Englandneworder – World In Motion… (US 12″) (1990)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup currently taking place, this felt like the perfect time to revisit one of the most unlikely, and most successful, football records ever released.

When a football record works, it is usually because it forgets to be a football record for a few minutes. World In Motion is exactly that. On paper, the whole idea sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. New Order, one of Manchester’s coolest and most unlikely pop institutions, teamed up with the England national football team for the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.

Somehow, it worked. Not only did it work, but it also became one of the best football songs ever recorded.

Credited as Englandeworder, World In Motion was released in May 1990. It arrived at just the right moment. The band had come off the success of Technique, UK dance culture was everywhere, and football was about to have one of its most emotional summers.

What makes World In Motion so special is that it still sounds like a New Order single. The bright synths, steady dance rhythm, Peter Hook’s bass, and Bernard Sumner’s understated vocal all sit perfectly in place. The football chants are there, but they never take over. Even the squad vocals feel like part of the record instead of a cheap add-on.

Then, of course, there is John Barnes.

His rap near the end of the song has become part of UK pop culture in its own right. It is joyful, awkward, charming, and strangely perfect. It should not work as well as it does, but Barnes delivers it with enough confidence to make it unforgettable. In a genre filled with novelty football records, this one had rhythm, wit, and a real pulse.

The 12-inch single is especially interesting because it treats the song like a proper club release. My US 12-inch does not include The B-Side, which appeared on other editions, but instead focuses on the remixes. The Subbuteo Mix and Subbuteo Dub by Graeme Park and Mike Pickering give the track a more club-ready feel, while Andrew Weatherall and Terry Farley’s Carabinieri Mix and No Alla Violenza Mix take things even further into the dancefloor.

That roster alone tells you this was not being handled like a throwaway sports tie-in. This was New Order, football culture, and the club scene meeting at the exact right moment.

World In Motion became New Order’s only UK No. 1 single, spending two weeks at the top and 12 weeks on the Official Singles Chart. It also reached No. 1 on the UK Indie chart and found success in several other countries.

More than three decades later, World In Motion still has that rare glow. It captures a moment when pop, football, club music, and national hope all collided without becoming corny. England did not win the World Cup in 1990, but this record gave them a song that has outlived the tournament itself.

Now, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup underway, it feels like the right record at the right time all over again.

It is funny, bright, emotional, and completely of its time. It is also still a fantastic New Order single.

And really, how many football records can you honestly say that about?

AWAY SIDE:
World In Motion… (Carabinieri Mix) 5:54
Mixed By – Andrew Weatherall, Terry Farley

World In Motion… (No Alla Violenza Mix) 5:36
Mixed By – Andrew Weatherall, Terry Farley

HOME SIDE:
World In Motion… (Subbuteo Mix) 5:08
Producer [Additional Production By], Remix [Remix By] – Graeme Park, Mike Pickering

World In Motion… (Subbuteo Dub) 5:08
Producer [Additional Production By], Remix [Remix By] – Graeme Park, Mike Pickering

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – New Order: World In Motion (1990)	Peak Position
UK Singles Chart	1
UK Indie Chart	1
Eurochart Hot 100	2
Finland	4
Ireland	7
New Zealand	8
Australia	21
Switzerland	27
US Modern Rock Tracks	5
US Dance Club Songs	10

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Qwest Records – 0-21582, Qwest Records – 9 21582-0, Warner Bros. Records – 0-21582, Warner Bros. Records – 9 21582-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: US
Released: May 1990
Genre: Electronic
Style: House, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Design [Uncredited], Art Direction [Uncredited] – Peter Saville Associates
Producer [Produced By], Recorded By – Stephen Hague
Written-By – Keith Allen, New Order

NOTES:
Artist on sleeve & spine: Englandneworder
Artist on labels: New Order
Both labels say “Side 1”.

A1, A2 mixed at the Townhouse

Made in U.S.A.

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

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July 2, 2026

Frank Tovey – Luxury (US 12″ Promo) (1986)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

“Luxury” is a 1985 single by Frank Tovey, the man many of us first came to know as Fad Gadget.

Frank Tovey was one of those artists who never really fit into a neat little box. As Fad Gadget, he helped shape the darker, stranger side of early electronic music. He could be funny, disturbing, sharp, theatrical, and oddly catchy, sometimes all in the same song. By the mid-1980s, Tovey had put the Fad Gadget name aside and began releasing music under his own name.

“Luxury” was one of those moments where he stepped a little closer to pop without losing that bite.

Produced by Frank Tovey and Daniel Miller, with Flood engineering, “Luxury” has a bright, almost polished surface. But don’t let that fool you. Under the sheen, Tovey is still poking at greed, image, class, and all the shiny things people chase to feel important. The song moves with a sharp electronic snap, but there is a sly grin behind it. It is catchy, but it is not empty.

Chart-wise, “Luxury” did not break into the official UK Top 100, but it did make a respectable showing on the UK Independent Singles Chart, reaching No. 20 in 1985. That feels about right for Frank Tovey. Too strange for the mainstream, but right at home with the listeners and DJs who were paying attention.

My copy is the U.S. 12″ promotional pressing released by Sire Records in 1986. The A-side features both “Luxury (12″ Mix)” and the LP version of “Luxury,” giving DJs the choice between the extended mix and the album cut. The B-side pairs “Collapsing New People (London Mix),” recorded as Fad Gadget, with the LP version of “Concrete,” another Frank Tovey track from Snakes and Ladders.

That track listing is what makes this promo especially interesting. It does not just promote one single. It gives us Frank Tovey in transition, with his solo work sitting right next to one of the best-known Fad Gadget tracks.

“Collapsing New People” is tense, metallic, and very much tied to the early 1980s underground electronic scene. The “London Mix” gives the track a harder club push while keeping all of its strange, nervous energy intact. Placed next to “Luxury,” it also shows how much range Tovey had. He could move from abrasive electronic art-pop into something more streamlined and still sound completely like himself.

For me, that is what makes this 12″ such a cool piece. “Luxury” may be one of Tovey’s more accessible moments, but it still carries that restless spirit that made his work stand apart. Whether recording as Fad Gadget or under his own name, Frank Tovey always sounded like he was pushing against the walls.

This U.S. promo is a great little snapshot of that story.

SIDE A:
Frank Tovey – Luxury (12″ Mix) 7:00
Engineer – Flood
Producer – Daniel Miller, Frank Tovey
Recorded By [Additional] – Tony Harris
Remix – Alistair Clay, Flood, Frank Tovey

Frank Tovey – Luxury (LP Version) 4:02
Producer – Daniel Miller, Frank Tovey

SIDE B:
Fad Gadget – Collapsing New People (London Mix) 9:21
Featuring – Einstürzende Neubauten
Producer – Daniel Miller, Flood, Frank Tovey, Gareth Jones

Frank Tovey – Concrete (LP Version) 4:36
Engineer – E.C. Radcliffe
Producer – E.C. Radcliffe, Frank Tovey

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label:Sire – PRO-A-2573
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: New Wave, Industrial, Synth-pop

NOTES:
Housed in a custom one-sided Sire Records picture sleeve

Original versions of “Luxury”, “Collapsing New People”, and “Concrete” are available on the Frank Tovey album “Snakes & Ladders” on Sire Records.

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

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July 1, 2026

Peter Murphy – Final Solution (Remix) (UK 12″) (1985)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

“Final Solution” is one of those records that does not politely enter the room. It arrives like a warning signal, all nerves, shadows, and sharp edges.

Originally recorded by Cleveland art-punk band Pere Ubu in 1976, “Final Solution” was already a strange and unsettling piece of post-punk before Peter Murphy got anywhere near it. Pere Ubu’s version had that raw, almost damaged sound that made it feel as if it was broadcasting from some broken radio tower in the middle of a city no one wanted to admit existed.

Peter Murphy took that chaos and turned it into something theatrical, colder, and strangely danceable.

Released as a single in 1985, before appearing on his 1986 debut solo album Should The World Fail To Fall Apart, “Final Solution” found Murphy stepping out from the long shadow of Bauhaus while still keeping one polished black boot firmly planted in the dark. This was not the more romantic, mystical Peter Murphy that would later emerge on songs like “Cuts You Up” or “A Strange Kind Of Love.” This was Murphy in a more dangerous space, taking a song already loaded with unease and pushing it further into the club.

The 12-inch Club Mix stretches the track into a tense, mechanical workout. The guitars snarl, the rhythm pounds, and Murphy’s vocal performance is pure command. He does not simply sing the song; he stalks through it. Every phrase feels like it is being thrown against a wall just to see what breaks first.

What makes this version so compelling is the way it sits between worlds. It is post-punk, goth, industrial, and club music all at once, but never fully settles into any one of them. It has the grit of the original, but the 12-inch format gives it space to breathe, sweat, and menace the dancefloor.

The B-side, “The Answer Is Clear,” offers a fitting companion piece. Less immediate but just as moody, it captures Murphy during that early solo period when he was still experimenting with what his voice could become outside the Bauhaus frame.

“Final Solution” may not be one of Peter Murphy’s biggest hits, but it remains one of his most arresting early solo singles. It is tense, dramatic, and a little unhinged in all the right ways.

This is the sound of an artist stepping into the spotlight alone, not with comfort, but with intent.

SIDE A:
Final Solution (Third & Final Mix) 5:51
Lacquer Cut By – Timtom
Remix – Ivo, John Fryer
Written-By – Bell*, Pere Ubu

SIDE B:
Final Solution (Club Mix) 5:30
Lacquer Cut By – TY
Mixed By – Stephane Gerbier
Remix – The Latin Rascals
Written-By – Bell, Pere Ubu

The Answer Is Clear (Version) 3:14
Lacquer Cut By – TY
Written-By – Hughes, Murphy*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance — Peter Murphy: *Final Solution* (1985)
Chart	Peak Position	Date
UK Singles Chart	#92	1985

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Beggars Banquet – BEG 143TP
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Industrial, Goth Rock

CREDITS:

Photography By – Antoine Giaccomoni*
Producer – Ivo*, Howard Hughes*

NOTES:
Recorded at Blackwing Studios in the summer of ’85.
B1. 12″ mix [Club mix] at Unique Studios, New York City
B2. Mixed at Blackwing Studios

Made in England

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.

June 30, 2026

Bronski Beat – Why? (Remix) (UK 12″ Limited Edition) (1984)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

As Pride Month comes to a close, I can’t think of a better record to finish my “Soundtrack Of Pride” series than Bronski Beat’s “Why?”

Released in 1984, “Why?” followed the band’s stunning debut single “Smalltown Boy,” and together the two songs form one of the most powerful one-two punches in LGBTQ+ pop history. Where “Smalltown Boy” tells the painful story of leaving home to survive, “Why?” turns that pain outward. It asks the question directly. Why the hate? Why the fear? Why should anyone have to hide who they are or who they love?

Jimmy Somerville’s voice is one of the great voices of the 1980s. Fragile one moment, fierce the next, he could turn a dance record into a protest song without losing the beat. “Why?” is pure Hi-NRG fire, but it is also angry, wounded, and unafraid. The record moves with urgency, driven by sharp synths, pounding percussion, and that unmistakable cry in Somerville’s vocal. It is a song built for the dance floor, but it refuses to be background music.

The charts also showed just how far Bronski Beat’s message traveled. “Why?” reached No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart and topped the UK Airplay chart, while also finding success across Europe, Australia, and the U.S. dance charts. “Smalltown Boy” had already made an even bigger impact, reaching No. 3 in the UK and No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. For music this direct, this emotional, and this openly queer to travel that far in 1984 still feels remarkable.

That was the power of Bronski Beat. They were not hiding behind suggestion or coded language. Steve Bronski, Larry Steinbachek, and Jimmy Somerville made music that spoke openly about gay life at a time when that was still a radical act in pop music. Their debut album, The Age Of Consent, carried its message right in the title, referring to the unequal age of consent laws in the United Kingdom at the time. This was pop music with a purpose.

My limited edition UK 12” single makes this release even more special because the flip side contains the 12″ version of “Smalltown Boy.” Having “Why?” and “Smalltown Boy” together on one 12” feels almost too perfect. One song is the escape. The other is the confrontation. One is the heartbreak of being pushed away. The other is the demand to be seen, heard, and respected.

“Smalltown Boy” remains one of the most moving LGBTQ+ anthems ever recorded. Its story of rejection, loneliness, and the search for a place to belong has touched generations of listeners. Even now, four decades later, it still feels deeply personal. It is not just a song about leaving. It is a song about surviving.

“Why?” is just as important. It reminds us that Pride is not only a celebration. It is also a protest. It is history. It is memory. It is the sound of people refusing to disappear.

For the final entry in this year’s “Soundtrack Of Pride,” Bronski Beat feels essential. These songs are not just dance classics. They are documents of their time, and they still speak loudly today. They remind us why the dance floor mattered, why visibility mattered, and why music could become a lifeline.

Pride has always had a soundtrack. Sometimes it is joyful. Sometimes it is defiant. Sometimes it hurts. Bronski Beat gave us all of that, wrapped in synths, rhythm, and one of the most unforgettable voices pop music has ever known.

Happy Pride, and as always, thank you for listening.

SIDE A:
Why? (Remix) 5:11
Engineer [Mixing Engineer] – Julian Mendelsohn
Mixed By [Uncredited] – Laz, Steve

SIDE B:
Smalltown Boy (12″ Version) 9:02

Cadillac Car 3:52
Engineer [Mixing Engineer] – Harvey Goldberg
Guitar – Steve*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Weekly chart performance for Bronski Beat’s “Why?” and “Smalltown Boy”
Chart	“Why?” Peak Position	“Smalltown Boy” Peak Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	10	8
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)	N/A	2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	3	1
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	31	9
Europe (Airplay Top 50)	4	N/A
Europe (Europarade Top 40)	4	3
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)	5	15
France (SNEP)	8	8
Germany Airplay Top 15	10	N/A
Ireland (IRMA)	6	4
Italy (Musica e dischi)	5	1
Italy (Discografia Internazionale)	N/A	2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	2	1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	6	1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	11	5
South Africa (Springbok Radio)	7	N/A
Spain Airplay	2	N/A
Spain (AFYVE)	10	N/A
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	7	2
UK Airplay Top 20	1	N/A
UK Singles (OCC)	6	3
US Billboard Hot 100	N/A	48
US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)	27	1
US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)	20	4
US Cash Box Top 100	N/A	32
West Germany (GfK)	5	3

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Forbidden Fruit – BITEX 2, Forbidden Fruit – 882 014-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Limited Edition
Country: UK
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Design [Sleeve Design] – Robert McAulay
Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Dominick Maita
Keyboards – Laz*, Steve*
Mastered By – Aaron Chakraverty*
Music By – Bronski Beat
Producer – Mike Thorne
Programmed By – Laz*
Vocals – Jimmy*
Words By – Jimmy*
Written-By – Somerville*, Steinbachek*, Bronski*

NOTES:
Why?: Dedicated To The Memory Of Drew Griffiths.

“SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION WHY? REMIX WITH BONUS TRACK SMALLTOWN BOY”

Recorded at R.P.M. Studios, New York
Why?: Mixed at The Town House, London
Cadillac Car: Mixed at Right Track Recording, New York
Mastered at The Master Room, London

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.