The Chambers Brothers "Time Has Come Today" original unedited version

Anybody know where this can be had? The 1996 Columbia/Legacy CD "Time Has Come: The Best Of The Chambers Brothers" offers two versions, but both are single edits. Anybody who has heard the original unedited version knows the phasey, echoed middle section is considerably longer. I've heard this unedited version a few times on the radio over the years, but I'm not sure where it was available.

 

Mastered by Steve on Rock Of The '70s Vol 5, although it does sound as if there was an azimuth problem somewhere, not apparent on some of the other versions I've heard.

 

Hi Arin, at least 2 cds:

The Time Has Come - Columbia CK 9522
The Time Has Come - Columbia CK 63984

The second is a 2000 remaster. The first a late 80s issue. I can't find a date on the booklet. Obviously OOP.


The 2nd one is here for a mere $9.09
http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?style=MUSIC&pid=1088340&cart=131252604

mud-

 

I have the Legacy remaster of "The Time Has Come" (CK63984) and it has the long version.

 

Sweet. Thanks guys.

 

It's also on the "Chambers Brothesr Greatest Hits" album issued in the 1960s on LP and reissued on CD in 1987.

 

Volume One. Which, the last time I checked, is avalible from Tom Port at www.dccblowout.com .

 

BTW, Highly recomended!

 

Looks like I might end up getting it a few different places! Thanks again.

 

Make that two thumbs up, or would that be four?

Vol. 1 is a stunner. Haven't heard Vol. 2--how's that one?

 

The Chambers Brothers I have:

The Time Has Come (Columbia/Legacy/Sony Music Entertainment Inc) 2000
CK 63984
Time Has Come Today 11:06
Time Has Come Today (single version one) 3:52
Columbia single 4-43816

Even More Nuggets - Classics from the Psychedelic Sixties, Vol. 3 (Rhino Records Inc) 1989
R2 75754
Time Has Come Today 4:57
September 1966

Dick Bartley presents Collector's Essentials The Original Hit Singles
On The Radio Volume Three (Varèse Sarabande Records Inc/Varèse Vintage) 1998
VSD-5973
Time Has Come Today (stereo radio edit) 3:09
Columbia single 44414
1968

I have only posted what I found in the booklets or on the discs. I know it duplicates some already known info. But I thought this might add some further info.

 

Bingo...that's the one I'm after. Thanks! Funny how I was just looking for that one unedited track, now I've got several of these other CDs that've been mentioned in my sights.

 

Glad we were all of some help.

It seems theyoriginally recorded "Time Has Come Today" in the late summer/early fall of 1966 for a single.

About a year later, the eleven minute version was recorded on August 9, 1967. It was a totally new recording of the song.

Some radio DJs complained about the length of the single ( I believe they were complaining about the version on the Rhino CD which was 4:57 in length) or what have you, and, Columbia created a radio edit.

Now, the part I don't know is the exact chronology of the singles and their respective lengths and/or mix.

I'm not even sure how many single versions were released, both commercial and for radio.

Great record, no matter what version.

 

Very Nice, but Vol.1 is the best! But I like em' both.

 

I haven't heard 1 (just ordered it), but 2 is EXCELLENT!

 

Since you asked....

The first version of "Time Has Come Today" appeared on a 45 in 1966 (Columbia 4-43816) with a B-side of "Dinah." A completely different recording than the later version, this lasts only 2:37.

The Chambers Brothers re-recorded it for their album The Time Has Come, which was issued in either late 1967 or early 1968. It first appeared on the Billboard Top LP's chart on Feburary 17, 1968 and is listed as existing in both mono (Columbia CL 2722) and stereo (Columbia CS 9522). "Time Has Come Today" was 11:06 here; it started to become a hit on "underground" FM stations, which didn't have restrictions on the length of songs they played.

Eventually, a single was concocted. Based on my study of several copies of this 45, there are at least three different edits of the LP version:

The first edit was the 3:05 version. I have a promo of this version with the words "Special Rush Reservice" on the label. But the two sides of this double-sided mono pressing have "1B" and "1F" after the master number in the trail-off wax, leading me to believe that this is the first single edit.

There presumably was a second edit, about which I know nothing. (A mysterious 3:31 version, in stereo, has shown up on a couple CDs, but I don't know whether it's this version or a new creation.) I say this because ...

The "hit" version is the 4:45 edit. It has the same master number as the 3:05 version, but an early pressing I have has the suffix "3B" after the master. How early is this pressing? It's a stock copy, but it still has the "3:05" time on the label and it also has no reference to the album on the label. When the label time was corrected to 4:45, Columbia added a reference to the album The Time Has Come to the print under the song title.

To make life even more confusing, there is a 4:51 stereo edit that has appeared on many CDs in recent years. But this is not the same as the 4:45 mono single version, although it is very close. The biggest difference: The mono single is slightly faster than the stereo re-creation. Fortunately, the mono hit single version has appeared on CD.

 

I found the album "The Time Has Come" by The Chambers Brothers (on vinyl) at a thrift store today. I have never heard the unedited version of the title track before. I've listened to that song 5 straight times, and I am amazed by it. I need to hit the bed now and probably won't get to hear it again till late tomorrow afternoon. When I get home from work tomorrow, I'll probably listen to it several more times before moving on. I have the shorter, single version on a comp CD and the full version blows it away. Just expressing my joy over a newfound pleasure!

 

What a fascinating history to this song. I never knew. Not sure how many of the edited versions I've heard (including the original 45). It really surprises me that so many folks never heard the full-length version (from the debut Columbia LP). That's the first version I heard - not being on the planet when the song was a "hit" on AM radio. Wasn't the full-length version occasionally played on FM rock radio into the early 80s? I could swear that's where I first heard the song.........
-------- Chris

 

I bought the album in the seventies at the time when a lot of Columbia albums were reissued and packaged without inner sleeves. I never understood why they did that. A paper sleeve must have been too expensive for them back then....

 

One less piece of equipment to operate too.

 

I had NO IDEA there was an alternate recording on 45 (the version on the B-side). Now I need to seek out a copy!

 

The long version was an FM staple. It's also on their vinyl hits record, The Chambers Brothers' Greatest Hits, Columbia Stereo C 30871. That's the version I've got.

Upthread and 11 years ago, Gary mentions the long version is also on one of DCC's Underground Radio CDs. I have those and will have to pull it out. It's mastered by Steve Hoffman.

 

As I recall, their label didn't want them to record "Time Has Come Today". They snuck into the studio, and only had one take. That take ended up being 11 minutes long, and the sound effects were done live. Dunno if that's actually true or not.