Burning The Ground Exclusive
I’m taking a short break from my Shep Pettibone run to fill a few requests. The first is another rare gem to add to my “Closet 80s” series—a track that never got its due but still shines in all the right ways.
“Sleeping Dogs Lie” by the short-lived duo Double Entente. Released in 1984, this atmospheric track was crafted by Chuck Fuller and Elyse Schiller, a synth-pop pairing that only released two singles before fading into obscurity.
The record was produced by none other than Randy “King” Jackson, the Grammy-winning musician and producer—long before his days as a judge on American Idol. Jackson’s touch is evident in the track’s sleek, polished sound: brooding synth layers, a pulsing electronic beat, and a cool, detached vocal performance that creates a haunting sense of emotional distance.
While Double Entente didn’t stay together long enough to release a full album, “Sleeping Dogs Lie” remains a standout—a moody, intelligent slice of early electronic pop that wouldn’t feel out of place alongside the likes of Yazoo, The The, or early Berlin.
SIDE A:
Sleeping Dogs Lie (Long Version) 6:16
SIDE B:
Sleeping Dogs Lie (Short Version) 4:46
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Sleeping Dogs Lie | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music / Club Play | #4 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia – 44-05113
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Synth-pop, Electro, Soul
CREDITS:
- Engineer – Maureen Droney
- Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
- Mixed By – Maureen Droney, Randy “King” Jackson*
- Producer – Randy “King” Jackson*
- Written-By – C. Fuller*, E. Schiller*
NOTES:
Recorded at THE AUTOMATT, San Francisco, CA
Printed in U.S.A.
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
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Hi Paul, I know that I have said this before but I really appreciate you sharing songs like this one. I have not heard or even know about this duo so I had to look them up and was quite blown away by the song. Also, it hit number 4 on the Billboard Hot Dance Charts! Wow. This sounds like a freestyle dance song and again, what was once a classic is now a new track for me. So thank you very much for sharing this with us.
On first glance of the album cover I thought it was Los Lobos’ Will The Wolf Survive? This is new to my ears. It has a fresh sound and great use of synths. Credit to Randy Jackson! Thank you Paul!!
You’re welcome, Retro Hound 🙂
Although it was not mentioned in the summary, this track also hit #4 on the Billboard Club Play chart in December 1984.
Thanks, Jimmy I have updated the post.
Oh My Gosh, Paul! I’m so shocked to see this record pop up on Burning The Ground!! I have great memories of the song which was played on the radio! I had no idea about Randy Jackson’s involvement with the song. It’s great learning bits of trivia about songs that made an impression on me! I love what you do! I’m happy someone requested this record, for I almost forgot about it!
Jeff
You’re welcome, Jeff. It is a really fun record.
Yes great fun I too had forgotten about it! I didn’t really know Randy Jackson until American Idol except knowing he was in Journey for a moment and he wasn’t The Jacksons’ Randy Jackson, so that’s an interesting tidbit! Thanks, this was a great break from Shep!