Burning The Ground Exclusive 1987
“Devils Ball” is a song recorded by the Swiss duo Double, following their worldwide hit The Captain of Her Heart. Released in October 1987, it was the lead single from their second studio album Dou3le. Written and produced by Kurt Maloo and Felix Haug, the track had notable guest contributions, including the legendary Herb Alpert on trumpet and an electric violin solo by Michał Urbaniak.
Despite the strong musical lineup, Devils Ball didn’t soar to the heights of The Captain of Her Heart, peaking at No. 71 in the UK and No. 30 in Belgium. The accompanying music video, however, was a different story. Featuring performers from the Swiss mime group “Mummenschanz” alongside the musicians, the video garnered critical acclaim, winning the Silver Palm Award at Cannes in 1988.
“Devil’s Ball” is a perfect example of the sophisticated pop stylings of the late ’80s. It blends jazz and smooth pop elements, enhanced by Alpert’s trumpet and Urbaniak’s violin.
SIDE A:
Devils Ball (Unedited Version) 4:29
Written-By – Haug, Maloo
SIDE B:
Devils Ball (Unedited Piano-Version) 4:51
Written-By – Haug, Maloo
Megarhythmdance 5:14
Written-By – Haug*
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Polydor – POSPX 888
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Downtempo, Synth-pop
CREDITS:
- Producer [For Naningo Ltd] – Double, Felix Haug
NOTES:
Made in England
Track A1 & A2: 93BPM
Track B1: 145BPM
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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would love to see the captain of her heart, thanks for the post.
OMG, Paul. This didn’t ring a bell to me until I played the video and then the memories came rushing back to me as I remember this song very well now. I may have missed the 24-bit version but I’m glad I was able to grab the Flac version. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
I had been catching up on the last couple of years of posts via my emails from BTG, but the download links are being removed faster than I can listen to them! I’ve been careful to not download more than I can listen to each day, but I’m guessing you can’t afford the server space for that many posts anymore? Crossing my fingers that you repost everything one day…
You are correct. I was using 55 GB of storage space on my server, which is now limited to 20 GB, so I had to remove many files from the archive.
Thank you Paul for this post. Have a nice day
You’re welcome 🙂
I’d like to thank the BTG regulars for backing Paul against that hater who I encouraged to get lost. And to think someone of possible German descent would be so narrow minded. My friends in Germany are nothing like this schmuck, and it saddens them when people like this make the good folks of Germany look bad.
Thank you, dj xrey. I just want to remind everyone that the internet can sometimes bring out the worst in people due to its anonymity. It can be frustrating when you’re trying to create something fun and nostalgic like ‘Burning the Ground,’ and trolls or negativity try to ruin that. But I try to keep in mind that there are people who appreciate what I do, and the positive supporters will always outweigh the negativity.
I was elated seeing this post. Double’s “Captain of Her Heart” is a favorite of mine and is such an incredible record. I was so excited to hear something else by them, and this is great! Having Herb Alpert’s trumpet on the song makes this a gorgeous, sophisticated pop nugget! The jazzy feel keeps me spellbound. The Devil is having a ball and so am I!! Having “Mummenschanz” on the video was incredibly cool. I had almost forgot how wonderful they were. Thanks for this, Paul!!
Jeff
You’re welcome, Jeff. The flip side is a fun instrumental that would be perfect for a Halloween comp.
Usually I like to listen to it before commenting, but today I’ll make an exception. Why, why, why can’t people be appreciative of your efforts? Nobody is forcing them to visit here or listen. If you don’t like, there are plenty other places to go. Go visit YouTube for example. I’m sorry you have to deal with the haters Paul!
Thank you, Retro Hound, for having my back. This is not the only nasty comment that I get; there are several hate speech comments that I receive daily but do not get published. Some people have nothing better to do than live miserable, selfish lives. Sorry for the rant. I hope you enjoy the record; the music is what it’s all about anyway. 🙂
Rant all you want 🙂 That makes me sad to think you receive hate speech comments on a daily basis. Absolutely disgusting! I’ve seen a few slip by in the past, but I had no idea it was a daily occurrence. Just know that you are so appreciated, and the joy you bring into our lives will always outweigh any hateful comments from lowlifes. I definitely have your back, and I can guarantee Jeff and others do as well.
As far as today’s post, totally new to me and I really like the ultra smooth production. Like sipping a martini in a jazz bar! It’s a toss up between the A-side and the Piano-Version! Herb Alpert was going through a career resurgence. Who would’ve thought 20+ years into his career he would be hip again, least of all him! Thank you Paul!!
You’re welcome, Retro Hound 🙂
I’d like to thank you as well, Retro Hound, for what you said. I don’t understand why and how people can be so hateful at times. What Paul is doing is so generous. If you don’t like it, don’t download the track. Lead in a positive way and try not to be so negative. This world is dark enough already. Our, Paul, is about light and love and music!!
You’re a great person, Retro Hound. You are very appreciated!!
Jef
Thank you Jeff!! You are really special! I’m sure Paul agrees this blog wouldn’t be the same without you. And to see people attack someone who brings such joy to our lives, it really makes me angry.
Speaking of Double, any chance of offering the Hi-Res FLAC of the Long/Extended Version of “The Captain of Her Heart” on your blog here, anytime soon dear Paul? Thanks for your (hopefully) consideration.
I will see if I can locate it.
So ein scheiß dreck absoluter müll seit Wochen nur noch dieser Mist kann man bei Youtube runderladen
Translated:
Such a shitty dirt absolute garbage for weeks only this crap can be downloaded from Youtube
Then go to YouTube where their audio has often been transcoded and stepped on where their audio cannot possibly compete with the natural pristine sound like Paul’s meticulous transfers. Now please get lost for disrespecting the fans who enjoy Paul’s efforts to save 12″ recordings.
Hallo? Was läuft falsch bei dir? Es ist absolut freiwillig, sich hier auf dieser Seite aufzuhalten. Wenn es dir nicht gefällt, dann geh einfach weiter. Das Internet hat noch mehr Seiten! Du findest sicher eine, die dir gefällt – aber lass uns mit deinem Gemotzte in Ruhe. Danke! Und an dieser Stelle muss es auch wieder mal gesagt sein: Herzlichen Dank, Paul, für deine Arbeit! Mir und vielen anderen gefällt es hier ausgezeichnet! Translation: Hello? What’s wrong with you? Staying on this site is completely voluntary. If you don’t like it, just move on. There are more sites on the… Read more »