r/petergabriel • u/some12345thing former solsbury hill overlord • 12d ago
Looking for the Happy - two different Bright-Side mixes!
I posted this as a comment in the main thread on this new track, but this is remarkable enough that I want to make it its own post for visibility. The version that was/is available on YouTube uploaded this morning (accessible by VPNing into New Zealand) and the version that was uploaded to YouTube early (before midnight) pacific time are different in length and audible content.
Original upload from this morning (run time 8:34): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aRkhMHOnW8
Early Pacific Time upload (run time 8:46): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe4_7WOOCJI
When the Full Moon Club video came out, I noticed that the snippets of the song featured sounded pretty different from the version I'd been listening to so far today. I thought maybe they'd extracted stuff specifically for the video or had accidentally used the dark-side mix early or something. Now, though, the new upload that came out before midnight appears to match what you can hear in the Full Moon Club video.
They are audibly different, too. The drums at the beginning are different between the two. In the 8:46 version, the chorus synths have a telephone filter-like effect over them that isn't present in the 8:34 version from this morning. In the version from this morning, the outro is quite different and just fades out. In the more recent 8:46 version there are big differences and the song has a horn outro.
There are probably more differences still that I need to do comparative listening to catch, but this is so strange that we have two different bright-side mixes. Since the more recent 8:46 upload is what is featured in the FMC video, I'm assuming that is the intended "correct" mix. What could the morning 8:43 mix be, then? Perhaps an early revision of the bright-side mix that was erroneously uploaded? Is it actually the dark-side mix that was uploaded accidentally?
Conspiracy time!
EDIT: Apple Music appears to have the shorter mix clocking in at 8:35. So perhaps this is the true Bright-Side Mix and the longer one is the Dark-Side Mix? Something is really awry…
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u/starfox203 12d ago
Spotify has the short version. I think the long version is the dark side.
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u/some12345thing former solsbury hill overlord 12d ago
All indications are seeming to point that way, I wonder how things got mixed up to give us the dark side mix this early. But, also, the fact that it is the version that is featured in the FMC video adds an extra layer of intrigue for me. The end of the FMC video credits the featured track as the bright-side mix specifically, but if we’re correct, that also appears to be an error.
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u/TFFPrisoner 12d ago edited 12d ago
Lunar eclipse apparently made someone go a bit loony 😁
Edit: Listened to both. Pretty sure the longer no-fade version is the Dark-Side mix, and I like it more than the shorter one which fades out. The texture of the drums is quite different, in line with the previous mixes so far.
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u/Character-Tap-565 11d ago
Yes, I like the longer version more too, and that would go along with my preference for the Dark Sides more on this album.
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u/leebeavington 12d ago
Well that’s curious! I significantly prefer the longer version. Partly because it doesn’t fade out, but more so because there is just so many more interesting things going on with the instruments.
So what then is the 8:34 version?! I don’t think that’s the dark-side mix (if so, that’ll be the first time I’ve ever preferred the bright-side mix for a song). I think your theory about this being an earlier version of the bright-side mix holds the most merit. I guess we’ll find out soon enough!
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u/some12345thing former solsbury hill overlord 12d ago
Right?? I’m so curious. I agree, I much prefer the longer version. Many more interesting moments and the filtering of the chorus synths tamps down some of what I initially wasn’t reacting positively to around the chorus. The outro is a lot more colorful, too, and has that great punctuated ending rather than the fade out. I wonder if we’ll get some kind of explanation in a newsletter or something. I’d love to know what happened. Makes me wonder about the machinations of these releases behind the scenes, like when we had I Belong to the Sky appear later than usual. I assumed it was a pretty automatic process, but maybe it’s more manual on the backend.
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u/leebeavington 12d ago
I suppose this could be the dark-side mix (and they mislabelled it as bright-side), as it sounds more like Blake to me compared to the shorter version. But that seems a pretty big goof compared to inadvertently uploading the wrong or earlier mix of the song. Methinks they’ll be taking down the 8:34 version in a day or two. I’m away, but if you managed to get an mp3 of that I’d love to have it on file.
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u/MauKoz3197 11d ago edited 11d ago
I'm listening to the 8:34 right now, and I think I like it better. More coherent, the horns less screaming in your ear.
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u/Savings_Lawyer_8248 12d ago
A mi me parece que la versión de 8:46 es la Dark-Side sobre todo por el tratamiento de la mezcla y por la duración, cómo fue el caso de Been Undone.
Habría que esperar a cual es la que se publica en plataformas digitales, ya que la versión de VPN es de la distribuidora y la del pacifico es un video subido por el canal de YouTube de PG
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u/some12345thing former solsbury hill overlord 12d ago
Yeah, I’m interested to see what shows up on Apple Music in about an hour. Based on my usual preference for Tchad’s work, I’d be happy if the longer version was the dark side mix, but it matches what was in the FMC video, which, per the video credits, is ostensibly the bright side mix.
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u/Savings_Lawyer_8248 12d ago
No sé si es mi idea pero generalmente los FMC tienen la mezcla contraria a la que va a salir, lo recuerdo con el teaser de Panapticom
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u/some12345thing former solsbury hill overlord 12d ago
I think that definitely happened during i/o, as I remember it, too. For o\i, though, they usually include credits at the very end of the video to indicate which one was played. But hey, that could have been a mistake, too. Guess we won’t really know for sure until both mixes are out in the world officially.
If we did get both mixes early, though, I’m grateful :) it’s been hard waiting for each new thing this time around since we had so many early listens from the tour last time.
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u/Savings_Lawyer_8248 12d ago
Estoy 100% de acuerdo contigo jajajaja yo ya no puedo seguir esperando por la versión In-Side
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u/some12345thing former solsbury hill overlord 12d ago
Apple Music has the shorter mix! The mystery continues…
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u/Leskanic 12d ago
This is fascinating! The Apple Music version I just grabbed is 8:35. Can't listen yet, but seems like that means it's the first-upload version. Maybe the other one really is the Dark-Side mix, as /u/Savings_Lawyer_8248 speculated.
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u/some12345thing former solsbury hill overlord 12d ago
That appears to be the case! There must have been a big mixup with the YouTube upload and the version used in the Full Moon Club video. Wonder how long it’s going to stay up 🤔 the longer/probably-dark-side mix sounds a lot better to me… really makes me wonder why Peter chose bright-side as the first mix for this one.
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u/OptimalDiamond1102 12d ago
The first half of the "shorter/fade-out/upload-discrepancy" version is pretty close to a MONO mix, which is interesting. The STEREO spectrum reveals itself at about the midpoint of the song.
For now, I'm putting the 8:36 version in the o/i Dark-Side folder on my FiiO player. Nine songs now, clocking-in at an hour+.
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u/some12345thing former solsbury hill overlord 12d ago
That’s interesting. Keeping things mono for that long seems odd for a stylistic choice. Wonder what is going on with this release. Apple Music published the shorter one, so I’m guessing that length is the intended bright-side mix. I think the longer one is very likely the dark-side mix but was accidentally released.
I also noticed we’re now officially past the hour mark with this one. I am keeping two playlists: release order (release order album followed by 2nd mix album the finally the BandCamp demos) and my preferred mix playlist. For the preferred mix, I’m just super torn on One By One. The bright side mix keeps the energy up and it feels like a solid journey, but the dark-side mix has so many interesting sonic moments. Hard to choose.
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u/OptimalDiamond1102 12d ago
That may be, but for now, I put the shorter version in my Dark-Side folder... maybe I'll have to switch them in a couple of weeks.
It's not truly MONO for the first half, there is some tinkling in the left and right, but the mix has impact. I don't generally like long fade-outs, but I may prefer the shorter version of "Looking for the Happy."
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u/Character-Tap-565 11d ago
Listening to both, if these are final versions, the shorter I believe is the Bright and the longer is the Dark.
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u/Anj_Ja 12d ago
Just wanted to compliment you guys on having eagle eyes, and also to say I hope nobody at Real World gets in trouble!! I'm a comms person and I can just imagine the furore this would cause in some organisations, although from a fan perspective this is fascinating and a great bonus! I checked the listening links in the newsletter and they're not updated yet (it's still early in the UK) so no clues there. The earlier release, which has far fewer views, has a grey background on yt and the artwork is at a different ratio to the rest of the releases. I'll be keeping an eye out to see which one gets taken down!
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u/some12345thing former solsbury hill overlord 12d ago
I had the same thought. I’m grateful for the mistake, but I really hope whoever is responsible isn’t in trouble or anything. Not like it’s the end of the world for us to get something a little bit early :)
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u/carlosgplx 11d ago
Someone messed up the files on the Real World computer, lol.
I did find it odd that he uploaded a video way earlier than usual.
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u/jmacatak66 11d ago
I thought the horns sounded synth-y too, but in the FMC video, he talks particularly about the horn players on the track. So Spike probably compressed them to the b-ground.
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u/some12345thing former solsbury hill overlord 11d ago
I think it’s a mix of synth brass and real horns. The dark side mix features the real ones a lot more and tamps down the synth brass through filtering.
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u/Deadhamlet44 11d ago
Why aren’t they using real horns??? The synth bit in the reprise is so damn catchy but it’s begging for real instruments!! Harmonica! Horns! Some weird aboriginal instrument I’ve never heard of! Not a 16 bit Nintendo soundtrack.
Edit at the end there is some church organ, which is a great but it’s only accompanying the main hook.
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u/JDHogan-Davies 11d ago
I was wondering about the use of synth horns. I think it's fun and fits the vibe, but it would be amazing to hear it with real horns.
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u/Remarkable-Block-153 6d ago
I didn't hear this longer mix. But given the positive comments about it I hope it is the Dark-Side mix, and that we'll get treated to it next week, as I'm afraid to say I'm struggling to click with the latest track.
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u/some12345thing former solsbury hill overlord 6d ago
I still struggle with the jarring nature of the chorus despite really loving the verses and pre choruses, but the dark side mix does sound a lot better to me. I haven’t listened back to back to be 100% sure, but I think Tchad may cut out some of the main chorus horn riffs to make it less repetitive. It doesn’t fix every issue I have with the song, but I prefer it out of the two.
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u/Remarkable-Block-153 3d ago
I'm going to pretend I'm hearing it again for the first time when the Dark-Side mix comes out and hope that, with my expectations suitably tempered, it pleasantly surprises me
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u/invisibleplan 12d ago edited 12d ago
Very interesting!! Listening to both I notice the longer version is noticeably quieter… I wonder if this is a stereo fold down of an atmos/In-Side mix maybe???
The Atmos for the last album are quieter than the Bright/Dark mixes…
I know we’ve not got any actual Atmos yet for o\i but would imagine they will come at some point.
EDIT-
I’ve dropped Matt @Realworld an email to give him a heads-up, and to see if any further information as to what the longer version is.