The single version of "Sometimes a Fantasy" released in the United States and Canada has a running time of 4:19, making it longer than the album version, which runs at 3:40. The 45 RPM single also uses a different mix with guitars panned in different locations. The album's version ends with a fade out, while the single version does not, and instead includes Joel letting loose a
Beatles' honoring yowl of "I got blisters on my blisters!", a reference to
Ringo Starr's outburst, "I got blisters on my fingers" at the end of "
Helter Skelter". The extended version of the song was available as a US 7" vinyl, a Canadian 7" vinyl, a US promo 7" vinyl, a US DJ-promo 12" vinyl and (at 4:22) as the Japanese B-side of "
All for Leyna" (available as a 7" and a 7" promo). The single was released in other countries as a 3:39 version, namely in Australia, the Netherlands and the UK (7" promo). The official music video for this single uses an alternate vocal track, different from the album and single releases. A version of the song is included on Joel's 1987 live album,
Kohuept. ==Reception==