Long Way To Go question

[UndoingTheLaces]

Does anyone know what the actual lyrics from the end of the Long Way To Go demo are? Something about blackbirds and seagulls. With this whole news story today about the blackbirds falling from the sky it's been running through my head, and I never knew what she was actually saying.

In semi-related news. Dave Stewart tweeted this today:

"I'm sorry about the blackbirds falling from the sky it was part of my marketing campaign for www.theblackbirddiaries.com I'll stop it now"

[Christopher]

This was all over the new yesterday. Freakishly @5000 blackbirds fell out of the sky in Arkansas. While just days before roughly 85K fish died near the Ozarks. Conspiracy Theorists discuss among yourselves.

[UndoingTheLaces]

I recall someone having a website that listed lyrics for all of Stevie's songs both released and unreleased. Is that still around. Anyone know what it is?

[mikebise]

"Bye-bye, Blackbird!!!"

LOVE the extra, super-weird lyrics on this outtake!!!

Okay, I'm sitting at the computer, typing these up. I'm sure they're wrong, but it's fun trying on this wickedawesome song of STEVIE'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Ooooooooh, you were high in my life!
You were high in my life...
Then the seagull, not the blackbird...
We're all seagulls and blackbirds...
Have fun, tell the world!
Have fun, tell the world!
Way to Go!!!!!!
Good luck!!!!!!!!!!
Have fun! Tell the world!!!
You can do it... you can make it!
I can do it ONE MORE TIME!
You were HIGH in my life...
Does the seagull like the blackbird...?
Bye bye, Blackbird!
Have fun!
I thought we already did that...
You were high in my life...
Well, can I be of any help to you, baby?
Bye bye, Blackbird!
Have fun, tell the world!
Bye bye, Blackbird!
It's a real long way to go..."

[mikebise]

BTW, since I'm in a "Long Way To Go" state of mind rightnow, I listened to the album version and the 7" single remix back to back. Well, for 21 years, I've always thought they were identical. Silly me: they're not!

The 7" single remix extends some of the vocals, most notably the end of the first chorus at around 1:08, "Have fun, tell the worrrrlllllllllllllllllllllllldddddd!" Noticeably different from the album version! And it sounds like some extra production on Stevie's vocals on those extended notes.

The album mix is more bass heavy, while the single is much less so. The drums are more prominent. I would say Stevie's main vocal is mixed more UP FRONT in the 7" single mix, more dominant, while the album blends it pretty well with the backing vocals. Of course, the 12" mix seems to go overboard with the girls' backing vocals.

And the end plays with Stevie's vocals a little, too:
"Obsessive was my LOOOOOOOVVVVVVEEE!!!!!"

This is fun!!!!

[AliceLover]

I always thought "seagull" was "sea coast?"

[APerfectLie]

I always thought "seagull" was "sea coast?"

It is. "Down the sea coast, like a blackbird."

[mikebise]

Yay! Wow, you're right!!! That seagull stuff always sounded weird!

Whoosh!!!! :)

[Oooh Missionary]

"Long Way To Go" is one of my favorite Stevie singles! The US was screwed to instead get "Two Kinds Of Love". LWTG could have been a hit.

BTW, since I'm in a "Long Way To Go" state of mind rightnow, I listened to the album version and the 7" single remix back to back. Well, for 21 years, I've always thought they were identical. Silly me: they're not!

The 7" single remix extends some of the vocals, most notably the end of the first chorus at around 1:08, "Have fun, tell the worrrrlllllllllllllllllllllllldddddd!" Noticeably different from the album version! And it sounds like some extra production on Stevie's vocals on those extended notes.

The album mix is more bass heavy, while the single is much less so. The drums are more prominent. I would say Stevie's main vocal is mixed more UP FRONT in the 7" single mix, more dominant, while the album blends it pretty well with the backing vocals. Of course, the 12" mix seems to go overboard with the girls' backing vocals.

And the end plays with Stevie's vocals a little, too:
"Obsessive was my LOOOOOOOVVVVVVEEE!!!!!"

This is fun!!!!

I'm comparing a US pressing of The Other Side Of The Mirror CD (7 91245-2) to the UK pressing of the "Long Way To Go" CD single (CD EM 97/2034312).

I paralleled the waveforms of both version and all referenced vocal parts are identical on each respective files. The only differences I note are the EQ'ing (you're correct in that the album has more bass) and the length of the fade. The single fades to complete silence appox. 4 seconds earlier than on the album.

It was fairly commonplace to use more than one master for an album, "upgrading" hit singles to the familiar radio/single mixes, especially at that time, so it's entirely possible that this is the case with TOSOTM CD as well. The center ring of my copy of the album indicates that it is a second pressing (the disc design is also different from others that I've seen... mostly silver with a small checkerboard floor at the bottom of the label design.)

If you can, please give more details of your personal CD pressings or better still share a file! I'd love to sort this one out. :)

[Garbo]

To clarify, there really is no real difference b/t the 7" and the LP version? I'm not really noticing much diff in bass.. although LWTG seems to have upgraded sound on The Divine collection and to my ears the bass sounds somewhat punchier.. who knows, maybe I'm nuts :woohoo:

[UndoingTheLaces]

It is. "Down the sea coast, like a blackbird."

Thank you!!!! That has been bugging me so much lately. And I remember that Stevie had said in an interview how the song was about how this guy sent a car for her and made her ride for two hours to see him just to break up with her and she had considered them already broken up, which would make the "down the sea coast" make much more sense than something about a seagull.

[peer_gynt10]

It's such an underrated song. I couldn't believe it when the initial tracklisting for CV was announced with LWTG on one of the pressings (don't remember if it was the European or the US version). And then of course it was replaced with the FM live recordings...

TOSOTM seems like a very schizophrenic album. Half of it is very passionate, even angry as LWTG, and dealing with her demons (Alice, 'Berlin', Ooh My Love). And the other half seems a little, well, flat and drowned in the sound of the late 80s. Still, I prefer it over The Wild Heart any day.

[starshine]

Thank you!!!! That has been bugging me so much lately. And I remember that Stevie had said in an interview how the song was about how this guy sent a car for her and made her ride for two hours to see him just to break up with her and she had considered them already broken up, which would make the "down the sea coast" make much more sense than something about a seagull.I love Long Way To Go. I agree that it should've been a hit here in the US. Its always one of my favorite songs on Mirror. It also should've been done live on the Mirror tour as well. I do recall the interview you mentioned. The 'guy' is Joe Walsh. If I'm wrong please corrrect me ok. I also love the vocal extra ending on the outtakes. I wish that would've been added to the extended Long Way 12" version. Its a shame its not. Mostly all I hear is more music than any different lyrics. Same for the extended version to ROF. I also wish that had extra lyrics than more music. Not that I don't mind the songs longer but more or different lyrics are always nice to hear. IMO anyway.:shrug::angel:

[Nikolaj]

I wondered why SN never felt a burning desire to perform 'Long Way To Go,' it had all the makings of a hit and a concert showstopper.
To record such a strong vocal on the song and then never perform it, when it was getting heavy FM airplay on the West Coast was a bit of a mystery to me.
The UK 12" remix took some of the fire away from the song, in my opinion, but at least it was released as a single there, as it should have been here.
'Rooms On Fire' seems popular here on The Ledge, but for me, it was a weak choice for first single.

[Christopher]

I wondered why SN never felt a burning desire to perform 'Long Way To Go,' it had all the makings of a hit and a concert showstopper.
To record such a strong vocal on the song and then never perform it, when it was getting heavy FM airplay on the West Coast was a bit of a mystery to me.
The UK 12" remix took some of the fire away from the song, in my opinion, but at least it was released as a single there, as it should have been here.
'Rooms On Fire' seems popular here on The Ledge, but for me, it was a weak choice for first single.

I thought it was a shoe in to replace "No Spoken Word" on the OSOTM tour. Another rockin' angry song. And being that it was really the only song to have a pulse on the whole record! Frankly I was shocked she didn't add it to her set list that tour.

When OSOTM was released they use to play "Long Way To Go" on Denver's FM AOR station as well. It would have been an excellent 1st or 2nd single. Another MISSED opportunity, though to be honest I'm not sure how well it would have sit along with the pop crap they were playing on top 40 stations late summer of 1989.

[UndoingTheLaces]

There was a great rock station in Pittsburgh and they played Long Way To Go when Mirror was released and I was all excited for it to be the new single, but it must have just been a DJ playing a song he liked, or at least one that fit the rock format a little better than Rooms did.

[Nathan]

Down the sea coast, like a blackbird.

Remember how she described calling for a limousine to go meet Joe? I suppose that there enlies the reference to the blackbird. Driving down the coast in a long black car.

Love, love, love it.

[KarmaContestant]

Down the sea coast, like a blackbird.

Remember how she described calling for a limousine to go meet Joe? I suppose that there enlies the reference to the blackbird. Driving down the coast in a long black car.

Love, love, love it.

Great insight, Nathan. I never would have made that connection on my own.

[GoldDustOrphan]

Long Way to Go reached #10 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart; Rooms on Fire hit #1 on the same chart.

Rooms on Fire was the #2 Mainstream Rock Track of 1989 in Billboard's year-end chart. Even more impressive: she was the only female artist in the top 50 tracks of the year.

[peer_gynt10]

Does anyone have the 12" remix? Please?

[Oooh Missionary]

Does anyone have the 12" remix? Please?

http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd420/obeythepineapple/LONGWAYTOGO.png

LONG WAY TO GO [Remix] (http://www.mediafire.com/?1awhydba2oz0thu)

Enjoy! :)

[peer_gynt10]

http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd420/obeythepineapple/LONGWAYTOGO.png

LONG WAY TO GO [Remix] (http://www.mediafire.com/?1awhydba2oz0thu)

Enjoy! :)

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I love it, especially the beginning. And the backing vocals after the guitar interlude sound so much clearer. You've really made my day :wavey:

[wheart]

There was a great rock station in Pittsburgh and they played Long Way To Go when Mirror was released and I was all excited for it to be the new single, but it must have just been a DJ playing a song he liked, or at least one that fit the rock format a little better than Rooms did.

they played LWTG in Philly too, on the rock station (can't remember which one now). I was working in retail at the time and the department next to mine always had the radio on. I remember hearing Long Way to Go and getting all excited! I knew at the time that it wasn't the second US single so that made it even more special to hear it being played on the radio. It's a kick ass song but I was never thrilled with the production. I always felt it should have been more guitar/drums heavy, a meatier sound if you will, to match the intensity of the melody and lyrics.

[Christopher]

they played LWTG in Philly too, on the rock station (can't remember which one now). I was working in retail at the time and the department next to mine always had the radio on. I remember hearing Long Way to Go and getting all excited! I knew at the time that it wasn't the second US single so that made it even more special to hear it being played on the radio. It's a kick ass song but I was never thrilled with the production. I always felt it should have been more guitar/drums heavy, a meatier sound if you will, to match the intensity of the melody and lyrics.

At the time I enjoyed the production, because not only was it IMO the most exciting song off OSOTM, but I was a big FIXX fan in the early 80's and loved Jamie West-Oram's sonic guitar chops meandering in and out of the mix. His guitar playing is really up front on the extended single remix. I agree somewhat that I would have loved a meatier production, but then it wouldn't sound right next to the other songs on the record. Cause let's face it, OSOTM is not a meaty affair, it's her most adult contemporary sounding record.

This song is also very fun to play on the guitar, I use to jam out to the riff on the chorus. Jamie's rhythm style is straight out of Niles Rodgers playbook.

[wheart]

At the time I enjoyed the production, because not only was it IMO the most exciting song off OSOTM, but I was a big FIXX fan in the early 80's and loved Jamie West-Oram's sonic guitar chops meandering in and out of the mix. His guitar playing is really up front on the extended single remix. I agree somewhat that I would have loved a meatier production, but then it wouldn't sound right next to the other songs on the record. Cause let's face it, OSOTM is not a meaty affair, it's her most adult contemporary sounding record.

This song is also very fun to play on the guitar, I use to jam out to the riff on the chorus. Jamie's rhythm style is straight out of Niles Rodgers playbook.

Good points. It's probably the most rocking song on the album but as you mentioned, it needed to fit within the context of the other songs. I can't help but wonder how the song would have sounded if recorded for RAL. Hmmmmm:shrug:

[UndoingTheLaces]

I also love the vocal extra ending on the outtakes. I wish that would've been added to the extended Long Way 12" version. Its a shame its not.

Ask and you shall receive. I'm home sick from work today and I've been thinking about doing this since you wrote this the other day. I hope it sounds okay.

http://www.mediafire.com/?2hhv1hxf7yaw9ia

I usually give my mixes a cool name like my "Strangely Bright" mix of Fire Burning but since all I did was add some extra vocals to this I didn't feel it was right to. So I just called it the "Extended Vocal Mix" since I pretty much just extended the vocals. I also did something a little different for the ending since I figured people were used to listening to the 12" version already. Let me know what you think.