Author: DjPaulT

George Michael – Freedom (US 12″) (1990)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

“I think there’s something you should know… I think it’s time I told you so…”

We’re taking Pride Month to the next level today with one of the most powerful anthems of self-liberation ever recorded—George Michael’s “Freedom ’90” (also known simply as “Freedom”) A bold declaration, a pop rebellion, and a deeply personal statement wrapped in a slammin’ groove, this track marked a turning point in George’s career and personal evolution.

Following the overwhelming fame of Faith, George Michael was ready to shed the image that had defined him. He famously refused to appear in the music video for Freedom! ’90—instead, letting a lineup of supermodels lip-sync the lyrics in a beautifully stylized, iconic clip. The burning jukebox, the exploding leather jacket, the shattered guitar—all symbols of a past he was torching on his own terms.

More than a personal manifesto, the song resonated with countless fans who felt the pressure to perform identities that weren’t truly theirs. “Freedom! ’90” became—and remains—a defiant celebration of choosing authenticity over expectation.

For the LGBTQ+ community, especially in the 90s, this track hit hard. George Michael would later come out publicly, but even before then, this song felt like a coded cry of self-emancipation. It still gives chills, pumps fists, and fills dance floors.

From its gospel-tinged backing vocals to its laid-back funk groove and emotional punch, Freedom! ’90 is a timeless Pride anthem for anyone who’s ever had to break free just to be who they are.

SIDE A:
Freedom (Back To Reality Mix) 6:14

SIDE B:
Fantasy 5:02
Freedom (Album Version) 6:25

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1990 Freedom U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #8
1990 Freedom U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary #27
1990 Freedom U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #16

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia – 44 73584, Columbia – 44-73584
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1990
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop, Dance-pop

CREDITS:

NOTES:
“Freedom” taken from the Columbia release LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE 46898

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.


Donna Summer – This Time I Know It’s For Real (US 12″) (1989)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

The Queen of Disco meets the Kings of Hi-NRG.

To kick off Pride Month with absolute euphoria, I’m posting one of Donna Summer’s finest late-’80s dance anthems—“This Time I Know It’s For Real”. Released in 1989, this track marked a bold comeback and a stunning collaboration with UK production powerhouse Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW). And yes—it still hits.

After years of genre-hopping in the ’80s, Donna returned to her roots on the dancefloor with this glossy, synth-loaded smash. It climbed to #7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became a major hit worldwide—her first UK Top 10 in almost a decade.

The 12″ version stretches the joy a little longer, and if you grew up hearing this in the clubs—or maybe roller-skating under mirror balls—it’s pure serotonin. For many of us, Donna Summer wasn’t just a disco icon; she was a spiritual mother of the dancefloor. Her music was freedom, sweat, style, and everything Pride stands for.

This song is also a nod to new beginnings—proof that it’s never too late for a second act, for reinvention, for love that finally feels real.

🌈 Pride Month Note:
There’s no better way to honor Pride than by turning up a Donna Summer track—because whether you were on the floor at Studio 54 or twirling in your bedroom, her voice gave us permission to feel fabulous, free, and fearless.

Happy Pride. Long live the Queen. Turn it UP.

SIDE A:
This Time I Know It’s For Real (Extended Remix) 7:22
Written-By – Summer, Stock Aitken Waterman

SIDE B:
If It Makes You Feel Good (LP Version) 3:45
Written-By – Stock Aitken Waterman*

This Time I Know It’s For Real (Instrumental) 3:34
Written-By – Summer, Stock Aitken Waterman

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1989 This Time I Know It’s For Real U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #7
1989 This Time I Know It’s For Real U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary #2
1989 This Time I Know It’s For Real U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs #5
1989 This Time I Know It’s For Real U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales #1

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Atlantic – 0-86415
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

NOTES:
Recorded at PWL

Printed in U.S.A.

A. Remixed from Atlantic LP 81987 – “Another Place And Time”
B1. From Atlantic LP 81987 – “Another Place And Time”

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.


Pride Month 2025 – Celebrating with Love, Respect, and Music

Each June, Pride Month allows us to honor the LGBTQ+ community — to celebrate resilience, visibility, creativity, and most of all, love. For decades, this month has stood as a reminder of both how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go in building a world where everyone can live authentically, safely, and joyfully.

Here at Burning the Ground, where we celebrate the music that helped shape generations — from underground dance floors to radio waves and neon-lit nights — it’s impossible to ignore the deep connection between the LGBTQ+ community and the world of remix culture, club anthems, and boundary-pushing expression. Pride lives in these grooves, in the bold beats of self-discovery, in the joy of being seen and heard.

But let’s be real: not everyone sees Pride Month the same way. Some feel unsure, uncomfortable, or even disagree with aspects of it. And while we may not all come from the same place, this space was always meant to be about connection. Through music, we’ve all learned that difference doesn’t have to divide — it can unite. It can teach. It can inspire.

Whether you’re out and proud, still on a journey, an ally, or just someone passing through — you are welcome here. You don’t have to have it all figured out. What matters is that we approach one another with kindness and a willingness to listen. No rainbow flag should feel like a wall; it should feel like an open door.

This month, we continue to honor the artists, DJs, producers, and fans — many of whom were and are part of the LGBTQ+ community — who brought the dance floor to life, often against the odds. Their courage, creativity, and rhythm echo through every remix we post.

Let’s turn the volume up, keep our hearts open, and remember what this music taught us: freedom feels like a beat you can move to.

Happy Pride Month.

— Paul
Burning the Ground

Grace Jones – I Need A Man (US 12″ Promo) (1977)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

NEW 2025 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Original post date: October 4, 2011

“I’m looking for a real man… Strong hands, sweet lips, a warm heart!”

Before she was a New Wave fashion icon, avant-garde provocateur, and the fierce dominatrix of the 1980s, Grace Jones made her dance floor debut with the bold and unapologetically funky “I Need A Man.” Released in 1975 in France and later re-recorded for the U.S. market in 1977, this track marked the beginning of her transformation into a queer and club culture legend.

Originally written by Pierre Papadiamandis and Paul Slade and first released as a B-side, “I Need A Man” got a second life when it was reworked for the burgeoning disco scene. The 12-inch version—especially the U.S. promo pressing on Beam Junction/Island—delivered a punchier, extended arrangement that became a favorite in underground gay clubs, particularly in New York’s vibrant disco scene. It quickly gained momentum, ultimately landing Grace her first #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1977.

Produced by disco pioneer Tom Moulton, the remix retained all the raw sensuality of the original while dialing up the groove and extending it to nearly 8 minutes of funk-fueled seduction. With her commanding presence and deep contralto, Jones doesn’t just ask for a man—she demands one, flipping the script on gender dynamics and asserting herself with the kind of dominance that would soon become her signature.

The track’s thumping bassline, rhythm guitar licks, and gospel-inspired backing vocals give it a distinctly pre-disco feel—almost like a bridge between glam rock and Studio 54—making it one of the more unique dance singles of the mid-’70s.

This release would be the first in a string of club hits for Grace, laying the groundwork for her 1977 debut album Portfolio, and eventually leading to her more experimental collaborations with Sly & Robbie and Jean-Paul Goude in the ’80s. But it all started here—with a simple, sultry, and powerful declaration: “I Need A Man.”

If you’ve only known Grace Jones from her more aggressive ’80s output like “Pull Up to the Bumper” or “Slave to the Rhythm,” this early disco gem shows a different side of her artistry—flirtatious, fearless, and already way ahead of her time.

SIDE A:
I Need A Man (Disco Mix) 7:37

SIDE B:
I Need A Man (Instrumental Version) 4:57

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1977 I Need A Man U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #83
1977 I Need A Man U.S. Billboard Hot Dance / Disco #1

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Beam Junction – 12-BJ 1004
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1977
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Disco

CREDITS:

NOTES:
“A TOM MOULTON MIX”
Promotional Copy Not For Sale
Made In U.S.A.

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.