Burning The Ground Exclusive
This record has always been one of my guilty pleasures. I love its uplifting lyrics about embracing life no matter what comes your way—something that feels especially relevant right now. Blending freestyle, synth-pop, and house, the track boasts remixes by Keith Cohen, Steve Beltran, and Arthur Baker.
“Live It Up” was the debut single from singer-songwriter Gardner Cole, released in 1988. Featured on his album Triangles, the track fused pop, R&B, and dance influences, embodying the polished, radio-friendly production style of the late ’80s.
While the song only reached #91 on the Billboard Hot 100, it found greater success in the clubs, peaking at #13 on the Billboard Dance Chart in October 1988, where it spent seven weeks. Though not a major pop hit, “Live It Up” became a club favorite, showcasing Cole’s knack for infectious melodies and sleek production.
Beyond his own recordings, Gardner Cole was a prolific songwriter. He co-wrote Open Your Heart for Madonna and penned songs for major artists like Jody Watley and Tina Turner.
For Jody Watley, he co-wrote Most of All, a standout from her 1987 self-titled debut. Released as a single, it became a dance floor hit, reaching #11 on the Billboard Dance Chart.
For Tina Turner, he contributed to Whatever You Want, featured on her 19895album Wild’s Dreams. The song blended Turner’s signature rock and R&B sound with a refined mid-’90s production.
Though Live It Up didn’t turn Gardner Cole into a household name, his behind-the-scenes contributions left a lasting mark on pop and dance music, ensuring his influence lived on well beyond the charts.
SIDE A:
Live It Up (12″ Club Mix) 7:00
Remix – Keith Cohen, Steve Beltran
Live It Up (Dub) 7:18
Remix – Keith Cohen, Steve Beltran
Live It Up (Remix/Edit) 4:44
Remix – Keith Cohen, Steve Beltran
SIDE B:
Live It Up (12″ Remix) 7:26
Remix, Producer [Additional Production] – Arthur Baker
Live It Up (Acid Dub) 6:24
Remix, Producer [Additional Production] – Arthur Baker
Got Me Curious 3:58
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Live It Up | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #91 |
| 1988 | Live It Up | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance / Club Play | #13 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records – 0-21015
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Acid House, Synth-pop, Freestyle
CREDITS:
- Executive-Producer – Michael Ostin
- Producer – Gardner Cole
- Written-By – Danny Sembello (tracks: A1 to A3, B1, B2), Gardner Cole
NOTES:
1 to A3, and B1/B2 From the Warner Bros. album △’s
B1/B2 Additional production and mix by Arthur Baker for Arthur Baker Inc.
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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Welcome back Paul!!!! I hope you are feeling much better and recuperating well. Thank you VERY much for this – brilliant track!
Thanks DJPaulT. And welcome back!
You’re welcome, Nick 🙂
Thanks Paul for this memory that I didn’t have in my memory. I have a concern. Is there something wrong with the Acid Dub track? Or do I understand that this is the sound of the original master? I hear it with a sound like inside a tube, that is to say something kind of strange or is it just me who hears it like that? With all due respect of course. Thanks for your comments.
Hi Nacho, this is the sound of the original master. The mastering is out of phase.
Sometimes a picture says more than thousand words. On the left you can see the correlation of the Club Mix and on the right you can see the Acid Dub. Whatever they used to master this song, it went wrong. Paul’s rip is as good as ever->Perfect!
Thanks for your comments, my friend, and because I didn’t want to be left with any doubts, I asked the question; everything is very clear. A hug to you and Paul, who makes us so happy with his memories and truly perfect work.
Hey Paul. This one brings back memories. Blasting the ACID DUB by Mr. Baker out of the speakers in my first car. Listening to it in my first flat. Good times that I don’t wanna miss! Glad to have you back! YOU RULE!!!!!
Hey Frank, thank you for sharing your memories of the song with us. Enjoy!
New one to me. Thanks. We really appreciate you taking the time to post whilst in recovery. Do take it easy though. Cheers!
Cheers Josef, Thank you 🙂
Good to have you back Paul
Thank you, Matt 🙂
I’ve never heard this. Reminds me of Robbie Nevil (Cest la vie, Dominoes)
Gary, I agree the style is very similar 🙂
Lovely to see you’re well enough to post again Paul, tho do still keep taking it easy!! 🙂
Thank you, Jermajesty. I will. It is always good to see your posts, by the way! 🙂
Welcome back Paul!! Perfect bookends, from Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone) to Live It Up. So glad you’re doing better and you’re taking it easy. Remember, the tortoise beat the hare, Lol! Thanks for posting this – totally new to me! It’s quite catchy and I love the artwork too. Gardner Cole reminds me a bit of Robbie Nevil. Thank you Paul!!
Thank you, Retro Hound. I agree that Gardner Cole and Robbie Nevil are very similar, as both are songwriters, producers, and solo artists.
Thank you, Paul! Glad to see you back, but I hope you will continue to take it easy until you fully recover. I listened to the entire album yesterday, which was new to me, and it is really good. I love when you introduce me to a new artist that should have been in my favorites all along. 🙂 And the ACID DUB by Arthur Baker is outstanding. I still hear Depeche Mode in the end for some reason. Maybe that was intentional.
Thank you, Martika. I promise to continue taking it easy. I like the Acid Dub, but I don’t understand some of the criticism I’ve read on the Discogs release page. I prefer the mixes on the A-side because they maintain the integrity of the original a bit better.
Welcome back, Paul. The thing with the “Acid Dub” version is that one channel is out of phase (apparently a transfer and thus a pressing fault). This results in an exaggerated width and unnatural depth when listening in stereo with speakers (not so much with headphones) and a loss of bass when listening in mono. You can phase flip one channel of the file in an audio editor and you get the correct version.
Hi Paul,the criticism is only about the Acid Dub. The song is out of phase.You can definitely hear it. If you listen in front of nearfield monitors, switch to mono. Try the same with another track.
Btw: good to see you are back. Hopefully your recovery is progressing.
hmm, I actually really like the Acid Dub. I think you just can’t look at it as a remix of the original, but rather a song that stands on its own …. like an Acid House song sampling “Live It Up”.
Welcome back, Paul. I agree these A side mixes do it for me, I think it’s a great song & GC has a great voice too.
Keith Cohen was remixing some great artists back in the late 80s, early 90s.
Thanks Paul
You’re welcome, Mark 🙂
Wow! Thanks so much. As an avid reader of liner notes I’ve always meant to check out his albums because of his involvement in so many great projects including the ones you mentioned as well as Elisa, Rockwell, St Paul, Jane Wieldin, etc including the unreleased Mighty Soulmates album featuring Andre Cymone! A couple song from that were included as rewards in a pledge music campaign for fDeluxe! Looking so forward to this! Welcome back!
I love his songwriting. The album “triangles” is a great album, check it out. 🙂
Will do!!!
I listened to the entire album yesterday after ToxicAudio figured out your little teaser! Very solid album, front to back! Sounds like George Michael over Freestyle and early House beats! Definitely gonna be playing that one a lot in the car.
Welcome back Paul, so glad to see you doing well. Always take care of yourself and your loved ones first, but as always, thank you for the music!
C.R.
Thank you, Christopher, I am happy to be easing myself back into things. 🙂
Welcome back, Paul!
I don’t think I’ve ever heard this song before. I’m excited to check it out.
I hope you like it, Josh. 🙂
Hey Paul!! I’m so happy to see you posting again!! This is a great song to come back to!! I must admit that this is the first time I’ve heard the record, but I love the energy and, that video is fantastic! I can’t wait to hear the mixes by Arthur Baker, especially!!
But Paul, please don’t rush to come back. What I mean is, be sure you’re feeling well. Please, don’t rush things. We all care about you and your health more than anything!
Hugs!
Jeff (and Karen)
Thank you, Jeff and Karen.
I’m slowly easing back into normal life but still being careful. I’m not supposed to lift anything yet, so I’m taking it easy. As for posting, I’ll ease back into it—updates may not be as frequent for now. We’ll see how it goes. I really appreciate your concern!
I hope you enjoy this record—I personally prefer the mixes on the A-side!
Hi Paul.Welcome back.I trust all is going well with you.Best wishes for you going forward.Thanks for your new posts and all that you do on your blog.Your generosity is appreciated.Go well always.
Thank you, DJBD 🙂
Whatever You Want is from Tina’s 1995 album “Wildest Dreams”.
Thank you for the correction.
Great to see you back Paul. Hope your recovery is going well. Thanks for this post!
Thank you, you’re welcome, Stefano 🙂