Different mix of Black Magic Woman - what's up with that?

[Dogon]

Originally Posted by sharksfan2000

Anyone got those original singles of "Black Magic Woman" and can verify which mix in on there? And anyone got the original vinyl of Pious Bird of Good Omen? And anyone got any ideas on why the "different" mix was ever released at all?

Hi Sharkfan2000, I've got the "original" CBS release from -68 of "Black Magic Woman" and it has the "familiar" mix. I've also got the original vinyl of "Pious Bird of Good Omen" and it has the same mix as the single, only on the LP the mix is in stereo.
I remember being very surprised, with joy, after I'd got hold of "English Rose" back in June -69 and heard the different mix for the first time. It also was the first time that I'd heard the song in stereo, since at that time most singles were released in mono (at least in Europe) and I did not have "Pious" in my possession yet, and I thought it was great fun with the lead guitar jumping from left to right and back between the choruses and in the second part of the solo. I think that there are two things that differ the two mixes apart; the "ping-pong"-effect on the lead guitar in the "different" mix and the reverb drenched second part of the solo in the "familiar" mix.
As everybody knows, the "English Rose" was a compilation of FM's first two albums and their singles, released for the US market to promote their first 1969-tour over there and back then I thought the different mix was sort of an update of the sound in an attempt to come in line with the sound that had begun overflow the record market during the "psycadelic" that was now a couple of years old.