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Old 10-06-2010, 01:11 PM
BklynBlue BklynBlue is offline
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The strings were most likely recorded sometime in May, while the band was out of the country (think Vernon was concerned about Green's reaction? - the single was first released on July fifth, 1968

Vernon re-released it a year later, but more importantly, remixed it -
With all of the previously unreleased material on the Blue Horizon box set, it seems petty to complain about what was missing, but I think it's a shame that no room could be found for either the original or remixed versions of the single -

the remix can be heard on "The Blue Horizon Story Vol. 1" and actually highlights the string section -

It is not just a matter of bringing the strings up in the mix; they are more prominent because the horns and organ have been mixed way down. The fog horn drone of the saxophones and the low sustained organ notes are no longer heard during the intro and are barely discernable through the bulk of the number; their limited use makes them far more effective when they are heard, wafting up to underscore a line or heighten an emotion before dissolving back into the mix.

While the use of the strings will always be a bone of contention, their effectiveness is best heard on the third stanza of this version, where rather than sounding like lead slabs being applied to the number, they now supply the wind to lift Green’s vocal, and the number itself, allowing them to soar.

Bringing down the horns and organ has the effect of clearing the soot and sludge that obscured the number, allowing the listener to hear it as if for the first time.

I would have liked to have heard this mix applied to the full length version available on the box set.
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