Category: Andrew Ridgeley

Wham! – Bad Boys (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1983

NEW 2023 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Originally posted March 18, 2014

“Bad Boys” is a song by English pop duo Wham! which was a hit in 1983. It was written and co-produced by George Michael, one half of the duo, and released on Innervision Records.

The song was an energetic but endearing tale of a rebellious teenage lad’s struggle against his parents who are concerned about his late-night activities. Although Michael wrote and sang it from the teenager’s perspective (he was himself only 19 when he composed it and the character refers to being that age in the song), he also penned a middle eight in which the “parents” (Michael putting on more “adult” voices) aired their concerns, which included late nights and cigarettes and ultimately asking, “Why do you have to be so cruel?”. Michael’s father was played by Anthony Souter who was 18 and made up to look older.

It was the third single to be taken from Wham!’s debut album, Fantastic, and reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart, going on to become the 26th best selling single of 1983. At the time, Wham! was projecting a hard, politically motivated image, with “Bad Boys” one of a number of songs projecting a stance of mood and youthful independence, a “soul boy – dole boy” theme. The single was also released in the United States, peaking at number 60. It was the duo’s first time on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, although they were listed as Wham!-UK.

“Bad Boys” became the biggest hit from the debut album, although it would be usurped by “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” from the album Make It Big in 1984, which became the first of four UK number-one singles the duo would enjoy. Michael quickly denounced “Bad Boys” as a song he hated, stating it was “like an albatross round my neck”. The song was famously omitted from the 1997 compilation album The Best of Wham!: If You Were There…, despite the album including tracks that were not released as singles.

Also of note the 12″ Mix was omitted from the 2023 The Singles (Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven) CD single box set.

SIDE A:
Bad Boys (12″ Mix) 4:58

SIDE B:
Bad Boys (Instrumental) 3:25

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1983 Bad Boys U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #60
1983 Bad Boys U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #28

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia – 44-03933, Innervision Records (2) – 44-03933
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Pop/Rock
Style: Pop/Rock, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

NOTES:
Pressed By – Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Pitman
Mastered At – Sterling Sound
Mastered At – Customatrix

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus:  Ortofon 2M Black PnP MkII
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp:
Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
DAC:
Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
Record Cleaning
: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans
: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!


Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.



Wham! – Freedom (Long Mix) (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1985

NEW 2022 Transfer!
NEW Meticulous Restoration!

Originally posted April 16, 2014

++The U.S. “Long Mix” is an alternate mix which is about one minute shorter than the “Long Version” released in Europe and Japan.

“Freedom” is a hit song by British pop duo Wham!. “Freedom” was number one in the UK for three weeks, and featured on the album Make It Big, which was issued at the same time. “Freedom” was the 10th biggest-selling single of 1984. This song also reached number 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in the US in September 1985. The music video, coinciding with the 1985 US release, features the band touring around Beijing, China.

The song finds George Michael telling a girl that he wants to fully commit to her, and not have one of those relationships where they can see other people.

When Wham! went to China in April, 1985, they became the first Western Pop act to play a concert in that country. While there is absolutely nothing political about the song, footage from the trip was used to make a music video for the track, implying a more global meaning of the title.

The video opens with about a minute of the band talking under clips of the Chinese people and the countryside. Wham! was one of the biggest acts on MTV at the time, but the network, fearing the short attention spans of their viewers, wanted to cut out the intro (this was before Michael Jackson changed the game with “Thriller”). The band’s manager, Simon Napier-Bell, refused, and MTV ended up airing the full video. Napier-Bell apparently found the negotiations with MTV much easier than those with the Chinese government.

In an interview with the Christmas 2009 issue of THE BIG ISSUE, Michael said of this song, that when he wrote it he knew he had arrived: “When I was 19, I wrote Freedom – the original version – and I thought, ‘I can’t believe I’ve just done that!’ I was absolutely thrilled. Because until then I had no real understanding of my abilities, but with Freedom, I started to take myself seriously as a writer.”

SIDE A:
Freedom (Long Mix) 6:17

SIDE B:
Heartbeat 4:42
Freedom (Instrumental) 5:04

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1984 Freedom U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #3
1984 Freedom U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks #4

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia ‎– 44-05238
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Arranged By, Producer – George Michael
Written-By – G. Michael*

NOTES:
Taken from the Columbia LP: “MAKE IT BIG”

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon 2M Black
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp:
Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
DAC:
Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
Record Cleaning
: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans
: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

 

**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!


Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.



Andrew Ridgeley – Red Dress (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1990

NEW 2021 Transfer!
Meticulously Remastered!

Originally posted April 17, 2012

“Red Dress” is the second and final single released from Andrew Ridgeley’s only solo album Son Of Albert. “Red Dress” was the only track on the album to feature George Michael on backing vocals. The single was not successful and failed to make an impact on the charts. A promotional video was filmed for the single showing a shirtless Ridgeley playing guitar.

SIDE A:
Red Dress (12″ Mix) 6:38

SIDE B:
Red Dress (Instrumental) 4:15

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label:  Epic – AJR T2
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Red Vinyl
Country: UK
Released: 1990
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop/Rock

CREDITS:
Backing Vocals [uncredited] –  George Michael (tracks: A)
Producer – Andrew RidgeleyGary Bromham

NOTES:
Taken from the LP  “Son Of Albert”
This 12″ is pressed on Red Vinyl

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp:
Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
DAC:
Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
Record Cleaning
: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans
: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi


Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.

Andrew Ridgeley – Shake (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1990

NEW 2021 Transfer!
Meticulously Remastered!

Originally posted April 16, 2012

“Shake” was the debut solo single by English singer, songwriter, and record producer, Andrew Ridgeley best known for his work in the 1980s as one half of the musical duo Wham!

“Shake” reached #16 on the Australian singles chart and #58 in the UK Singles Chart. “Shake” was the 81st highest-selling single of 1990 in Australia. In the United States, the song only managed to peak at #77 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The song was taken from the LP “Son Of Albert”.

SIDE A:
Shake (Extended) 4:53
Written-By – Andrew RidgeleyDavid Austin

SIDE B:
Hangin’ (Extended) 6:11
Written-By – N. Rogers/B. Edwards*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1990 Shake U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #77

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic ‎– AJR GT1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Gatefold Sleeve
Country: UK
Released: 1990
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop Rock

CREDITS:
Producer, Arranged By – Andrew RidgeleyGary Bromham

NOTES:
Original versions appear on the LP “SON OF ALBERT”

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp:
Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
DAC:
Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
Record Cleaning
: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans
: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi


Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.