Burning The Ground Exclusive 1985
NEW 2021 Transfer!
NEW Meticulous Restoration!
Originally posted November 19, 2015
“Boy” is the title of the 1985 debut single by the American synthpop band Book of Love. The song was included on the band’s eponymous debut album Book of Love in 1986.
Although the song failed to reach the Billboard Hot 100 chart, it did make the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, where it peaked at no. 7 in April 1985.
“Boy” was written by band member Theodore (“Ted”) Ottaviano and features a prominent tubular bells melody. The band secured a recording contract when the demo of the song was given to DJ/producer Ivan Ivan, who then passed it along to Seymour Stein of Sire Records.
The song is said to describe the frustrations of a woman with an affection for “a boy who likes boys”, with songwriter Ted Ottaviano adding in a 2016 Village Voice interview that the song was “written about Boy Bar, which was a very exclusive gay club in the East Village.”
SIDE A:
Boy (Extended Mix) 4:28
Boy (Dub) 5:01
SIDE B:
Boy (7″) 3:03
Book Of Love 4:33
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Boy | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play | #7 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Sire – 9 20299-0 A, Sire – 0-20299, I Square Records – 9 20299-0 A, I Square Records – 0-20299
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Maxi-Single, 45 RPM, Allied Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
CREDITS:
Art Direction – Studio Zed, Zoë Brotman
Bells – Ted Ottaviano
Cover [Cover Concept] – Book Of Love, Zoë Brotman
Drums – Jade Lee
Engineer – Steve Peck
Keyboards – Lauren Roselli, Ted Ottaviano
Lacquer Cut By – HERbIE JR 🙂*
Lead Vocals – Susan Ottaviano
Mastered By – Herbie Jr.*
Producer – Ivan Ivan
Written-By – Theodore Ottaviano*
NOTES:
Recorded and mixed at Unique Recording, NYC
Mastered at Frankford Wayne, NYC.
Find the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net
THE GEAR:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon 2M Black
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
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 3.0 (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
Been absent for a while but still following. Cheers to all in your community here and thank you for the posts Paul!
Thanks, Paul! I’ve never heard this song before but I liked it so much that I went out and bought the 2000 9-track remix cd just now!! Check out my favorite mix at: https://youtu.be/SrOsLEKYwmE?t=1097 Open the Comments to see all the other mixes. This Youtuber posts the COMPLETE maxi cds which is really cool!
Thanks again, Paul! The rip quality is amazing!! -Fred
You’re welcome, Fred. I was not a fan of the Rauhofer mix the bells are missing for one thing, and the moody vibe of the track is gone. It’s a little too manic for the song. Just my opinion.
Book Of Love is always welcome on your page Paul. I have had such a love affair with this band after discovering their “I Touch Roses” single all those years ago. Over the years I’ve collected albums and singles by this great synth pop band and wished more people would know of their fantastic work. Also, with Ivan Ivan producing them was icing on the keyboards! Their sound was whimsical and ethereal yet great club beats. Wow, I have all the phenomenal rips you did over the years and they have been such a blessing. You sure know your way… Read more »
Book Of Love has always been one of my favorite bands their sound was like no other. “Boy” is my personal favorite. 🙂
LOOOOOOOVE THIS SONG!!! Somehow, I managed to find a way to fit that into most of my normal club nights and people always responded well! Combine it with Harley David (by Bollock Brothers), Jubilation (by Anything Box), and some Depeche, and you transform the club into Synthpop Heaven for 15 minutes!
Can’t wait to hear your pristine transfer of it!!!
That would be a great DJ set. Enjoy! 🙂
Book of Love is at the top of my favorite pop bands. Timeless and still ear worms for me today. I can’t express their impact on me and my life. Thank you for posting.
You’re welcome, Jeffrey. I can still remember as a teen the first time I heard “Boy” and how it made me feel. 🙂
Sorry I’ve been gone for so long, but wanted to chime in with this great song. Even with their often somber mood, Book Of Love’s songs are delightfully danceable, fun upbeat and bopsy. I’m such a fan of this early work for theirs – and the newer (radio versions) of Hunny Hunny, Sunny Day and the most danceable Alice Everyday. Lullaby is one of the best songs ever made – whether the album, 7″ or the Pleasant Dream mix. And for us DJ’s, we’re all familiar with their We Three Kings that’s a fan favorite during the holidays. Great and… Read more »
It’s good to see you Dugn I agree with everything you said 🙂
The coolness factor of this single in 1985 cannot be overstated.
Easily in my top 5 songs of the 80s. I totally agree with you Dean this song has the coolness factor for sure.