Category: Scritti Politti

December 18, 2024

Scritti Politti – Perfect Way (US 12″ Promo)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1985

NEW 2024 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Original post date: March 9, 2012

“Perfect Way” was only a modest hit in the UK, peaking at #48, but it became Scritti Politti’s biggest success in the U.S. The song entered the Billboard Top 40 on October 26, 1985, and spent 13 weeks on the chart, reaching its peak at #11.

Notably, the “Perfect Way” version featured on the ‘A’ side of this single is unique and otherwise unavailable elsewhere. It differs from the Kevorkian mix found on the standard UK and German 12″ singles. It is longer than the U.S. 12″ single version mixed by Alan Meyerson, François Kevorkian, and Josh Abbey (credited as Committee). While the label lists an incorrect runtime, the actual duration is 7:24.

+De-notes vinyl-only

SIDE A:
Perfect Way (Way Perfect Mix Extended)+ 7:24
Mixed By – Alan Meyerson, Francois Kevorkian*, Josh Abbey

SIDE B:
Perfect Way (Single Version) 4:03
Mixed By – John Potoker

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	Perfect Way	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#11
1985	Perfect Way	U.S. Billboard US Hot Dance Music / Club Play	#6

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records – PRO-A-2357
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Producer – Gamson*, Maher*, Green*
Recorded By – Howard Gray

NOTES:
Original version available on the Warner Bros. album CUPID & PSYCHE 85

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 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

**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal. I appreciate your help.

December 7, 2023

Scritti Politti – Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin) (UK 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1984

“Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)” is the seventh single released by British pop band Scritti Politti, issued in the UK on 24 February 1984 by Virgin Records. It later appeared on the band’s second studio album Cupid & Psyche 85 (released in June 1985) and was produced by Arif Mardin. The song’s subtitle is a reference to “I Say a Little Prayer”, Aretha Franklin’s biggest UK hit; Mardin had also produced Franklin.

The single was Scritti Politti’s breakthrough hit on the UK Singles Chart, where it peaked at No. 10 in a 16-week chart run. It was also a Top 30 hit in Australia and New Zealand. In the United States it reached No. 4 on the Billboard Dance Chart.

Two music videos were shot for the song. The first, shot in 1984, was directed by John Scarlett-Davis, who also directed the videos for “Absolute” and “The Word Girl” and features the dancing of Michael Clark. A second music video was released for the US in 1986, directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and featuring model Veronica Webb (who also appeared in the video for “Perfect Way”). Both versions were featured on a video compilation simply titled “Scritti Politti”, released on VHS, Betamax and LaserDisc by Virgin Music Video in 1986. The 1984 version is simply titled “Wood Beez”, while the 1986 version is titled “Wood Beez – USA”.

SIDE A:
Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin) 4:48

SIDE B:
Wood Beez (Version) 5:57

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984	Wood Beez	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music Club’/Play	#4

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin – VS 657-12
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: Feb 20, 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Electro, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Arranged By – David Gamson, Green*
Backing Vocals – B.J. Nelson, Fonzi Thornton, Tawatha Agee*
Drums – Steve Ferrone
Guitar – Paul Jackson Jnr.*
Management – Bill Gerber, Lookout Management, Partisan Management Ltd., Robert Warr
Mixed By – Jason Corsaro
Producer, Edited By – Arif Mardin
Synthesizer – David Frank, David Gamson, Robbie Buchanan
Synthesizer [Fairlight Assistance] – Ned EBN*
Vocals, Written-By – Green*

NOTES:
Artwork:
1984
273cm x 273cm
Honeycomb, copper, cotton, acrylic, photo, beeswax, wood.

Recorded + Mixed at: Power Station + Atlantic Studios, New York.

Manufactured in the UK.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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

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

April 17, 2018

Scritti Politti With Ranking Ann – The Word Girl (Flesh & Blood) (UK Ltd. Ed 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“The Word Girl” is a song by the British/American group Scritti Politti. Included on their second album, Cupid & Psyche 85, the reggae style track was released as a single in the UK on 29 April 1985 and remains the band’s highest charting hit in the UK, peaking at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart. The music video was directed by John Scarlett-Davis and produced by Nick Verden at Aldabra Films for Virgin Records.

The B-side to the single, “Flesh and Blood”, is an alternate version of the song with Ranking Ann on vocals.

This limited edition version of the U.K. 12″ includes a fold out poster and a megamix called “Turntable Mix” on the ‘B’ side and differs from the standard UK 12″ single. As a bonus I have included the “Version” mix of The Word Girl / Flesh & Blood which I transfered from the standard U.K. 12″.

SIDE A:
The Word Girl 4:24
Producer – Scritti Politti

Flesh & Blood 5:36
Producer – Scritti Politti

SIDE B:
Scritti Politti Turntable Mix 6:30
Producer – Arif Mardin, Scritti Politti
Remix – Mastermind*

BONUS TRACK
The Word Girl / Flesh & Blood (Version) 5:06
Producer – Scritti Politti
Mixed By – Julian Mendelsohn

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin ‎– VS 747-13
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Limited Edition, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Reggae, Dub, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Design [Packaged At] – Design KB*
Drums – Fred Maher
Guitar – Nick Moroch
Piano, Synthesizer – David Gamson
Recorded By, Mixed By – Howard Gray (tracks: A1, A2)
Toasting [Dj] – Ranking Ann
Vocals – Green Gartside

NOTES:
Manufactured in the UK.

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7 TubeGold Pins
Soundcard: Novation Audiohub 2×4 Audio Interface
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
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

November 29, 2017

Scritti Politti – Hypnotize (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

“Hypnotize” was the third single taken from the album Cupid & Psyche 85 by British/American pop group Scritti Politti. “Hypnotize” peaked at #68 on the U.K. singles chart in November 1984. In the United States “Hypnotize” became the groups third entry on the Billboard Dance chart peaking at #43.

SIDE A:
Hypnotize (Long) 6:31

SIDE B:
Hypnotize (Short) 4:24
Hypnotize (Version) 3:34

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
Poster: Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984	Hypnotize	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#43

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin ‎– VS 725-12
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Poster
Country: UK
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style:Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Engineer [New York] – Ray Bardani
Mixed By [London] – Gary Langan
Performer [Made By] – Gamson*, Maher*, Gartside*
Performer [With] – B.J. Nelson, Nick Moroch
Written-By – Green*

NOTES:
Includes a large fold out poster of Green Gartside
Manufactured in U.K.

From the LP “Cupid & Psyche 85”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi