Tag: 1984

October 28, 2026

Alien Sex Fiend – Dead And Buried (UK 12″) (1984)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Some records are simply made for Halloween, and today’s Spooky Season Spins selection sounds as though it crawled straight out of a crypt. We’re heading back to 1984 for a delightfully twisted slice of British gothic rock from one of the most outrageous bands to emerge from London’s underground scene. It’s Alien Sex Fiend with “Dead And Buried,” a sinister, hypnotic, and wonderfully deranged record that perfectly captures the darker side of the 1980s.

Formed in London in late 1982, Alien Sex Fiend became closely associated with the legendary Batcave nightclub, one of the most important gathering places for the emerging gothic subculture. Led by the unmistakable Nik Fiend and his wife, Mrs. Fiend, the band developed a sound that combined post-punk, psychedelic rock, primitive electronics, industrial rhythms, and a healthy dose of B-movie horror. Their music was strange, confrontational, and often darkly humorous. While many of their contemporaries approached gothic rock with a sense of seriousness, Alien Sex Fiend seemed perfectly happy to turn the whole thing into a gloriously demented nightmare.

“Dead And Buried” arrived in August 1984 on Anagram Records, a subsidiary of Cherry Red Records, during an especially productive period for the group. Following their 1983 debut album Who’s Been Sleeping In My Brain?, Alien Sex Fiend were quickly establishing themselves as one of the more recognizable names in Britain’s independent music scene. Their unusual appearance, theatrical performances, and unpredictable recordings helped them stand apart from the growing number of bands associated with the gothic movement.

Musically, “Dead And Buried” is a wonderfully unsettling experience. A relentless, mechanical rhythm drives the track forward while distorted guitar, swirling electronics, and eerie effects create an atmosphere that feels somewhere between a haunted carnival and an underground nightclub. Nik Fiend’s distinctive vocals are the real centerpiece. He snarls, howls, mutters, and shrieks his way through the recording with the enthusiasm of a mad scientist who has just discovered how to bring the dead back to life.

What makes the song especially appealing is its danceable quality. Beneath all the noise and theatrical horror is an infectious groove that would have sounded perfectly at home on the dance floor at the Batcave. Alien Sex Fiend understood that gothic music could be both frightening and fun. “Dead And Buried” captures that balance beautifully. It is creepy enough for a Halloween soundtrack but energetic enough to keep the dance floor moving.

The single was produced by Ken Thomas, whose work helped give the recording its thick, atmospheric sound. Interestingly, the single versions of “Dead And Buried” and its companion track “Attack!!!” are entirely different recordings from those that appeared on the band’s second studio album, Acid Bath, later in 1984. The 12-inch editions are also longer than their 7-inch counterparts, allowing the band’s hypnotic rhythms and bizarre sonic experiments additional room to unfold.

The record’s unsettling atmosphere extends to its accompanying material. “Attack!!!” is another extended excursion into the band’s chaotic musical world, while “Ignore The Machine… Dub” revisits one of their earliest underground favorites through a more spacious, dub-influenced arrangement. Produced by Youth, the latter provides an especially interesting contrast with the more aggressive material on the record.

Despite their unconventional sound, Alien Sex Fiend managed to make an impression on the mainstream British charts. “Dead And Buried” entered the UK Singles Chart on August 25, 1984, at No. 92 and climbed to No. 91 the following week. It eventually spent three weeks in the Top 100, a remarkable achievement for a record that sounded so completely unlike the polished pop dominating the airwaves at the time. The single was also a Top 10 hit on the UK Independent Singles Chart.

One of the most memorable aspects of Alien Sex Fiend was their ability to combine horror imagery with a playful sense of the absurd. Their influences stretched from punk rock and psychedelia to electronic experimentation and classic horror films. Unlike bands that relied on gloomy atmospheres alone, Alien Sex Fiend created an entire world of grotesque characters, twisted humor, and musical mayhem. It was a world that could be disturbing one moment and completely ridiculous the next, often within the same song.

More than four decades later, “Dead And Buried” remains a wonderful reminder of just how adventurous the independent music scene could be during the early 1980s. It also demonstrates why the original gothic movement was far more varied than its popular image sometimes suggests. Alien Sex Fiend were never particularly interested in following anyone else’s rules, and their willingness to experiment helped give their recordings a character that remains unmistakably their own.

For me, “Dead And Buried” is exactly the sort of record that makes Spooky Season Spins so much fun. It has the atmosphere, the attitude, the strange electronic textures, and just enough campy horror to make it a perfect October selection. There is something irresistible about a record that sounds like the soundtrack to a midnight séance taking place on the dance floor of a particularly disreputable nightclub.

So dim the lights, draw the curtains, and prepare to disturb the neighbors. Alien Sex Fiend are about to wake the dead, and judging by the sound of this record, they have absolutely no intention of letting them rest in peace.

Until the next Spooky Season Spin, keep those turntables spinning and the lights turned down low.

SIDE A:
A1. Dead And Buried (12″ Version) 5:47
Producer – Ken Thomas

SIDE B:
B1. Attack!!! (12″ Version) 8:30
Producer – Ken Thomas

B2. Ignore The Machine… Dub 6:45
Producer – Youth

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Anagram Records – 12 ANA 23
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: UK
Released: Aug 1984
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: New Wave, Goth Rock

CREDITS:

Drums – Johnnie Ha. Ha.*
Engineer – Ken Thomas
Guitar – The Yaxi*
Producer [Help With Early Production Work] – Tommy Desmond
Synthesizer [The Organ Grinder] – Mrs Fiend*
Vocals [The Crooner] – Nik Fiend
Written-By – Wade*, James*, Freshwater*, Wade*

NOTES:
Made in France.
Printed in France

Mastered at The Town House, London.

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

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October 9, 2026

Eve Electro – Take A Bite (Germany 12″) (1984)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Spooky Season Spins continues with a little-known 1984 electro gem that has just the right amount of darkness, mystery, and electronic weirdness for Halloween. “Take A Bite” by Eve Electro is one of those records that may have slipped past mainstream audiences but found a welcome home in underground dance clubs on both sides of the Atlantic.

Released in 1984, “Take A Bite” was the work of a New York-based electro project featuring vocalist Deborah Pell North, also known as Deb North, alongside producers Ian North and Craig Bevan. Gary Pini served as executive producer. The single originally appeared in the United States on the independent Black Suit Records label before receiving a German release through Bellaphon Records.

One of the more interesting names behind the project is Ian North, an American musician whose career stretched across several different musical styles. During the 1970s, North was a founding member of the cult power-pop band Milk ‘N’ Cookies, which became associated with New York’s emerging punk and new wave scene. After relocating to England, he formed the band Neo before returning to New York, where he became increasingly interested in synthesizers and electronic recording. His involvement with Eve Electro represented another unexpected turn in an already varied musical career.

Musically, “Take A Bite” is a fascinating example of the early 1980s electro sound. Built around a steady, mechanical dance beat, rubbery electronic basslines, quirky synthesizer melodies, and processed vocals, the track sits somewhere between electro-funk, synth-pop, and the more experimental side of new wave. There’s an offbeat quality to the production that gives the record an almost futuristic, slightly unsettling atmosphere.

That unusual combination makes it an especially fun selection for Spooky Season Spins. While “Take A Bite” wasn’t necessarily intended as a Halloween record, its suggestive title, robotic vocal effects, and strange electronic textures certainly make it feel right at home during October.

Despite its underground character, the record managed to attract attention from American club DJs. “Take A Bite” reached No. 35 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Disco chart in 1984, an impressive showing for a relatively obscure independent release. The single also found an audience in European clubs, particularly in Germany, where electro, synth-pop, and Italo-disco were becoming increasingly popular.

In fact, “Take A Bite” can be found on a surviving Christmas 1984 DJ tape from Frankfurt’s legendary Dorian Gray nightclub, where it appeared alongside records by Dominatrix, Newcleus, Ministry, and other electronic dance acts of the period. It’s an interesting reminder that the record was part of the actual club scene rather than simply an obscure collector’s curiosity.

The track has continued to attract attention from electro enthusiasts over the years. It was later included on the compilation Welcome To The Robots, Volume One: The Electro Pioneers, alongside influential electronic recordings by artists such as Koto, Yello, Hashim, and Alexander Robotnick.

For today’s post, we have the original 1984 German 12″ maxi-single released on Bellaphon Records. The A-side features “Take A Bite,” while the flip contains the longer companion track “Bite,” giving listeners another helping of the record’s unusual electronic sound.

Sometimes the most interesting discoveries are the records that never became household names. “Take A Bite” is a perfect example of the creativity and experimentation taking place in the early 1980s underground dance scene, when synthesizers, drum machines, and a little imagination could produce something wonderfully strange.

So, as we head into another October weekend, here’s something a little different for your Halloween playlist. Turn down the lights, turn up the volume, and let Eve Electro take a bite!

SIDE A:
A. Take A Bite 4:05

SIDE B:
B. Bite 5:06

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Bellaphon – 120·07·131
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single, Stereo
Country: Germany
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Electro

CREDITS:

Lacquer Cut By – SST (8)
Producer – Craig Bevan, Gary Pini, Ian North
Written-By – C. Bevan*, I. North*

NOTES:
Licensed by Black Suit Records

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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September 30, 2026

Steve Miller Band – Shangri-La (Canada 12″) (1984)

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By 1984, the Steve Miller Band had already enjoyed more than a decade of success, with classics such as “The Joker,” “Fly Like An Eagle,” and “Rock’n Me.” The band’s 1982 smash “Abracadabra” introduced Miller to a new generation of listeners, combining his familiar rock sound with synthesizers and a dance-friendly beat. Two years later, Miller continued experimenting with that formula on “Shangri-La.”

Released in 1984 as the lead single from the band’s thirteenth studio album, Italian X Rays, “Shangri-La” found Steve Miller moving even further into the electronic sounds of the decade. Written by Miller and bassist Kenny Lee Lewis, the song combined synthesizers, a funky bass line, electronic textures, and Miller’s unmistakable vocals. It was quite a departure from the guitar-driven rock that had made the band famous during the 1970s.

Italian X Rays was also a departure from a recording standpoint. The album was recorded digitally and made extensive use of electronic instruments and computer technology. Miller was enthusiastic about the new recording process and embraced the possibilities it offered.

“Shangri-La” reached No. 57 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 84 in Canada. Although it never matched the enormous success of “Abracadabra,” the single remains an interesting example of an established rock act experimenting with the increasingly electronic sound of the mid-1980s.

For the 12″ release, Capitol enlisted legendary New York DJ and remixer François Kevorkian, along with Jay Mark, to give “Shangri-La” a dance-floor makeover.

Kevorkian was already one of the most respected names in dance music, having worked with artists ranging from D-Train and Yazoo to Depeche Mode. His approach to remixing went well beyond simply extending a song. He could completely reshape a recording, bringing out its rhythm, creating new instrumental passages, and giving it an entirely different atmosphere.

The Extended Version of “Shangri-La” allows the song’s infectious groove to take center stage. The longer arrangement gives the percussion, electronic instrumentation, and funky bass line room to breathe, transforming Miller’s pop-rock single into something much more suited to the dance floor.

The Dub Version takes things even further, shifting attention away from the conventional song structure and toward the instrumental and rhythmic elements. It’s a particularly interesting listen for anyone who enjoys the more experimental side of eighties remixing.

Today’s featured record is my Canadian 12″ pressing on Capitol Records (V 75076). In addition to the Extended and Dub versions of “Shangri-La,” the record includes the original album version of “Abracadabra,” making this an especially nice pairing of Miller’s early-eighties dance-oriented material.

It’s also a reminder of an era when record companies weren’t afraid to hand a rock recording to a club remixer and see what happened. Sometimes those unlikely combinations produced some of the most interesting 12″ singles of the decade.

Enjoy!

SIDE A:
Shangri-La (Extended Club Mix) 7:32
Co-producer – Kenny Lee Lewis
Producer – Steve Miller
Recorded By – David Cole (4)
Remix – François Kevorkian, Jay Mark
Written-By – Kenny Lee Lewis, Steve Miller

SIDE B:
Shangri-La (Dub Version) 5:32
Co-producer – Kenny Lee Lewis
Producer – Steve Miller
Recorded By – David Cole (4)
Remix – François Kevorkian, Jay Mark
Written-By – Kenny Lee Lewis, Steve Miller

Abracadabra 5:10
Co-producer – Gary Mallaber
Producer – Steve Miller
Written-By – Steve Miller

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart (1984)	Peak Position
US Billboard Hot 100	57
Canada RPM Top Singles	84

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Capitol Records – V 75076
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: Canada
Released: 1984
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: Pop Rock

CREDITS:

Bass, Guitar, Co-producer – Kenny Lee Lewis
Drums, Percussion – Gary Mallaber
Keyboards – Byron Allred
Producer, Vocals – Steve Miller

NOTES:
Track A: “(Album Version available on forthcoming LP “ITALIAN X RAYS” SJ-12339)”
Track B1: “(Album Version available on forthcoming LP “ITALIAN X RAYS” SJ-12339)”
Track B2: “(from the LP “ABRACADABRA” ST-12216)”

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.

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September 23, 2026

Killing Joke – Eighties (UK 12″) (1984)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Released in 1984, “Eighties” arrived during a period when Killing Joke were beginning to bring a little more melody into their dark, aggressive post-punk sound without losing any of the intensity that made them so distinctive.

The single actually predates the band’s 1985 album Night Time, where “Eighties” would later appear as the closing track. Released as a single in the spring of 1984, “Eighties” reached No. 60 on the UK Singles Chart, where it remained for five weeks. Despite becoming one of Killing Joke’s best-known recordings, the single does not appear to have charted on the major national singles charts outside the UK.

At the center of the record is that unforgettable guitar riff from Geordie Walker. Cold, repetitive and almost hypnotic, it locks in with Paul Raven’s bass and Paul Ferguson’s pounding drums while Jaz Coleman delivers the vocal with his usual sense of urgency. The result sits somewhere between post-punk, rock and dance music. Killing Joke could be brutal, but they also understood rhythm.

And then there is the connection that almost everyone eventually notices.

Listen to the opening guitar figure of “Eighties,” then listen to Nirvana’s “Come As You Are.” The resemblance is hard to miss. It has become one of the most talked-about similarities in alternative rock history.

Of course, “Eighties” was already several years old before Nirvana arrived. Hearing it today is a reminder of just how much influence Killing Joke had on the alternative and industrial rock that followed.

For the 12-inch release, “Eighties” was given the full extended treatment with the 6:27 “Serious Dance Mix.” Rather than turning the song into something completely different, the longer version gives its relentless rhythm and guitar attack more room to breathe. The UK 12-inch also includes the original version and “The Coming Mix.”

The record was written by Jaz Coleman, Paul Ferguson, Paul Raven and Geordie Walker. “Eighties” would eventually become one of Killing Joke’s most recognizable recordings, even though it was never a major chart hit.

That seems fitting. Killing Joke were never really about fitting comfortably alongside whatever else was on the radio. “Eighties” sounds tense, mechanical and strangely danceable all at once.

More than forty years later, that guitar riff still jumps out of the speakers immediately.

And once you hear it, you probably won’t forget it.

SIDE A:
Eighties (Serious Dance Mix) 6:30

SIDE B:
Eighties 3:52
Eighties (The Coming Mix) 3:54

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EG – EGOX16, EG – 821 224-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: Apr 1984
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Post-Punk, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Bass – Raven*
Design [Sleeve Design] – Mike Coles (2)
Drums, Other [Weapons] – Big Paul Ferguson*
Guitar [Six String Righteousness], Vocals [Verbals] – Geordie*
Keyboards, Vocals [Verbals] – Jaz Coleman
Lacquer Cut By – Nickz*
Other [Helmsmanship, Insubordination] – Captain Fil ‘Oh No’
Other [The Nailing In] – Alex Zander Rasher, Brad Sugar Dick Nelson
Producer – Chris Kimsey
Written by – Killing Joke

NOTES:
Made in the UK

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.