Author: DjPaulT

July 16, 2025

En Vogue – Hold On (US 12″) (1990)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

In early 1990, a stunning new girl group from Oakland, California, stormed onto the music scene with tight harmonies, fierce attitude, and a fresh spin on classic soul. En Vogue’s debut single “Hold On” wasn’t just a hit—it was a cultural reset. Soulful, sophisticated, and deeply rooted in R&B history, the track launched the quartet into the spotlight and paved the way for a decade of success.

The Hook That Caught the World
The album version and radio edit of “Hold On” begin with a bold move—an a cappella rendition of The Jackson 5’s “Who’s Lovin’ You”, performed with chilling precision by Dawn Robinson. It was a jaw-dropping introduction to a group that could sing circles around the competition. But when it came time to hit the clubs, the Extended Version went in a different direction—trimming the a cappella intro in favor of a straight drop into the groove.

New Jack Swing Meets Classic Soul
Produced by Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy, “Hold On” rides the New Jack Swing wave, pairing layered harmonies with a deep bassline and slick, mid-tempo funk. Lyrically, it’s a cautionary tale—encouraging listeners not to let go of love too quickly. The vocal blend of Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones, Dawn Robinson, and Terry Ellis is immaculate, each voice adding warmth and texture.

12″ Maxi-Single
The US 12″ release featured several versions aimed squarely at DJs and collectors. While the Extended Version brings a stronger club-ready feel, some fans missed the powerful impact of that a cappella opening. Still, it gave DJs a tight, beat-driven version to work into sets without disrupting the floor’s momentum.

Chart Takeover
“Hold On” had an incredible global impact for a debut single, particularly strong in the U.S. and U.K., where it topped or neared the top of both R&B and pop charts. The single also enjoyed crossover dancefloor success, peaking high on club charts and even going #1 in Canadian urban formats.

The single was Certified Platinum by the RIAA.

It also helped launch En Vogue’s debut album, Born to Sing, into Platinum territory, and laid the foundation for hits like “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)” and “Free Your Mind.”

Legacy & Influence
“Hold On” remains a landmark debut—bridging the soul of Motown with the hip-hop-informed swagger of the ’90s. En Vogue weren’t just a girl group—they were a vocal powerhouse and style icon. The track’s impact echoes through decades of R&B girl groups that followed.

SIDE A:
Hold On (Extended Version) 5:20

SIDE B:
Hold On (Instrumental) 3:58
Hold On (Dub Version) 3:58

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1990	Hold On	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#2
1990	Hold On	U.S. Billboard Hot &B/Hip-Hop Songs	#1
1990	Hold On	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs	#5

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Atlantic – 0-86234
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1990
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Contemporary R&B

CREDITS:

Executive-Producer – David Lombard, Denzil Foster
Producer, Arranged By – Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy

NOTES:
Pressed at Specialty Records Corporation.

From the LP “Born To Sing”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for 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 13, 2025

Burning the Ground Remembers: LIVE AID — 40 Years Later

July 13, 1985 – July 13, 2025

It was the day the world came together—two stages, one cause, and an unforgettable lineup of some of the biggest names in music history. Today marks the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, the legendary benefit concert held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, broadcast to over 1.5 billion people across 150 countries.

Here at Burning the Ground, where the pulse of the ’80s and early ’90s still burns strong, we’d be remiss not to honor this milestone. Live Aid wasn’t just a concert—it was the most ambitious global music event the world had ever seen, a high-water mark for the power of pop to unite, heal, and inspire.

🔥 The Soundtrack of a Generation

Live Aid featured a who’s who of Burning the Ground favorites:

Duran Duran (in what would be their last performance with the original lineup for nearly two decades)
Spandau Ballet, bringing that New Romantic sheen to the Wembley crowd
Paul Young, fresh off a string of soulful hits
Howard Jones, performing solo with just his keyboard and a heartfelt message
Nik Kershaw, The Style Council, Ultravox, Elvis Costello—so many core artists of the 12” era

And of course, Queen, whose 20-minute set at Wembley is still considered one of the greatest live performances of all time. Freddie Mercury didn’t just command the stage—he owned the planet that day.

Let’s not forget Phil Collins, who famously performed in London, hopped on the Concorde, and played again in Philly, joining Led Zeppelin for a brief and chaotic reunion.

🎚️ From the Mixing Desk to the World Stage

As fans of extended remixes and rare pressings, we often celebrate the studio magic that turned radio hits into dancefloor epics. But Live Aid was raw, immediate, and live—proof that the same artists whose 12″ singles we obsess over could captivate millions with just a mic, a band, and a cause.

There were no click tracks, no autotune, no second takes. Just talent, heart, and a sense that this meant something.

🌍 A Day That Changed Everything

Live Aid raised over $125 million for famine relief in Ethiopia and launched a new era of artist-led activism. More importantly, it left a lasting impact on a generation of fans—many of whom first discovered their favorite acts through that very broadcast.

Whether you taped it off MTV, bought the Live Aid VHS box set, or just remember the goosebumps when the Wembley crowd clapped in perfect time during “Radio Ga Ga,” this event lives in our bones.

💿 On This Day, 40 Years Ago…
We danced in stadiums and cried in our living rooms. We saw what music could do—not just to entertain, but to awaken. Here’s to Live Aid, the day the music did matter.

Keep the fire burning,
—Paul / Burning the Ground

July 11, 2025

Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch – Superman (US 12″) (1977)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

NEW 2025 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Original post date: September 27, 2013

This Disco Friday, we take flight with a sparkling piece of dancefloor nostalgia just in time for the release of the brand-new Superman film, directed by James Gunn, hitting U.S. theaters today! While the big screen introduces a fresh take on the Man of Steel, we’re rewinding to 1977 when Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch gave us their own disco-powered tribute to the iconic hero.

Celi’s powerful vocals soar over a bed of swirling strings, Moog-fueled synths, and funky guitar riffs, declaring her undying love for a superhero lover “stronger than a locomotive” and “able to leap tall buildings.” The Buzzy Bunch back her up with soaring harmonies, while the arrangement keeps things bold and cinematic—just like its namesake.

A favorite in disco clubs and underground dance floors alike, “Superman” reached #3 on the Billboard Disco chart and helped cement Celi Bee’s place among the disco divas of the era. It also appeared on the debut LP “Celi Bee and the Buzzy Bunch”, which featured other dancefloor faves like “One Love” and “Smile.”

While it might not have the same cultural weight as Donna Summer’s classics or the polish of Moroder’s productions, “Superman” is pure 70s disco fun—over-the-top, dramatic, and entirely irresistible. And with a new Superman film flying into theaters this weekend, what better time to revisit this dancefloor gem?

So dust off your glitter boots, crank up the disco ball, and let Celi Bee rescue your soul with a little boogie-powered kryptonite.

SIDE A:
Superman 5:11

SIDE B:
One Love 8:10

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1977	Superman	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#41
1977	Superman	U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles	#86
1977	Superman	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Disco	#3

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: T.K. Disco – 37
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1977
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Disco

CREDITS:

Arranged By – H. Garrido*
Co-producer [Produced In Association With] – T. Rossi*
Producer, Written-By – P. L. Soto*

NOTES:
From the LP “Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch”

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.

July 10, 2025

The Cover Girls – Inside Outside (US 12″) (1989)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

💔 “You turn me inside out, you leave me outside in…”

Emotion, melody, and beat—freestyle heartbreak at its finest.

Today on Burning the Ground, we’re diving into a stone-cold freestyle gem from The Cover Girls—“Inside Outside.” Released in 1988 as the third single from their debut album Show Me, this track captures everything that made freestyle one of the defining dance genres of the late ’80s: high drama, lush synths, and an infectious rhythm you couldn’t escape on dance floors from NYC to Miami.

By this point, The Cover Girls—originally Angel Clivillés, Caroline Jackson, and Sunshine Wright—were riding high off the success of earlier singles like Show Me and Because of You. Inside Outside continued the streak, reaching #12 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and making its way onto the Hot 100, where it peaked at #55—a testament to freestyle’s growing mainstream appeal in 1988.

Song & Production
Written by Alex Cabrera, Andy Tripoli, and Tony Moran, “Inside Outside” marked a pivotal moment for The Cover Girls. While not as mainstream as their future crossover ballads, it still reached #55 on the Billboard Hot 100 and soared to #12 on the Dance Club Songs chart, earning heavy rotation in clubs and on mixshows across the country.

The 12″ single on Fever Records was a DJ’s dream, featuring a fierce Extended Mix alongside a Drumapella and two Dub versions. The track was mixed by Andy “Panda” Tripoli and The Latin Rascals, whose legendary tape-edit techniques are on full display. Sharp edits, rhythmic dropouts, and echo-laden vocals turn the Extended Mix into a peak-hour freestyle workout.

Legacy
While not as commercially dominant as some of their later crossover hits, Inside Outside has earned its place as a freestyle essential—a track that’s still spun at old-school nights and freestyle festivals to this day. Its mix of heartbreak and high energy is a perfect example of why this era and genre continue to resonate with so many fans decades later.

There was no music video filmed for this single.

SIDE A:
Inside Outside 6:48
Inside Outside (Drumapella) 5:37

SIDE B:
Inside Outside (Dub 1) 6:29
Inside Outside (Dub 2) 5:27

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1988	Inside Outside	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#55
1988	Inside Outside	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music / Club Songs	#12

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Fever Records – SF 824
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Freestyle

CREDITS:

Design [Album Design] – Mendel*
Edited By – Chep Nunez*, Dennis Muyet
Executive-Producer – Sal Abbatiello
Hair [Hair Stylist] – Francel Montane
Lacquer Cut By [Runout Etching ¢] – Tom Coyne
Make-Up – Be-nard Giles
Mixed By, Producer – Andy “Panda” Tripoli, The Latin Rascals
Photography By – Patrick Pacheco
Written-By – A. Cabrera*, A. Tripoli*, T. Moran*

NOTES:
Jacket made in Canada

Edited for SoS Entertainment

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.