To all my readers in the United States, I wish you a day filled with gratitude, delicious food, and the warmth of loved ones. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on life’s blessings, and I want to take a moment to thank you for being a part of the Burning the Ground community. Your enthusiasm and support help keep the magic of 80s and 90s remixes alive!
For those outside the U.S., this is still a perfect opportunity to express my appreciation. Wherever you’re tuning in from, I’m grateful for the connections we’ve built through music. While you may not be celebrating Thanksgiving, consider this a heartfelt thank-you for being part of this nostalgic journey.
Let’s keep the records spinning, the memories flowing, and the music alive! Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season ahead, no matter where you are. I will be spending the next few days with my family and will return on Tuesday, December 3.
I originally shared this post way back on December 22, 2012, but a good friend of the site suggested it was worth revisiting to kick off the Christmas season. After giving it some thought, I agreed—it’s a fantastic way to get into the holiday spirit. While I didn’t create a new transfer for this one, there’s only so much you can do with a 44-year-old flexi-disc. That said, I’m excited to share it again and wish you all the best this holiday season and beyond!
“Happy Christmas From The Stars” is a promotional-only flexi-disc single featuring spoken-word holiday messages from various 80s pop stars. It was released in the UK in 1982 as a collaboration between Smash Hits, Levi’s, and Lyntone Records. The disc was included as a freebie with the December 9-22, 1982 issue of Smash Hits magazine.
This promotional item was tied to Levi’s “Accessory Kit 3” campaign for their black Levi jeans. Interestingly, the idea for the single came from Neil Tennant, who was then Smash Hits’ news editor and would go on to fame as a member of the Pet Shop Boys.
As with most flexi-discs, the audio quality isn’t stellar—they’re notorious for that. However, I’ve done my best to restore the recording while preserving some of the original crackle, which I believe adds to its charm. The full recording includes the Levi’s promo segments for a complete vintage experience.
Enjoy, and Happy Christmas!
—DjPaulT
SIDE A: Happy Christmas From The Stars (Part 1) 6:12
SIDE B: Happy Christmas From The Stars (Part 2) 6:14
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Very Good
Sleeve: Near Mint (generic)
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the recording of Band-Aid’s iconic charity single, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”.
Written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, the song was created to raise funds for the 1983–1985 Ethiopian famine relief efforts. Recorded in just one day at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London, on November 25, 1984, the session brought together a supergroup of prominent British and Irish musicians assembled by Geldof and Ure.
Released in the UK on December 7, 1984, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” made an immediate impact, debuting at number one on the UK singles chart and holding the top spot for five weeks. It became the fastest-selling single in UK history at the time, moving one million copies in its first week. By the end of 1984, it had sold over three million copies in the UK and topped the charts in 13 other countries. In the United States, despite limited radio play, the song sold approximately 2.5 million copies by 1985. Globally, it reached 11.7 million in sales by 1989, and its UK sales alone stood at 3.8 million by 2017.
The single raised £8 million within its first year, far surpassing Geldof’s initial expectations. Due to its success, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”was reissued on November 29, 1985, featuring an updated B-side titled *”One Year On (Feed the World).” This version included a spoken message from Geldof and Midge Ure and highlighted the tangible impact of the funds raised, listing the resources and aid provided. Notably, this updated version was only ever released on vinyl.
“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” remains a testament to the power of music to inspire change and unite people for a common cause.
NOTES:
Many thanks to all the Record Companies of the artists involved.
It’s one year on since BAND AID first began to raise funds for famine relief.
With your help people have survived, now help BAND AID to help them stay alive.
If you would like to make a further donation-send it to:
Band Aid Trust
c/o Stoy Hayward
8 Baker Street
London W1M 1DA
Many thanks to all the people, too numerous to mention, who kindly donated their time and effort in the making this record.
“Fight for Ourselves” is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as the lead single from their 1986 album Through the Barricades. In the UK, the track reached number 15 on the Singles Chart, but it was met with largely negative reviews.
Background
While touring to promote their 1983 album True, Spandau Ballet noticed a newfound synergy in their live performances and sought to replicate that energy in their next studio effort. However, their attempt to achieve this with True co-producers Tony Swain and Steve Jolley on 1984’s Parade left the band dissatisfied. Guitarist and songwriter Gary Kemp later admitted, “We were afraid to take a big leap after True. The problem was that Parade didn’t reflect the live energy we had. People were disappointed with the record.” Kemp emphasized, “We’re a rock band now.”
Determined to evolve their sound, the band decided to part ways with Swain and Jolley. They brought in recording engineer Gary Langan, whom they had met while working with Trevor Horn, to co-produce a single track as a test before committing to him for the full album. The chosen song, originally titled “Everybody (We’ve Got to Fight for Ourselves)”, was recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich during the winter of 1986. The experiment proved successful, and Langan co-produced the entire album.
Release and Commercial Performance
“Fight for Ourselves” was released in the UK on July 14, 1986, and peaked at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart, marking the band’s first lead single from an album to miss the top 10. The track fared better internationally, reaching number 5 in Italy, number 7 in Ireland, and number 10 on the European Hot 100. It also charted in other countries, including Spain (11), Australia and the Netherlands (16), Belgium (20), Switzerland (23), West Germany (32), and New Zealand (33).
Despite its moderate success, lead singer Tony Hadley reflected in his 2004 autobiography To Cut a Long Story Short that the single’s performance “hardly squared with our hopes of global success.”
Music Video
The music video for “Fight for Ourselves,” directed by Simon Milne, features a playful storyline in which two young women—one played by Paul Young’s then-girlfriend Stacey Smith—sneak into a Spandau Ballet concert. Using powers of invisibility, they interact with band members during the performance. Chroma key effects were employed for the disappearing and reappearing sequences. The exterior shots of the concert venue were filmed at 43 King Street, Covent Garden, London.
+De-notes vinyl-only
SIDE A: Fight For Ourselves (Extended Remix) 7:30
SIDE B: Fight For Ourselves 4:22 Fight … The Heartache+ 4:12
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Reformation – TA7264, Reformation – TA 7264, CBS – TA7264, CBS – TA 7264
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: UK
Released: Jul 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
