Bruce Springsteen – Dancing In The Dark (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

NEW 2020 Transfer!
Meticulously Remastered!

Recorded using a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Turntable with Ortofon 2M Bronze stylus, Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2 phono pre-amp, and ADL GT40a USB DAC.

Originally posted December 5, 2012

“Dancing in the Dark” is a 1984 song, written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. Adding up-tempo synthesizer riffs and some syncopation to his sound for the first time, it became his biggest hit and, as the first single released from the LP Born in the U.S.A., propelled it to become the best-selling album of Springsteen’s career.

In a first-for-Springsteen effort to gain dance and club play for his music, Arthur Baker created the 12-inch “Blaster Mix” of “Dancing in the Dark”, wherein he reworked the album version. The remix was released on July 2, 1984. The result generated a lot of media buzz for Springsteen, as well as actual club play; the remix went to #7 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, and had the most sales of any 12-inch single in the United States in 1984.

Released as a single prior to the album’s release, the song spent four weeks at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart (his highest charting song to date) in June–July 1984 (it was kept off the #1 spot by Duran Duran’s “The Reflex” and that year’s song of the summer, Prince’s “When Doves Cry”). It did reach #1 on the Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart. It was also the first of a record-tying seven top 10 hit singles to be released from Born in the U.S.A. “Dancing in the Dark” also held the #1 spot for six weeks on Billboard’s Top Rock Tracks chart.

Although the song only peaked at #5 in Australia, it remained on the charts for most of 1984 and was that country’s highest selling single of the year. It spent a total of 64 weeks in the Top 100.

In the UK, “Dancing in the Dark” originally reached number 28 in the UK Singles Chart when released in May 1984. However, the song was re-released in January 1985 and subsequently reached number 4 in the charts, becoming the 27th best-selling single of the year.

The recording also won Springsteen his first Grammy Award, picking up the prize for Best Rock Vocal Performance in 1985. It also won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Stage Performance. In the 1985 Rolling Stone readers poll, “Dancing in the Dark” was voted “Song of the Year”. The track has since gone on to earn further recognition and is as such listed one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

SIDE A:
Dancing In The Dark (Blaster Mix) 6:08

SIDE B:
Dancing In The Dark (Radio Remix) 4:40
Dancing In The Dark (Dub) 5:25

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1984 Dancing In The Dark U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #2
1984 Dancing In The Dark U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks #1
1984 Dancing In The Dark U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #7

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia – 44 05028
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Pop, Rock
Style: Pop Rock

CREDITS:
Design – Andrea Klein
Engineer [Remix] – Chris Lord-Alge
Mixed By – Bob Clearmountain
Photography By – Annie Leibovitz
Producer [Based On Original Production By] – Bruce SpringsteenChuck PlotkinJon LandauSteve Van Zandt
Recorded By – Toby Scott
Remix, Producer [Additional] – Arthur Baker

NOTES:
Special versions from the Columbia Lp: “BORN IN THE U.S.A.”
Printed in U.S.A.

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
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


Password: burningtheground

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Damien Stewart
Damien Stewart
March 8, 2021 12:16 am

“I ain’t getting no where.” “Oh-Ohhh-Oh.” “You can’t start a fire”. “This gun’s for hire… hire… hire…” I have this 12 on inch. And at one time had it blasting out of the speakers, if that is what the Blaster Mix is indeed referring too. Despite having a Radio Remix I only hear the plain version on the local radio. Not sure but could be the album version? So when they play it on the radio I always have to dress it up with my own backing vocals echoing away. That don’t sound as good. 🙂

mostlybobbins
mostlybobbins
December 15, 2020 11:13 am

Ah, I’ve wanted this mix (and other Arthur Baker mixes) for the longest time.

Thank you Paul & Happy Holidays to you and yours.

Doodle M
Doodle M
December 12, 2020 4:54 pm

Thanks Paul… Hugs.

Per Christian Frankplads
Per Christian Frankplads
December 12, 2020 4:01 pm

Thank you so much for your fantastic effort in making all these 12″es available for posterity. You should truly be paid by the labels for keeping their catalogue alive – especially when they are not willing to do it by themselves.

And this rip sounds amazing in 24 bit, of course!

Retro Hound
Retro Hound
December 12, 2020 10:48 am

Amazing!! Thanks for this high quality rip Paul! Arthur Baker did some wonderful dance mixes for the major rock artists of the day.

Marco
Marco
December 12, 2020 6:36 am

I am very much aware of the single mix, but wasn’t aware of the Arthur Baker mix.

Cheers Paul for the re-master 🙂

S.corpion
S.corpion
December 12, 2020 5:00 am

Thank you very much Paul! I’m so happy about this gem from “The Boss” 😉

Grant
Grant
December 11, 2020 7:53 pm

Thanks a ton for this DJPaulT!

Jason
Jason
December 11, 2020 5:35 pm

Thank you very much Paul.

Daniel
Daniel
December 11, 2020 3:12 pm

Thanks Paul for this re-rip. Arthur Baker did a great job on these mixes. Sadly Springsteen’s 12″ mixes are still unavailable officially on CD or digitally. Shame on the label. Fortunately you are here to share with us these wonderful rips. Have a great weekend and stay safe.

Fred
Fred
December 11, 2020 12:34 pm

Thanks for a great rip of a killer 80s song! I played this 12″ to death back in the day. 🙂

I echo Jeff’s comment that Bruce has never acknowledged the multiple mixes and 12″s he released back in the 80s. Although I love your rips, I would love to own his mixes on CD and it’s very likely that the source would be the masters and not a vinyl rip.

And yes, the dub is so mesmerizing!

Have a great weekend, Paul!

Jeff
Jeff
December 11, 2020 11:04 am

I am so excited this is back Paul!! Arthur Baker’s “Blaster Mix” is just fabulous!!! And the dub is my favorite of the mixes. I wish Springsteen would acknowledge his dances mixes more as I thought they were all good. I hope one day you’ll re-rip his other twelves, because they deserve to be experienced again.

Ah, the 1980’s were the time for great dance remixes. They were so full of integrity and really did the artist proud!!

Have a marvelous weekend Paul and everyone here in the community!!!

Jeff