BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985
“Tarzan Boy” is the debut single by Italian-based act Baltimora. The song was written by Maurizio Bassi and Naimy Hackett, and released in 1985 as the lead single from Baltimora’s debut album Living in the Background.
The refrain uses Tarzan’s cry as a melodic line. The song is rhythmical, with an electronic melody and simple lyrics. Baltimora is often considered a one-hit wonder due to the success they experienced with “Tarzan Boy”.
“Tarzan Boy” was an international hit, debuting in the top-five of the Italian charts and performing well in many other European countries, including Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands. “Tarzan Boy” was most successful in France, where it topped the chart for five consecutive weeks. In the United Kingdom, it reached number three in August 1985. The single had success in the United States (where it was released by EMI), with the single remaining on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six months and ultimately peaking at number 13 on March 1st, 1986.
SIDE A:
Tarzan Boy (Extended Dance Version) 6:08
SIDE B:
Tarzan Boy (Single Version) 3:47
Tarzan Boy (Extended Dub Version) 5:02
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Tarzan Boy | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #13 |
| 1986 | Tarzan Boy | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play | #6 |
| 1986 | Tarzan Boy | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play Maxi-Singles Sales | #12 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Manhattan Records – V 56011, Manhattan Records – V-56011
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Maxi-Single, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Italo-Disco, Synth-pop
CREDITS:
Mixed By [Mixato] – Jurgen Coppers*
Producer, Arranged By – Maurizio Bassi
Recorded By – Paolo Mescoli
Words By, Music By – Maurizio Bassi, Naimy Hackett
NOTES:
Mixato al Paradise Studios Monaco, Tecnico
Printed in U.S.A.
Recorded in Italy.
Mastered at Masterdisk, IL.
Find the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7 TubeGold Pins
Soundcard: Novation Audiohub 2×4 Audio Interface
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
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)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
What a fun song, always loved it. I remember buying the 45 on vinyl when it came out. I love that you included the single version. Thanks for posting this.
Wow great to see you rip this. Loved this tune since it hit big here in the UK Summer 1985. Underrated classic too!! Many thanks
I’ve silently hoped you would would rip this for quite some time. Not wishing to bug you with requests, I’ve always figured it would eventually happen. Thanks a million.
Hope everything is calming down for you and your extended family concerning their health and happiness.
Thanks again.
Thanks so much for this one. It was my entry into the world of Italo-Disco at the time. 🙂
Sadly, the buses in New York don’t have much love for you…
Uncultured misanthropes, I say! 😉
Thanks Paul. This brings back many memories.
I saw the Top Of The Pops performance from 1985 recently on BBC4 here in the UK. Cool you posted this today.
Cheers Paul 🙂
Big goofy smile seeing today’s choice 🙂
Definitely a guilty pleasure for me.
Not a cool record to admit liking back in the day..
But damn, it’s a great slice of 80’s pop pleasure.
Great 80s production sound too 🙂
Sheer undiluted fun. Still makes me wanna dance around all these years later !!
xox
Same for me Jay. All of the above 🙂
It is quite strange that the Irish singer Jimmy McShane (aka Baltimora) does not appear in the credits, he died of AIDS in 1995.
That is odd Walter. I had no idea he had passed away.
Even when the news are not good, I’m happy to be able to contribute something to your extraordinary blog. Another bad news that went unnoticed was the death of “Flash And The Pan” frontman George Young (brother of the other ‘Youngs’ from AC/DC) just 10 days after your last post related to the band.
Jimmy McShane was the modal and not the real singer.
Underrated 80’s song after 33 years, it rarely gets remembered IMO.
Thanks, DJPaul please keep it coming. ohhoho ho hoo…
BTW, any luck with the “Other People – Have a nice day” by Dave Ball?
Hugo
You’re welcome Hugo 🙂
Hi Paul, this is fun! Will make a great addition to an 80s novelty playlist. Also, thank you for the Helen Reddy “Imagination” just recently. Do you know if the lead single off that album (“Don’t Tell Me Tonight”) ever got a remix treatment? There was a period there in the early/mid 80s where Olivia Newton-John, Melissa Manchester, Diana Ross, even Helen Reddy were turning out some great pop/dance product that got overlooked.
As far as I know JJ. “Imagination” was the only remix from the album. I have posted several of the ladies mentioned above especially ONJ 🙂