Tag: Japan 12″

March 25, 2014

Wham! – Freedom (Japan 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

“Freedom” is a song by British pop duo Wham! released in 1984, becoming the group’s second UK #1 hit. It was written and produced by George Michael, one half of the duo.

Wham! had already enjoyed a successful 1984 by the time “Freedom” was released in August of that year. “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” had given them their first UK #1 and had then reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA. George had then gone to #1 with a solo single, “Careless Whisper”.

“Freedom” was #1 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 #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US the following year. The music video, coinciding with the 1985 US release, features the band touring around Beijing, China. Wham! were the first western pop group to tour that country.

The melody of the song was used by George Michael as an introduction to his song, “Faith”, played on a church organ.

Included as a bonus is the single remix of “Freedom” which was taken from the US 12″ promo. This version contains an alternate ending.

SIDE A:
Freedom (Long Version) 7:05

SIDE B:
Freedom (Instrumental) 5:04

BONUS TRACK:
Freedom (Single Remix) 5:19

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: Epic ‎– 12•3P- 573
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Japan
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Photography By – Chris Craymer
Written-By, Arranged By, Producer – George Michael

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

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Speed Control: Pro-Ject Speed Box S
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removeal: ClickRepair (DeClick Level 3)
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

March 24, 2014

Wham! – Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Japan 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” is a two-million-selling, Platinum-certified 1984 song by the English pop duo Wham!, which became their first American and UK #1 hit. It was written and produced by George Michael, one half of the duo.

The song entered the UK singles chart at number four — after much hype from the duo claiming they would go straight in at number one, which was a rare occurrence then — and climbed to the top spot seven days later, staying there for two weeks.

SIDE A:
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go 3:51

SIDE B:
A Ray Of Sunshine (Specially Recorded For The Tube) 4:52
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Instrumental) 4:02

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984	Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#1
1984	Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go	U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	#4
1984	Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play	#27

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic/Sony ‎– 12-3P-536
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Japan
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Arranged By – George Michael
Producer – George Michael
Written By – George Michael

NOTES:
Special thanks to Siobhan (Who has the unviable task of “WAKING” us up)
Photography by Koh Hasebe (Music Life)
Wham! Fan Club, PO Box, 1AP, London, W1AP

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

March 19, 2014

Wham! – Bad Boys/Club Tropicana (Japan 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1983

“Bad Boys/Club Tropicana” was a 1983 single released in Japan. The single is housed in a unique picture sleeve. This record is quite cofusing due to the front cover stating “Extended Club Mix Versions” in the plural sense. However if you flip the sleeve over and look at the back cover “Extended Club Mix Version” is only listed above “Bad Boys”. There has never been an official “Extended” version of “Club Tropicana” released.

I am posting this record just to clear up the “Club Tropicana” mystery and aside from the flawless Japanese pressing the artwork is great too. I have scanned the record with the Japanese OBI strip and without so you can see the full sleeve.

SIDE A:
Bad Boys (Extended Club Mix Version) 4:52
Arranged By , Co-producer , Written-By – George Michael
Producer – Steve Brown

SIDE B:
Club Tropicana 4:27
Producer – George Michael, Steve Brown
Written-By – Andrew Ridgeley, George Michael

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic ‎– 12-3P-512
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Japan
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Photography By – Brian Aris

NOTES:
Taken From The LP “FANTASTIC”

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

September 19, 2012

Dead Or Alive – My Heart Goes Bang (Get Me To The Doctor) (Japan 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

Re-Rip Remaster + Bonus Track

Originally I posted this one back in January of 2011. But for those who may have missed it or if you are a new reader just discovering BTG. I decided to give this one a new rip with my newer equipment. This 12″ is also being posted in 24 bit flac for the very first time! Aside from re-ripping the Japanese 12″ I also included as a bonus track the “Instrumental Version” of “My Heart Goes Bang (Get Me To The doctor)” taken from the UK 12″ (Epic – QTA 6571).

“My Heart Goes Bang (Get Me To The Doctor)” is the fourth and final single from Dead or Alive’s second studio album Youthquake. It charted at #23 in the United Kingdom, #41 in Australia and became a huge dance hit in the U.S.

SIDE A:
My Heart Goes Bang (Get Me To The Doctor) (Wipe Out Mix) 6:15
Remix – Phil Harding

SIDE B:
My Heart Goes Bang (Get Me To The Doctor) (Extended Remix) 7:18
Remix – Phil Harding

Big Daddy Of The Rhythm (Live) 3:27
Mixed By – Stock, Aitken & Waterman
Recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon, July 1985

BONUS TRACK:
My Heart Goes Bang (Get Me To The Doctor) (Instrumental Version) 4:33
Remix – Phil Harding

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Cover: Near Mint

CHARTS:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	My Heart Goes Bang (Get Me To The Doctor)	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	#15

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic/Sony – 12.3P-695
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Japan
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Artwork By [Design] – Satori
Photography – Peter Brown
Credits: Producer – Stock, Aitken & Waterman
Written-By – Dead Or Alive

NOTES:
A Peter Waterman production
Digitally recorded and mixed for PWL.
Special versions taken from the LP “YOUTHQUAKE”
Includes a 12″ x 12″ Mini Poster!

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi