Burning The Ground Exclusive 1989
Pioneering gay band Bronski Beat meets gay Icon Eartha Kitt who has precisely the qualities that make for a true Gay Icon: A history of anguish, abandonment, and alienation, mixed with a campy and sexually audacious stage act along with the necessary elements of artifice and aggrandizement. Plus, there is that unique, sultry purr of a voice. Kitt appeared at many LGBTQ fundraisers and she spent a great deal of her time dedicating herself to working with the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and other HIV/AIDS charities. Her 1989 single Cha-Cha Heels, recorded with Bronski Beat, was thumping away at the dance clubs during the worst years of the plague and the club kids and the older clones fell in love with Kitt.
In 1989, Jonathan Hellyer became Bronski Beat’s lead singer, and the band extensively toured the U.S. and Europe with backup vocalist Annie Conway. They achieved one minor hit with the song “Cha Cha Heels”, a one-off collaboration sung by American actress and singer Eartha Kitt, which peaked at 32 in the UK. The song was originally written for movie and recording star Divine, who was unable to record the song before his death in 1988.
SIDE A:
Cha Cha Heels (12 Inch Version) 6:40
Effects [Additional Wacky Bits] – Danny Hyde
Engineer – Danny Hyde, Graham Bonnett
Engineer [Assisted By] – Peter Lorimer, Rob Miller (4)
Keyboards – Rod Gammons, Steve Bronski, Willi Mowat
Mixed By – Graham Bonnett, Rod Gammons
Programmed By [Atari / C-Lab Programming] – Rod Gammons
Programmed By [MMT8 Programming] – Steve Bronski
Programmed By [Yamaha QXI Programming] – Larry Steinbachek
Vocals – Eartha Kitt, Jonathan Hillyer
Written-By – Larry Steinbachek, Steve Bronski
Cha Cha Heels (Radio Mix) 3:48
Effects [Additional Wacky Bits] – Danny Hyde
Engineer – Danny Hyde, Graham Bonnett
Engineer [Assisted By] – Peter Lorimer, Rob Miller (4)
Keyboards – Rod Gammons, Steve Bronski, Willi Mowat
Mixed By – Graham Bonnett, Rod Gammons
Programmed By [Atari / C-Lab Programming] – Rod Gammons
Programmed By [MMT8 Programming] – Steve Bronski
Programmed By [Yamaha QXI Programming] – Larry Steinbachek
Vocals – Eartha Kitt, Jonathan Hillyer
Written-By – Larry Steinbachek, Steve Bronski
SIDE B:
My Discarded Men 3:39
Arranged By – Rod Gammons
Backing Vocals, Whistling – Jonathan Hillyer
Double Bass – Peter
Engineer – Peter Lorimer
Finger Snaps – Peter*, Peter Lorimer, Steve Bronski
Mixed By – Peter Lorimer, Rod Gammons
Trombone – Peter Lorimer
Vocals – Eartha Kitt
Written-By – Eartha Kitt, Rod Gammons, Steve Bronski
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Arista – 612331, Arista – 612 331
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
CREDITS:
- Design – Ariola-Studios, CODECO
- Hair – Richard And Ting
- Make-Up [Makeup] – Ian Simon (3)
- Photography By [Photos] – Francis Loney
- Producer – Rod Gammons
- Stylist [Styling] – Paul Savory
NOTES:
“Cha Cha Heels”: Recorded and Re-mixed digitally at Berwick Street Studios, London.
A Starcoast Production
Manufactured in England
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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But let’s give a little mention to Chiwetel Ejiofor’s rendition in his catwalk medley from the movie ‘Kinky Boots’! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwk75Fek3qs
I was fortunate enough to see The Catwoman herself, Miss Eartha Kitt about a year before she passed at a small venue in Orange County. She purred through the club cuts from her 1984 Jacques Morali (Village People, The Ritchie Family) -produced album I Love Men featuring the hit “Where Is My Man” (US Dance #7; UK #36) as well as many tracks from her jazz- and standards-era albums going back to the early 1950s including “C’est Si Bon” (US #8) later covered in a 1976 medley by NYC’s Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah band as the gay dance classic “Whispering-Cherchez… Read more »
Thank you Paul for this great rip. The music of this song seems a lot like Laserdance.
This is really interesting. I had no idea she hooked up with the Bronskis for a record.
Hi Paul, Thanks for uploading great tunes that I grew up listening too, always loved the Bronski Beat Records, and Eartha Kitt on vocals really worked.Over the years there has been many Pet Shop Boys posts, I’ve enjoyed your recent PSB and looking forward to there new compilation this month called Smash: The Singles 1985–2020. Can you please re-upload Left to My Own Devices 12″ and would really love to see Absolutely Fabulous (1994). Thank You for this months music for Happy Pride Month.
“Absolutely Fabulous” was released by the Pet Shop Boys as a single for 1994’s Comic Relief (UK).
Thank you Paul for all your work on this! So much camp, so much fun. Jonathan Hellyer is now one of our best-loved drag performers here in the UK; he can tell some amazing stories about working with Miss Kitt on this project. I see he’s performing in London this Sunday, must book my ticket…
I remember dancing to this when I first started going to our local gay club in 1991 (I was 20 at the time and had just come out)! LOVED it, and finally tracked down the CD-Single many years later. The music is so frenetic and intoxicating and Eartha then single-handedly takes it all up to the next level. A definite Gay Pride banger if ever there was one! Thanks for sharing and introducing this classic to a wider audience!
BTW I can TOTALLY imagine Divine belting this one out! It would still have been just as awesome!
Always love this one, Never heard of Ertha before this came out and was a big crossover hit. then saw her on “boomerang” a couple of years later
There was 2nd 12″ with a different 12″ mix and edit that is a bit more obscure, the one you shared has the same versions that were included on the CD single
Yeah, I do not have the second 12″ it is harder to get a near-mint copy, especially in the USA. I have it on my want list though.
I know. those flimsy paper thin vinyl in the paper thin UK/EU 12″ sleeves and no inner were pretty much scuffed before they were out of the sleeve. Incidentally all versions have contribution from Danny Hyde, of Coil fame. another Gay connection right there.
OMG!! This is such a cult-fave of Karen’s and mine!! We’ve always loved Miss Kitt as Cat Woman on “Batman” and her Christmas chestnut, “Santa Baby” and the club staple “Where Is My Man.”
Thank you, Paul, twenty times over for this campy record!! We absolutely love it!!
Jeff
You’re welcome, Jeff. I do wish Divine would have lived long enough to record the track that would have been amazing. loved Eartha Kitt asOld Lady Hackmore in Earnest Scared Stupid 🙂
I fully agree with you, Paul. Divine would have been so much fun on vocals here.
Jeff
I remember this record being a drag staple of the day but didn’t know Bronski Beat had anything to do with it before now. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Dean 🙂
I discovered this song waaaaaaaay too late in life. Thank you for posting this.
You’re welcome, David 🙂