Burning The Ground Exclusive 1986
“Word Up!” is a funk and R&B song originally recorded by American funk band Cameo in 1986. It was released as the first single from their twelfth album, Word Up! (1986). The song was written by band members Larry Blackmon and Tomi Jenkins. Its frequent airing on American dance, R&B, and contemporary hit radio, as well as its MTV music video (in which LeVar Burton appears as a police detective trying to arrest the band), helped the single become the band’s best known hit.
“Word Up!” was Cameo’s first US Top 40 hit, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and spending three weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B chart and one week at number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles chart.
In the United Kingdom, “Word Up” spent ten weeks in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number three on September 21, 1986 – for the week ending date September 27, 1986.
Besides being a commercial success, the track also earned critical acclaim from several publications. “Word Up!” won Cameo the Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single as well as the NME Award for Best Dance Record. Like the band’s previous single “Single Life”, “Word Up!” features a reference to the opening notes of Ennio Morricone’s theme to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
SIDE A:
Word Up (12″ Version) 5:57
Word Up (7″ Version) 4:19
SIDE B:
Word Up (Instrumental) 4:19
Urban Warrior 4:57
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Word Up! | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #6 |
| 1986 | Word Up! | U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles | #1 |
| 1986 | Word Up! | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play | #1 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Atlanta Artists – 884 933-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 33 ⅓ RPM, 53 – Hauppauge Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Electro, Funk
CREDITS:
Producer – Larry Blackmon
NOTES:
Manufactured and marketed by PolyGram Records, Inc.,
810 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019.
Word Up : From the Atlanta Artists LP ”Word Up!”
Urban Warrior : From the Atlanta Artists LP ”Single Life”
Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net
THE GEAR:
Turntable:Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon 2M Black PnP MkII
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
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
**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!
Password: burningtheground
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Paul, I love the care you put into this transfer. The 12″ sounds amazing! However, on the 7″ track, there seems to be a blip around :51 Could you please check it out and see if it’s on your end too? Thanks!
If you guys like this 12” you might enjoy my dreamtimemix:
https://youtu.be/lMiyFqkU9G4
Thanx for sharing DJPaulT!
Super happy to see this pop up! I bought the vinyl single when I worked at a record store and we sold a TON of this back in the day. So wonderful to now have it digitally. Urban Warrior made it onto so many of my mixtapes back in the day!!
Thank you, PaulT, for what we are about to hear… 🙂
Another winner! Thank you!
One of my favourite 12” singles from 1986. I’m glad you posted this all-time classic.
Thanks Paul 🙂
It was also used by Coca Cola to introduce Cherry Coke in 1987.
“Tell Me What’s The Word? Word Up, is Cherry Coke.”
LOVE this! Agree with all the comments here – this mix is fire. Thank you for posting this gem. I have never heard the 12″ mix. LOVE!
Thanks for this one! Setting phasers to funk. 🙂 And THANKS Fred for sharing your mix. I’m downloading it now. As I get older, I’m debating just being a retro DJ and spinning 70s and 80s, as that’s *almost* all I want to play anymore, except for the occasional themed event. Cheers to you all.
Love the great DJing stories… While I have no DJ experience, who can forget grooving to this tune on the radio and the video on MTV! Thanks Paul for a funky week!!
Such an awesome song and thank you for the rip, Paul! This is one of those “why the heck didn’t I ever buy this 12″?!” moments and it was probably always sold out! Glad there is an instrumental! On a related note, I recently found my first computer medley from 25 years ago! It’s a 64 minute medley of 80s songs and I created it in 1998 with Sonic Foundry’s Acid software. If any of you would like to listen to it, the link is: https://we.tl/t-L35fqwtVc3 Word up is featured at 46:33. Although this medley isn’t super special in technique,… Read more »
You’re welcome, Fred! Can’t wait to check out your mix. Thanks for sharing it with us all. 🙂
FRED!!!!! Fan-FREAKING-Tastic Mix!!! Just finished listening and I am mighty impressed!! Thirteen fabulous songs mixed with confidence and skill!! Loved what you did to certain tracks! You really know your way around a 12-inch! Sorry, that came out a bit weird. Still, you know your music and I feel really pumped-up listening to it!! Just awesome!!! Have a great evening and thanks for sharing your mad skills with us!!
Jeff
Classic… mixed this one into the last hour of our wedding reception! She’s Strange, Single Life & Word Up! Are classic funk!
What a fun, great, timeless dance track, Paul! Fun story: I was DJing a convention with a dance floor FULL of people when this song was popular. The place lit up over the 12″ version and totally got into it. As the track wound down, the crowd near the front of the DJ booth, raised their hands and said, “AGAIN! PLAY IT AGAIN!” Every bone in my DJ body resisted since you never repeat a track in a set, right?!? I gave in – and bopped the needle back to the start of the track as expertly as a DJ… Read more »
What a great story!!!
Awesome fun story dugn sounds like you were an ace DJ. Thanks for sharing 🙂
whoa, major flashback! If this song doesn’t get you moving, nothing will
I agree 🙂
Great song with tough beats. Love the Ennio Morricone sample too!! Cameo was so cool. They had some great songs in the Disco era, but this song made its mark. Thank you, Paul, for these great flashback tunes this past week!! I’m funking-out big time!!! Can’t wat to hear of the great memories’ others may have had regarding this song. Or maybe cool DJ tricks courtesy of Fred and other jocks in the BTG community.
Jeff
Hi Jeff! I just posted a reply regarding how I used this song in a medley I created 25 years ago! 🙂 I’ve uploaded the medley for all to listen and hopefully enjoy for 64+ mins.
I can’t wait to check it out, Fred. I see you as a real ace Disc Jockey that really got the crowd going. Thanks for the link!!
Jeff
Thanks! I gotta say, I’m not sure what my favorite part of the mix is…it could be 14:09 or 22:33 or 40:17. But listen to the medley first and then go back to these 3 points. 🙂 I definitely want to make another 80s medley where I only use 60-90 seconds of each song and create a longer medley (this old one was aimed at being recorded to CDR)
You’re welcome, Jeff 🙂