Pretty Poison – Catch Me (I’m Falling) (US 12″) (1987)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

NEW 2026 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

For today’s Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition, we are heading back to 1987 for a record that seemed to be everywhere once it caught fire.

Pretty Poison’s “Catch Me (I’m Falling)” was featured in the comedy Hiding Out and became one of the biggest dance-pop crossover hits of the late 1980s.

This is also another new 2026 transfer.

I originally posted this single way back in January 2014. More than twelve years later, I returned to the vinyl and recorded it again from scratch using my current equipment and restoration process.

This is not a remaster of the files posted in 2014. It is a completely new transfer.

Pretty Poison formed in Philadelphia in the early 1980s, with Jade Starling on lead vocals and Whey Cooler as one of the group’s principal musicians and songwriters. Their early material leaned toward new wave before they moved into the electronic dance sound that would bring them national attention.

They had already found some club success with “Nighttime,” which reached number 14 on Billboard’s Dance chart in 1984.

But “Catch Me (I’m Falling)” changed everything.

Written by Jade Starling and Whey Cooler and produced by Kae Williams Jr. and Kurt Shore, the song became a regional hit around Philadelphia, selling roughly 20,000 copies through the independent Svengali label. Its success caught the attention of Virgin Records, which gave the record a much larger platform.

Its appearance in the 1987 comedy Hiding Out helped push it even further.

Directed by Bob Giraldi, Hiding Out stars Jon Cryer as Andrew Morenski, a twenty-nine-year-old Boston stockbroker hiding from organized crime who disguises himself as a high-school student named Maxwell Hauser.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Jon Cryer is a twenty-nine-year-old stockbroker pretending to be a teenager.

Only in the ’80s.

The soundtrack was actually quite strong, with Boy George, Public Image Ltd., Hue & Cry, Scarlett & Black, and Roy Orbison with k.d. lang joining Pretty Poison. “Catch Me (I’m Falling)” appears during a roller-rink sequence, which is about as perfectly 1987 as anything could be.

The song itself is pure late-’80s dance-pop and freestyle.

Electronic drums hit hard, synthesizers sparkle, and a thick bassline drives everything forward. Over it all is Jade Starling, delivering a playful, urgent vocal that sounds as though falling in love is happening at full speed.

The chorus is ridiculously infectious. Once “Catch me, I’m falling” gets into your head, good luck getting it back out.

The timing was perfect. Freestyle was moving from the clubs into mainstream pop, and Pretty Poison fit naturally into that world while still sounding like themselves.

The club audience got there first.

“Catch Me (I’m Falling)” reached number one on Billboard’s Dance Club chart in September 1987. Pop radio soon followed, sending the single all the way to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 by December.

For a group that had recently been selling records independently around Philadelphia, reaching the national Top 10 was quite a leap.

The single had less impact in the UK, peaking at number 85 in early 1988. It later appeared on Pretty Poison’s 1988 debut album, also titled Catch Me I’m Falling.

For 12-inch collectors, however, the single is where the real fun begins.

The 12″ Mix runs approximately 6:10, while the Dub Mix runs about 5:05. Both received additional production and remixing by New York DJ Bruce Forest, with Frank Heller engineering. The Dance Mix and Radio Mix retain the original production by Kae Williams Jr. and Kurt Shore.

Bruce Forest’s 12″ Mix gives the record more room without losing what made it work. The intro stretches out, the rhythm moves forward, and the electronic details have time to breathe before Jade takes over.

The Dub Mix pushes further into the production, breaking the track apart and spotlighting the percussion, keyboards, vocal fragments, and effects.

It is easy to hear why DJs embraced this record.

Even surrounded by all that production, Jade remains the center of attention. Her voice has enough personality to cut through every drum hit and synthesizer.

That may be one reason the record has aged so well.

It is completely, unapologetically 1987.

The drums are huge.

The synthesizers are bright.

The hair was probably even bigger.

Perfect.

Pretty Poison would score another Hot 100 hit with a new version of “Nighttime,” which reached number 36, but “Catch Me (I’m Falling)” remained the song that defined them for the widest audience.

For this new 2026 transfer, I went back to the vinyl and started over. My goal was to preserve the punch of the percussion, the depth of the bass, the layers of synthesizers, and Jade’s soaring vocal while bringing out as much detail as possible.

Pretty Poison may have started with a regional Philadelphia dance record, but “Catch Me (I’m Falling)” refused to stay regional.

The clubs caught it.

Virgin caught it.

Hiding Out caught it.

Then Top 40 radio caught it.

Now, more than twelve years after I first posted it on Burning The Ground, I’m catching it one more time.

Are you ready?

Here it comes.

CLUB REMIX SIDE:
Catch Me (I’m Falling) (12″ Mix) 6:13
Engineer – Frank Heller
Producer [Additional], Remix – Bruce Forest

Catch Me (I’m Falling) (Dub Mix) 5:18
Engineer – Frank Heller
Producer [Additional], Remix – Bruce Forest

RADIO MIX SIDE:
Catch Me (I’m Falling) (Dance Mix) 5:54
Engineer – Mr. Mitch

Catch Me (I’m Falling) (Radio Mix) 4:23
Engineer – Mr. Mitch

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart (1987–1988)	Peak Position
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1
US Billboard Hot 100	8
New Zealand Singles Chart	26
UK Singles Chart	85

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin ‎– 96752-0, Virgin ‎– 0-96752
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop, Freestyle, Dance-pop

CREDITS:

Featuring – Jade Starling, Whey Cooler
Management – City Lights Management, Inc.
Performer – Pretty Poison
Producer – Kae Williams Jr., Kurt Shore
Words By, Music By – Jade Starling, Whey Cooler

NOTES:
Recorded at Kajem/Victory Studios, Gladwyne, PA
Remixed at Sound Track Studios, NYC / Electric Lady Studios, NYC

Manufactured & distributed by WEA through arrangement with Atlantic Records

Taken from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of the DEG film “Hiding Out.”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Music Black
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2
Phono Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
Audio Interface: MOTU M4
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Cleaning Solution: Turgikleen Record Cleaning Solution
Scanner: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 25 (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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.

July 30, 2026

Carly Simon – Why (Extended Version) (UK 12″) (1982)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

After two visits to the Two Of A Kind soundtrack, Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition moves to another movie whose music proved far more lasting than the film itself.

Today’s selection is Carly Simon’s “Why,” from the 1982 motion picture soundtrack Soup For One.

On paper, Carly Simon working with Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers might have seemed like an unusual match. Carly was closely associated with the thoughtful singer-songwriter sound of the 1970s, while Edwards and Rodgers had created the sleek dance-floor sound of Chic.

Once the needle drops, however, the question is not why they worked together.

The question is why they did not record an entire album.

“Why” was written, produced, arranged, and conducted by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. Chic recorded the instrumental backing track, while Carly supplied the lead vocal. The result is not a typical Carly Simon record with a disco beat added to it. It is a full Chic production built around one of pop music’s most recognizable voices.

Soup For One was a 1982 romantic comedy written and directed by Jonathan Kaufer. The film follows a New York bachelor searching for the perfect woman. It failed to make much of an impression at the box office, but the soundtrack assembled an impressive collection of R&B, pop, and dance recordings produced by the Chic Organization.

Along with Carly Simon, the album featured Chic, Debbie Harry, Teddy Pendergrass, Sister Sledge, Fonzi Thornton, and the Chic Organization itself.

The film may have disappeared.

The soundtrack refused to go with it.

“Why” was a dramatic change of direction for Carly. The record leaves behind the piano-driven pop and confessional songwriting most listeners associated with her. In their place are Bernard Edwards’ elastic bass, Nile Rodgers’ clipped guitar, soft keyboards, handclaps, and a relaxed rhythm that sits somewhere between post-disco, reggae, funk, and dub.

The groove is light, but the emotion is not.

Carly sings about a relationship filled with mixed signals. She sounds hurt, confused, and increasingly frustrated, but the production never becomes heavy. Her repeated cries of “Why?” float above one of the most effortless grooves Edwards and Rodgers ever created.

That contrast is the magic of the record.

The lyric is heartbroken.

The music makes you want to dance.

Carly does not attempt to sound like a traditional disco singer. She keeps the conversational quality that made her earlier recordings so personal. Her pauses, sighs, and changes in tone make the performance feel spontaneous, as though she is working through the argument while the tape is running.

Edwards and Rodgers surround her with space.

Nothing feels crowded. The bass carries the melody, the guitar slips quietly through the rhythm, and the keyboards add just enough color. Even when stretched beyond eight minutes, the track never feels rushed or overworked.

The single performed modestly in the United States, reaching number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, however, “Why” became a genuine hit. It reached number 10 and remained on the chart for eighteen weeks.

Its story did not end in 1982.

“Why” later found a new audience in British and European clubs, becoming associated with the Balearic sound that grew during the late 1980s. The song returned to the UK chart in 1989, reaching number 56, and its bass line and rhythm continued to influence DJs, producers, and hip-hop artists.

Decades later, the record no longer sounds like a strange detour in Carly Simon’s career. It sounds ahead of its time.

Pitchfork included “Why” in its list of the 200 best songs of the 1980s, another sign that the record’s reputation eventually grew far beyond its original chart performance.

The song also received a music video filmed on the streets of New York City. Carly’s daughter Sally Taylor makes an appearance, pouring a bottle of wine over a man’s head. The playful clip matches the record’s mixture of romantic frustration and cool detachment.

For this post, I am featuring the original UK 12-inch single.

Side one contains the Extended Version of “Why,” running approximately 8:09. Side two contains the Instrumental Extended Version, running approximately 7:06. The instrumental is credited to Chic, confirming that the musicians behind the groove were not simply studio players hired for a Carly Simon session. This was the Chic Organization at work.

The Extended Version takes its time establishing the rhythm before Carly enters. Once she does, the mix allows her vocal phrases to drift in and out of the arrangement. The extra length gives Bernard Edwards’ bass line even more room to work its magic.

This is not an extended mix filled with dramatic edits, added effects, or sudden changes.

It does not need them.

The strength of “Why” is the groove itself. Edwards and Rodgers understood that the best thing a remix could do was stay out of its way.

The Instrumental Version reveals just how complete the backing track is without Carly’s vocal. The bass, guitar, percussion, and keyboards form a hypnotic Chic recording that could easily stand on its own.

Still, Carly’s absence leaves an unmistakable space.

Her performance is what transforms the track from an elegant groove into a conversation, an argument, and a heartbreak song.

“Why” is one of the great unexpected collaborations of the 1980s. Carly Simon brought vulnerability and personality. Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers brought the rhythm, precision, and unmistakable Chic sound.

Soup For One may not be remembered as a classic movie.

Its soundtrack gave us a classic record.

Why?

Sometimes the strangest combinations make the most perfect sense.

SIDE A:
Carly Simon – Why (Extended Version) 8:11

SIDE B:
Chic – Why (Instrumental (Extended Version)) 7:05

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Year	Chart	Peak Position
1982	UK Singles Chart	10
1982	US Billboard Hot 100	74
1989	UK Singles Chart (Reissue)	56

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: WEA – K 79300T, Mirage (2) – K79300T
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic, Reggae, Funk / Soul, Pop
Style: Disco, Funk, Downtempo, Soundtrack

CREDITS:

Photography By – Lynn Goldsmith
Producer, Arranged By, Conductor – Nile Rodgers And Bernard Edwards*
Written-By – Bernard Edwards And Nile Rodgers*

NOTES:
From the original motion picture soundtrack album Soup For One – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack K99236

Produced, arranged and conducted for the CHIC Organisation Ltd.
Carly Simon appears, courtesy of Warner Brothers Records

Manufactured in the UK

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.

July 29, 2026

Patti Austin – It’s Gonna Be Special (US 12″ Promo) (1984)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Apparently, one visit to the Two Of A Kind soundtrack was not enough.

After featuring Olivia Newton-John’s double A-side release of “Livin’ In Desperate Times” and “Twist Of Fate,” Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition returns to the same movie for another overlooked gem.

This time, the spotlight belongs to Patti Austin and “It’s Gonna Be Special.”

The song first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1983 fantasy comedy Two Of A Kind, starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. It was later released as the first single from Patti Austin’s self-titled 1984 album, where it also opened side one.

The movie may not have repeated the success of Grease, but its soundtrack brought together an impressive group of artists. Along with Olivia and Patti, the album featured Journey, Chicago, Boz Scaggs, Steve Kipner, David Foster, and the Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta duet “Take A Chance.”

As we have already discovered, the music from Two Of A Kind enjoyed a much longer life than the film itself.

“It’s Gonna Be Special” was written by Clif Magness and Glen Ballard and produced by Quincy Jones. Patti supplied both the lead and backing vocals, while the musicians included Magness on guitar, John Van Tongeren on keyboards and synthesizer, Paulinho da Costa on percussion, and a horn section arranged by Jerry Hey.

That is quite a collection of talent for one song.

Glen Ballard was still years away from becoming one of the most successful songwriters and producers of the 1990s. Clif Magness would also build an impressive career as a songwriter, musician, and producer. Here, they created a song filled with the excitement of believing that something wonderful is about to happen.

The title says it all.

“It’s Gonna Be Special” is bright, energetic, and filled with optimism. The rhythm combines polished early-1980s pop, R&B, and dance music. Synthesizers give the production a modern edge, while Jerry Hey’s horn arrangement adds warmth and punch.

Then there is Patti Austin.

Her voice gives the song its personality. She begins with confidence and continues building as the arrangement grows around her. By the time she reaches the chorus, she sounds completely certain that something special is on the way.

Patti had the technical skill to sing almost anything, but she never allowed that skill to overpower the emotion of a song. She could sound smooth and controlled, then suddenly lift a phrase with tremendous force. On “It’s Gonna Be Special,” she sounds joyful, playful, and determined all at once.

The song also fits the unusual story of Two Of A Kind better than it may first appear.

The film follows two ordinary people brought together through romance, angels, divine intervention, and the possible destruction of humanity. Against that background, Patti’s promise that something special is about to happen almost sounds like a message from the angels themselves.

Perhaps saving the world begins with a good dance record.

The single reached number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100. It performed much better with Patti’s core audience, climbing to number 15 on Billboard’s R&B chart and number 5 on the Dance chart.

The song does not appear to have received an official promotional music video. That lack of visual support may have limited its exposure at a time when music videos were becoming increasingly important to pop success. It is impossible to know whether a video would have pushed the record higher on the Hot 100, but it certainly could not have hurt.

In the United States, “It’s Gonna Be Special” was released commercially as a 7-inch single. The extended version, however, appeared only on a promotional 12-inch sent to radio stations and club DJs.

The promo contains the 6:30 “Dance Remix” and the shorter 4:14 “Single Edit.” The Dance Remix was created by John “Jellybean” Benitez.

Jellybean understood how to extend a song without losing what made the original work. His mix gives the rhythm section more room, brings the percussion forward, and adds instrumental passages designed for the dance floor.

The longer introduction allows the groove to establish itself before Patti takes control. Once her vocal arrives, the arrangement continues opening around her. The synthesizers, percussion, horns, and backing vocals receive more space, but the song never loses its strong pop structure.

This is still “It’s Gonna Be Special.”

There is simply more of it to enjoy.

The Dance Remix also places the song firmly within the club sound of 1984. The production is polished, but it has plenty of movement. It connects traditional R&B musicianship with the electronic pulse that was becoming central to dance music.

The Single Edit takes the opposite approach.

At 4:14, it presents the song in a tighter form suited to radio. The energy remains, but the arrangement moves more quickly from one section to the next. Having both versions together makes the promotional 12-inch especially useful for collectors.

You get the concise radio presentation and the full club experience on one record.

Because the 12-inch was promotional-only in the United States, it could easily have been missed by listeners who bought the soundtrack or Patti’s album. There was no widely available commercial 12-inch sitting beside the regular single in record stores.

You had to know a DJ, search the used-record bins, or get lucky.

That limited availability makes it an ideal selection for this series. “It’s Gonna Be Special” is not completely unknown, but Jellybean’s Dance Remix never received the attention given to many of his more famous mixes.

It deserves another chance.

Patti Austin had already built an extraordinary career by the time this single appeared. She began recording as a child and became one of the most respected studio vocalists of the 1970s. Her solo work moved through jazz, soul, pop, R&B, and dance music, while her recordings with Quincy Jones introduced her voice to an even larger audience.

Her number-one duet with James Ingram, “Baby, Come To Me,” had become a major hit shortly before this release. “It’s Gonna Be Special” showed that she could follow a romantic ballad with a bright electronic dance track without sounding out of place.

That versatility is one reason Patti belongs in Ladies Of The 80s.

She did not depend on shocking image changes or elaborate characters. Her reinvention happened through the music. She could move from a sophisticated ballad to jazz, funk, pop, or club music because her voice gave her the freedom to go almost anywhere.

For this post, I am featuring the rare US promotional 12-inch containing John “Jellybean” Benitez’s Dance Remix and the Single Edit.

The Dance Remix lets the groove stretch out.

The Single Edit gets directly to the point.

Two Of A Kind may have been an unusual movie, but its soundtrack continues to reveal treasures.

With Quincy Jones behind the controls, Jellybean Benitez handling the remix, and Patti Austin at the microphone, this one was always going to be special.

SIDE A:
It’s Gonna Be Special (Dance Remix) 6:30
Remix – John “Jellybean” Benitez

SIDE B:
It’s Gonna Be Special (Single Edit) 4:14

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart (1984)	Peak Position
US Billboard Dance/Disco	5
US Billboard Hot Black Singles	15
US Billboard Hot 100	82

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Qwest Records – PRO-A-2076
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul, Pop
Style: Soul

CREDITS:

Producer – Quincy Jones
Written-By – Cliff Magness*, Glen Ballard

NOTES:
From the motion picture “TWO OF A KIND”
From the album “PATTI AUSTIN” (1-23974)

Promotional Copy Not For Sale

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.

July 28, 2026

Chaka Khan – (Krush Groove) Can’t Stop The Street (US 12″) (1985)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

After the polished electronic pop of Olivia Newton-John, Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition heads straight into the streets of New York City.

Today’s selection is Chaka Khan’s “(Krush Groove) Can’t Stop The Street,” recorded for the soundtrack to the 1985 film Krush Groove.

Chaka Khan was already one of the most powerful and versatile voices in music. Whether performing funk with Rufus, disco, jazz, rock, pop, or electronic dance music, she could take control of almost any song placed in front of her.

“Can’t Stop The Street” gave her another world to conquer.

Krush Groove was loosely inspired by the early years of Russell Simmons and the rise of Def Jam Recordings. Blair Underwood made his feature-film debut as Russell Walker, a young record promoter trying to build his label while struggling to finance the success of his artists.

The film brought together an incredible lineup that included Run-DMC, Sheila E., Kurtis Blow, The Fat Boys, New Edition, LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, and several other performers from New York’s growing hip-hop scene. Directed by Michael Schultz, Krush Groove opened in October 1985 after a fast twenty-six-day shoot around New York City.

It is part movie, part musical showcase, and part time capsule.

The plot may be fictionalized, but the energy surrounding the music is real. Krush Groove arrived when hip-hop was moving beyond clubs, neighborhood parties, and independent singles into movies, major-label releases, and mainstream popular culture.

Chaka was an ideal artist to help connect those worlds.

Only a year earlier, “I Feel For You” had combined her enormous voice with synthesizers, electronic rhythms, scratching, and Melle Mel’s unforgettable rap introduction. It became one of the defining records of her career and proved how naturally she could move between classic R&B and the new sounds developing around her.

“Can’t Stop The Street” continues in that direction.

The rap heard near the beginning of the song is performed by none other than Nile Rodgers. Best known as the co-founder and guitarist of Chic, as well as one of the era’s most important producers, Rodgers briefly steps up to the microphone and adds another surprising name to the recording’s credits.

His appearance also feels perfectly suited to the track. Nile Rodgers had already helped shape disco, funk, and dance music, while Chaka was bringing those traditions into the electronic and hip-hop-driven sound of the mid-1980s.

The song was written by Dan Hartman and Charlie Midnight, the team behind several memorable soundtrack recordings of the period. Hartman had recently scored his own major soundtrack hit with “I Can Dream About You” from Streets Of Fire.

Production was handled by Russ Titelman, with an arrangement by Philippe Saisse. Titelman had already worked extensively with Chaka and understood how to surround her voice with a busy production without allowing it to become buried.

The track begins with an immediate sense of movement. Electronic drums, synthesizers, vocal effects, and streetwise chants create a restless mixture of R&B, dance music, and electro-funk.

Then Chaka arrives.

Her performance is playful, commanding, and completely fearless. She does not approach the song like an outside guest trying to sound comfortable with hip-hop. She attacks it as if the street has always belonged to her.

Few singers could move so easily from a rough growl to a clear, soaring note. Chaka uses both sides of her voice here. She can sound loose and spontaneous one moment, then cut directly through the production with tremendous force the next.

The repeated chorus is simple, but she gives it authority. You believe that the street cannot be stopped because Chaka Khan is the one delivering the message.

“Can’t Stop The Street” also reflects the film’s larger celebration of music created outside the traditional industry system. The street represents more than a location. It is where the rhythms, fashions, dances, and ideas begin before the record companies discover them.

By the time the business catches up, the movement is already underway.

The song opened the Krush Groove soundtrack album, placing Chaka at the front of a collection that also featured LL Cool J, Kurtis Blow, The Fat Boys, Debbie Harry, Sheila E., the Beastie Boys, The Gap Band, Force M.D.’s, and the Krush Groove All-Stars.

Although the single did not reach the Billboard Hot 100, it performed well in the markets where Chaka’s audience remained strongest. It reached number 18 on Billboard’s R&B chart and number 30 on its dance chart. In the UK, it reached number 80 and remained on the chart for two weeks.

Those numbers do not tell the full story.

By 1985, Chaka had released an extraordinary run of singles from I Feel For You, including the title track, “This Is My Night,” “Through The Fire,” and “Eye To Eye.” “Can’t Stop The Street” arrived between those releases and her next studio album, making it easy for the song to become lost among her larger hits.

It also belonged exclusively to a various-artists soundtrack rather than one of her own albums.

For soundtrack collectors, that is part of its appeal.

For this post, I am featuring the US 12-inch single. Side one contains the 6:01 Extended Dance Mix, while the B-side includes the 5:15 Instrumental.

The Extended Dance Mix gives the rhythm more room to breathe. The opening is expanded, the electronic percussion becomes more prominent, and Chaka’s vocal phrases are allowed to bounce around the arrangement. The extra space brings the track’s electro and hip-hop elements closer to the surface.

This is not a remix that completely rebuilds the record.

Instead, it stretches the original production and focuses attention on its rhythm. The result feels tougher, looser, and more suited to a dance floor.

The Instrumental is equally valuable. Without Chaka’s lead vocal commanding the center, it becomes easier to hear how much is happening underneath her. The synthesizers, programmed drums, edits, and vocal effects reveal a production very much tied to the changing sound of 1985.

Of course, removing Chaka Khan from a Chaka Khan record creates a rather large empty space.

That may be the best proof of how much she brings to the song.

“Can’t Stop The Street” may not be one of the first titles mentioned when people discuss Chaka Khan’s career, but it captures an exciting moment in her evolution.

She had already conquered funk, soul, disco, and pop. Here she stepped into the growing world of electro and hip-hop without sacrificing any part of her musical identity.

The street could not be stopped.

With Chaka Khan leading the charge, it never stood a chance.

SIDE A:
(Krush Groove) Can’t Stop The Street (Extended Dance Mix) 6:04

SIDE B:
(Krush Groove) Can’t Stop The Street (Instrumental) 5:11

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart (1985)	Peak Position
US Billboard Hot Black Singles	18
US Billboard Dance Club Songs	30
UK Singles Chart	80

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records – 0-20367, Warner Bros. Records – 20367 A
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Hip Hop
Style: Electro

CREDITS:

Arranged By – Philippe Saisse
Engineer – Malcolm Pollack
Engineer [Assistant] – John Goldberger*
Lacquer Cut By – TJ*
Producer, Edited By, Arranged By [Effects] – Russ Titelman
Rap – Nile Rodgers
Written-By – Charlie Midnight, Dan Hartman

NOTES:
From the forthcoming Warner Bros album “ Krush Groove – Music From The Original Motion Picture Sound Track ” 9 25295-1, 1-25295.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.