Author: DjPaulT

April 29, 2026

Michael Jackson – Bad (US 12″) (1987)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

In 1987, Michael Jackson faced what seemed like an impossible task, following the biggest-selling album of all time, Thriller. Most artists would have played it safe. Jackson did the opposite. He came back louder, tougher, and with something to prove. The result was “Bad,” a song that wasn’t just a hit single, it was a statement.

Released on September 7, 1987, as the second single from the album of the same name, “Bad” introduced a sharper and more aggressive side of Jackson. Gone was some of the wide-eyed wonder of Off the Wall and Thriller. In its place was confidence, attitude, and swagger. Written by Jackson himself and co-produced with Quincy Jones, “Bad” was built to make an impact. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 24, 1987, where it stayed for two consecutive weeks, becoming Jackson’s eighth U.S. No. 1 single.

Musically, “Bad” is driven by a punchy bassline, sharp percussion, and one of Jackson’s most commanding vocal performances. He spits out the lyrics with urgency and bravado, delivering lines that feel more like challenges than pop hooks. It was Jackson stepping into a harder streetwise image, even if he was still unmistakably Michael.

The inspiration for the song reportedly came from a real-life story Jackson had read about a student from a private school who was killed after returning to his old neighborhood and trying to prove he still belonged there. Jackson took that idea and transformed it into a song about identity, respect, and survival. It became less about being “bad” in the criminal sense and more about strength and self-definition.

Of course, no discussion of “Bad” is complete without the short film. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the full 18-minute video was far more ambitious than the average music promo of the era. Set in New York and filmed in black and white, it starred a young Wesley Snipes in one of his earliest screen appearances. The film gave the song a cinematic edge and helped cement the visual identity of the entire Bad era.

The choreography also became iconic. Jackson once again turned movement into part of the song’s DNA. The snapping, the sharp footwork, the aggressive stance, it all made “Bad” instantly recognizable. It was one of those performances that people tried to imitate the minute they saw it.

The larger Bad album went on to make history, becoming the first album ever to produce five Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles, with “Bad” serving as one of its defining moments. It proved Jackson could survive the shadow of Thriller, even if critics at the time insisted on comparing the two.

Looking back now, “Bad” stands as one of the essential Michael Jackson singles. It was bold, stylish, and fearless. It showed that he wasn’t interested in repeating himself. He wanted to push forward, even under enormous pressure.

Nearly four decades later, “Bad” still sounds like an artist refusing to stand still.

Because sometimes the best response to impossible expectations is simple:

You ask, “Who’s bad?”

And Michael answers it himself.

SIDE A:
Bad (Dance Extended Mix Includes ‘False Fade’ ) 8:24
Remix – Bruce Swedien

Bad (7″ Single Mix) 4:08

SIDE B:
Bad (Dance Remix Radio Edit) 4:55
Remix – Bruce Swedien

Bad (Dub Version) 4:07
Bad (A Cappella) 3:49

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – Michael Jackson: *Bad* (1987)
Chart (1987)	Peak position
Australia (Australian Music Report)	4
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)	9
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	1
Canada Retail Singles (The Record)	1
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	5
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)	1
Denmark (IFPI)	1
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)	1
Finland (Suomen virallinen singlelista)	6
France (SNEP)	4
Hungary (MAHASZ)	6
Ireland (IRMA)	1
Italy (Musica e Dischi)	1
Italy Airplay (Music & Media)	6
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	2
Norway (VG-lista)	2
South Africa (EMA)	4
Spain (AFYVE)	3
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)	4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	3
UK Singles (OCC)	3
US Billboard Hot 100	1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)	33
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard), Remix	1
US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard), Remix	1
US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)	1
US Hot Crossover (Billboard)	1
US Cash Box Top 100	1
US CHR/Pop Airplay (Radio & Records)	1
West Germany (GfK)	4

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic – 49 07462
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Dance-pop

CREDITS:

Art Direction – Nancy Donald, Tony Lane (2)
Co-producer, Written-By – Michael Jackson
Lettering [“Bad” Lettering] – Jeffrey Spear
Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
Photography By – Sam Emerson
Producer – Quincy Jones
Recorded By, Mixed By – Bruce Swedien

NOTES:
Also Available: Michael Jackson’s LP “Bad” on Epic Records, Cassettes and Compact Disc.

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-Jec Tube Box DS2
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
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.

April 28, 2026

Yello – Of Course I’m Lying (UK 12″) (Record 1) (1989)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

As promised, Record 1 of the two-record set for Yello’s 1989 single “Of Course I’m Lying” has finally arrived — and it was absolutely worth the wait.

This first 12″ completes the set and includes Part 1 of The Yello Metropolitan Mixdown 1989, an ambitious megamix that pulls together the duo’s unique sonic world into one sprawling, seamless experience. For longtime fans, it’s a fascinating listen — less a straightforward dance medley and more a cinematic collage of rhythm, atmosphere, and signature Yello eccentricity. It’s the kind of mix that feels like flipping through radio stations in some futuristic late-night city, where every channel is tuned to a different dimension.

Also included is the Dance Mix of Oh Yeah, arguably the track most recognized by U.S. audiences. Thanks to its unforgettable appearance in films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Secret of My Success, “Oh Yeah” became Yello’s calling card in America — instantly recognizable from those opening vocal grunts alone. The Dance Mix stretches the groove further, giving the track even more room to breathe while keeping all of its playful swagger intact.

Rounding out the release is the edited version of “Of Course I’m Lying,” offering a more concise take on one of the duo’s most elegant and atmospheric recordings. While the full-length version unfolds like a smoky late-night conversation, the edit trims it down without losing its seductive tension. It remains one of the most sophisticated tracks in the Yello catalog — understated, mysterious, and endlessly replayable.

Together with Record 2 — which featured Part 2 of The Yello Metropolitan Mixdown, “Bostich,” and the full version of “Of Course I’m Lying” — this set feels like a perfect snapshot of where Yello stood in 1989: refined, adventurous, and completely in their own lane.

I always enjoy when a long-sought record finally lands, especially when it completes a release like this. There’s something satisfying about hearing both halves of a project the way it was originally intended. And as many of you mentioned in the comments, having both parts of the Metropolitan Mixdown in top quality makes the experience even better.

For me, this is another reminder of why I still love collecting physical media. Holding the record, seeing how the release was structured, and hearing these mixes as they were originally presented on vinyl adds something that digital files just can’t fully replicate.

So now, the full two-record story of “Of Course I’m Lying” is here — and it sounds just as stylish, strange, and sophisticated as Yello intended.

Of note: Track A2 would be better described as ‘Oh Yeah (Dance Mix Edit)’ as it only runs for approximately 5 minutes and 13 seconds, so as not to exceed the 20-minute limit that existed at the time. The full Oh Yeah (Dance Mix), running at 6.24, is found on the 12” version of The Race (The Pits Mix).

SIDE A:
Of Course I’m Lying (Edit) 3:52
Backing Vocals – Billy MacKenzie
Percussion – Beat Ash

Oh Yeah (Dance Mix) 5:13

SIDE B:
The Yello Metropolitan Mixdown 1989 Part I 11:02
DJ Mix [Megamix], Remix – Paul Dakeyne*

B.1 Dakeyne Intro
B.2 The Race
B.3 Bostich
B.4 Call It Love (Trego Snare)
B.5 Santiago
B.6 Tied Up
B.7 Vicious Games
B.8 I Love You
B.9 Oh Yeah

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Mercury – YELLO 312, Mercury – 872 945-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, 1/2
Country: UK & Europe
Released: Mar 23, 1989
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Cover – Ernst Gamper
Lyrics By, Vocals – Dieter Meier
Music By, Arranged By – Boris Blank
Producer, Engineer – Yello

NOTES:
Release titled “Record I” on its gatefold sleeve, designed to add the second 12″ sold separately and called “Record II”

With sticker on gatefold front cover:
‘YELLO The ultimate collectors edtion
Contains record 1 of a 2 record set
Record 2 to be released Soon
YELLO 312’

Track B remixed for DMC.
Mastered at Townhouse Studios, London

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.

April 24, 2026

Yaz – Nobody’s Diary / State Farm (US 12″) (1983)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Released in May 1983, “Nobody’s Diary” was the final single by British synth-pop duo Yazoo—known as Yaz in North America—and the only single taken from their second and final studio album You and Me Both (1983). It also marked the final chapter of one of the most influential synth-pop partnerships of the early ’80s: Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke.

Written by Alison Moyet when she was just 16 years old, “Nobody’s Diary” carries a raw emotional honesty that makes it one of Yazoo’s most enduring songs. At the time, Moyet was still playing in local bands around South East Essex, and even then the song had the lyrical maturity and emotional depth that would later define her solo work. Although written years earlier, it became one of the last tracks recorded for You and Me Both. Vince Clarke later recalled that it immediately stood out as the obvious choice for a single.

Recorded at Eric Radcliffe’s Blackwing Studios and produced by Yazoo, Eric Radcliffe, and Daniel Miller, the track perfectly balances Clarke’s icy synth precision with Moyet’s rich, soulful vocal delivery. That contrast between emotional vulnerability and machine-like rhythm is exactly what made Yazoo so special.

Lyrically, “Nobody’s Diary” is about privacy, emotional distance, and the pain of being misunderstood or exposed. Moyet delivers every line with conviction, making the song both intensely personal and universally relatable at the same time. It remains one of her finest recorded performances.

The single reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming one of Yazoo’s biggest hits and a fitting final statement before the duo split.

The original sleeve artwork is also memorable. Designed by Steven Appleby with the sleeve produced by Acrobat Design, the cover depicts what was described as a “rather hip young man in a bathtub” who seems so lost in his private thoughts that he has forgotten to turn off the water. It’s a clever visual metaphor for the song’s themes of introspection and emotional isolation.

Mute Records also issued a second, limited-edition 12-inch single in the UK featuring “Situation” on the flip side. “Situation,” of course, became one of Yazoo’s signature club tracks and appeared on the U.S. version of Upstairs at Eric’s, though it was only added to later UK pressings of that album.

My copy is the U.S. Sire Records 12-inch, where “Nobody’s Diary” was issued as a double A-side with “State Farm.” In the UK, “State Farm” served as the standard B-side to “Nobody’s Diary” and did not appear on the UK version of You and Me Both. It was later included on the North American version of the album, making it a natural pairing for the U.S. release.

“State Farm” is one of Yazoo’s darker and moodier tracks, with a stark electronic atmosphere that contrasts beautifully with the emotional sweep of “Nobody’s Diary.” Together, they made a perfect club package for American DJs.

That strategy paid off—the double A-side “Nobody’s Diary” / “State Farm” reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in July 1983, giving Yazoo one final U.S. dancefloor triumph.

Even decades later, “Nobody’s Diary” still sounds timeless. It captures everything that made Yazoo extraordinary: sharp songwriting, emotional honesty, inventive production, and that unique tension between heartbreak and synthesizers.

It was the end of the duo—but what a beautiful way to say goodbye.

SIDE A:
Nobody’s Diary (Extended Version) 6:08

SIDE B:
State Farm (Extended Version) 6:38

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance — Yaz: *Nobody’s Diary / State Farm* (1983)
Chart	Peak Position	Date
US Billboard Dance Club Songs	#1	1983

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Sire – 0-20121, Sire – 9 20121-0 A, Mute – 0-20121, Mute – 9 20121-0 A
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Specialty Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Design [Sleeve Design] – Acrobat Design Ltd.
Illustration – Steven Appleby
Producer – Daniel Miller (tracks: A), Eric Radcliffe, Yaz*
Written-By – Moyet*, Clark* (tracks: AA)

NOTES:
Recorded at Blackwing Studios 1983.

Made in U.S.A.

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.

April 23, 2026

Ten Ten – When It Rains (Europe 12″) (1986)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

For today’s Closet 80s feature, we shine a light on a band that seemed poised to break through—but ultimately remained one of the decade’s more intriguing “what ifs.” Enter Ten Ten, a Richmond, Virginia-based New Wave outfit whose debut single “When It Rains” arrived in 1986 as a fully-formed statement of mood, melody, and transatlantic ambition.

Formed in 1984, Ten Ten—Mark Lewis (guitar/vocals), Peter Bell (bass), Don Ruzek (keyboards/guitar), and Lee Johnson (drums)—quickly found themselves in an unusual position for an American band. Rather than being compared to their U.S. contemporaries, the American press consistently drew parallels between Ten Ten and British acts. That association would ultimately shape the band’s trajectory.

Leaning into those comparisons, Ten Ten signed with the UK-based Chrysalis Records and focused much of their energy overseas. It was a strategic move that made perfect sense—their sound, driven by shimmering guitars and introspective lyricism, aligned naturally with the UK’s alternative and New Wave scenes of the time.

“When It Rains”, their debut single, encapsulates that aesthetic beautifully. There’s a cool, atmospheric restraint to the track—jangly guitars ripple across a steady rhythm while subtle keyboard textures add depth and mood. Mark Lewis delivers the vocal with a detached, almost wistful tone that enhances the song’s reflective quality. It’s not flashy—it’s immersive.

The single also benefited from a music video that received airplay on MTV in the spring of 1986, giving the band a valuable platform at a time when visual exposure could make or break a new act. While it didn’t catapult them into superstardom, it certainly helped cement their place within the alternative underground of the era.

Ten Ten’s momentum carried them onto some impressive tours. In autumn 1985, they hit the road with The Waterboys, followed by tours in 1986 supporting Simply Red and later Pete Shelley. These associations further reinforced their connection to the UK scene and exposed them to audiences that were already primed for their sound.

Despite these opportunities, Ten Ten never quite achieved the commercial breakthrough their music suggested was possible. Over the course of their career, they released just two singles and two albums, leaving behind a compact but compelling catalog. By 1991, after several years of playing club shows around their hometown of Richmond, the band quietly disbanded.

Listening back to “When It Rains” today, it’s easy to hear why Ten Ten stood out. The song captures a very specific mid-80s atmosphere—thoughtful, slightly melancholic, and deeply melodic—without sounding dated or overproduced. It’s the kind of track that rewards repeat listens, revealing more of its understated charm each time.

For collectors and fans of the era, Ten Ten represents one of those bands that slipped through the cracks—not for lack of talent, but perhaps due to timing, geography, or the unpredictable nature of the music industry.

If “When It Rains” is new to you, give it a spin and let it sink in. It’s a perfect example of why digging into the Closet 80s can be so rewarding—because sometimes the most memorable songs are the ones that never quite made it into the spotlight.

SIDE A:
When It Rains (Extended Version) 5:14

SIDE B:
Walk On (Live Version) 4:09
When It Rains (Edit) 4:17

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Chrysalis – 608 429
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: Europe
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Photography By [Cover] – Eric Watson (3)
Photography By [Coverback] – Neil Matthews
Producer – John Williams (3) (tracks: B1), Stephen Street (tracks: A, B2)

NOTES:
Ten Ten are: Mark Lewis (guitar/vocals), Peter Bell (bass), Don Ruzek (keyboards/guitar), and Lee Johnson (drums)

Printed In Germany

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.