November 2025 – Page 4 – Burning The Ground: DjPaulT's 80's and 90's Remixes

Burning The Ground Exclusive

“Suffer the Children” is the debut single by British band Tears for Fears. Written and sung by Roland Orzabal, it was released in October 1981 and marked the duo’s first official release following the breakup of Graduate, Orzabal and Curt Smith’s previous band.

The single was produced by David Lord and recorded at his own Crescent Studios in Bath, England. Along with “Pale Shelter,” it was one of two demo songs that landed Tears for Fears their first record deal with Phonogram in 1981.

“Suffer the Children was the first song we did together when we left Graduate. It was our very first experimentation with sequencers and drum machines, with a guy called David Lord, who worked with Peter Gabriel and different people down in Bath. So that was actually the first song we did as Tears For Fears.”
— Curt Smith

According to Orzabal:

“We were really big on this at the time – we really thought children were born innocent and good and holy… When you’ve got kids of your own, you realize how bloody difficult it is. But it’s that kind of thing – saying look at what you’re doing with your child.”
— Roland Orzabal

The 12″ version features a Remix and an Instrumental, both distinct from the 7″ version. The remix, handled by David Lord, has a slightly punchier electronic arrangement that highlights the early use of sequencers and drum machines that would later define the band’s sound. The haunting female vocal heard on the track comes from Carol Kenyon, while Orzabal’s wife Caroline provides the childlike voice heard during the bridge.

The B-side, “Wino,” is an unusual Tears for Fears recording — stripped of synthesizers and studio polish, featuring only a simple acoustic performance.

Despite support from influential BBC Radio 1 DJs John Peel and Peter Powell, the single failed to chart upon its original release. In 1985, following the success of Songs from the Big Chair, Phonogram reissued “Suffer the Children” in the UK with a new picture sleeve, using the same audio and track listing as the 1981 release. This reissue narrowly missed the UK Top 50.

The song was later re-recorded for the band’s debut LP The Hurting (1983), produced by Chris Hughes and Ross Cullum. That album version removes an opening lyric sung by Curt Smith and slightly alters the arrangement but maintains the song’s emotional intensity.

No music video was ever produced for the song.

SIDE A:
Suffer The Children (Remix) 4:23

SIDE B:
Suffer The Children (Instrumental) 4:30
Wino 2:24

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Mercury – idea 12
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1981
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Producer – David Lord
Written-By – C. Smith*, R. Orzabal*

NOTES:
Their 1st single. “Suffer The Children” later re-recorded for their debut album “The Hurting”

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
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
DAC: Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: 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

**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!

Password: burningtheground

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

Burning The Ground Exclusive

NEW 2025 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Originally posted on April 5, 2018, this 12″ single has been given a meticulous 2025 audio restoration, enhancing clarity, dynamics, and depth while preserving the warmth of the original vinyl pressing.

Released in September 1985, “To Live and Die in L.A.” stands as one of the most evocative singles of the decade — a moody, cinematic piece that perfectly captures the neon-lit tension of the era. Written and performed by Wang Chung — the British duo of Jack Hues and Nick Feldman — the song was composed specifically for director William Friedkin’s 1985 crime thriller of the same name.

Following the success of their 1984 album Points on the Curve and the hit single “Dance Hall Days,” Wang Chung were approached directly by Friedkin, who was impressed by the atmospheric quality of their music. He commissioned them to create the entire soundtrack for his upcoming film. Unlike most directors, Friedkin gave the band complete creative freedom, telling them, “I don’t want songs that comment on the action. I want music that becomes the action.”

The result was a strikingly original soundtrack that fused synth-pop, ambient textures, and instrumental experimentation — a soundscape as stylish and dangerous as the film’s Los Angeles setting. The title track serves as both the emotional and thematic centerpiece, with Hues’ cool, detached vocals floating over pulsating synths and slow, haunting percussion. The lyrics speak of honor, love, and freedom — echoing the film’s fatalistic tone and moral ambiguity.

While “To Live and Die in L.A.” peaked at #41 on the Billboard Hot 100, its influence has endured far beyond its chart position. It’s a track that rewards rediscovery — a haunting anthem for dreamers and drifters, shimmering with the melancholic beauty that defined much of mid-’80s electronic pop.

The Extended Version was released exclusively on the UK 12” single (Geffen Records, stretching the song to nearly six minutes with an expanded intro and instrumental sections that heighten its hypnotic mood. No instrumental mix was ever issued, making the extended 12” version the definitive way to experience the track in its fullest form.

After the To Live and Die in L.A. project, Wang Chung returned to mainstream pop success with Mosaic (1986) and the massive hit “Everybody Have Fun Tonight.” Yet this song — and the album it anchors — remains their most artistically ambitious work, a timeless fusion of pop and noir that captures the sound of Los Angeles in all its beauty and decay.

Nearly forty years later, “To Live and Die in L.A.” still glows with the same dangerous allure — a haunting reminder that Wang Chung were more than just party anthems and pop hooks. They could also craft music that felt like cinema.

SIDE A:
To Live And Die In L.A. (Extended Version) 5:57
Producer – Steve Jolley & Tony Swain

SIDE B:
Dance Hall Days (Remix) 8:13
Producer – Chris Hughes, Ross Cullum

Black-Blue-White 2:29

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance — Wang Chung: *To Live And Die In L.A.* (1985)
Chart	Peak Position	Date
US Billboard Hot 100	#41	1985
US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	#21	1985

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Geffen Records ‎– TA 6756
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Written-By – Wang Chung

NOTES:
Tracks A1-B2 from the Music From The Motion Picture “To Live And Die In L.A.

Track B2 Recorded in Motion-Rama by Dave Motion

Track B1 from the LP “Points On A Curve”

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

**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!

Password: burningtheground

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

Month: November 2025

Tears For Fears – Suffer The Children (UK 12″) (1981)

Wang Chung – To Live And Die In L.A. (UK 12″) (1985)