Skipping Like A Stone (feat. Beck)

[Wolkenkrabber]

Try a very shortened intro to Dire Straights' - "Money for Nothing"

No, I will not. How DARE you!?    Dire Straits...tsk.

almost certain it's "I'm dancing in the shadows of love"

Yes. A  lyrical nod to the Four Tops Standing In The Shadows Of Love I think.

And there's a 7:15 Extended Mix on Beatport.
https://www.beatport.com/release/skipping-like-a-stone-extended-mix/4239839

So the extended mix isn't just longer, it has additional "dancier" production - that bass-y synth sound that squelches along. Nice.

[Ben_j]

The extended mix is much MUCH better than the single/album versions. The weird "voice-like" synth that I hate is really toned down

[HavanaVegas]

Aw man, that extended mix sounds so much richer than the shorter versions. Feel a bit short changed unless the album version is somehow different to what we've already heard. 

[wrclaguna]

7:15 Extended Mix 

[Enjoyed]

Wow, it IS much better. What a shame this wont be on the album.

Also... Is Beatport usually miles off with BPMs? It has SLAS listed at 89bpm 

[chemdup]

It's really grown on me today. It's really beautiful. When that bass kicks in...halo mauds amazing voice at the end...it needs to be listened to loud on headphones! 

I do think it might make an appearance in the live set, in the same way catch me did. 

[Enjoyed]

I do think it might make an appearance in the live set, in the same way catch me did.

A hundred %. They could play it back to back/mixed with Wide Open and they wouldn't need to pitch shift anything.
It already sounds pretty great smashed together in Traktor!

[Champiness]

My fantasy booking for live "Skipping": pull a "Hey Boy Hey Girl"/"The Test" or "Got Glint"/"Catch Me I'm Falling", with it coming after a revived "It Doesn't Matter" and carrying over a bunch of percussion/sound effects (eg the "No Time Or Space" sample, or the noise that comes in each time before the third beat) like those previous examples. Maybe as an encore thing.

[𝒥𝑅𝒮𝒵]

They really should start uploading extendeds on streamings too...

Edit: Ok, I've heard it and it's not only simple extended, it's basically a "club mix" of the song, a bit different, more dj friendly cut.
Hope some songs will get a simillar treatment.

I'm glad that I've picked that usb edition too, mostly as interesting musical gimmick, right now let's hope they put the 24bit flacs, or something like that on it, or various formats, would be cool with usb .

[thg]

The 4:43 version is the one featured on the album.
The 4:00 cut is the Single Edit.
https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/skipping-like-a-stone-the-chemical-brothers-beck/h1ymonff4lpmc
And there's a 7:15 Extended Mix on Beatport.
https://www.beatport.com/release/skipping-like-a-stone-extended-mix/4239839

Judging by this Beatport snippet, the extended version sounds amazing! 

[Bosco]

Notes from Zane Lowe Interview (Episode 552, Apple Music - 'Zane Lowe Show' Tom @19:30):

• Quickly discuss flooding in Palm Springs/Coachella Valley
• Happy Birthday Zane Lowe w/birthday synth-"ditty" from Tom
• Discuss how they go about creating an album
• They gush about Beck, including Tom divulging that there's an early demo version w/Tom on vocals that will never see the light of day.
• Play 'Skipping Like A Stone'
• Discuss taking a more emotional approach to music as you get older.
• Tom loves Santa Barbara Bowl ("every week!", "residency!"), would love to bring show back to America, East Coast and "that bit in the middle"

Throughout the interview Zane is frequently reminiscing, complimenting, and very grateful for having him as part of their past "Down Under" journeys.

[whirlygirl]

Duuuuuuude @Bosco I'm dying over here with that last bullet point, haha! Yes bring it back to America (and I know it would be impossible and all for all kinds of reasons) but a residency at Santa Barbara Bowl would be all kinds of fucking amazing.

And back to Skipping Like A Stone. The extended mix is so, so good! 

[Stefan]

WHAT THERE REALLY IS AN EXTENDED MIX OF 7:15 I THOUGHT THAT WAS A JOKE I THOUGHT THE 4:43 VERSION WAS THE EXTENDED MIX

Can't wait to listen to it when I get home from office today.

[Biff]

It's funny, I definitely thought listening to the song that Tom could've done it (as Becks vocals are lighter on this than many of his songs, and more I. The register of Tom's). I really am enjoying this song. The Halo vocals add an awesome touch to it too. I think the heavy drums/bass will make it a good live track. ✨✨✨🪨

I'm all for a Santa Barbara residency too. That was a really awesome venue.

[Champiness]

Interesting that both "Wide Open" and "Skipping Like A Stone" began life with Tom Rowlands guide vocals (some of which apparently made it to the final release, in the latter case). Possible that Beck is Tom's idea of "me if I was a good singer"?

[shakermaker]

there's an early demo version w/Tom on vocals that will never see the light of day.

we'll see about that when the 20 year anniversary reissue comes around 

[neorev]

Extended mix is also on their Bandcamp:
https://thechemicalbrothers.bandcamp.com/album/skipping-like-a-stone-feat-beck

[Stefan]

Ok but that Extended Mix though
That's the build-up we deserve

When the album is out I'm gonna make my own version with all the extended version. Hopefully they'll also blend if the songs are mixed.

[Biff]

Listened on Bandcamp, the extended makes the album version sound like a radio edit.

I like the extended mix a lot more, but I can get why it was shortened, as albums can have a certain cadence to with track lengths depending on its direction/structure (yes, yes, Escape Velocity excluded) and having an unusually long song mid-album might throw that off that pace.

With that being said, the extended version of this would sound awesome as an ending track for the album, where a song like this could take its time as a cathartic ending (think TPPR). The Pitchfork review of BITE made mention of how Radiate should've been the last track the album, and I kind of agree (move Wide Open to after Just Bang?), and think the emotional vibe of this song for the same reason would make a good ending.

But then again, I haven't heard the actual ending track yet, so maybe Biff doesn't know what he's talking about... ʅ（´◔౪◔）ʃ

[Bosco]

I actually think the radio edit is plenty good. That's not to say I don't enjoy the longer versions more, but I honestly think the magic of the song is captured in the edit.

I hate to put a cynical spin to this, but my guess to why there is a push for the release of the shorten versions (radio edit and album version) is because of the return on royalties for streams is much greater than an extended mix at 7:14. I don't know if artists get payed out for fractional play-throughs, so I would imagine a shorter condensed track with complete repeated plays, nets more than one long track that's nearly double the length.