Sixty-Second Song Remixes

Sixty-Second Song Remixes
Contact | LiveJournal | Home

Ken Freedman, the station manager at WFMU, started a contest in which he asked people to shorten songs to one minute or less. This is precisely what my years at a job requiring me to make ridiculous edits has been training me for.

I tried to stick to pieces that would provide some meta humour in the fact that they are being shortened (my first two were Jim Croce's "Time In A Bottle" and Melanie's "What Have They Done To My Song, Ma"). The shortened song, though, is truly a thing of beauty. How can you get ehe essence of a piece in only 60 seconds? Which parts do you excise? How do you justify it?

But to be more practical: I now have a growing collection of songs that save time. My party mixes always have themes, but I just may restrict all tomorrow's parties to one-minute cuts. It's the best way to get a variety that pleases everybody.

Artist Title Original Time Cumulative Savings

Jim Croce Time In A Bottle 2:27 1:27

Melanie What Have They Done To My Song, Ma? 4:05 4:32

The Residents One Minute Movies 4:32 8:04

The Dukes Of Stratosphear 25 O'Clock 5:02 12:06

Oingo Boingo No On Lives Forever 4:08 15:14

Red Hot Chili Peppers One Hot Minute 6:23 20:37

"Weird Al" Yankovic One More Minute 4:04 23:41

Yoko Ono Approximately Infinite Universe 3:21 26:02

The Mutants Lesson In Time 2:57 27:59

Frank Zappa Help I'm A Rock 8:39 35:38

Beastie Boys 3-Minute Rule 3:39 38:17

Renaldo & The Loaf Hambu Hodo 6:45 44:02

The Beatles A Day In The Life 5:07 48:09

King Crimson Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With 4:12 51:21

Neil Innes Stealing Time 4:29 54:50

Abbott & Costello Who's On First 4:26 58:16

Goon Show What Time Is It, Eccles? 3:18 1:00:34

Mercury Theatre War Of The Worlds 59:19 1:58:53

They Might Be Giants Fingertips 4:31 2:02:24

Groundhog Day 26 Minutes Later 8:16 2:09:40

Mickey Zetts Done 4:20 2:13:00

Boris The Sprinkler Group Sex (album) 13:32 2:25:32

The Beatles Her Majesty 0:23 2:24:55

The Squirrels The Not-So-Bright Side Of The Moon (album) 45:55 3:09:50

Dead Kennedys Short Songs 0:20 3:09:10

Shel Silverstein 26 Second Song 0:26 3:08:44

John Lennon Borrowed Time 4:29 3:12:13

The Residents God In Three Persons (album) 1:01:32 4:12:45

Laurie Anderson O Superman (For Massenet) 8:27 4:20:12

Dead Kennedys Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables (album) 32:26 4:51:38

And here's Penn Jillette taking a minute to share his feelings about minute-long songs.

Artist	Title	Original Time	Cumulative Savings
Jim Croce	Time In A Bottle	2:27	1:27
Melanie	What Have They Done To My Song, Ma?	4:05	4:32
The Residents	One Minute Movies	4:32	8:04
The Dukes Of Stratosphear	25 O'Clock	5:02	12:06
Oingo Boingo	No On Lives Forever	4:08	15:14
Red Hot Chili Peppers	One Hot Minute	6:23	20:37
"Weird Al" Yankovic	One More Minute	4:04	23:41
Yoko Ono	Approximately Infinite Universe	3:21	26:02
The Mutants	Lesson In Time	2:57	27:59
Frank Zappa	Help I'm A Rock	8:39	35:38
Beastie Boys	3-Minute Rule	3:39	38:17
Renaldo & The Loaf	Hambu Hodo	6:45	44:02
The Beatles	A Day In The Life	5:07	48:09
King Crimson	Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With	4:12	51:21
Neil Innes	Stealing Time	4:29	54:50
Abbott & Costello	Who's On First	4:26	58:16
Goon Show	What Time Is It, Eccles?	3:18	1:00:34
Mercury Theatre	War Of The Worlds	59:19	1:58:53
They Might Be Giants	Fingertips	4:31	2:02:24
Groundhog Day	26 Minutes Later	8:16	2:09:40
Mickey Zetts	Done	4:20	2:13:00
Boris The Sprinkler	Group Sex (album)	13:32	2:25:32
The Beatles	Her Majesty	0:23	2:24:55
The Squirrels	The Not-So-Bright Side Of The Moon (album)	45:55	3:09:50
Dead Kennedys	Short Songs	0:20	3:09:10
Shel Silverstein	26 Second Song	0:26	3:08:44
John Lennon	Borrowed Time	4:29	3:12:13
The Residents	God In Three Persons (album)	1:01:32	4:12:45
Laurie Anderson	O Superman (For Massenet)	8:27	4:20:12
Dead Kennedys	Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables (album)	32:26	4:51:38