Another thing about Spotify that I’ve noticed, and was reminded as the wife and I spent a few hours driving yesterday, is that some number of the ‘classic rock’ songs they have are actually re-recorded versions. Usually by the same band (maybe substituting a studio musician here or there), but recorded decades later for release on streaming. I can only guess it has to do with royalties e.g. they make more money per play count re-recording their own songs again vs what they make off the original recording. Or, for whatever reason, the label doesn’t allow the original to be streamed.
Does the iTunes/Apple music stream do the same?
They are usually pretty good ‘covers’ of their own songs. But these are songs we’ve all probably heard 1000 times over the years and when you hear them on Spotify you can tell it’s not the same. The singer is 30-40 years older and difficult to hit the same notes, the guitar solo is only 95% the same, the mixing is a little different etc. Imaginary Lover by the Atlanta Rhythm Section was one we heard on the drive back that was clearly not the 1975 album/single version that got all the radio airplay over the years. Close but not the same.
Funny you mention that. A version of Steve Miller’s “The Joker” that sounded suspiciously like a re-recording of some sort was playing at the grocery store the other day. It was a *very* good cover but the phrasing was noticeably different here and there, most evident to me in the slide guitar parts. No doubt it’s some kind of royalties thing. The other classic rock songs they played that day seemed to be the originals. The other place I’ve occasionally noticed these kinds of covers is in filler music on talk radio stations.
I don't know if Apple Music plays those tracks on on a Sirius radio station, I recently heard "Annie's Song" by John Denver that was an obvious re-cording. For those who remember the original of that song, there was always a little feedback at the very beginning of that song. That was the telltale that you were listening to the original recording.
Speaking of that ARS song "Imaginary Lover", radio DJ's used to have a little fun with their listeners by playing that song at a slightly higher speed. The result was that it sounded exactly, and I mean exactly, like Stevie Nicks.