what it is. Maybe that's all they wanted. Not all songs have a longer version or an edited version.

I don't know. I was unfamiliar with the track until the 90s. Even so, I never paid attention to the song. My interest In JB was only for his 60s material and some early 70s singles. I do have several JB packages, including the box.

 

I have two different lengths for "Hollywood Swinging" in my collection. A version that runs 3:28 on "The Very Best of Kool & the Gang", and one that runs 4:42 on Rhino's "In Yo Face! - The History of Funk Vol. 4".

Assuming that the first version is the single, the second is definitely the LP version. The song does not appear on their 12" collection so apparently that's all there is.

As for "Funky Drummer," the original version appears on the JB compilation "Foundations of Funk: A Brand New Bag." Quoting from the liner notes:

Funky Drummer is shorter than all other versions presently available on assorted CD compilations, because none of those are the original mix, but overdubbed/non-overdubbed/remixed variations of the same performance. Here on CD for the first time is the original single mix at its released speed.

 

The 4:42 length IS the single version. Either the 3:28 is a typo, or some DJ edit for radio.

 

No kidding? Really? It's not a typo. The song runs for only three and a half minutes. There is no explanation in the liner notes. It only says "from the album Wild and Peaceful."

Oh well.

 

The book Top 40 Music on Compact Disc by Pat Downey states that "DJ copies of the 45 ran 3:26; commercial copies were all 4:35." Looks like the shorter version is a DJ/radio edit.

 

Radio around here played the commercial version. I never knew a DJ edit existed-until now.

 

That means you got stuck with a radio edit.

Oh Well...

 

Since we're on this topic, what's the best sounding way to get this band on cd? And while we're on the letter "K" how about the same question for KC and the Sunshine Band? Thanks!

 

Well, on the one CD, yeah. I have the LP version on the Rhino disc though.

 

Well, stay away from the cheapo "Ladies Night" CD! It's too fast, the treble is way too hot! All the gaps were edited out. It was EQ'd to hell!

Despite Rhino's reissues of their albums a few years ago, and the recent 25th year anniversary CD, KC & The Sunshine Band has never been served well on CD at all, soundwise.

A real source of irritation to me is that "Boogie Shoes" is TOO FAST, even on the reissue of their breakthrough album. The speed was much slower on the original vinyl. The song was a nice little funky shuffle untill they sped it up for the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack and single. The fade on the long version of "That's The Way (I LIke It)" is faded too soon and lopped off.

 

The LP version is the same length as the original 1974 DeLite single with the black label.