Suzi Quatro – Rock Hard (US 12″ Promo) (1980)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Yesterday we were playing with some very weird science.

Today we are going back to where the streets were dirty, the music was loud, and Times Square actually looked like Times Square.

For our next Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition selection, we travel all the way back to 1980 for Suzi Quatro and “Rock Hard,” from the original motion picture soundtrack to Times Square.

Directed by Allan Moyle, Times Square stars Trini Alvarado and Robin Johnson as two teenage girls from very different backgrounds who run away together and find their own form of rebellion on the streets of New York City. Tim Curry co-stars as radio DJ Johnny LaGuardia. The film opened in October 1980 and was shot on location around New York, including the wonderfully grimy Times Square that existed long before the neighborhood was cleaned up and transformed.

And then there is that soundtrack.

What a soundtrack.

The double LP reads like somebody raided one of the coolest record stores in 1980. The Pretenders, Roxy Music, Gary Numan, Talking Heads, Joe Jackson, XTC, the Ramones, The Cure, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Garland Jeffreys, and more all appear alongside music recorded specifically for the film.

And right there at the beginning of Side One is Suzi Quatro.

“Rock Hard.”

In fact, “Rock Hard” is identified in the film as a favorite record of Nicky and Pamela, which makes it more than just another song dropped onto the soundtrack. It actually belongs to their world.

Written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, “Rock Hard” was also the title track from Suzi’s 1980 studio album of the same name.

The song marked a return to the tough, guitar-driven sound that had made Suzi such a distinctive presence during the 1970s.

And she sounds fantastic.

The guitars grind.

The drums pound.

Suzi attacks the vocal like she has something to prove.

This is not background music.

This is Suzi Quatro reminding everybody why she was one of rock’s original tough ladies.

Mike Chapman produced the track, continuing a partnership that had already produced some of Suzi’s biggest records. The backing-vocal lineup is interesting too, with Michael Des Barres among the singers adding muscle behind Suzi’s lead.

Yes, that Michael Des Barres.

Actor, singer, later frontman for The Power Station, and apparently available in 1980 when somebody needed a little extra shouting behind Suzi Quatro.

I love these credits.

“Rock Hard” did considerably better in some countries than it did in Suzi’s native United States. The single reached No. 5 in South Africa, No. 9 in Australia, No. 19 in Zimbabwe, No. 26 in West Germany, No. 46 in the Netherlands, and No. 68 on the UK Singles Chart.

In the United States, however, Dreamland Records took a different approach.

And that brings us to the record I am featuring today.

My copy is the US promotional 12-inch labeled:

AOR SPECIAL

For anyone who remembers FM rock radio, those three letters tell the story.

AOR stood for Album-Oriented Rock, and this 12-inch was sent to American rock radio programmers in an attempt to get “Rock Hard” into rotation. Contemporary trade coverage shows the song receiving AOR airplay and being added by stations including KBPI, WABX, KLOL, WBAB, KZEL, and WSHE.

But if you are waiting for me to tell you about the Extended Version…

There isn’t one.

The Special Dance Mix?

Nope.

The Dub?

Keep dreaming.

This promo contains “Rock Hard” on one side.

Then you flip the record over…

and you get “Rock Hard” again.

That is dedication.

No remix. No alternate vocal. No bonus beats. No seven-minute breakdown designed for a club at two in the morning.

Just Suzi.

Rocking hard.

Twice.

And honestly, I love records like this.

The 12-inch single was not always about remixes. Sometimes it existed because a record company wanted radio stations to have a promotional copy of one particular track, and an AOR 12-inch like this is a little snapshot of how rock records were promoted in 1980.

It also makes an interesting addition to this series because Times Square itself was so closely tied to music.

The soundtrack was heavily promoted as a showcase for contemporary rock, punk, and new wave, and it eventually reached number 37 on the Billboard album chart.

The film may never have become the blockbuster its producers hoped for, but the soundtrack developed a life of its own.

And more than four decades later, that collection of records still captures a moment when punk, new wave, hard rock, and mainstream pop were all crashing into one another.

Suzi Quatro belonged right in the middle of it.

So no extended mix today.

No dub.

Not even a bonus beat.

Sometimes you do not need any of that.

Sometimes you just need to…

Rock Hard.

SIDE A:
Rock Hard (Intro: :17) 3:21

SIDE B:
Rock Hard (Intro: :17) 3:21

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart (1980)	Peak Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	9
Germany	26
Netherlands	46
South Africa	5
UK Singles Chart	68
Zimbabwe	19

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Dreamland Records, Inc. – DPR – 1204, Dreamland Records, Inc. – DPR – 1204 AS
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1980
Genre: Rock
Style: Hard Rock

CREDITS:

Producer – Mike Chapman
Written-By – M. Chapman – N. Chinn*

NOTES:
Came in die-cut sleeve with hype sticker:
From the original motion picture
soundtrack “Times Square”
Labels read: Suzi Quatro AOR Special
Promotion Copy – Not For Sale

Manufactured By – RSO Records, Inc.
Marketed By – RSO Records, Inc.

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.

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August 12, 2026

Cheyne – Private Joy (US 12″) (1985)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Yesterday Luba told us that “The Best Is Yet To Come.”

Today we are getting a little more private.

Private Joy, that is.

For our next Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition selection, we head back to 1985 for Cheyne’s “Private Joy,” from the soundtrack to one of the decade’s most wonderfully ridiculous teen comedies, Weird Science.

Written and directed by John Hughes, Weird Science stars Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith as Gary and Wyatt, two teenage boys who use a computer, a doll, and a little lightning to create their idea of the perfect woman.

Naturally, they get Kelly LeBrock.

Because apparently computers worked much better in 1985.

The movie also features Bill Paxton as Wyatt’s nightmare older brother Chet, along with Robert Downey Jr., Suzanne Snyder, Judie Aronson, and Vernon Wells. Weird Science opened in the United States on August 2, 1985.

And, of course, there was a soundtrack.

Oingo Boingo supplied the unforgettable title track, while the album also included Kim Wilde’s “Turn It On,” Max Carl’s “The Circle,” Wall Of Voodoo’s “Deep In The Jungle,” Killing Joke’s “Eighties,” The Lords Of The New Church, Taxxi, and others.

Then there was Cheyne.

Her contribution, “Private Joy,” has another very important name attached to it.

Prince.

“Private Joy” was written and originally recorded by Prince for his 1981 album Controversy. It was one of those wonderfully playful Prince tracks filled with synthesizers, rhythm machines, attitude, and just enough weirdness to make it unmistakably his.

Cheyne was not the first woman to cover it. La Toya Jackson recorded “Private Joy” for her 1984 album Heart Don’t Lie.

But Cheyne’s version takes the song somewhere else.

Produced by Greg Phillinganes and Jimmy Iovine, with vocal production by Louil Silas Jr., the Weird Science recording gives “Private Joy” a harder, more electronic 1985 makeover. AFI’s official film credits confirm Phillinganes and Iovine as producers and Silas as vocal producer.

The result fits Weird Science beautifully.

It is bright.

Synthetic.

Playful.

A little strange.

In other words, perfect for a movie about two teenagers creating Kelly LeBrock with a computer.

Cheyne herself is another interesting part of the story.

Earlier in 1985, she had topped Billboard’s Dance Club chart with “Call Me Mr. Telephone (Answering Service).”

And here is a great piece of 1980s pop trivia.

Before Madonna recorded “Into The Groove,” the song was originally intended for Cheyne, who was working with producer Mark Kamins at the time. Madonna ultimately decided to keep the song for herself.

Considering what happened to “Into The Groove,” that has to qualify as one of pop music’s great “what if?” moments.

Later that same year, MCA released “Private Joy” as a single from the Weird Science soundtrack.

Billboard featured the record as one of its Dance Picks in October 1985, listing the 5:28 version and crediting Greg Phillinganes and Jimmy Iovine as producers.

Despite the push, “Private Joy” does not appear to have reached Billboard’s major national singles charts.

Another one that slipped through the cracks.

Fortunately for us, MCA gave the song a US 12-inch release, and this is where things get especially interesting.

The 12-inch gives us the Extended Version, an Instrumental, and something wonderfully labeled “Bonus Beats Plus Bass.”

Now that is a title designed to get my attention.

Louil Silas Jr. handled the remix, taking the already electronic production and giving it considerably more room to move. The Extended Version runs 5:28, while the Instrumental stretches even longer at 5:46. “Bonus Beats Plus Bass” clocks in at 4:30.

The Instrumental is particularly fun because without Cheyne’s vocal, you can really dig into the machinery underneath the record.

And then there are those Bonus Beats.

Plus bass.

What else do we need?

“Private Joy” is exactly the kind of record I hoped to uncover when this series began.

A Prince composition.

A singer who had already topped the dance chart.

Production by Greg Phillinganes and Jimmy Iovine.

A remix by Louil Silas Jr.

A cult-classic John Hughes movie.

And a US 12-inch filled with versions that rarely get mentioned today.

Yet somehow, the record has become little more than a footnote.

Not here.

Gary and Wyatt needed a computer, a government mainframe, a Barbie doll, and a lightning storm to create their fantasy.

All we need is a turntable.

Welcome to my Private Joy.

SIDE A:
Private Joy (Extended Version) 5:28

SIDE B:
Private Joy (Instrumental) 5:46
Private Joy (Bonus Beats Plus Bass) 4:30

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records – MCA-23583
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Electro, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Engineer – Taavi Mote
Engineer [Assistant] – Fred Howard
Producer – Greg Phillinganes, Jimmy Iovine
Producer [Vocals], Remix – Louil Silas, Jr.*
Written-By – Prince

NOTES:
Original version appears on the MCA LP MCA-6146, Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack, “Weird Science”.

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.

August 11, 2026

Luba – The Best Is Yet To Come (Extended Dance Mix) (US 12″) (1986)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Yesterday we were chasing a gopher around the golf course.

Today, we are moving on to 9½ Weeks.

Nobody can accuse this series of lacking variety.

For our next Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition selection, we turn to Canadian singer and songwriter Luba and “The Best Is Yet To Come,” from the 1986 film 9½ Weeks.

Directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke, 9½ Weeks certainly was not Caddyshack II. The film became one of the most talked-about movies of the decade, following the intense relationship between New York art gallery employee Elizabeth and mysterious Wall Street broker John.

And like so many memorable films from the 1980s, it came with a terrific soundtrack.

John Taylor opened the album with “I Do What I Do… (Theme For 9½ Weeks),” followed by Luba’s “The Best Is Yet To Come.” The soundtrack also featured Bryan Ferry’s “Slave To Love,” Dalbello’s “Black On Black,” Corey Hart’s “Eurasian Eyes,” Joe Cocker’s unforgettable “You Can Leave Your Hat On,” Devo, Eurythmics, and Stewart Copeland.

Luba actually appears twice.

The album closes with “Let It Go,” a song that originally appeared on her 1984 album Secrets And Sins. “The Best Is Yet To Come,” however, was not taken from one of Luba’s regular studio albums. It was recorded for the soundtrack and later appeared on her 1987 compilation Over 60 Minutes With Luba.

That makes this one especially interesting for soundtrack collectors.

“The Best Is Yet To Come” was written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle and produced by Narada Michael Walden.

That is already quite a pedigree.

Walden surrounds Luba’s powerful voice with the kind of glossy, dramatic production that seemed made for the middle of the 1980s. Big drums, keyboards, atmosphere, and a vocal that keeps building as the song moves forward.

And then François Kevorkian gets hold of it.

Now we are really talking.

The US 12-inch takes the track onto the dance floor with an Extended Dance Mix and Dub Version remixed by François Kevorkian, one of the most important names in club music. The record also includes “Let It Go,” giving us both of Luba’s contributions to the 9½ Weeks soundtrack on one 12-inch.

The Extended Dance Mix gives the production room to breathe. Kevorkian stretches out the rhythm, lets the percussion and keyboards take a larger role, and builds an arrangement that feels much more spacious than the soundtrack version.

Then comes the Dub.

And you know I love a good dub.

This is where the record gets stripped down and opened up, allowing the production itself to become the star. Vocals move in and out, instrumental pieces suddenly jump forward, and all those little details hiding underneath the original mix finally get their turn.

It is exactly the kind of remixing that made the 12-inch format so much fun.

There was also an official music video made for “The Best Is Yet To Come,” another reminder that Capitol was giving the song a genuine push beyond its soundtrack appearance.

Despite that promotion and an international single release, “The Best Is Yet To Come” does not appear to have reached any of the major national singles charts.

That is a little surprising.

Here we have a major motion-picture soundtrack, production by Narada Michael Walden, remixes by François Kevorkian, an official music video, and a singer who was already a major star in Canada.

And somehow, the single slipped through the chart cracks.

Luba became one of Canada’s most successful female vocalists of the decade and won the Juno Award for Female Vocalist of the Year three years in a row.

Yet in the United States, she remained something of a discovery.

That makes “The Best Is Yet To Come” perfect for this series.

Here we have a great female vocalist, a major motion-picture soundtrack, production by Narada Michael Walden, remixes by François Kevorkian, and a US 12-inch that brings both of Luba’s soundtrack contributions together.

And still, the record is easy to overlook.

Not anymore.

From golf courses and gophers to Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger, Week Four continues to take us to some interesting places.

But that is the fun of soundtrack collecting.

You never know where the next record is going to take you.

And judging by this one…

The Best Is Yet To Come.

SIDE A:
The Best Is Yet To Come (Extended Dance Mix) 6:37

SIDE B:
The Best Is Yet To Come (Dub Vs.) 5:53
Let It Go 3:41

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Capitol Records – V-15231
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, SRC Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Producer – Daniel Lanois (tracks: B2), Narada Michael Walden (tracks: A, B1)
Remix – Francois Kevorkian* (tracks: A, B1)
Written-By – G. Lyle* (tracks: A, B1), Luba (tracks: B2), T. Britten* (tracks: A, B1)

NOTES:
This is a Specialty Records Corporation (SRC) pressing as indicated by E A S T embossed on side A label.

(from the LP “9 1/2 Weeks” Original Motion Picture Soundtrack SV-12470)

Housed inside a company die-cut sleeve

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.

August 10, 2026

Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam With Full Force – Go For Yours (US 12″) (1988)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

For today’s Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition, I’m going to gopher it.

Yes, I went there.

This one was originally scheduled for last Friday, but I decided to put Ladies Of The 80s on hold for the day to remember William Orbit. Today we are picking up right where we left off, and after a more reflective Friday, I think we could use a little Lisa Lisa, Full Force, and one very persistent gopher.

Our next selection is Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force and “Go For Yours,” recorded for the soundtrack to the 1988 comedy Caddyshack II.

By 1988, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam were hardly strangers to the charts. With Full Force behind them, they had already given us “I Wonder If I Take You Home,” “Can You Feel The Beat,” “All Cried Out,” and the back-to-back number-one pop hits “Head To Toe” and “Lost In Emotion.”

Their combination of freestyle, R&B, pop, and hip-hop had become one of the defining sounds of mid-1980s New York.

Then came Caddyshack II.

Released in July 1988, the sequel attempted to follow the enormously popular 1980 original. Chevy Chase returned as Ty Webb, while Jackie Mason, Dan Aykroyd, Robert Stack, Dyan Cannon, Randy Quaid, and Jonathan Silverman joined the cast.

The movie did not exactly receive a hero’s welcome.

In fact, Caddyshack II developed a reputation as one of those sequels most people would rather forget.

Fortunately, we are here for the music.

And once again, the soundtrack was much better than the movie.

The album included Kenny Loggins’ “Nobody’s Fool,” Patty Smyth’s “I Run Right Back,” the Pointer Sisters’ “Power Of Persuasion,” Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Turn On (The Beat Box),” Cheap Trick, Eric Martin, Full Force, and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam.

“Go For Yours” was written and produced by Full Force, who had been central to Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam’s sound from the beginning.

The result is unmistakably late-1980s Full Force.

The drums hit hard. The keyboards bounce around the rhythm. Lisa’s vocal moves between attitude and playfulness, while Full Force surrounds her with vocal interjections and enough energy to keep everything moving.

The message is simple.

Stop waiting.

Go after what you want.

Go for yours.

It is a fun, confident record that fits Lisa Lisa perfectly, but it arrived at an awkward point in her release history. The massive success of Spanish Fly was winding down, and “Everything Will B-Fine” had already been released earlier in 1988.

“Go For Yours” existed outside a regular Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam studio album and was tied instead to a movie that quickly disappeared from theaters.

That probably did not help.

The single was released only in the United States and reached number 19 on Billboard’s Hot Black Singles chart in 1988. It did not cross over to the Billboard Hot 100.

As far as I have been able to determine, there was also no official music video made to promote the single.

By 1988, that was a real disadvantage. MTV, BET, and other video outlets had become an important part of pushing a record beyond its established audience. A colorful Lisa Lisa video tied to Caddyshack II might have helped the song reach a much larger audience.

We will never know.

For collectors, however, the US 12-inch is where things become especially fun.

Full Force clearly decided that if they were going to make a record for Caddyshack II, they might as well commit to the golf theme. That brings us to the wonderfully titled “Gopher Yers (F.F. Hole In One Mix).”

Yes.

“Gopher Yers.”

You have to admire the commitment to the joke.

The mix stretches the song out and gives Full Force more room to play with the rhythm, vocals, and production. Instead of simply making the track longer, they lean into its playful personality and turn it into something even more suited to the dance floor.

The 12-inch also gives us an Instrumental, which lets the busy Full Force production stand on its own. Without Lisa’s lead vocal, you can really hear how much rhythmic detail is packed underneath.

There is also “I Promise You,” taken from the 1987 Spanish Fly album, making this a particularly generous 12-inch for Lisa Lisa collectors.

“Go For Yours” is not one of the Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam singles that immediately comes to mind when people remember the group.

That is exactly why it belongs here.

Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition has been as much about rediscovery as it has been about the major hits. Sometimes the most interesting soundtrack records are the ones that slipped between albums, received limited promotion, and quietly disappeared while everyone was looking somewhere else.

The movie may not have scored a hole in one.

But Lisa Lisa, Cult Jam, and Full Force certainly gave it their best shot.

So grab your clubs.

Watch out for the gopher.

And Go For Yours.

SIDE A:
Go For Yours 4:37
Mixed By – Full Force, Tony Maserati

Gopher Yers (F.F. Hole In One Mix) 5:45
Mixed By – Full Force, Nick Delre

SIDE B:
I Promise You 4:41
Remix – Full Force, Tony Maserati

Go For Yours (Instrumental) 4:36
Mixed By – Full Force, Tony Maserati

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart (1988)	Peak Position
US Billboard Hot Black Singles	19

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia – 44 07867
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic, Hip Hop, Funk / Soul
Style: Freestyle, RnB/Swing

CREDITS:

Engineer – Tony “The Extra Mile” Maserati*
Engineer [Assistant] – Vicki Nemarich
Management – Full Force, Steve Salem
Mastered By – Howie Weinberg
Photography By [Full Force Photo] – Timothy White (3)
Photography By [Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam Photo] – Maureen Lambray
Producer, Written-By, Arranged By – Full Force

NOTES:
From the Warner Bros. Original Motion Picture Soundtrack “Caddyshack II”

Management for Full Force Productions
Printed in U.S.A.
Made in U.S.A.

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.