Richard Searing. Extended Motown Records

[BrianB]

Why oh why is he playing extended versions of Motown classics such as This Old Heart of Mine and  Tears of a  Clown on his radio show that any halfwit can listen to on YouTube. They are terrible, put together by a HDH/Norman Whitfield wanna be. Embarrassing.

[Sjclement]

I'd rather listen to Richard SearLing myself.

[Russ Vickers]

Maybe he will be doing a re issue/box set of them ?.  I find it very difficult to listen to the show TBH, as much as I respect RS, I find the Solar Radio programme one huge personal promotion, I very rarely listen because of this & I know many others who feel the same way.

Russ

[Epic]

Same as playing bootlegs - which Mr S seems to find unacceptable.

 

[Fuzzj]

richard is like any other dj he is trying to keep it fresh ,so my reply to the anti solar programmes ,is move on to another station and sample their shite ,richard plots his way along trying to please all n sundry superbly ,he doesn't get it bang on all the time no-one does bcos music is a matter of taste and opinion..

[Triode]

I'm probably in a minority but I do like some of these re edits/ remixes such as the "Lonely Lonely Girl Am I" & the " Love Is Like An Itching" whilst still loving the originals!,

some are technically & creatively brilliant IMO ........basically "they are what they are"

[Andy Rix]

Are these extended mixes available anywhere to listen to ...... I find such things quite intriguing 

thanks

Andy

[Triode]

They used to be on YouTube but appear to have been taken down:-(

[Triode]

Try this link 

 

[Guest MBarrett]

Same guy as GK&tPs above has over 400 tracks on his You Tube channel.

Mostly extended versions and mostly soul-related. 

https://www.youtube.com/user/mosogotam/videos

Probably needs a whole separate thread but HOW DOES HE DO THAT??!!

He can't have access to all the master tapes etc. So I don't know how he does it.

 

[Woodbutcher]

Bit of a dab hand with "Audacity" I'd guess ... ?

[Guest closedms]

Great records don't need an extended mix, although I know a lot of records that could do with a short mix!  

[Geeselad]

5 hours ago, Man from Soul said:

Great records don't need an extended mix, although I know a lot of records that could do with a short mix!  

well that's kind of the point with edits, you take out the bits you don't like and extend and stress the bits you do.

[Mickey Finn]

22 hours ago, fuzzj said:

richard is like any other dj he is trying to keep it fresh ,so my reply to the anti solar programmes ,is move on to another station and sample their shite ,richard plots his way along trying to please all n sundry superbly ,he doesn't get it bang on all the time no-one does bcos music is a matter of taste and opinion..

Solar Radio seems to have an ambitious agenda that will eventually put greater pressure on its more trad jocks if it continues down the current path. Expanding across DAB will enhance ad revenues but will also increase dependency on these, which may mean further commercialisation and less room for specialist shows that can't attract the sponsorship. Richard and others have been good at keeping the sponsors so far, but it can't be so easy. And to those on here who are supporting these shows in this way, Thank You.

As for Richard's Solar shows, for me they have been an educational mix of tunes and stories of the scene that, coming to the scene relatively late in life, I've enjoyed immensely. So if I am in any way representative of the audience Richard is trying to attract, then "mission accomplished". It's not quite as deep as some other shows past or even present but its coverage is still wide and accessible - meaning easy to find rather than "dumbed down". For people wanting to go deeper then it's probably frustrating but especially if you are chasing after new sounds within a genre that is by definition limited in quantity then probably the only solution is to be open to more recent sounds or different styles. And soul music is certainly big enough for that.

[Guest closedms]

Quote

well that's kind of the point with edits, you take out the bits you don't like and extend and stress the bits you do.

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Why? Great records don't need an extended mix!

[Geeselad]

2 hours ago, Man from Soul said:

Why? Great records don't need an extended mix!

some don't, some do, at least that's what tom moulton thought anyway, its been going on a long time

[Ian Dewhirst]

2 hours ago, Man from Soul said:

Why? Great records don't need an extended mix!

Most dance records are edited down from the studio versions for the 7" mixes or Album mixes, so in many cases the original recordings were much longer than the 7" or Album versions anyway. Some of those Philly International tracks were 10 minutes plus and had to be edited down to 3 minutes for the 7". They were still great records before they were edited down.

As it happens I'm not a fan of the extended Motown versions for the most part, as I'm not a fan of remixing 60s records in particular as the remixing phenomena really started in the 70s and the recording techniques favoured the art more at that stage because there were many more options than the original 4 track takes from the 60s. So It tend to prefer the 60s Motown stuff as it was. 70s Motown is an entirely different kettle of fish for me and I love some of THOSE remixes.

Ian D

 

[Andy Rix]

I've just listened to half a dozen and technically they are incredible ... I certainly couldn't do anything like this ... and like many I'm not a huge fan of 'messing around' with 60s Motown tunes ... but these mixes bring out so many individual elements of the recordings that they become somewhat addictive.

For something to listen to at home they are brilliant  ... just amazing

Andy

[Ian Dewhirst]

17 minutes ago, Andy Rix said:

I've just listened to half a dozen and technically they are incredible ... I certainly couldn't do anything like this ... and like many I'm not a huge fan of 'messing around' with 60s Motown tunes ... but these mixes bring out so many individual elements of the recordings that they become somewhat addictive.

For something to listen to at home they are brilliant  ... just amazing

Andy

The benchmark for truly brilliant remixes are some of The Reflex's Motown remixes which he's virtually created a new art form. Here's his revision of Stevie Wonder's "I Wish":-

And here's my all-time fave of a Motown remix. I think Dimitri From Paris made this into a work of art:-

Ian D

Edited July 10, 2016 by Ian Dewhirst

[Mickey Finn]

1 hour ago, geeselad said:

some don't, some do, at least that's what tom moulton thought anyway, its been going on a long time

I would love Tom Moulton to do something with this, which fades out far too soon:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FJlWssigjYM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Mike]

3 minutes ago, Mickey Finn said:

I would love Tom Moulton to do something with this, which fades out far too soon:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FJlWssigjYM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

quick un, to embed  just hit the share link on the youtube page and paste the url

eg 

https://youtu.be/FJlWssigjYM

and you get

 

[Geeselad]

40 minutes ago, mike said:

quick un, to embed  just hit the share link on the youtube page and paste the url

eg 

https://youtu.be/FJlWssigjYM

and you get

 

yes, totally agree on this one, reminds me of ashford and simpson- seems to hang on, which does benefit  from a longer mix.

[Geeselad]

1 hour ago, Ian Dewhirst said:

Most dance records are edited down from the studio versions for the 7" mixes or Album mixes, so in many cases the original recordings were much longer than the 7" or Album versions anyway. Some of those Philly International tracks were 10 minutes plus and had to be edited down to 3 minutes for the 7". They were still great records before they were edited down.

As it happens I'm not a fan of the extended Motown versions for the most part, as I'm not a fan of remixing 60s records in particular as the remixing phenomena really started in the 70s and the recording techniques favoured the art more at that stage because there were many more options than the original 4 track takes from the 60s. So It tend to prefer the 60s Motown stuff as it was. 70s Motown is an entirely different kettle of fish for me and I love some of THOSE remixes.

Ian D

 

have to agree with the 6ts/ 7ts call Ian, its not historic prejudice, but you just have a lot less to work with, 6ts songs tend to be shorter anyway with a tighter song structure, and edits tend to seem very obvious and a little cheesy, I'm sure there's plenty that break that rule though .

[Chalky]

You can hear the gap in the brass on the intro to see where it has been cut and pasted, still brilliant work.

Edited July 10, 2016 by chalky

[coops]

instead of messing around with some man/woman's handiwork and jumping 'on the shoulders of Giants' why not get ones' self some session musicians, top vocalists, a person who can not only read music but arrange it and produce one's own 'modified' version? .........nah. too much like hard work when we have computers and access to the work of the Giants and we can sit at home and nick it, change it without a by-your-leave!!!! who needs proper musicians?

 

[Guest closedms]

Coops, I couldn't agree more.

16 hours ago, coops said:

instead of messing around with some man/woman's handiwork and jumping 'on the shoulders of Giants' why not get ones' self some session musicians, top vocalists, a person who can not only read music but arrange it and produce one's own 'modified' version? .........nah. too much like hard work when we have computers and access to the work of the Giants and we can sit at home and nick it, change it without a by-your-leave!!!! who needs proper musicians?

To my mind a great record should leave wanting more, where as most of the remixes I've heard leave me wanting less, not least that version of "Down To Love Town" by Dimitri of Paris did he really mean to suck all the life out of the song by repeating sections ad infinitum. What is it with the French and extra-time?

Edited July 11, 2016 by closedms
missed n't off couldn't

[Ian Dewhirst]

One thing that should be pointed out, is that remixes and re-edits aren't designed particularly for OVO enthusiasts or collectors particularly. They're not aiming at that audience. The reason why some things are extended is because they work better in terms of DJ mixing and working with a lot of stuff that may currently be in vogue. It's a different dynamic entirely from people who prefer shorter 7" mixes and edits or the original single versions. Two different audiences entirely. I doubt that many on the Northern scene will be in the kind of environments which would play these remixes anyway which generally appeal to a younger and probably more Housy type of crowd. The "Down To Love Town" remix has probably played to 10 x the audience that the original was played to and it's fits perfectly with the rhythms of the 00s rather than the 70s. To each their own I guess. I like both.

Ian D

Edited July 11, 2016 by Ian Dewhirst

[BrianB]

I agree that some of the extended tracks are technically excellent. The 8 minute long Bernadette, which seems to have disappeared from you tube was fascinating. I think it was done by using the original vocal and the bass lines from the Standing in the Shadows of Motown version.

I was really frustrated listening to Radio Manchester on Friday night for a couple of reasons. One was certainly the OVO argument, and it was disappointing to hear the generally excellent show resort to playing these when there are so many underplayed/seldom heard records that could be played. Secondly, I hate to hear DJs talk over intros and then turn the volume down on the last 30 seconds (or longer) to talk over that as well. Play fewer records if you have so much to say, but lets hear the artists not the DJ.

So when he played these extended versions in full, maybe around 9/10 minutes, and then cut off the real thing I lost it! "Our" artists went into the studios hoping to make a few bucks, maybe get on the radio, even be famous if they were incredibly lucky, and to cut them short whilst bulling up some cut and paste artist, (no matter how talented) as incredible, does our music a great disservice.

We were the people that heard these records, took them from obscurity, and even if only on a small scale, gave the writers, artists and record company  ten, twenty and thirty or more year later, some well deserved recognition and on occasions, well deserved and probably much needed money. Lets keep the original music at the heart of our scene, and leave this stuff, no matter how good it is on the internet.

Cheers

Brian B

 

 

[Guest MBarrett]

37 minutes ago, BrianB said:

I agree that some of the extended tracks are technically excellent. The 8 minute long Bernadette, which seems to have disappeared from you tube was fascinating. I think it was done by using the original vocal and the bass lines from the Standing in the Shadows of Motown version.

 

Still there.

Sorry but I prefer this to the original.

Anyone else . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ??!!

 

[Twoshoes]

Just out of interest I have a tape somewhere from an old Robbie Vincent show from the early eighties I would guess , on it he plays an extended version of the Temptations Papa Was a Rolling Stone , in his preamble he says it was/is the first time Motown had officially sanctioned anyone messing with their product, he also questioned what Norman Whitfield would have to say about it, sorry can't remember who did the remix.

[dean jj]

Sure he wasn't playing the original album version that's quite long?

dean

[Dave65]

Great thread. I have never heard any DJ (Live or on Radio) or any Artist get it 100% right all of the time for me. There is always something I either don't like or something missed out but that sums up the joy of music and especially Northern.  

Sadly no one is perfect, despite the fact I told my two ex-wives I was!!! 

 

[Ian Dewhirst]

Tom Moulton's remix is 17.02. 5 minutes longer than the original lol. Typical Tom!

 

[Twoshoes]

6 hours ago, dean jj said:

Sure he wasn't playing the original album version that's quite long?

dean

yes most definitely a mix done by someone else, From memory there was nothing added from any other source it was all done from the original though whoever did it could have used the album version as a starter, i dont know if it was released but Robbie V said due out in the next two weeks.

[BrianB]

Apologies for spelling Richard's name wrongly.

I had had a few and my fingers are a bit too big for the phone keyboard.

The extended versions are well worth a listen, but in my opinion, not on a radio show hosted by one of our leading DJs. I mean, who else is listening at 10pm on a Friday night, so let's hear our stuff.

[Tlscapital]

On 11 juillet 2016 at 14:50, MBarrett said:

Still there.

Sorry but I prefer this to the original.

Anyone else . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ??!!

Ooooh ooho, my ears are alight ! and I'm willing never to understand that a re-mix of a tune is better than what it is in the first place. I do keep some 12" when sounding much better (mastering) or where the instrumental part "bonus" brings a "freshness"' to the deal. And some I don't. So I'm not talking about sampling, backing track sharing, cover... which are all part of a risky (taste and/or money wise) creative business. But those wannabeez digital mash-ups (they where kinda "funny" first then boring) MozartZ are nothing but vanity opportunistic geeks with time to waste on a low budget. IMHO !

 

[maslar]

On 11/07/2016 at 13:50, MBarrett said:

Still there.

Sorry but I prefer this to the original.

Anyone else . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ??!!

 

Absolutely NOT.  The original is just fine thanks. This is just parts of the song (bass, backing vocals) separated then tacked together.  Whats the point of that?  I don't know much about "mixing" but even I could produce something similar from the stuff available on youtube. Jameson's bass line is all over youtube. People copying it, teaching it etc. It's a bass line that he worked out specifically for its part within that song, in relation to all other elements of that song.  it fits as part of a whole. It was never meant to be a stand alone piece

Here's the thing. If Motown had decided back in 1967 to do a ten minute version of Bernadette with a three minute lead bass section do you think that this is what Jameson would have played? He would have come up with something far more interesting (for the general public that is) and less repetitive.

[Ian Dewhirst]

On 7/15/2016 at 15:16, Twoshoes said:

yes most definitely a mix done by someone else, From memory there was nothing added from any other source it was all done from the original though whoever did it could have used the album version as a starter, i dont know if it was released but Robbie V said due out in the next two weeks.

I think it was Freddy Bastone from memory.......

Ian D