Author: DjPaulT

July 24, 2025

Icehouse – Cross The Border (Steel Love) (US 12″) (1986)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

NEW 2025 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio restoration

Original post date: August 28, 2011

In 1986, Australian synth-rockers Icehouse—led by the enigmatic Iva Davies—were continuing their push into international territory with the album Measure for Measure. Known for their sleek, moody blend of synth-pop and new wave, Icehouse struck a particularly sharp chord with the track “Cross The Border”, a politically tinged song reworked and remixed specifically for U.S. audiences as “Cross The Border (Steel Love).”

Released on a rare U.S. 12″, this version features three exclusive remixes that never appeared on commercial singles or retail releases—making it a must-have for collectors and remix enthusiasts alike.

🔥 A Steel-Edged Makeover
The standout here is the Dance Mix—a 6:33 reimagining that brings the track into club territory with an extended intro, added percussion, and more space between the instrumentation. While the original album version is sleek and dramatic, this mix ups the tempo and emphasizes the track’s rhythmic foundation—perfect for mid-’80s dance floors and underground new wave clubs.

Also included is a Dub Version, clocking in at 5:41. This remix strips away most of the vocals and rides the instrumental elements, highlighting the track’s haunting synth lines and atmospheric guitar work. It’s a darker, moodier version that plays like a lost remix from an early Bill Laswell session.

The Single Version rounds out the set—a slightly edited form tailored for radio, with all the hooks intact and just enough polish to slide into a late-night rotation next to the likes of Simple Minds, The Fixx, or Peter Gabriel.

While “Cross The Border” never became a major chart hit, this U.S. 12″ reveals how labels were willing to repackage and remix deeper album cuts for a chance at radio or club crossover. The subtitle “Steel Love” gives the song a harder, more industrial flavor, and the remixes here only reinforce that steel-edged aesthetic.

As with many Icehouse tracks from this era, there’s a cinematic quality to the production—thanks in part to David Lord, who co-produced Measure for Measure and brought his atmospheric touch (having worked with Peter Gabriel and XTC). “Cross The Border” might not be one of Icehouse’s better-known singles, but in remix form, it becomes a totally new experience—one that fits right in with the darker, dancefloor-oriented direction many bands explored in the mid-’80s.

SIDE A:
Cross The Border (Steel Love) (Dance Mix) 6:33

SIDE B:
Cross The Border (Steel Love) (Dub Version) 6:09
Cross The Border (Steel Love) (Single Version) 4:19

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1986	Cross The Border (Steel Love)	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	#19

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Chrysalis – 4V9 43062
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Stereo, Pitman Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Leftfield, Pop Rock, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Lacquer Cut By [Runout Etch ✩] – Greg Calbi
Producer – Rhett Davies
Remix – Michael Brauer*
Written-By – I. Davies*, B. Kretschmer*

NOTES:
Original version on the LP “Measure for Measure” #BFV 41527.
Remixed for MHB Productions.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal. I appreciate your help.

July 22, 2025

Burning The Ground Remembers: Ozzy Osbourne (1948–2025)

The world has lost one of the most iconic, unpredictable, and uncompromising voices in rock history. Ozzy Osbourne, the so-called Prince of Darkness, passed away at the age of 76, just weeks after taking his final bow in his hometown of Birmingham, England.

Ozzy’s death brings the curtain down on a career that defied rules, labels, and expectations. For us here at Burning The Ground, where extended mixes and rare pressings help keep history alive, it’s hard to overstate what Ozzy and Black Sabbath meant—not just to rock, but to music culture as a whole.

A Farewell Worthy of a Legend
Ozzy’s final performance came earlier this month on July 5th at Villa Park—aptly titled “Back to the Beginning.” Billed as his last-ever concert, it brought the original Black Sabbath lineup together one last time: Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. Even with his ongoing health battles—Parkinson’s disease and limited mobility—Ozzy delivered an emotionally raw, thunderous set, performing seated atop a gothic throne.

The setlist was a masterclass in heaviness: “War Pigs,” “Paranoid,” “Iron Man,” “Children of the Grave,” “Fairies Wear Boots,” and of course, his solo anthem “Crazy Train.” This wasn’t just a sendoff—it was a declaration. Ozzy didn’t go quietly.

The show was streamed live to a global audience and raised over £140 million for Parkinson’s and youth mental health causes.

Beyond the Bat Myths: A Cultural Force
To reduce Ozzy to the bat-biting antics and MTV soundbites would be to miss the full scope of his legacy. Born John Michael Osbourne in Aston, Birmingham, he helped invent heavy metal when he fronted Black Sabbath in 1968. Their debut album redefined what rock music could sound like—darker, slower, heavier—and Paranoid (1970) remains one of the most influential records of all time.

After Sabbath, Ozzy’s solo career burned just as brightly. From Blizzard of Ozz to No More Tears, his collaborations with guitarists like Randy Rhoads and Zakk Wylde gave us some of the most anthemic, adrenaline-pumping rock of the ’80s and ’90s.

For those of us who came of age digging through import 12″ bins and watching 120 Minutes, Ozzy was always there—the voice in the distance, the howl in the night. He didn’t need a dance remix. He was the remix: raw, wild, and totally original.

Coming Soon: Back to the Beginning in Theaters
Ozzy’s final concert was filmed and will hit theaters in early 2026 as Back to the Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow. For fans who couldn’t witness it live, this will be a chance to say goodbye properly—to raise the horns one last time and celebrate the man who brought heavy music out of the underground and into the mainstream.

Final Thoughts from the Ground
Ozzy’s passing feels like the end of a chapter we all thought would never close. In an age where so much of music feels algorithmic and overprocessed, he remained defiantly real—unfiltered, loud, and gloriously imperfect.

Here on Burning The Ground, we dig into the grooves of forgotten formats, spin the long versions, and honor the strange, glorious detours of music history. Ozzy was one of those wild detours—a punk in platform boots, a metal godfather, and a reality show dad who somehow made it all make sense.

Rest in power, Ozzy. May your riffs echo through eternity, and may the next world have amps that go to eleven.

Paul / Burning The Ground

July 22, 2025

Siouxsie & The Banshees – This Wheel’s On Fire (US 12″) (1987)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

“If your memory serves you well…”

Gothic meets psychedelic in this swirling, cinematic cover of the Dylan/Hudson classic.

In 1987, Siouxsie & The Banshees released a haunting, otherworldly take on “This Wheel’s On Fire,” a song co-written by Bob Dylan and The Band’s Rick Danko. Originally recorded during the Basement Tapes era, the song has always had a mysterious and foreboding undercurrent. But in the hands of Siouxsie Sioux and company, it becomes something entirely different—decadent, surreal, and even apocalyptic.

Released as a standalone single, This Wheel’s On Fire was part of a larger project: the soundtrack to the BBC series The Life and Loves of a She-Devil. The Banshees’ version climbed into the UK Top 20, peaking at #14, and marked one of the band’s most visible moments in the late ’80s, during a period of experimentation and reinvention.

The track opens with swirling backwards guitars and a slow-building tribal rhythm before Siouxsie’s commanding voice enters, dripping with theatrical menace. Producer Mike Hedges gives the mix a hazy, dreamlike quality—layers of reverb, echo, and glimmering effects wrap around the instrumentation like smoke.

The 12″ version (clocking in at 7:28) stretches the psychedelic elements even further. It’s more spacious, more hypnotic, and lets the slow burn of the arrangement unfurl at its own pace. It’s not just a cover—it’s a reimagining. Siouxsie takes Dylan’s cryptic lyrics and steers them into a post-punk fever dream that fits seamlessly into the Banshees’ sonic universe.

The B-sides are worth the needle drop as well. “Shooting Sun” is a glimmering, textured track that leans into the band’s experimental tendencies, while “Sleepwalking (On The High Wire)” plays like a surreal lullaby—both adding depth to this single’s dark beauty.

For fans of Siouxsie’s rich catalog, this track is a highlight from their “late period”—sophisticated, gothic, and still fiercely original. Nearly four decades on, This Wheel’s On Fire continues to burn.

SIDE A:
This Wheel’s On Fire (Incendiary Mix) 7:28
Written-By – Dylan, Danko

SIDE B:
Shooting Sun 4:46
Written-By – Siouxsie & The Banshees

Sleepwalking (On The High Wire) 5:10
Written-By – Siouxsie & The Banshees

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Geffen Records – 0-20609, Geffen Records – 9 20609-0 A
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Rock
Style: New Wave, Goth Rock

CREDITS:

Design – Crocodile (London)*, Banshees*
Lacquer Cut By – KP*
Producer [Production] – Hedges*, Banshees*

NOTES:
Track A: Original version available on the forthcoming Siouxsie & The Banshees album “Through The Looking Glass” on Geffen Records

Made in U.S.A.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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.

July 18, 2025

The Flirtations – Earthquake (US 12″) (1983)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

For this week’s Disco Friday, we’re turning up the volume on “Earthquake” by The Flirtations—a sizzling 1983 dancefloor anthem that shook the scene and still packs a punch today.

Originally famous for their soulful 60s hits like “Nothing But a Heartache,” The Flirtations evolved with the times, diving into the disco and Hi-NRG wave of the early ’80s. “Earthquake” stands out as a vibrant fusion of their signature harmonies with thunderous beats and synth-driven energy.

Produced by Ian Anthony Stephenson and released on D&D Records in the US, the track stormed dancefloors with relentless momentum. Its infectious groove and commanding vocals propelled it to #26 on the Billboard Dance Chart and even cracked the UK market, reaching #99 on the UK Singles Chart—a testament to its cross-Atlantic appeal.

From the opening beats to the climactic chorus, “Earthquake” delivers a powerful surge of energy that makes it impossible not to move. It’s a classic example of how disco and early Hi-NRG fused to create timeless club magic.

Whether rediscovering it on vinyl or streaming it in your playlists, The Flirtations’ “Earthquake” remains a dancefloor classic, reminding us all why disco’s heartbeat still resonates.

So crank up the volume, feel the rumble, and let the aftershocks take over.

SIDE A:
Earthquake 8:51
Remix – Will Crocker

SIDE B:
Earthquake (Original Version) 6:57
Earthquake (Instrumental Version) 6:57

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1983	Earthquake	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music / Club Play	#26

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: D&D Records (3) – D&D103
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: Disco, Hi-NRG

CREDITS:

Arranged By – Ian Anthony Stevens*, Winston Sela
Producer, Written-By – Ian Anthony Stevens*

NOTES:
A Poncap Production
Released in association with Proto Records, U.K. & Tom Hayden Productions.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for burningtheground.net

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.