On That Note: Long and Short of It

[cyclones500]

Welcome back to "On That Note," MeanDean/cyclones500 music series.

For this week's segment, we'll explore notable songs of unusual length (by pop-music standards). Defining “long” and “short” is arbitrary, but I’ll establish the over/under at 8 minutes or more on the top end, and less than 2 minutes on the brevity scale.

Allowed (but not as close to the “spirit” of the topic):

• Extended live version/jam of standard-length studio song, if it's best-known incarnation.
• Medleys/suites

I considered presenting this is two separate threads, but we can intermix Long and Short. I’ll post my long songs first (probably multiple posts) then shorts. Add to the list as you see fit.

• Last week’s OTN: Crowded House, Down Under Pop

The Temptations, 1972


Television, 1977

 

[MeanDean]

I always think of long songs as:

Hey Jude
McArthur Park, and
I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home

 

[MeanDean]

And the Album side of In A Gadda Da Vida

 

[MeanDean]

The two short songs I immediately think of are

Stay - Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs. I believe it's the shortest record to ever top the Billboard Charts



And Leslie Gore's Sunshine Lollipops and Rainbows (written by Marvin Hamlish)

 

[MeanDean]

Oooo Another long one. The Thanksgiving Hippy Dippy Classic, Alice's Restaurant.

 

[flynnhicks03]

Welcome back to "On That Note," MeanDean/cyclones500 music series.

For this week's segment, we'll explore notable songs of unusual length (by pop-music standards). Defining “long” and “short” is arbitrary, but I’ll establish the over/under at 8 minutes or more on the top end, and less than 2 minutes on the brevity scale.

Allowed (but not as close to the “spirit” of the topic):

• Extended live version/jam of standard-length studio song, if it's best-known incarnation.
• Medleys/suites

I considered presenting this is two separate threads, but we can intermix Long and Short. I’ll post my long songs first (probably multiple posts) then shorts. Add to the list as you see fit.

• Last week’s OTN: Crowded House, Down Under Pop

The Temptations, 1972


Television, 1977

"Marquee Moon" is one of my favorite songs/albums. Amazing guitar work by Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine.

 

[flynnhicks03]

A couple of short ones I like:

This one's just a shade over 2 minutes


Another short one:

 

[SouthJerseyCy]

The two short songs I immediately think of are

Stay - Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs. I believe it's the shortest record to ever top the Billboard Charts

Interesting because Jackson Browne's live version of Load Out/Stay that you usually hear is on the longer side.

 

[Clone83]

I always think of long songs as:

Hey Jude
McArthur Park . . .

I saw this point about the Beatles and Hey Jude when posting in that earlier thread, but I see that particular article on Jimmy Webb at American Songwriter.com, where I saw it, is now behind a pay wall:

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/nov/11/how-we-made-macarthur-park

. . . We had doubts about releasing it as a single, but when radio stations began playing it from the album in its entirety, I was asked to do a shorter version as a single. I refused, so eventually they put out the full seven minutes 20 seconds. George Martin once told me the Beatles let Hey Jude run to over seven minutes because of MacArthur Park. . . .

 

[SCyclone]

 

[SCyclone]

 

[SCyclone]

 

[SCyclone]

When I was in FM radio, we used to call these "DJ dump songs". I'm sure you can figure it out.

 

[drlove]

I have many favorites in this category. Here are the first 2 that got me started as a ute.



First LP I ever bought

 

[drlove]

If you like an Iowa State connection, Jane Smiley was on faculty at Iowa State at one time.

 

[BoxsterCy]

And the Album side of In A Gadda Da Vida

Kinda surprised my parents didn't come up to my room and smash this.

 

[cyclones500]

"Marquee Moon" is one of my favorite songs/albums. Amazing guitar work by Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine.

Yes, the guitar-interplay is fantastic.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Doors Riders on the Storm and The End (in all of it's creepiness). Seems everything that is long is pretty old. For album play and not airtime so much I guess.

 

[jcyclonee]

Did anybody say we needed a little disco in this thread?

 

[cyclones500]

Another short one:

"The club is open!"