Burning The Ground Exclusive
For today’s entry in Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition, we are heading back to 1986 for a record that brought Kim Wilde together with some of the biggest names working behind the scenes in American pop and R&B.
“Say You Really Want Me” was recorded for the soundtrack of Running Scared, the action-comedy starring Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines as two Chicago police detectives hoping to retire before one last case pulls them back into danger. Directed by Peter Hyams, the movie was released in June 1986 and became a moderate box-office success.
The movie’s soundtrack was a major production in its own right. The nine-track album included Klymaxx’s “Man Size Love,” Michael McDonald’s “Sweet Freedom,” New Edition’s “Once In A Lifetime Groove,” Patti LaBelle’s “I Know What I Want,” and Kim Wilde’s “Say You Really Want Me.” It was released on MCA Records and runs for approximately 44 minutes.
“Say You Really Want Me” was written by Danny Sembello, Dick Rudolph, and Donnell Spencer Jr. Production was handled by Rod Temperton, Dick Rudolph, and legendary engineer Bruce Swedien, with Danny Sembello also playing keyboards.
That is quite a team.
Rod Temperton had written some of the most successful pop and R&B records of the period, including Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” and “Thriller,” George Benson’s “Give Me The Night,” and several hits for Heatwave. Bruce Swedien was known for his recording and mixing work with Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson. Their involvement gave the song a polished American dance sound that was noticeably different from the records Kim had been making with her brother Ricki Wilde.
Kim later recalled receiving a telephone call from Temperton, who needed a female singer for a song being recorded for the movie. Her American record company suggested her, and she flew to Los Angeles to record it. She considered being selected a major honor, especially since the song could easily have gone to a more established American vocalist.
The result is one of the most unusual singles in Kim Wilde’s catalog.
“Say You Really Want Me” trades much of the cool new wave edge of her earlier records for a warmer mixture of dance-pop, funk, freestyle, and R&B. The rhythm is busy and glossy, the keyboards bounce between the beats, and Kim gives the song a playful vocal that becomes more forceful as the arrangement builds.
The lyric is direct. Kim is tired of waiting for someone to admit how he feels. There is no room for mixed signals or romantic games. Either say you really want her or get out of the way.
Her performance balances confidence with just enough frustration to keep the song from becoming too lightweight. Kim was never known as a big soul singer, but the production pushes her into a different vocal setting, and she sounds as though she is enjoying the challenge.
Ironically, the song has only a small presence in Running Scared. Kim later said that it can be heard briefly from a radio in the film. She was also not especially fond of the movie after finally seeing it, although the soundtrack placement was intended to raise her profile in the United States.
The soundtrack connection gave the song its beginning, but it did not remain confined to the film.
“Say You Really Want Me” was first released as a single in North America during 1986. An edited version was also included on Kim’s fifth studio album, Another Step. After the enormous international success of her cover of “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” the song was given another chance in 1987, including a UK release with newly created remixes.
The 1987 release reached number 29 in the United Kingdom and remained on the chart for five weeks. It also reached number 44 in the United States, number 48 in Canada, and number 18 in Ireland.
Although those positions were respectable, the single never became one of Kim’s most widely remembered hits. It arrived between two very different stages of her career. The early new wave sound of “Kids In America” was behind her, while the polished international pop of the Close album was still ahead.
“Say You Really Want Me” captures her standing somewhere in the middle.
The record also became something of a puzzle for collectors. At least twelve separate versions have appeared, including different soundtrack and album edits, several radio versions, an instrumental, the David Todd Remix, a nearly ten-minute Video Remix, and new 1987 UK mixes by Ricki Wilde. Some versions differ only slightly, making running times and pressing information very important.
The music video gave the song another life in 1987. Directed by Greg Masuak, it presented a more sensual and adult Kim Wilde than audiences had seen in her earlier clips. Both regular and extended versions of the video were produced, with the longer cut using the nearly ten-minute remix.
Looking back, “Say You Really Want Me” feels like a fascinating experiment. It placed a British pop singer inside a slick Los Angeles production created by people closely connected to some of the biggest American records of the decade.
It should have been a much larger hit.
Instead, it became one of those soundtrack singles that dedicated fans remember, collectors chase across several pressings, and casual listeners are often surprised to rediscover.
Running Scared may have introduced the song, but Kim Wilde gave it a life well beyond the few seconds heard in the movie.
So, do not keep it to yourself.
Say you really want Kim.
SIDE A:
Say You Really Want Me (Extended Mix) 9:47
Remix – Louil Silas, Jr.*
SIDE B:
Say You Really Want Me 5:44
Remix – David Todd
Say You Really Want Me (Radio Edit) 5:08
Remix – Louil Silas, Jr.*
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
| Chart Performance – Kim Wilde: Say You Really Want Me (1986-87) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 48 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 18 |
| UK Singles Chart | 29 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 44 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance/Disco Club Play | 32 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 Singles | 56 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records – MCA-23678
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
CREDITS:
- Arranged By – Danny Sembello
- Engineer [Remix] – Taavi Mõte*
- Producer – Bruce Swedien, Dick Rudolph*, Rod Temperton
- Recorded By, Mixed By – Bruce Swedien
- Written-By – Danny Sembello, Donnell Spencer, Jr.*, Dick Rudolph*
NOTES:
From the Motion Picture Soundtrack, “Running Scared”, MCA-6169.
Remixed at Larrabee Sound, Hollywood, CA.
Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND
THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Music Black
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2
Phono Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
Audio Interface: MOTU M4
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Cleaning Solution: Turgikleen Record Cleaning Solution
Scanner: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner
SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 25 (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
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During the week of June 6, 1987, Kim Wilde ruled the dance floor in clubs across America with her chart-topping cover of the Supremes classic “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” which has since become a gay club classic and should be on every Pride playlist.
