I've been given an mp3 of Sly Stone's 'I Don't Know (Satisfaction)' that's a different version to the one released on 'Fresh'. The ID3 tag says it's from 'Fresh - Alternate Takes'. Didn't even know such an album existed. Anybody care to enlighten me?

stim said:

There were two versions. Apparently, when Sony was remastering the disc, they accidentally used the alternate masters for the first pressings, then stopped, and substituted the regular ones...

This is from an article in Record Collector (No. 226 June 1998) it included this 1973 review of "Fresh":

"The finished version of Sly's new album is virtually completely different to the one I previewed a few weeks ago. Sometime during the last month, Sly has made enough alterations to alter the entire tone of the record. One track, "In Time", has been added, but every other track has been changed in at least one important respect. Where my early copy was 'up' and very optimistic in tone, the finished version is muddier and more like the soporific Sly of "There's a Riot Goin' On". The sad thing is that the version I previewed is a lot better".



...

Their are 2 alternate tracks, from the song Que Sera Sera

paligap said:

I was rockin this this morning !!! YES !!!

You guys are a mine of information. Thanks! How easy is it to find one of the alternate versions? Any more details like a catalog number much appreciated!
[Edited 12/15/05 7:53am]

I picked up a Sly cd that had "Life of Fortune and Fame" on it and I loved it. Not that this has anything to do with the thread but there are a few cds out there with some gems on them that are not regular issues.

i LOVE the if u want me 2 stay alt.version.

Me want!

Me want!!!!

Honestly, it's an interesting compilation of alternates, but nothing that will pull you away from the original, over the long run.

If You Want Me To Stay is at the original speed (instead of slightly speeded up) and there's a snare, and some more guitars in there. I wouldn't call it awesomely different, but it's enough for you to hear it and say WTF?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sly-a...dZViewItem
[Edited 12/15/05 19:03pm]

Follow up:
Managed to track down a copy of the alternate Fresh CD.

Sounds very weird at times since I'm so used to the old record I've been listening to for all these years. Some parts stand out more and others have disappeared.

Some tracks have sparser arrangements, missing horn parts and backing vocals and sound better for it in places. Sometimes, though, Sly's lead vocals have an annoying amount of reverb on them that makes it sound like he's singing in an empty bathroom. Glad they got rid of that!

As beauhall said, nothing to draw you away from the original, but an interesting listen nonetheless.

BTW, have to disagree with the review quoted in Record Collector - I've a soft spot for that woolly, muffled sound that Riot and Fresh have. It always sounded so funky to me. They work better when listened to as a pair as well.

I agree. I was trying to find out the secret to that sound when I went in the studio earlier this year... I would LOVE to get the sound of "Family Affair" on a song... it's like it's lo-fi but full-sounding at the same time.

The Europe end of Sony never resolved the issue of the alternate takes/mixes as far as I'm aware, which means the standard European CD has all of these variations. And if you can track down a Castle Communications CD compilation of Sly stuff called "The Collection", you will find another take of "Que Sera Sera" which is leagues above the originally issued take. The version on the European "Fresh" CD is merely the original take/mix drenched in unnecessary reverb.