Burning The Ground Exclusive

By 1988, British pop group Eighth Wonder, fronted by actress and singer Patsy Kensit, was finally enjoying the commercial success that had eluded them during their earlier years.

The group’s big breakthrough came with “I’m Not Scared,” written and produced by the Pet Shop Boys. The single reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart and became a major hit across Europe. With their profile on the rise, Eighth Wonder followed it with another infectious slice of dance-pop, “Cross My Heart.”

Released in June 1988, “Cross My Heart” was the second single from the band’s album Fearless. Written by American songwriter Michael Jay and produced by Pete Hammond, the song combined bright synthesizers, an irresistible chorus, and Kensit’s distinctive vocals. It was exactly the kind of polished pop record that seemed made for the summer of 1988.

Interestingly, Eighth Wonder wasn’t the first act to record the song. Tracie Spencer had already included “Cross My Heart” on her self-titled debut album earlier that year. Martika also recorded a version for her 1988 debut album. Three different female pop artists recorded the same song in one year. Apparently, Michael Jay had a pretty good feeling about this one!

Eighth Wonder’s version became a hit across Europe, reaching number 13 in the UK, number 6 in Switzerland and Norway, and number 2 in Spain. In the United States, the single peaked at number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the group’s only Top 75 hit on that chart. However, the song found an even more receptive audience in American dance clubs, reaching number 10 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart.

CHART PERFORMANCE (1988–1989)

And that brings us to today’s record.

For the American market, WTG Records enlisted New York DJ and producer “Little” Louie Vega to give “Cross My Heart” a serious dance-floor makeover.

Long before becoming one half of the legendary house production duo Masters At Work, Vega was already developing his sound on the New York club scene. His remixes of “Cross My Heart” take the polished British pop production and give it a distinctly American club flavor, with a stronger rhythmic foundation and a healthy dose of late-1980s house music.

The remix sessions took place at Right Track Recording in New York City, with Hugo Dwyer handling remix engineering, Jeff Abikzer assisting, additional keyboards by Mac Quayle, and edits by the late Chep Nuñez.

The commercial US 12-inch, released on WTG Records (41 07894), features three versions of the song. The 6:50 Club Mix takes up the entire A-side, while the flip contains the 7:29 House Mix and a 6:00 Dub Mix.

Unlike the European 12-inch, which featured the original Dance Mix and the B-side “Let Me In,” the American pressing concentrates entirely on Vega’s club treatments. A separate US promotional 12-inch also included an edited version and a Bonus Beats track, making that pressing another interesting variation for collectors.

What I especially enjoy about records like this is hearing the meeting of two different dance music worlds. The original recording has that unmistakable late-1980s British pop sound, while the American remixes reflect the growing influence of New York house music. It is a combination that worked particularly well during this period.

Eighth Wonder’s time in the spotlight was relatively short. The group disbanded in 1989, and Patsy Kensit returned her attention to acting. Still, songs like “I’m Not Scared” and “Cross My Heart” remain wonderful reminders of a time when European synth-pop and American club music were finding plenty of common ground.

For today’s post, we’re spinning the original US commercial 12-inch, complete with all three of Louie Vega’s mixes.

Patsy Kensit, a catchy pop chorus, and a little New York house magic.

What’s not to love?

SIDE A:
A. Cross My Heart (Club Mix) 6:54

SIDE B:
B1. Cross My Heart (House Mix) 7:34
B2. Cross My Heart (Dub Mix) 6:04

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: WTG Records – 41 07894
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 1/3 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: House, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

• Edited By – Chep Nunez*
• Engineer [Assistant] – Jeff Abikzer
• Engineer [Remix] – Hugo Dwyer
• Keyboards [Additional] – Mac Quayle
• Producer, Mixed By – Pete Hammond
• Remix – “Little” Louie Vega*
• Written-By – M. Jay*

NOTES:
Remixed at Right Track Recording, New York City.

Additional production and remix for Small Wonders Productions, Inc.

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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