Burning The Ground Exclusive
NEW 2026 Transfer!
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration!
Original post date: September 30, 2014
Arthur Baker’s “Breaker’s Revenge”: Electro on the Big Screen
Released in 1984, “Breaker’s Revenge” stands as one of Arthur Baker’s most culturally anchored recordings—an electro track inseparable from the moment when hip-hop broke into the mainstream. The single was lifted from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to Beat Street, the landmark film that brought breakdancing, DJ culture, and graffiti art to audiences far beyond the streets where they were born.
True to its title, “Breaker’s Revenge” plays like a challenge record. Driven by crisp drum machine programming and stark, percussive synth lines, the track favors rhythm and attitude over melody, making it ideal battle music for the dance floor. Adding a human edge to the electronics are vocals by Gavin Christopher, whose soulful delivery contrasts sharply—and effectively—with the track’s cold, mechanized pulse. Christopher’s involvement also links the record to a broader dance lineage; he was the brother of house music diva Shawn Christopher, further underscoring how interconnected the emerging dance scenes were in the mid-’80s.
Commercially, “Breaker’s Revenge” made a solid impact on club culture. The single debuted on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart on August 18, 1984, remaining on the survey for nine weeks and reaching a peak position of #19. While not a crossover pop hit, its chart performance reflected strong DJ support and heavy rotation in clubs aligned with electro, freestyle, and early hip-hop.
Today, “Breaker’s Revenge” endures less as a standalone single and more as a cultural document—one that captures Arthur Baker at the intersection of music, film, and street culture. It remains a sharp snapshot of electro’s golden era, when records weren’t just played in clubs, but used as weapons in dance battles and symbols of a rapidly evolving movement.
SIDE A:
Breaker’s Revenge (Extended Vocal Version) 7:27
Vocals [Featuring] – Galvin Christopher*
SIDE B:
Breaker’s Revenge (Dub Mix / Vocal) 6:53
Jazzy Breakdown (Instrumental) 5:04
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
| Chart | Peak Position | Date |
|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Dance Club Songs | #19 | 1984 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Atlantic – 78 6931-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Italy
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Electro
CREDITS:
- Edited By – The Latin Rascals
- Engineer – Andy Wallace
- Mixed By, Producer, Written-By, Arranged By – Arthur Baker
- Mixed At – Shakedown Sound Studios,
NOTES:
Featured in the movie “Beat Street”
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
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Thank you so much for this sensational contribution and for such amazing sound quality. This is a maxi-single I’ve been looking for for a long time, but finding it in good condition and at a good price is very difficult. This is, for me, the best breakdance track ever. Arthur Baker is a magician and a genius of this style of music, and he created a brutal, spectacular, and sensational mix. The scene in the film Beat Street where this track appears is, without a doubt, the best. In fact, I’ve played it in my home theater for many people,… Read more »
Thank you Paul.What an energetic track.The bassline reminds a bit of “White Lines” which was also covered from Liquid Liquid. And as Jeff said, it sounds like a compilation of several tracks. But I really like it. And the quality is top-notch again.
Wait…. what?!?! Beat Street has crossed over into this week too!!?!! Most excellent! If we aren’t careful, this could somehow end up being a whole year of Beat Street 🙂 Always really enjoyed this song and that scene from the movie is such an absolute blast. The thing I really like here is how much ground is covered in just a single track, it all meshes together yet you get so many distinct parts making up the whole. So much fun. I don’t recall ever hearing the Jazzy Breakdown before – it really has a bit of a disco edge… Read more »
JP, I know — Beat Street just refuses to stay in its lane this week. It keeps slipping in through the side door like it owns the place, and honestly… I’m not mad about it. If 2026 accidentally turns into a full Beat Street year, I’ll just blame the crates for conspiring against me. You nailed exactly what makes this track such a blast: it moves through so many distinct sections, yet everything snaps together like one big, joyful puzzle. That scene in the film still feels like pure adrenaline, and hearing the full 12″ really reminds you how much… Read more »
Although I never enjoyed this song, I always loved the Dub Mix!…especially starting at 1:05. To this day it still has a sliver of early 80s house music beginnings…the multi echo and repeated beats. Speaking of house, any chance we could see Marshall Jefferson’s “The House Music Anthem” https://www.discogs.com/release/4184-Marshall-Jefferson-The-House-Music-Anthem sometime soon? Thanks for the great post (and dub!)
Fred, I love that you called this out — the Dub Mix really is its own little universe. Even if the main version never grabbed you, that section around 1:05 is pure studio magic. Arthur Baker was already playing with the ingredients that would feed early house: the cascading echoes, the looping percussion, the way the beat seems to fold in on itself and rebuild. It’s wild how those tiny production choices still feel fresh decades later. That’s the beauty of these 12″s — even when the song isn’t your favorite, the mixes can open up a whole different doorway… Read more »
Another gem from Beat Street. But this time it’s a single whose remixes I wasn’t familiar with. A lot of thanks again, Paul!! 😉
Roger24, I’m so glad this one hit the spot for you. It’s always fun when a Beat Street gem pops up, but it’s even better when the 12″ brings along mixes that flew under the radar. That’s the magic of these international pressings — suddenly you’re hearing a track you’ve known for decades in a completely new light.
Really happy I could introduce you to some versions you hadn’t crossed paths with before. Thanks for the kind words and for taking the ride with me — sharing these surprises is what makes this whole place so much fun.
❤️
I’m right there with David too!! This record definitely gets into one’s blood stream with its intensity of blistering beats, samples of Arthur Baker’s productions, and Gavin Christopher’s James Brown inspired screams! This record erupts like a volcano with its molten mixes guaranteed to almost cause cardiac arrest! What a beast this record is, Paul! The drum programming is almost deadly! I love how Baker punishes his beat box like a horny adolescent lad discovering his dad’s Playboy magazines! And the Latin Rascals pulverize the track with their electrifying edits. This is a machine record that causes dancefloor devastation and… Read more »
I almost forgot, the record also samples, “Walking On Sunshine” by Rockers Revenge.
Jeff
Jeff, you always manage to turn a simple comment section into a full‑blown cinematic experience. The way you describe this record — volcanic eruptions, fireworks factories, rhythmic demons — honestly captures the spirit of what Baker and the Latin Rascals were doing better than any technical breakdown ever could. This track really is a machine built for dancefloor destruction, and you can feel every gear grinding in the best possible way. You’re absolutely right about the “greatest beats” quality too. Baker was pulling threads from so many of his own creations that the whole thing feels like a victory lap… Read more »
Jeff!!! I had to translate: “…how many of you blew your wad…” I didn’t know what “wad” is standing for….thanks for making me laugh so much. 😉
Hey Toxicaudio,
I’m happy to have made you laugh. I really wasn’t sure of the last line. I was actually going to go back in and edit out the comment. I don’t want to come across offensive, disgusting and/or vulgar and really worried that I did. I tend to get too wild sometimes, but I was hoping that somebody could relate to this extreme comment!! And if not, well, it’s just me being overtly passionate!!!
Have a great day!
Jeff
woah, another new years gift from our favourite selecta 🙂 Thanks Paul, for giving this beauty the well deserved DJ Pul rework /restoration! Can hear this energetic jam on repeat all day. Straight fire!
Buzz, you’re too kind — I’m glad this one hit you like a New Year’s bonus round. Some records just demand a little extra love, and this 12″ has so much energy packed into it that giving it a proper clean‑up felt like the least I could do. Hearing you call it “straight fire” puts a big smile on my face. That’s exactly how it felt spinning on the turntable — pure momentum, no brakes, the kind of jam you can loop all day without losing a bit of its spark. Thanks for riding along and for the kind words.… Read more »
THANK YOU AGAIN, PAUL!!!! This is one of those records that truly changed the game and paved the way for electronic music! And I can never get enough of watching these breakdance videos. The 80s were a fantastic time to be alive!!! Thank you for helping us revisit those times!
Axel, your enthusiasm is contagious — I could feel the 80s love radiating right through the screen. This really was one of those game‑changing records, wasn’t it? Baker and the whole Beat Street era pushed electronic music forward in ways we’re still feeling today, and revisiting these tracks reminds you just how bold and inventive that moment was. And I’m right there with you on the breakdance videos. There’s something magical about that combination of raw talent, street energy, and futuristic beats — it captures a time when everything felt new and possible. I’m grateful these restorations help bring a… Read more »
Just watching the video, the athleticism is amazing!! Beat Street, to me, feels like the Saturday Night Fever for the breakdancing scene. I feel so fortunate to have experienced the heart of the culture. Terrific 12 inch from the Master of the beat, Arthur Baker with edits by The Latin Rascals – Jeff this is right up your alley! Thank you Paul, you keep surprising us!!
Hey Retro Hound,
You know me so well! The Latin Rascals will always be near and dear to my heart! I love these earlier productions as well because there was this intensity/insanity that came with them!
Have a great day, R.H.!!
Jeff
Retro Hound, you summed it up beautifully. Watching those dancers again really reminds you just how athletic and groundbreaking that whole scene was — they weren’t just performing, they were redefining what the human body could do to a beat. And I love your comparison to Saturday Night Fever; Beat Street absolutely played that same role for the breakdance movement, bringing the culture out of the streets and into the wider world. You were lucky to experience that moment firsthand, and it shows in the way you talk about it. This 12″ really is a perfect snapshot of that era… Read more »
STICK THIS INTO MY VEINS
Um, what I meant to say was thank you, Paul. 🙂
David, you absolutely cracked me up with that one. Honestly, that’s the kind of energy that keeps this place buzzing. When a track hits you so hard you skip straight past words and go full “inject this directly into my bloodstream” — that’s when I know I picked the right 12″ for the day. Arthur Baker just has that effect. The man could program a drum machine in a way that still feels like it’s leaping out of the speakers forty years later. Thanks for the laugh and the love — always glad to have you here soaking up these… Read more »