Rolling Stones 1989 Singles Collection

My brother's moving and going through an old box he found some Cds
he thought I'd like to have. There was nothing there I much cared about
except maybe the Rolling Stones Singles Collection 3 CD set.

He gave it to me, and I'm wondering if I need it. I have the new 2002 set.
I know that the old set has some correct versions on it that are incorrect on
the later one, so I thought I'd ask here.

From using the search engine, I've been able to determine that Ruby Tuesday, Tell Me
and UAWCPM are correct on the original. Are there any others? By that I mean are there
other tunes which are incorrect on the 2002 cut correct on the '89.

I have RT on an old Between the Buttons mono. The Tell Me and UAWCPM differences aren't
big enough for me to worry about. MY plan was to give this to my nephew, unless there
are other reasons why this set is worth keeping.

I'd appreciate any feedback.

 

The 1989 also has the correct intro for 19th Nervous Breakdown. The 2002 mixed out the 'crackling' guitar part from the intro.

Of course you can always get that on the old London Hot Rocks 1, in better sound.

 

Is it the large version that comes with the lyrics book? The book is pretty nice to have.

 

The versions of Street Fighting Man are also different. The 2002 version uses the original single mix, while the 1989 box uses the album version.

 

IMO, there's too many differences to get rid of it (although all the differences I know of are noted in the posts above).

My own personal rule learned from this Forum: if it's a different mastering - and especially if there's alternate versions/longer fades/etc. - hold on to it or else regret buying it back two years from now

 

Keep it for the correct versions of "Ruby Tuesday" and the uncensored "The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man".

 

Hold onto the 1989 "singles collection*the london years" because it's "DIGITALLY REMASTERED FROM ORIGINAL MASTER RECORDINGS"- no joke!

I've held onto mine, in spite of having the ABKCO SACD HYBRID. Why? I don't really care about having the 'correct' versions of some of The Stones' songs- to each's own- but as a relic of sorts. It's a great testament to how mediocre some cd's- even early ones from 1989-can sound. Doubt if I'll ever listen to it again... . But heck, that jewel case the 1989 set comes in sure beats that goofy digipack the SACD HYBRID set comes in.

 

Essential for these alone, if you don't have them otherwise.

 

Acually, what I did was trade mine in before I played the SACD and heard the problem. So, I tracked down the older versions and ripped those two songs to my hard drive.

 

Well, I've got the mono Between the Buttons, with the mono Ruby Tuesday, and I figured if it was just Tell ME and UAWCPM I would just put 'em in my hard drive and give up the discs. I didn't know about 19th Nervous, however.

I think I may have to research this a little more before I give it up....

 

What's with Heart of Stone here? I know it's been said that the current SC is a fold down of the stereo mix- but what's the deal with the 1989? That stereo beginning, then dropping to mono- that can't be the way the original single was- can it?

 

Reading this short thread got me interested...

Can someone post a list that says which songs on the 2002 version of this collection use the wrong mixes?

 

Again, this is about as good as it gets right now:
http://www.lukpac.org/stereostones/stones-cd-faq.txt

Scroll down to the Singles Collection.

 

If I remember correctly, it is like that on (one version of) the old ABKCO Hot Rocks as well. I have *no* idea what the point of that was. Originally I thought they had just "faked" that, but was later stunned when it remained in stereo after the intro on the Now! CD.

Does anyone know if the unedited "Under Assistant" was ever actually released at the time? Do singles exist with it unedited?

 

Isn't Time Is On My Side the single version (organ version) on the later Singles collection and the wrong version (guitar version) on the 1989 set?

 

That is correct

 

The London single released in North America has the unedited version (with the "break my a**" line, if that's what you mean). However, it is a shorter fade than the 1989 Singles collection.

 

Can somone doublecheck this. It seems that even though the new remastered set has a few problems: short fade on Under Assistant, underdub of Ruby Tuesday and album edit of Tell me, it does have a lot of single mixes and corrects some errors on the old set.

 

Also correct

The older set had stereo mixes for quite a number of songs where the new set has proper mono mixes for them (the 1966-1967 singles, not including "Ruby Tuesday")

Both old and new sets are essential

 

I remember comparing a couple of the "Under Assistant West Coast Promo man" 45's in a record shop. The original pressing was uncensored, as John noted, and the later "yellow sunrise" label pressing was censored.

I wanted to check to see whether Paint it Black was indeed the long version, but they didn't have a copy.

 

One more problem - It seems that "19th Nervous Breakdown" on all 2002 releases has a remixed intro. It was (presumably) remixed to get rid of the crackle in the intro, but in doing so, they mixed the second guitar part (the "Diddley Daddy" riff) way down so that it's barely audible. This bugs me as much as "Ruby Tuesday".

 

I have an original London 45 of "Paint It, Black". It runs 3:19 (short version).

Has it been confirmed anywhere that the original UK Decca 45 runs longer?

 

Ok, thanks, good to know. I always thought that edit was pretty bad. Not from a technical sense, but musically, one shouldn't cut a few bars out of a 12-bar blues...

 

I vote for giving it to the nephew.

Might just change his life.