Posted by Steve Green on August 01, 2007 at 10:11:51:
In Reply to: Re: Long Versions posted by Evan Marcus on August 01, 2007 at 09:33:56:
As WCBS-FM moves into the Eighties, which means PAST the peak AoR years and even past the Classic Rock core in places, the newer listeners they're trying to bring aboard will be more album-cut oriented and friendly than Top 40 listeners. 'Light My Fire' was a huge hit -- as a single. 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes' was a hit but not as big. The former started as a hit single and went to AoR (and is the only song played from the album) while the latter, a year and a half later, was almost AoR all the way and a chart single by default (the LP from which has at least three cuts still in generally accepted airplay).
Subsequently, 'In A Gada Da Vida' evolved to be an album-length must play only after the truncated 45 was a good-sized hit.
But as Evan says, it's all a very subjective call. I'm not sure ANYBODY, former listeners or new listeners, are familiar with the shorter version of Suite Judy Blue Eyes. (And to me, the Manzarek solo in 'Light My Fire' goes on way too long ; the tune's start and finish are the hooks, not the middle).
Custom dictates that it's wise to treat some genres equally. Yet, no Classic Hits station is going to play the full 'Get Ready' by Rare Earth.
Chart position when it was current is important to hit radio. But if 'Light My Fire' deserves full-length airplay because it was #1 ... and if 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes' deserves less because it was #20-something .... and if 'In A Gada Da Vida''s full-length epic deserves little airplay ... same for 'Get Ready', then where is the line drawn?
Subjectivity.
'Light My Fire's 7:00 version is an AoR piece. So is 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes'. But whereas the edit of 'Light My Fire' was the hit single, and the edit of 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes' was not, I feel that the longer version of the latter is the *only* version that should be played. Only not as often as the Doors' song on a hit station.
WCBS-FM's new adventurers have to be quite aware that they're doing something rare here -- chipping away at the huge barrier that separated AM from FM in the first place : Mount Woodstock.
(Trivia ... reportedly it was Robbie Kreiger, not Morrison nor the rest, who wrote 'Light My Fire')