B03.01 Radio Musicola
7" Edit version vs Then & Now version vs Video version
In the past weeks, some of Nik Kershaw's songs have been at the center of many debates amongst fans.
And the question is always the same:
Is the 7" vinyl record version an exclusive version that is not available on any CD?
But the answer doesn't seem so clear and many fans disagree on that subject.
For some songs, such as "Wide Boy", it was quite easy to find out.
Some differences could easily be heard and different versions were clearly identified.
But for other songs, such as "Radio Musicola", it is NOT so clear.
So I used my "Reaper" software and uploaded all the versions that were the subjects of debates in order to compare them.
The first thing I noticed was slight differences in the bpm speeds.
But that doesn't mean the mixes are different.
Only the speed when played... inducing different track lengths.
Then I had an overall look at the three sound waves and check and any noticeable differences.
Note that because the sources are different (vinyl vs CD), the sound waves will somehow look a little different (EQ... trebles and bass... mediums).
But that doesn't mean the tracks do not come from the same master recording.
I Identified one visual difference that needed to be checked.
So, the next step was to check the audios of this part of the song.
The difference was in fact due to cracks on the vinyl recording.
No other clear differences in the sound waves of the tracks.
Next step is there to compare them, measures after measures.
And it takes a lot of time!
First thing to notice is that the three tracks have different trebles, medium and bass EQ.
But, again, it doesn't mean these are different mixes.
So I played each measure again and again and again and again.
Listening carefully at the three tracks.
Over and over.
And there is no doubt that the three tracks are the EXACT SAME MIX of the song
BUT...
The video video is about 5 seconds shorter and the fade out is cut through the fading-out process.
The "Then & Now" version has a fade-out that is about 10 seconds shorter than the 7" record version.