The Disco Side of Gladys Knight and The Pips

[Mario]

Hello Guys! :) The other day I was looking for something to play in my car on my drive about town. I reached into my pile of CDs and pulled out Gladys Knight & The Pips. I used to love the song: Baby, Don't Change Your Mind. It was written and produced by the genius, Van McCoy. It has such a smooth sound to it and is so remincent of Van McCoy's The Hustle. Here's what I don't understand: On most disco compelations that include Gladys Knight, they always include the song: It's A Better Than Good Time. To me, that song is more R & B than it is disco and has never been a song that I particularly cared for. Yet today's disco compelations leave out "Baby, Don't Change Your Mind" which is pure disco at its classiest best! What do you all think? Take Care... 8)

[markydefad]

The definitive version of "It's A Better Than Good Time" is a Walter Gibbons remix which was only released in a limited quantity as a Canadian import, as I understand it. I learned all this from Keefe. :D

The legend of this record is mostly due to that rare remix--which I DON'T HAVE. :evil: :evil: :evil:

I like the LP version (which I DO HAVE)--but suppsedly the remix strips it down and removes the poppier elements and makes it CLASSIC!!!!

[Forrrce]

I've loved 'Baby, Don't Change Your Mind' since it was a pop hit here - it's just magic. Later disco goodies include 'Taste Of Bitter Love' and 'Bourgie, Bourgie' (though I didn't like the latter much first time around, it grew on me many years later).

'Love Is Always On Your Mind' is an epic which seldom gets its due.

It took me something like twelve years to get my hands on 'It's A Better Than Good Time' :evil: :roll: and the dealer who found it for me had several sealed copies. I'd bugged him for it for at least ten of those years and he admitted he'd probably passed it many times, assuming I couldn't be after a plain old Gladys 12 on Buddah... duh :lol: . By chance, he noticed the Gibbons legend and the rest became history.

[Giovanni]

My copy of the canadian release with the legendary remix is not one of the cleanest around, but you know how rare it is and so I have to be happy just havin it.
At around 2/3 of the track, when the chorus goes and a new stripped down break comes in, I heard a bad chop mix with the tempo being altered.

Is this on my copy, or is this a Gibbons' responsbility that was never amended?

tnx for info

[keefelc]

Giovanni, the sound quality of the Canadian import twelve I have is also minimal at best. I suspect it was Walter's master tape. :(

Forrrce, if I recall correctly, there have been twelves with just the regular album mix. So you had to watch out. I know countless compilations have rudely included only the album mix. I've always wondered why this remix didn't get a commercial release. Did it have something to do with Buddah Records being absorbed into Arista shortly thereafter? Also, Billboard Magazine reported Buddah was to have released a "Dancing With Gladys" album as a companion to Melba Moore's "Dancing With Melba" (which included the FAB "Standing Right Here" remix). We're still waiting!

I too loved the Jerry Peters produced "Love Is Always On Your Mind." Phyllis Hyman's "Loving You, Losing You," which came out about the same time, was also produced by Jerry. Both tunes are some of my "Morning Music" favorites.

Finally, don't forget about the John Luongo remix of "You Bring Out The Best In Me" from one of Gladys's solo albums on Columbia. Another morning delight from Ms. Knight!

[markydefad]

And let us not forget the earlier 1974 gem "I've Got to Use My Imagination"...as dance-oriented as Gladys ever got in the early 1970s.

[keefelc]

Or how about "Friendship Train" from their Motown years? Or is that stretching it?

[K-Bee]

"Come Back & Finish What You Started" was billed as their huge disco single from their 1978 Buddha LP (at least according to the printing on my copy).
Alltogether, I think it's extremely dissapointing though. I'll take "Save The Overtime For Me" any day...arguably their best dance track ever.

[Forrrce]

At around 2/3 of the track, when the chorus goes and a new stripped down break comes in, I heard a bad chop mix with the tempo being altered.

Is this on my copy, or is this a Gibbons' responsbility that was never amended?

A mate was recently in Canada and visited one of the known 12" dealers there (eastern chap called Aki, I think) who said that the acetate is the full length version (some 13 mins +) and for some reason, the commercial release had the whole middle section chopped out. He promised my mate a CD of this version, but didn't deliver.

...there have been twelves with just the regular album mix. So you had to watch out*

Finally, don't forget about the John Luongo remix of "You Bring Out The Best In Me" from one of Gladys's solo albums on Columbia. Another morning delight from Ms. Knight!

*Yes, this is true. I always see the UK 12" with the cheap picture sleeve - haven't noticed a US issue of the LP version.

Was only playing 'You Bring Out...' a couple of weeks ago. I think it's OK (well, I've still got it) but maybe need to listen to it more.

[Giovanni]

[/quote]

A mate was recently in Canada and visited one of the known 12" dealers there (eastern chap called Aki, I think) who said that the acetate is the full length version (some 13 mins +) and for some reason, the commercial release had the whole middle section chopped out. He promised my mate a CD of this version, but didn't deliver.

[/quote]

The acetate sold on ebay recently for US $ 730! It is 14+ minutes long.
Listening to the canadian promo Walter seems to be using a master tape at the beginning of the mix, while then seems to cut and paste.
Any more info about?

[keefelc]

Ahhh, no wonder I've heard the song on a Trocadero set with a whole middle instrumental section that's not on the Canadian twelve. I thought maybe there was a promotional twelve that had an instrumental on the back.

Maybe this version is something we should ask getdisconnected.com to try to find and release???