Two different mixes of White City

[pogues24]

Recently I was listening to The Very Best of The Pogues, and I realized the recording of White City was slightly different from the version on Peace and Love. During the instrumental part of the song you can distinctly hear the differences, it is almost like someone is humming in the background while the instruments are playing. I don't know if I'm being clear with this topic, but take a listen and maybe you'll see the differences as well.

Iain

[philipchevron]

Recently I was listening to The Very Best of The Pogues, and I realized the recording of White City was slightly different from the version on Peace and Love. During the instrumental part of the song you can distinctly hear the differences, it is almost like someone is humming in the background while the instruments are playing. I don't know if I'm being clear with this topic, but take a listen and maybe you'll see the differences as well.

Iain

"White City", like so many of our "singles mixes", mucked around with the ingredients in an attempt to "improve" the record's friendliness for radio play. We didn't especially like doing them and neither did Steve Lillywhite but we always did them to defer to the greater musical accomplishments of the Brothers Warner. Recriminations about poor chart showings were always part of the fun, Not to agree to these remixes, we had a level playing field. but to agree to the remix and STILL find the record half-way down the Top75 well, that was a clear victory for us, unless a #40 was the best Warners had been hoping for. Seriously, I never did understand the logic that gave these fools the power to go around saying things like - "Lovely jubly Steve. It'll be great when we've had the single mix!" The Single Mix? "Oh sure Steve, don't you get it? It's just not THERE yet." I see, and how would Warners improve the track if Warners were to mix the single themselves? Bit of a topline melody, hummed like honey bees by Kirsty and Chevron? "NOW you're talkin' Steve - I could listen to those two sing together all night long, couldn't you?" Very well, we will provide you with the same alternative mixes we have already supplied for those other massive singles hits, "Fiesta" and "If I Should Fall From Grace With God". ""Eh? Now wait a minute!!!???......."

[NYPiper79]

probably my favorite pogues song
must have listened to it 1,000,000 times

[NYPiper79]

sorry but the video that I've seen for white city features actual scenes of the white city that shane is singing about...I remember them showing the dog racing track and newspapers showing that white city was closing down...

[sectofone]

sorry but the video that I've seen for white city features actual scenes of the white city that shane is singing about...I remember them showing the dog racing track and newspapers showing that white city was closing down...

My apologies, but I've obviously hijacked this thread . It started out being about the White City single mix, but the mention of the IISFFGWG single got me curious about which version would be considered the actual single version. It was the video for IISFFGWG that I was referring to in my example; at least, I think it was maybe ...

Perhaps I should start a separate topic on whether Kirsty MacColl appeared in any other Pogues vids besides the Ms. Otis Regrets / Just One of Things combination?

[NYPiper79]

sorry I thought you were still talking about white city
"where the paddys and the frogs went to gamble on the dogs"

[Aine]

For the first time ever, on very good earphones, I made an amazing and happy discovery: On "White City," one can hear subtle, soft female voices sounding much like the wind. And how long have I been loving that song?

[philipchevron]

For the first time ever, on very good earphones, I made an amazing and happy discovery: On "White City," one can hear subtle, soft female voices sounding much like the wind. And how long have I been loving that song?

They're not actually on every released mix of "White City", which is why they sometimes catch people by surprise when they do turn up. In fact, they're falsetto male voices - mainly mine - voicing a version of the tune best known as "The Curragh of Kildare".

[jennylois]

What an interesting bit of trivia Philip. I listened immediately to my two versions, on The Very Best of the Pogues and Peace and Love. I always thought the recordings were the same, but only The Very Best Of has the background voices, which I like the very best.

[philipchevron]

What an interesting bit of trivia Philip. I listened immediately to my two versions, on The Very Best of the Pogues and Peace and Love. I always thought the recordings were the same, but only The Very Best Of has the background voices, which I like the very best.

I may be mistaken, but I think the ghost voices version was used for the single, but we felt it was wrong for the P+L album, for reasons now as lost in the mists of time as White City itself.

[territa]

I cranked the old Victrola for the first time in quite a while to give this a listen and there it was. I like this version.

[mats]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCITD_Hi3tU

Here´s the single version. I love Shanes dancing....you can see it after about a minute.

[Aine]

For the first time ever, on very good earphones, I made an amazing and happy discovery: On "White City," one can hear subtle, soft female voices sounding much like the wind. And how long have I been loving that song?

They're not actually on every released mix of "White City", which is why they sometimes catch people by surprise when they do turn up. In fact, they're falsetto male voices - mainly mine - voicing a version of the tune best known as "The Curragh of Kildare".

What a wonderful idea it was. The falsettos add a marvelous touch, but to be singing "The Curragh of Kildare," which I've just been listening to for the first time, is just something few people would think of.

This just brings me to a side note: American schools need to teach far more in the way of music of the world. It would be very satisfying to be able to say, "Hey, listen, that's a bunch of men singing the Irish folk song "The Curragh of Kildare" in falsetto. Nice touch to this song."

[girlfromcountyhell]

I LOVE those background voices. For some reason, I can't hear them on my laptop or in my car Only on my iPod.