BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“The Circus” is a song by British synthpop duo Erasure, released in September 1987 as the band’s seventh single overall. It is also the title track on their second album, The Circus.

The album version clocks at 5.30 minutes, so the song was remixed for the single release to a much more radio-friendly 3:50 minutes. Mute Records issued it as the fourth and final single from the album.

Written by Erasure members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, “The Circus” was a departure from the shiny pop of their six previous singles, creating a more down-tempo and melancholy mood. Essentially a synthpop track, the music is accentuated by acoustic guitar and a continuous circus-like accordion. The lyrics touch on social issues, rare for the duo, and center on the lament of “working men”, whose bright futures and job securities are left shattered in the modern world of greedy corporations and technology.

The song’s distinctive and unusual sound is said to have been inspired by Bell hearing a record being played backward.

Despite its haunting quality and dark lyrical content, “The Circus” became Erasure’s third UK Top 10 hit, peaking at number six.

SIDE A:
The Circus (Gladiator Mix) 6:08
Remix – Dave Powell

The Circus (Decay Mix) 5:33
Remix – Paul Kendall

SIDE B:
The Circus (Bareback Mix) 6:36
Mixed By – Pascal Gabriel

The Circus (DJ Mix) 3:52
Remix – Flood

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Sire ‎– 0-20822, Mute ‎– 0-20822, Sire ‎– 9 20822-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Artwork – Company Me*
Backing Vocals – Derek Smith (3), Steve Myers
Mastered By [Side 2 Runout Etching ⁀⁀ ⁀⁀] – Brian Gardner
Producer – Flood
Written-By – Clarke/Bell

NOTES:
A1 remixed at Konk.
A2 remixed at Blackwing.
B2 remixed at Trident Studios. Flood’s DJ Mix is an edit of the album version that is faster and pitched higher.

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: Schiit Mani
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

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

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