Burning The Ground Exclusive 1986
NEW 2024 Transfer!
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration!
Originally posted November 28, 2012
“Rage Hard” is the fifth single by English pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood. It was released on 25 August 1986 as the first single from their second album Liverpool. The song reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart and number 1 in Germany and it was also a massive success in other countries.
Having topped the charts around the world with Welcome to the Pleasuredome and its accompanying singles, Frankie Goes to Hollywood took off to Hilversum Wisseloord Studios to record the follow-up album, Liverpool. Taking on a rockier edge, “Rage Hard” was the first single culled from the album.
In a 1986 interview, singer Holly Johnson was asked about the meaning of the song explaining, “Have you read the poem ‘Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night’ by Dylan Thomas? It was kind of inspired by that. It’s an incantation against death and lethargy, and it’s supposed to encourage lots of creative idealism in the listener.”
Not only was it the first Frankie single to be featured on CD single, it was also the first single to not feature a cassette release—new rules limited the number of items that could count towards the official charts, following the earlier ZTT excesses. “Rage Hard” eventually hit number 4 in the UK Singles Chart and number 1 in Germany for two weeks, #5 in Switzerland, #7 in the Netherlands, #12 in Austria, #19 in Sweden and #32 in France.
*The two tracks are exclusive to this U.S. Promo, and remain vinyl-only mixes.
SIDE A:
Rage Hard (Vocal / Remix) 7:00
SIDE B:
Rage Hard (Remix / Edit) / (Vocal) 4:20
Rage Hard (Remix / Dub) / (Instrumental) 5:12
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Island Records – DMD 987, ZTT – DMD 987
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Promo, Stereo, Specialty Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
CREDITS:
- Executive-Producer – Stephen Lipson
- Producer – Trevor Horn
- Remix – Freddie Bastone*
NOTES:
From the LP “Liverpool”
Promotional Copy Not For Sale
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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Thank you for this one, a perfect song by FGTH!
You’re welcome, Peter 🙂
Again a great finding !
I bought the regular 12″ at that time and thought I had collected all versions since then but… I was wrong 🙂
Tx a million
You’re very welcome 🙂
So this is one of those moments that happen to me occasionally when I purchased something when I was young that sounded nothing like the version I heard at the time. I used to think I remembered it incorrectly, but in the last few years am realizing that our radio station often played these more obscure versions. So THANK YOU for adding this. It is the version they played on the radio in Seattle. And I now I know I wasn’t hallucinating 🙂
You’re welcome, Conner. I miss when radio played the remix edits nowadays they seem only to play the album version. The edits seem to be lost. 🙂
Thank you Paul!! Definitely worthy of a new transfer. I like the rockier edge (of course!). Rockier edge was certainly the trend in ’86, if you look at FGTH, Eurythmics, Device, Tina Turner, Billy Idol, etc. This is one to crank up and Rage Hard (however you interpret that Jeff, LOL)!
You’re welcome, Retro Hound 🙂
Rage!! HARD!!!!!!
Have a great day, Retro Hound!!!
Jeff
Thank you DJ. Another good one!
You’re welcome, johnny42 🙂
Many thanks for this rarity, Paul! Glad you re-visited this one. I like all their singles, there was a STORM of different and obscure 12″s back in the day. I have almost half of them. Keep posting the FGTH catalogue! Cheers!
FGTH were like Depeche Mode in that sense. No matter how many of the different versions of their songs you have, there are always more. So, I agree with you: Keep posting more of these rare remix promos.
I don’t remember this single, which is odd as it reached number 4 in the UK. I must of been off the music radar around that time of year.
Listening to it now this is a new favourite of mine.
Thanks Paul 🙂
You’re welcome, Marco 🙂
I always seem to back to the albums these releases come from, but Liverpool was fantastic. As a whole album I actually listen to it more than Welcome to the Pleasure Dome. The 2011 deluxe package (SALVOMDCD19, ZTT Element 19) was really well done and had a lot of great extras. As noted elsewhere obviously there was more good content that could have been there 🙂
Thanks Paul!
You’re welcome, Mikey D. I also favor “Liverpool”. Enjoy! 🙂
In 2014, the music journalist Paul Lester wrote that “no band has dominated a 12-month period like Frankie ruled 1984”. He was accurate! Thanks!!
You’re welcome, Raymond 🙂
Thank you SO much for digitising this relatively rare US promo 12″ in such good quality.
It’s really both insane and insulting that in the 38 years since this release, ZTT still didn’t manage to put the two vinyl-only Freddie Bastone remixes on any of its zillion FGTH compilations.
I already had someone else’s digitised recordings, but as usual your work is better than probably anyone else in… the world? Please keep it up, and thank you again!
You’re welcome. Thank you for the compliment as well 🙂
AMAAAAAAZING!!! Thank you for a perfect transfer of this outstanding 12″!!!! When “RELAX” came out, I loved it so much that I recorded it repeatedly onto a cassette, just so I could listen to it continuously on my Walkman!!! And I loved their next singles just as much, especially “Power Of Love” and the remixes of “Two Tribes“!!! And “Rage Hard” was the perfect continuation of that stunning trend of exciting, powerful songs! Trevor should have done at least on “harder” remix with Steve Stevens to give it that Billy Idol edge! But either way, I absolutely love all FGTH… Read more »
My pleasure, Martika. A Steve Stevens mix would have been awesome I can imagine what that would have sounded like.
Hell, yes, Paul!! The more I hear this Frankie song, the more I love it. I never really understood the song’s meaning, but I have read the Dylan Thomas poem, so it kind of makes sense. I guess though, as a lustful person at the time of the song’s release, and that it being, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, I thought it was a double entendre for a raging hard-on!! Sorry, to be so blunt, and apologies to those sensitive in the community, but even the band had the thought-provoking version of the song, entitled: “The Young Person’s Guide to the… Read more »
lol, Jeff!!! You’re definitely not wrong! That was definitely part of their original style!
Thanks, Martika. I appreciate you taking the comment with a sense of humor. It isn’t my intention to offend anyone here!!
Have a great day and week!!
Jeff
I don’t think FGTH fans are easily offended!
😀
That’s exactly what I thought, too, back in the day… Considering the band’s style and Holly’s lifestyle it’s the most NATURAL thought that could emerge from a man’s mind (LOL!) Bless you, Jeff, you made my day! 🙂 🙂
Thanks, RtrHG, you made my day as well!! I like the way we both think!!
Jeff
I always thought the song was sexual given Frankies antics. I love this song a lot maybe more than Relax. If that makes sense, I love that it has more of a masculine vibe.
True!