BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

I originally posted this 12″ on December 30, 2011. Like many of my older transfers from the period 2010-13 I was using ClikRepair and inferior equipment. So I am happy to be able to give this record a meticulous 2017 re-rip/remaster.

“I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” is a Grammy Award-winning number-one song performed by Aretha Franklin and George Michael as a duet in 1987. It was written by Simon Climie and Dennis Morgan. It also stands as Franklin’s biggest hit at the Adult Contemporary chart, spending several weeks at number two.

The song was a one-off project that helped Michael achieve his ambition to sing with one of his favorite artists, and it reached number-one in both the UK Singles Chart and Billboard Hot 100. The song was Franklin’s first and only UK number-one hit, and only her fourth top ten achievement in the country since “I Say a Little Prayer”, nearly two decades earlier. This was also the last of Franklin’s seventeen top 10 hits in the Billboard Hot 100.

For Michael, it became his third consecutive number-one in the UK since going solo, following 1984’s “Careless Whisper” (though the single was actually from the Wham! album Make It Big) and 1986’s “A Different Corner”. In the US, it was Michael’s fourth number-one hit, counting his Wham! days.

The single was the first Michael had recorded (as a lead artist) that he had not written himself. The co-writer, Simon Climie, was unknown at the time, although he later had success as a performer with Climie Fisher in 1988. On the US Billboard Hot 100, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” debuted at number 59, the week of February 21, 1987, reaching number-one in its ninth week, April 18, 1987, and remaining there for two consecutive weeks.

SIDE A:
I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) (Extended Remix) 7:30

SIDE B:
I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) (Percappella) 5:14
I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) (Edited Remix) 5:29

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic ‎– EPC 650253 6, Epic ‎– 650253 6
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: Netherlands
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Synth-pop, Soul

CREDITS:
Keyboards [Additional] – Ed Terry
Producer, Arranged By – Narada Michael Walden
Remix, Producer [Additional] – Steve Thompson And Michael Barbiero*
Written-By – Morgan*, Climie*

NOTES:
Special versions from the LP “ARETHA”
Aretha Franklin appears courtesy of Arista Records.

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck 
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: 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)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi