Recently I rediscovered country music singer Mindy McCready. If some of you don't know who she is, she is famous for the songs Ten Thousand Angels and the mega 1996 smash country crossover hit Guys Do it All the Time. I bought her final studio album I'm Still Here off Discogs lately and there were two newly updated songs on that from that album. My question is, what is the difference between the two original recordings and the updated version recordings of those songs? I found both songs uploaded on her YouTube channel:
1 Answer
To my ear, it sounds like both songs on I'm Still Here were re-recorded using the same arrangements from Ten Thousand Angels. However, it's possible that, short of a complete re-recording, the backing tracks were remixed and remastered with additional instrumental tracks and new lead vocals. I lean toward complete re-recordings of both.
The differences tend to be small but numerous, so an exhaustive list would be prohibitive, but here are some things I heard that lead to my conclusions above.
Ten Thousand Angels
During the introduction (00:00 - 00:12 on both recordings), the guitar in the remade version sounds more full. The higher-pitched instrument (steel guitar?) is also more prominent in the remake, and when it enters, it does an upward bend I don't hear on the original.
When the vocals enter ("Speaking of the devil"), McCready's voice in the original sounds "twangier" ("speakin'") and huskier than in the remake, where it sounds more precise ("speaking") and sweeter.
When she sings, "he knows just where to find me", her entry pitches on "find" are different between the two recordings.
The drum lead-ins to "to walk me out the door" (02:03ish in both) are different.
The ending portion of the original (02:54 - 3:27) is shorter by 25 seconds than the remake (02:53 - 03:52).
Guys Do It All the Time
The drums in the intro are different. The original has snare hits that aren't present in the remake. There is also a guitar part in the remake that isn't part of the original.
When the vocals enter, again the original is a bit "twangier" where the remake takes some of the edge off.
The endings are substantially different. There's solo guitar in the remake that's not in the original. In the vocals, McCready sings an "all the time" near the end; whereas in the original she repeats "guys do it".
