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

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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

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

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July 28, 2026

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

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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

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July 24, 2026

Olivia Newton-John – Livin’ In Desperate Times / Twist Of Fate (US 12″) (1984)

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For today’s Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition, we have a Twofer.

This double A-side 12-inch brings together two of Olivia Newton-John’s strongest recordings from the soundtrack to the 1983 film Two Of A Kind. Both tracks appear in extended versions, and collectors also get an interesting variation that remained hidden among different international pressings for years.

Two Of A Kind reunited Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta five years after Grease. Directed by John Herzfeld, the fantasy comedy opened in December 1983. Travolta plays Zack, a struggling inventor who attempts to rob a bank. Olivia plays Debbie, the teller who secretly keeps the money for herself.

Meanwhile, a group of angels is trying to prove to God that humanity is still worth saving. Their plan depends on Zack and Debbie falling in love and being willing to sacrifice everything for each other.

It is a strange movie.

Grease it is not.

The film received poor reviews, but its music developed a much stronger life of its own. The soundtrack included four Olivia Newton-John performances, along with recordings by Patti Austin, Chicago, Journey, Boz Scaggs, Steve Kipner, and David Foster. Olivia also reunited with John Travolta for the duet “Take A Chance.”

The biggest song from the soundtrack was “Twist Of Fate.”

Written by Peter Beckett and Steve Kipner and produced by David Foster, “Twist Of Fate” gave Olivia a sharp, modern pop-rock sound. The record is driven by synthesizers, electronic drums, guitars, and a chorus that seems to grow larger with each repetition.

Olivia had already moved far beyond the gentle country-pop sound of her early career. Grease revealed a tougher and more playful side, while Totally Hot, Xanadu, Physical, and Two Of A Kind continued moving her toward rock, dance music, and sleek electronic pop.

Olivia was a true icon of reinvention. Long before it became expected for major female pop stars to change their music, image, and style with each new era, she had already shown how it could be done. Her ability to move between country, pop, rock, dance, movies, and fitness culture helped pave the way for artists such as Madonna, who would make constant reinvention a central part of her career.

“Twist Of Fate” sounds like another step in Olivia’s evolution.

Her vocal is clear and controlled, but there is an edge underneath it. She sings about a damaged relationship that has been given another chance. Instead of treating the reunion as a gentle romantic moment, she turns it into something urgent and almost desperate.

One lyric fits both the relationship and the supernatural plot of the film perfectly: “The gift of life extension by divine intervention.”

In the movie, divine intervention is quite literal. Angels are attempting to save Zack, Debbie, and possibly all of humanity. In the song, it describes a romance unexpectedly brought back to life. It is one of those rare soundtrack lyrics that connects directly to the film without making the song feel trapped inside its story.

“Twist Of Fate” was originally intended only to play during the film’s closing credits. However, the song received such a strong response from radio before the movie was finalized that its role was expanded.

Composer Patrick Williams reworked parts of the film’s score to incorporate musical elements from “Twist Of Fate.” What began as an end-credit song became part of the movie’s musical identity before its final release.

The hit single did more than help promote Two Of A Kind. Its early popularity helped change the sound of the finished film.

The movie’s advertising slogan, “It took a twist of fate to make them two of a kind,” also reflected the song’s importance to the production. It is difficult to imagine the movie without it now.

The song became a major North American hit. It reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1984 and became Olivia’s fifteenth and final Top 10 hit on that chart. It also reached the Top 5 in Australia and Canada. Its UK performance was surprisingly modest, peaking at number 57.

The film may have brought Olivia and John Travolta back together, but “Twist Of Fate” proved that she did not need to depend on memories of Grease. The song stood on its own.

The second selection, “Livin’ In Desperate Times,” is even more frantic.

Written by Tom Snow and Barry Alfonso and also produced by David Foster, the song takes the polished sound of “Twist Of Fate” and pushes it closer to new wave. The rhythm races forward while Olivia sings about fear, pressure, anger, and the struggle to survive in an unforgiving world.

It is one of her most forceful vocal performances.

A familiar voice can also be heard behind Olivia. Richard Marx performs backing vocals on “Livin’ In Desperate Times,” adding another interesting name to the track’s credits. His voice blends into the production, but once you know he is there, it becomes another detail to listen for in the extended mix.

There is very little of the calm, reassuring Olivia heard on her earlier hits. She sounds cornered, frustrated, and ready to fight back. The song’s fast pace and restless production match its title perfectly.

“Livin’ In Desperate Times” was released as the follow-up single in early 1984. It reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Olivia another respectable hit from the soundtrack.

The accompanying music video was equally intense. Olivia performs among enormous words and shapes representing the song’s themes, surrounded by dancers and constant movement. The visual style is loud, theatrical, and unmistakably 1980s.

For this post, I am featuring the US double A-side 12-inch single.

Side one contains the Extended Version of “Livin’ In Desperate Times,” running more than six and a half minutes. Side two contains the extended mix of “Twist Of Fate.” Both tracks were produced by David Foster and remixed by recording engineer Humberto Gatica.

Gatica was one of the most respected engineers and mixers working in popular music during this period. His work with David Foster helped create a polished sound that was powerful without becoming harsh. On these extended versions, he gives the drums, synthesizers, backing vocals, and guitars more space while keeping Olivia at the center of each track.

The Extended Version of “Livin’ In Desperate Times” takes the song’s nervous energy and lets it run wild. The additional instrumental sections make the track feel even more frantic. It does not simply repeat the album arrangement. It gives the rhythm more room and turns the record into a true dance-floor mix.

“Twist Of Fate” is where things become especially interesting.

The extended mix found on the US, Canadian, and Swedish 12-inch singles runs about ten seconds shorter than the version issued in several other countries. This version fades out at the end.

The alternate international 12-inch version continues to a cold ending.

For many years, the difference was easy to miss. The mixes are otherwise very similar, and unless the two pressings are compared directly, a listener might assume they are identical.

They are not.

The later expanded edition of Physical officially identified the two variations as “Extended Version – Fade” and “Extended Version – Cold Ending,” confirming that both were prepared and released.

For this new post, I have included the international cold-ending version as a bonus track. This allows collectors to hear both variations together and decide which ending they prefer.

The fade gives the record the feeling that the groove is continuing somewhere beyond the vinyl.

The cold ending gives it a more definite finish.

It is a small difference, but those small differences are exactly what make collecting 12-inch singles so much fun.

I originally shared this record in April 2020. Six years later, I returned to the vinyl and created an entirely new 2026 transfer.

This is not a remaster of the files from the earlier post. I recorded the vinyl again from the beginning using my current equipment. The audio then received a completely new restoration.

The goal was to preserve the punch of the drums, the depth of the bass, the bright synthesizers, and the detail in Olivia’s vocals. These mixes contain a lot of activity, so keeping the sound open and clear was especially important.

Olivia Newton-John recorded many memorable soundtrack songs during her career. Grease and Xanadu will always receive most of the attention, but the music from Two Of A Kind deserves its place beside them.

“Twist Of Fate” is bold, urgent, and instantly recognizable.

“Livin’ In Desperate Times” is tense, restless, and slightly unhinged.

Together, they make a terrific double A-side and a perfect Twofer for Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition.

The movie may not have repeated the magic of Grease.

The music received the gift of life extension.

SIDE A:
Livin’ In Desperate Times (Extended Version) 6:38
Backing Vocals – Richard Marx
Engineer – Humberto Gatica
Mixed By – Humberto Gatica
Written-By – Barry Alfonso, Tom Snow

SIDE B:
Twist Of Fate (Extended Version – Fade) 5:23
Engineer – Humberto Gatica
Mixed By – Humberto Gatica
Written-By – Peter Beckett, Steve Kipner

LIFE EXTENSION BONUS TRACK:
Twist Of Fate (Extended Version – Cold Ending) 5:33
Engineer – Humberto Gatica
Mixed By – Humberto Gatica
Written-By – Peter Beckett, Steve Kipner

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Single	Chart (1983–1984)	Peak Position
Twist Of Fate	Australia (Kent Music Report)	4
Twist Of Fate	Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	33
Twist Of Fate	Canada Top Singles (RPM)	5
Twist Of Fate	Japan (Oricon)	73
Twist Of Fate	Netherlands (Single Top 100)	42
Twist Of Fate	New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	22
Twist Of Fate	Quebec (ADISQ)	2
Twist Of Fate	South Africa (Springbok Radio)	5
Twist Of Fate	Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	20
Twist Of Fate	UK Singles Chart	57
Twist Of Fate	US Billboard Hot 100	5
Twist Of Fate	US Billboard Dance Club Songs	51
Twist Of Fate	US Cash Box Top 100	5
Livin’ In Desperate Times	Australia (Kent Music Report)	81
Livin’ In Desperate Times	Canada Top Singles (RPM)	43
Livin’ In Desperate Times	Quebec (ADISQ)	33
Livin’ In Desperate Times	US Billboard Hot 100	31
Livin’ In Desperate Times	US Cash Box Top 100	29

RELEASE INFORMATION:
MCA Records – MCA-13987
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Photography By – Herb Ritts
Producer – David Foster

NOTES:
From the MCA LP, MCA-6127 Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack “Two Of A Kind”

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 23, 2026

Madonna – Gambler (Extended Dance Mix) (UK 12″) (1985)

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For today’s entry in Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition, we are returning to 1985, when Madonna seemed to be everywhere.

“Like A Virgin,” “Material Girl,” “Crazy For You,” “Angel,” “Into The Groove,” and “Dress You Up” were all competing for attention during the same extraordinary year. Hidden among that crowded run was another great Madonna single, “Gambler,” recorded for the soundtrack to the motion picture Vision Quest.

Vision Quest was released on February 15, 1985. Directed by Harold Becker and based on the 1979 novel by Terry Davis, the film stars Matthew Modine as Louden Swain, a high school wrestler who becomes determined to drop two weight classes and face the undefeated Brian Shute. His demanding physical goal becomes more complicated when Carla, played by Linda Fiorentino, temporarily moves into his family home.

Madonna makes a brief appearance in the film as herself, performing in a nightclub. At the time Vision Quest was filmed in late 1983, she was still at the beginning of her career. By the time the movie reached theaters, she had become one of the biggest pop stars in the world.

Her ballad “Crazy For You” became the soundtrack’s major hit, reaching number one in the United States. “Gambler,” however, shows a very different side of Madonna.

Where “Crazy For You” is slow, romantic, and vulnerable, “Gambler” is fast, defiant, and completely self-assured.

The song was written entirely by Madonna and recorded with John “Jellybean” Benitez, who had already worked with her on records such as “Holiday,” “Borderline,” and “Lucky Star.” Phil Ramone oversaw the music for Vision Quest and received production credit in the film.

“Gambler” begins with an urgent synthesizer pulse before exploding into electronic drums, handclaps, keyboards, guitar, and a driving bass line. The production races forward with the same determination as the film’s young wrestler.

Madonna’s character in the song refuses to be controlled. She makes her own choices, accepts the risks, and warns anyone standing in her way that she will not be told how to live.

It is a theme that would appear throughout her career.

Even at this early stage, Madonna understood how to sell confidence. Her vocal is sharp and playful, but there is also an aggressive edge beneath it. She sounds like someone who has already placed her bet and knows she is going to win.

The repeated “You can’t stop me now” refrain could almost have served as Madonna’s personal statement for 1985. Within a short time, she had moved from clubs and small television appearances to international superstardom. There was certainly no stopping her then.

The single was released in Europe, Australia, and several other markets during the fall of 1985. Strangely, it was never given a commercial single release in the United States.

Madonna’s label, Sire Records, reportedly feared that another single would compete with the ongoing releases from Like A Virgin and with “Crazy For You,” which had already been issued through Geffen Records. As a result, American listeners could buy the song on the Vision Quest soundtrack but not as its own commercial single.

That decision prevented “Gambler” from appearing on the Billboard Hot 100, but the song became a considerable hit elsewhere.

In the United Kingdom, “Gambler” reached number four and remained on the Official Singles Chart for fourteen weeks. It spent four weeks inside the Top 10 and became yet another major Madonna hit during her remarkable 1985 chart run.

The promotional video combines Madonna’s nightclub performance with scenes from Vision Quest. Like the clip for “Crazy For You,” it helped turn her brief film appearance into something much larger than a standard soundtrack cameo.

The Vision Quest soundtrack was also an impressive collection beyond Madonna’s two contributions. It included Journey’s “Only The Young,” John Waite’s “Change,” The Style Council’s “Shout To The Top,” Don Henley’s “She’s On The Zoom,” Dio’s “Hungry For Heaven,” and Red Rider’s “Lunatic Fringe.”

“Gambler” remained something of an orphan within Madonna’s catalog for many years. It did not appear on one of her regular studio albums, and the single was unavailable on streaming and digital services until December 2022. The digital release finally made the original version, Extended Dance Mix, and Instrumental Mix widely available around the world.

For collectors, however, the original vinyl remains an essential piece of Madonna’s 1980s discography.

I previously posted this single in March 2016. A decade later, I decided it was time to return to the record and create an entirely new transfer.

For this 2026 edition, I started again from the beginning using my current equipment and restoration process. This is not a remaster of the files posted in 2016. It is a fresh vinyl transfer made to preserve the punch of the electronic percussion, the bright synthesizers, and the force of Madonna’s vocal.

“Gambler” sometimes gets lost among the enormous number of Madonna singles released during this period. It did not have the American chart run of “Crazy For You,” the cultural impact of “Into The Groove,” or the constant radio exposure of her Like A Virgin hits.

But listen again.

The song is fast, fearless, and unmistakably Madonna.

She knew the risks.

She played the game.

And she won.

SIDE A:
Madonna – Gambler (Extended Dance Mix) 5:38
Arranged By – Stephen Bray
Producer, Remix – John “Jellybean” Benitez
Written-By – Madonna

SIDE B:
Madonna – Gambler (Instrumental Remix) 3:54
Arranged By – Stephen Bray
Producer, Remix – John “Jellybean” Benitez
Written-By – Madonna

Black ‘N Blue – Nature Of The Beach 3:47
Producer – Bruce Fairbairn
Written-By – St. James, Thayer

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – Madonna: Gambler (1985-86)	Peak Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	10
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	10
European Hot 100 Singles	8
Europarade Top 40	13
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)	4
France (SNEP)	33
Germany (GfK)	25
Iceland (RÚV)	6
Ireland (IRMA)	3
Italy (Musica e dischi)	10
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	9
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	7
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	45
Norway (VG-lista)	9
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	23
UK Singles Chart	4

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Geffen Records – TA 6585
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Design [Sleeve Design] – Tomcat (7)
Lacquer Cut By – Timtom* (tracks: A)
Photography By [Cover] – Armando Gallo

NOTES:
A & B1: Special version from the LP “Vision Quest” GEF 70263

A & B1: Produced and Remixed for Jellybean Productions, Inc.

Madonna appears through the courtesy of Sire Records Company

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

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