Category: The Dream Academy

December 6, 2023

The Dream Academy – The Love Parade (UK 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1985

NEW 2023 Transfer!
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration!

Originally posted March 26, 2012

“The Love Parade” is the fourth single released by The Dream Academy. It was a more “edgy” song than their previous singles, made so by the inclusion of implied themes of adultery and erotic temptation in the lyrics, and was arranged to a brisk bossa nova-esque beat which was in stark contrast to the style of the group’s first single Life In A Northern Town. There were two additional singles released in the UK by Blanco y Negro, a 7″ shaped picture disc and a second limited edition release.

The Love Parade is the only song on The Dream Academy’s eponymous album not to be produced by David Gilmour. Instead, the band recruited Alan Tarney to work with them on the track. Tarney was brought in at the suggestion of Rough Trade Records founder Geoff Travis to work on “The Love Parade”. “What happened was, we had a pretty good demo for “Love Parade,” and we loved it, and when we made the record with David, somehow we never got ’round to it”. Lead vocalist Nick Laird-Clowes noted that Tarney brought some “real special techniques” to the table: he tracked the vocals “12 or 15 times” during certain portions of the song.

There were high hopes for the single, especially from Warner, and there was some degree of promotion of the song (such as a live performance on American Bandstand). However, the single failed to live up to the expectations of their debut single, “Life in a Northern Town”, just making the top 40 (#36) in the US and reaching #68 in the UK.

SIDE A:
The Love Parade (12″) 6:16
Engineer, Mixed By – John Hudson
Producer – Alan Tarney

SIDE B:
The Love Parade (7″) 3:46
Producer – Alan Tarney

Girl In A Million (For Edie Sedgwick) 3:47
Producer – Paul O’Duffy*, The Dream Academy

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	The Love Parade	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#36
1985	The Love Parade	U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Tracks	#13

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Blanco Y Negro – NEG16T, Blanco Y Negro – NEG 16(T), WEA – 920363-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop, New Wave

CREDITS:

Artwork By [Screened By] – Art-O-Matic
Design – Peter Saville Associates
Written-By – Gabriel*, Laird-Clowes*

NOTES:
From the LP “The Dream Academy”

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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April 24, 2012

The Dream Academy – Indian Summer (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

Produced by Hugh Padgham and Lindsey Buckingham “Indian Summer” was the first single from The Dream Academy’s second album “Remembrance Days”. The song is about reflecting on the past, especially with previous friendships and relationships. The scene of the song is set with a group friends on holiday who decide to stay during an Indian Summer. Critics had drawn many parallels with the song and their debut single “Life in a Northern Town”, especially with the chant at the end of the song.

The video was played regularly on VH1. Despite this, the single failed to chart, something that would plague the band’s subsequent singles until they split up in 1991.

SIDE A:
Indian Summer (Extended Version) 6:46
Producer – Hugh Padgham, Lindsey Buckingham, Nick Laird-Clowes

SIDE B:
Indian Summer (LP Version) 4:24
Producer – Hugh Padgham, Lindsey Buckingham, Nick Laird-Clowes

Heaven Part 1 3:25
Producer – Dream Academy, The, Paul Staveley O’Duffy

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Blanco Y Negro – NEG 27T
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Songwriter – Gilbert Gabriel, Nick Laird-Clowes

NOTES:
“Indian Summer” original version from the lp “Remembrance Days” BYN12

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

March 27, 2012

The Dream Academy – Please Please Please (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” is a song originally performed by British group The Smiths. It was released as the B-side of “William, It Was Really Nothing” in 1984 and later featured on the compilation albums Hatful of Hollow and Louder Than Bombs.

The Dream Academy covered “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” in 1984. This version peaked at #83 in the UK Singles Chart. The instrumental version of the song is the better known cover version, since it was used in the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (during the Art Institute scene) along with an other Dream Academy song “The Edge of Forever”. A similar (but vocal) single later appeared on the compilation album, Somewhere in the Sun… Best of the Dream Academy.

As a bonus track I have also included the US 7″ mix of “The Love Parade”. This mix is exclusive to the US 7″ single.

SIDE A:
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want 3:05
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (Instrumental) 3:05

SIDE B:
In Places On The Run 3:38
The Party (Acoustic Version) 3:45

BONUS TRACK:
The Love Parade (US 7″ Mix) 3:53
Producer – Alan Tarney

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Blanco Y Negro – NEG 20T
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Co-producer – George Nicholson (tracks: B1)
Composed By – Gabriel* (tracks: B1), Marr* (tracks: A1, A2), Morrissey (tracks: A1, A2), Laird-Clowes* (tracks: B1, B2)
Engineer – Andrew Jackson (tracks: A1, A2, B1)
Producer – David Gilmour (tracks: A1, A2, B1), Nick Laird-Clowes (tracks: A1, A2, B1)

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

January 13, 2012

The Dream Academy – Life In A Northern Town (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

REQUEST

“Life in a Northern Town” is a pop song by The Dream Academy, an English dream pop group. The song is the first single from their 1985 self-titled debut, The Dream Academy. Reaching #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in February 1986, it is also their highest-peaking chart single in the US.

The Dream Academy released the original version in 1985 as the first single from their self-titled album. It was a Top Ten pop hit for them, peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

There were two different versions of the music video. The first one was made in 1984 and was filmed in Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, England. It was directed by Tim Pope. The second version was filmed in 1985 and was directed by Leslie Libman and Larry Williams. It was filmed in and around Newcastle upon Tyne with some scenes filmed in Manchester in the UK and in the USA. The video featured footage from one of their first TV appearances, on the British music show The Tube.

The lyrics are references to English singer-songwriter Nick Drake, who suffered from depression and insomnia throughout his life and often reflected those topics in his lyrics. Gilbert Gabriel, a member of The Dream Academy and co-writer of the song, has also said that the inspiration for the tune came from his experience at Dartington College of Arts. Nick Drake died of an antidepressant overdose in 1974 at the age of twenty six, but his music has influenced songwriters and guitarists well after his death. He was best known for sombre pieces composed on his favorite instrument, the guitar, and The Dream Academy intended the song as a tribute to Drake. The song, which took a year to record, also includes elements of classical music, an “african-esque” chant, and hints of psychedelia.

SIDE A:
Life In A Northern Town (Extended) 5:18
Test Tape No.3 5:04

SIDE B:
Life In A Northern Town (7″ Mix) 4:15
Poised On The Edge Of Forever 3:52

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

CHARTS:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	Life In A Northern Town	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#7
1986	Life In A Northern Town	U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks	#7
1986	Life In A Northern Town	U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	#2
1986	Life In A Northern Town	U.S. Cashbox Top 100 Singles	#11

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Blanco Y Negro – NEG 10T
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Design – Town & Country Planning
Photography By – Richard Haughton
Producer – David Gilmour (tracks: A1, B1), Dream Academy, The (tracks: A2, B2), George Nicholson (tracks: A1, B1), Nick Laird-Clowes (tracks: A1, B1)
Written-By – Gilbert Gabriel, Nick Laird-Clowes

NOTES:
Dedicated to Nick Drake, Steve Reich & ‘Classics For Pleasure’

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi