Anyone Remember Earliest BPM Changes?

[markydefad]

Nowadays, almost every song that's remixed has the bpm's altered (usually upped). Think Toni Braxton's ballad "Un-break My Heart" remixed as a dance anthem and countless others.



I'm curious about the earliest instances of this happening in the seventies.



I have two versions of Claudja Barry's "Dancing Fever" one that bpm's at aprox. 98 and another at about 110.



Space's glorious "Save Your Love For Me" is about 144 bpm on the LP and about 134 on the 12" single version.



And William DeVaughan's "Be Thankful For What You Got" originally released in 1974 at about 94 bpm also exists in a 110 more danceable version (however, I just found out, he rerecorded it in 1980).



Anyone else remember examples of this? I'd like to pinpoint the earliest example.

[Graham_Start]

Thanks to Paulo, I've discovered that El Coco's "Mondo Disco" and "Yakety Yak", both from 1974, are slower on their respective 12" and 7" versions than on the album.



However, I've come to the conclusion that this is actually a mastering error on the LP, so I guess these don't count.

[Graham_Start]

On 2001-11-12 14:10, markydefad wrote:

Nowadays, almost every song that's remixed has the bpm's altered (usually upped). Think Toni Braxton's ballad "Un-break My Heart"

(sound of needle being dragged across record)



Oh gawd, do I *have* to think about that wretched tune? I wish I could unplay that song! Not only was it annoying, but it doesn't make any sense... and it was PLAYED TO DEATH. This track followed the horrific carpet-bombing tactic first used by Celine Dion's "Unison", where they remix the song a dozen different ways for every radio station format, so YOU CANNOT ESCAPE IT. You get an eazy-rock version for radio, a euro-anthem version for mainstream clubs, a minimalist-house version for underground clubs, an all-orchestral version for the Disney movie, etc... no matter where you go or what station you turn to, the song is playing in some form. Resistance is futile.



Unbreak my heart...

Unmow my lawn...

Unburn my toast...

Uncrash my plane...



(pauses, breathes deeply for a few minutes)



Okay, I feel better now. Thank you.

[markydefad]

Graham



To uncoin a phrase, "nobody does it better"...

[JussiK]

On 2001-11-12 14:10, markydefad wrote:

I have two versions of Claudja Barry's "Dancing Fever" one that bpm's at aprox. 98 and another at about 110.

The slower one is the album version, right? Now, was there a 12" at the time of the realese of the lp or did it come later? I only know the faster version from the CD.

[markydefad]

Jussi,



Regarding Claudja Barry's "Dancin' Fever":



I have this on CD ("Best Disco In Town Vol 2") and it bpm's at 109, if I remember correctly. I noticed in that Dutch guy (Peter van Roomen's) Disco BPM list, that he had it at 98. So I marked it as one of his errors (another is Lou Rawls' "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" which he lists at 125 when it's closer to 113 bpm). Anyway, I subsequently downloaded "Dancin' Fever " from Napster and I was surprised to find it WAS slower than the version I have on cd.



So, therefore, I thought maybe the DJ's from that era might recall other instances of this happening. It is interesting that a song titled "Dancin' Fever" would be that slow (98 bpm), although so much of the music of the early to mid-70's was in that 100-112 bpm range.



Do any of today's clubs EVER play anything in that bpm range??? I doubt it, judging from all the remixes I hear where they jackup the beats for all the speed queens to aerobicise the night away.

[Bernie]

A few other points to keep in mind when talking about varying BPM's on the same track:

• As noted above, there were some instances where the 12" version was purposely slower or faster than the original.
  
  
  
• Many older Disco tracks have BPM's that vary throughout the song due to live musicians naturally drifting.
  
  
  
• Some tracks used differing BPM's for certain parts of the song. For example a slightly slower intro that wasn't that noticible... To get accurate counts one may have to take measurements in different parts of the song.
  
  
  
• There are some that calculate BPM's with out of spec turntables. or simply count the beats inacurately.
  
  
  
• As noted before: a mastering defect between pressings.
  

_________________

Defender of the Disco beat,



Bernard Lopez



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owner & publisher of http://www.discomusic.com



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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Bernie on 2001-11-13 12:25 ]</font>