Burning The Ground Exclusive
NEW 2026 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration
Original post date: July 19, 2011
“Don’t Cry It’s Only The Rhythm”…
Few songs in pop history are as daring, theatrical, and sonically adventurous as Slave To The Rhythm by Grace Jones. Released in October 1985, the single was the centerpiece of Jones’ critically acclaimed album of the same name, a record that blurred the lines between pop, art, performance, and avant-garde experimentation.
Produced by the legendary duo of Trevor Horn and Stephen Lipson, “Slave To The Rhythm” became one of Grace Jones’ signature recordings. Built around thunderous percussion, dramatic orchestration, layered vocals, and hypnotic grooves, the track remains a striking example of mid-80s studio innovation.
The project originally began as a song intended for Frankie Goes to Hollywood, but Trevor Horn ultimately realized the composition was perfectly suited for Grace Jones’ commanding vocal style and larger-than-life persona. The result was unlike anything else on radio at the time.
The album itself was conceived almost like a concept piece. Different variations and interpretations of the title track appear throughout the LP, weaving together interviews, spoken-word passages, orchestral elements, and dense production techniques that pushed studio technology of the era to its limits. Horn utilized the Fairlight CMI extensively, helping create the album’s futuristic and cinematic soundscape.
“Slave To The Rhythm” was a major international success. The single reached the Top 10 in several countries including the UK, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, while also becoming a staple of dance clubs worldwide. In the United States, Grace Jones continued to strengthen her reputation as one of the most fearless and uncompromising artists of the decade.
The unforgettable music video, directed by Jean-Paul Goude, perfectly complemented the song’s surreal atmosphere. Goude, who had previously collaborated extensively with Jones both artistically and personally, created striking visual imagery that further cemented her status as a true icon of style and performance art.
This UK Limited Edition 12″ single contains the full-length “Blooded Version” of the track, running over eight minutes and delivering the complete immersive experience intended for the dance floor. From its dramatic opening narration to its explosive percussion breakdowns, the extended mix remains one of the defining 12-inch releases of the 1980s.
As with many productions from Trevor Horn during this era, the vinyl pressing offers warmth, punch, and dynamic range that many later digital releases struggle to capture fully. The layered percussion, deep bass textures, and atmospheric details especially come alive on a properly mastered 12-inch pressing.
Presented here is a NEW 2026 meticulous audio restoration and transfer, sourced directly from vinyl to preserve the depth, clarity, and power of this groundbreaking recording.
Whether experienced as avant-garde pop, dance music, or pure sonic theater, “Slave To The Rhythm” remains one of the boldest artistic statements of the 1980s. Nearly four decades later, it still sounds futuristic.
SIDE A:
Slave To The Rhythm (Blooded) 8:29
SIDE B:
Junk Yard 5:21
Annihilated Rhythm 3:38
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
Poster: Mint
| Chart Performance – Grace Jones: Slave To The Rhythm (1985–1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 20 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) | 7 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | 4 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) | 18 |
| European Top 100 Singles (Eurotipsheet) | 7 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) | 16 |
| France (SNEP) | 50 |
| Italy (Musica e dischi) | 6 |
| Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg) | 8 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | 3 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 4 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | 5 |
| Spain (AFYVE) | 14 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) | 5 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 12 |
| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard) | 1 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) | 20 |
| West Germany (GfK) | 4 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label:ZTT – 12IS 206, Island Records – 12IS 206
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Limited Edition, Poster
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop, Avant-Garde
CREDITS:
- Accompanied By – The Strictly Unreasonable Zang Tuum Tumb Big Beat Colossus
- Artwork [Front Cover] – Jean Paul Goude*
- Producer – Trevor Horn
- Producer [Assistant] – S. J. Lipson*
- Written-By – Bruce Woolley, Simon Darlow, Stephen Lipson, Trevor Horn
NOTES:
“The members of the Z.T.T. art AND ACT SERVICE and the strictly unreasonable ZANG TUUM TUMB BIG BEAT COLOSSUS, who accompany Miss Grace Jones, are acknowledged on the cover of the biography.”
Includes a poster – sleeve sealed with a green and silver sticker featuring the wording “Strictly Limited Edition Includes Special Poster”.
Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND
THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Music Black
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
Audio Interface: MOTU M4
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
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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Great stuff Paul! This is right up there with Pull Up to the Bumper.
The extended Blooded remix really feels like an experience – those orchestral sections are really expansive and immersive.
And who can forget that cover art… wild, disturbing, artistry right there. So memorable.
Thanks for digging into the archives to refresh this one!
One of my all time favourites from 1985 and one that got played frequently here in the UK on radio.
There were remixes released in 1994 by Danny D, which i liked too. But the Blooded Mix will never be bettered.
Cheers Paul 🙂
Thank you Paul. Trevor Horn is the an absolute genius and with this song he built himself a monument. When you consider that this song was originally written for FGTH… it must have sounded terrible with Holly Johnson’s voice.Even though he can sing well, this song wouldn’t have suited him at all.
If I could suggest something? Don’t name your files so obviously. I don’t know if the fileshare companies actively look inside zips, but when your file is named after a well known song, they’re probably going to notice a trend. I have a few albums on my Mega, and I used bad Spanish translations of the titles to name them. Haven’t had them taken down in years.
I don’t know if it’s a perfect solution, but it might help.
Hey Paul This Jamm Is Off The Hook. But There Is One Song That I Think Is Just A Little Better. ((Pull Up To The Bumper)) The Club Speakers In The 80’s Echoed This JaMM!!
Oh wow too fun! I have the original album and it is a tour de force like no other! Ear candy deluxe!
Can’t wait to hear this…
It’s absolutely criminal her cover artwork is missing from streaming… it’s part of her art and is terrible to be missing!
Ahh, a new transfer of one of my favourite 12 inches from the 80s. Although I like the Hot Blooded version just a tiny bit more than the Blooded version (different cleaner intro), this certainly has to be one of the best extended mixes the 80s gave us. It’s just another awesome Trevor Horn production. This long instrumental introduction, ahhh… Thanks Paul for giving this superb mix a new life. A must hear for everyone in this group!
Trevor Horn certainly had the Midas Touch and single-handedly redefined the 80s and shaped the future of music in general! As always, the best version of any of his productions is the fully extended remix! Thank you for another superb release!
Paul, another outstanding choice, your new rip of one of Grace Jones’ signature tunes, coming fresh after the victories with Sly & Robbie and the Compass Point Allstars. Horn made the right choice giving this tune to her in stead of the giants of his label FGTH. A few years ago when miss Jones was in her 75th year i saw her live in concert at a festival in my hometown. She performed for over an hour and closed her show with an 8 minute rendition of this song, all the while using a hula hoop! And she was magnificent!… Read more »
Although I am familiar with this song, I have never…ever…heard it on the radio or clubs back in 1985 in the Northeast of USA. It is completely unlike other massive hits of the USA clubs in 1985 too. Furthermore, it is not even listed on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_number-one_dance_singles_of_1985 yet it is listed here as #1. Can anyone shed some light on the chart discrepancy as well as why I never heard it back in the day? I’m a remix junkie and ex-dj but this one baffles me. The only place I’ve ever heard it was in the 1985 Ultimix Flashback Medley. Thanks… Read more »
Not sure why you never heard the track, it was huge
worldwide
Can’t seem to get this, says “file not found”
Which file?
looks like the 24 bit file link doesn’t work…
This truly is a song that is sonic theater! So iconic and grand scale in its execution, it makes an impact, whether it’s on the dancefloor, in the home or in the car, it’s a cinematic “soundtrack” that can be felt cerebrally and viscerally. I can almost hear Frankie Goes to Hollywood doing it, but having Grace Jones performing it is so much better. There’s nobody quite like her! Trevor Horn is a genius, a mad scientist of the studio, the “Architect of the Aural Artform!” I love the Go Go rhythms here. Those drums! Such drama and elation. Like… Read more »
Jeff, your description is absolutely perfect. “Sonic theater” really is the best way to describe this record. It’s more than just a song, it’s an experience. Trevor Horn threw absolutely everything into the production and somehow managed to make it feel massive yet incredibly precise at the same time. I agree about Frankie Goes To Hollywood. You can definitely imagine Holly Johnson singing it, especially during the more dramatic sections, but Grace Jones brings a level of sophistication, mystery, and authority that makes the track uniquely hers. Nobody else could have delivered it with that same commanding presence. And yes,… Read more »
Wow, such an amazing release Paul. Love Grace. Thank you very much!. Best
Thank you, Marcelo. Grace Jones was truly one of a kind. Fearless, stylish, and always pushing boundaries. “Slave To The Rhythm” still sounds unlike anything else, even today.
I’m really happy you enjoyed this one. It was a lot of fun working on this new 2026 transfer because there are so many layers and little details buried in the mix that really come alive on vinyl.
Have a great day, my friend.
My jaw is on the floor!
Perhaps Trevor and teams best remix?
Can’t wait to hear this Paul with your new set -up!!!
Thank you, Paul. This one absolutely deserves to be played loud. Trevor Horn and his team were operating at peak creative insanity during this period. Every second of the mix is packed with detail, texture, and atmosphere. It really does feel like one of the crown jewels of the ZTT era. The new setup really helped bring out the depth in this transfer too, especially the low-end percussion and those huge layered vocal passages. There’s so much happening across the stereo field that it almost feels three-dimensional at times. I think you’re going to have a lot of fun with… Read more »
Perhaps THE highlight of the 80’s music scene! In 1985 this release, along with Bryan Ferry’s Boys and Girls, made for a memorable year!
Raymond, I could not agree more. “Slave To The Rhythm” and Boys and Girls really represent two of the most sophisticated and artful productions of 1985. Both records had that luxurious, cinematic quality where every sound felt carefully sculpted and intentional. 1985 was such an incredible year for ambitious pop music. Artists and producers were taking huge creative risks while still managing to make records that were stylish, accessible, and completely unforgettable. Grace Jones and Bryan Ferry both understood how to turn music into atmosphere and mood, not just songs. That’s a big part of why these records still feel… Read more »
Yes, yes, yes! This is still as fantastic as the day it was released.
Absolutely, Dean. This record has never lost its power. It still sounds bold, futuristic, and completely unique all these years later. That’s a real testament to how far ahead of its time the production was.
Every listen reveals another little detail hiding in the mix too, especially on the 12″ version. Trevor Horn really built something extraordinary here.
So glad you’re enjoying this new transfer.