Category: Bronski Beat

Eartha Kitt & Bronski Beat – Cha Cha Heels (UK 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1989

Pioneering gay band Bronski Beat meets gay Icon Eartha Kitt who has precisely the qualities that make for a true Gay Icon: A history of anguish, abandonment, and alienation, mixed with a campy and sexually audacious stage act along with the necessary elements of artifice and aggrandizement. Plus, there is that unique, sultry purr of a voice. Kitt appeared at many LGBTQ fundraisers and she spent a great deal of her time dedicating herself to working with the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and other HIV/AIDS charities. Her 1989 single Cha-Cha Heels, recorded with Bronski Beat, was thumping away at the dance clubs during the worst years of the plague and the club kids and the older clones fell in love with Kitt.

In 1989, Jonathan Hellyer became Bronski Beat’s lead singer, and the band extensively toured the U.S. and Europe with backup vocalist Annie Conway. They achieved one minor hit with the song “Cha Cha Heels”, a one-off collaboration sung by American actress and singer Eartha Kitt, which peaked at 32 in the UK. The song was originally written for movie and recording star Divine, who was unable to record the song before his death in 1988.

SIDE A:
Cha Cha Heels (12 Inch Version) 6:40
Effects [Additional Wacky Bits] – Danny Hyde
Engineer – Danny Hyde, Graham Bonnett
Engineer [Assisted By] – Peter Lorimer, Rob Miller (4)
Keyboards – Rod Gammons, Steve Bronski, Willi Mowat
Mixed By – Graham Bonnett, Rod Gammons
Programmed By [Atari / C-Lab Programming] – Rod Gammons
Programmed By [MMT8 Programming] – Steve Bronski
Programmed By [Yamaha QXI Programming] – Larry Steinbachek
Vocals – Eartha Kitt, Jonathan Hillyer
Written-By – Larry Steinbachek, Steve Bronski

Cha Cha Heels (Radio Mix) 3:48
Effects [Additional Wacky Bits] – Danny Hyde
Engineer – Danny Hyde, Graham Bonnett
Engineer [Assisted By] – Peter Lorimer, Rob Miller (4)
Keyboards – Rod Gammons, Steve Bronski, Willi Mowat
Mixed By – Graham Bonnett, Rod Gammons
Programmed By [Atari / C-Lab Programming] – Rod Gammons
Programmed By [MMT8 Programming] – Steve Bronski
Programmed By [Yamaha QXI Programming] – Larry Steinbachek
Vocals – Eartha Kitt, Jonathan Hillyer
Written-By – Larry Steinbachek, Steve Bronski

SIDE B:
My Discarded Men 3:39
Arranged By – Rod Gammons
Backing Vocals, Whistling – Jonathan Hillyer
Double Bass – Peter
Engineer – Peter Lorimer
Finger Snaps – Peter*, Peter Lorimer, Steve Bronski
Mixed By – Peter Lorimer, Rod Gammons
Trombone – Peter Lorimer
Vocals – Eartha Kitt
Written-By – Eartha Kitt, Rod Gammons, Steve Bronski

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Arista – 612331, Arista – 612 331
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

NOTES:
“Cha Cha Heels”: Recorded and Re-mixed digitally at Berwick Street Studios, London.

A Starcoast Production

Manufactured in England

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
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 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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Bronski Beat – Hit That Perfect Beat (Canada 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1985

In Memory Of Steve Bronski 1960-2021

“Hit That Perfect Beat” is a single from the British synthpop trio Bronski Beat and appeared on their 1986 album Truthdare Doubledare. It became a popular dance hit and reached number three in the UK charts in January 1986 and reached the top ten in many European countries and across the world.

SIDE A:
Hit That Perfect Beat (Extended Version) 6:24

SIDE B:
Hit That Perfect Beat (Instant Mix) 8:26
Remix – Ian Levine

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: London Records – LDSX 226
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Canada
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Band [Bronski Beat] – John Jøn, Larry Steinbachek, Steve Bronski
Design [Sleeve Design] – Peter Barrett (3)
Engineer – Brian Pugsley, Simon Bohannon
Photography By [Photographs] – Peter Ashworth
Producer, Mixed By –  Adam Williams
Written-By – Steinbachek, Bronski

NOTES:
Produced and mixed at Mayfair
Recorded at Berry Street Studios (Brian Pugsley) and Livingstone Studios (Simon Bohannon)

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


Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.

Steve Bronski 1960-2021

Steve Bronski, keyboardist and co-founding member of the trailblazing British synth-pop trio Bronski Beat, has died, at age 61.

Bronski, AKA Steven Forrest, formed the band alongside Jimmy Somerville and Larry Steinbachek in 1983. All three members of the band were out as gay and sought to counter what they perceived as the inoffensive nature of the era’s gay performers by embracing explicitly political themes in their music. America’s Spin magazine described them as “perhaps the first real gay group in the history of pop”.

RIP Steve.

#stevebronski #bronskibeat

Bronski Beat – Why? (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

A. Front

I am so saddened by what took place in Orlando over the weekend another senseless massacre at the hands of a gun. We are all Orlando, it could have been any one of us just out enjoying a night of music and dancing. It doesn’t matter what you believe or who you choose to spend your life with Love is Love. I chose to post this record because it is still relevant today. When will we wake up and stop the violence? #orlando

“Why?” is a single by British synthpop trio Bronski Beat and appeared on their 1984 album The Age of Consent.

The song, recorded at RPM Studios, NYC and mixed at Townhouse Studio, London, pursued an energetic musical formula, while the lyrics focused more centrally on anti-gay prejudice. The song opens with a questioning vocal by frontman and vocalist Jimmy Somerville and the shattering of breaking glass. It was the trio’s second Top 10 success in the UK, peaking at No. 6, also reaching the top 10 throughout Europe and in Australia and is today considered a popular gay anthem.

The drawing for the single cover, of a man with his head in his hands, was drawn for the band by Glasgow artist Robert McAulay, who was associated with the band at the time.

SIDE A:
Why? (Extended Mix) 7:45
Engineer [Mixing Engineer] – Julian Mendelsohn

SIDE B:
Cadillac Car (Long Version) 7:34
Engineer [Mixing Engineer] – Harvey Goldberg
Guitar – Steve*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1984 Why? U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #27
1984 Why? U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales #20

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Forbidden Fruit ‎– BITEX 2
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Design [Sleeve] – Robert McAulay
Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Dominick Maita
Keyboards – Steve*
Keyboards, Programmed By – Laz*
Mastered By – Aaron Chakraverty*
Music By – Bronski Beat
Producer [Produced By] – Mike Thorne
Vocals, Lyrics By – Jimmy*
Written-By – Somerville*, Steinbachek*, Bronski*

NOTES:
Why?: Dedicated To The Memory Of Drew Griffiths

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

B. Back

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck 
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: 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)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi