BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985
“Miami Vice Theme” was created and performed by Jan Hammer as the theme to the television series Miami Vice. It was first presented as part of the television broadcast of the show in September 1984 and released as a single in 1985, peaking at the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the last instrumental to top the Hot 100 until 2013, when “Harlem Shake” by Baauer reached number one. It also peaked at number 5 in the UK, and number 4 in Canada. In 1986, it won Grammy Awards for “Best Instrumental Composition” and “Best Pop Instrumental Performance.” This song, along with Glenn Frey’s number-two hit “You Belong to the City”, put the Miami Vice soundtrack on the top of the US album chart for 11 weeks in 1985, making it the most successful TV soundtrack of all time until 2006 when Disney Channel’s High School Musical beat its record.
It’s a mystery the US 12″ credits François Kevorkian and Ron St. Germain as remixer while the UK 12″ credits Louil Silas Jr.. The “Extended Remix” seems to be the same mix that appears on the UK release. So who actually remixed the track?
SIDE A:
Miami Vice Theme (Extended Remix) 6:52
Remix – François Kevorkian, Ron St. Germain
SIDE B:
Miami Vice Theme (Remix) 4:32
Remix – François Kevorkian, Ron St. Germain
Miami Vice Theme (Original) 1:00
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Miami Vice Theme | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #1 |
| 1985 | Miami Vice Theme | U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary | #16 |
| 1985 | Miami Vice Theme | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play | #21 |
| 1985 | Miami Vice Theme | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | #7 |
| 1985 | Miami Vice Theme | U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | #29 |
| 1985 | Miami Vice Theme | U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles | #10 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records – MCA-23575
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
CREDITS:
Producer, Arranged By – Jan Hammer
Written-By – J. Hammer*
NOTES:
Original version appears on the MCA LP, MCA-6150, “Music From The Television Series ‘Miami Vice'”
Find the 12″ on DISCOGS
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: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
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
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
Paul, does your front cover really have the catalog number repeated in the lower left corner?
What a too boring picture on the back cover. Those shoulderpads are way to small for this tune. His team of consultants should have advised him to use pink as well. Or at least let the set-decorators have a go.
Paul, this is a true connection between our two worlds… last week I was able to get the VST samples of that famous drums that all us 40ers dreamed to play! I was rambling on my keyboard all weekend untill my neighbor came and said “it’s enough miami vice please!”. Now I will play this release all day… he he.
Thanks as always Paul for the great tunes!
OMG, as a BIG fan of Miami Vice, I have no words to express my gratitude to you Paul!!!
Thank you SO MUCH!!! You make my day!
Glad to have this done with your special care Paul. I’ve always loved the long version of the track. And I loved the screeches and sirens that were added to the mix. I love songs that encompass the sounds of automobiles and zooming effects. Although and unfortunately I don’t drive, I still can get into the sound of speed and the car chases. I really smiled when I saw this come up today. You are quite unpredictable with what you post and that’s why I love you and Burning The Ground. There’s this vast spectrum of music. You rock, as… Read more »
Thanks so much for the great rip! I didn’t know Roy Munson was featured on the back! 🙂
You’re welcome Fred 🙂
Miami Vice will to me always be the best tv show the umiverse has ever seen. For good readon, not only because of how every show was shot like a big budget movie and how it shaped and influenced the tv culture of the 80s and later decades, but probably even more because of how the music accompanied the atmosphere and created the mood. Jan Hammer’s soundtrack that got the action rolling of yet another episode of the show that ended at such a fitting time, when the decade of the greatest music was over, has still not lost its… Read more »
I will see what I can come up with Fred 🙂
Thanks my Vinyl Master 🙂
You’re welcome pjanus 🙂
I desperately tried to find the difference between the Kevorkian and the Silas jr mixes, but I couldnt find any. Then I read Goozers posting he made in 2015, when you posted the UK 12”. This cleared it all up: (citation) goozer Reply: July 7th, 2015 at 7:58 pm No mystery — it’s just mislabeled on the UK edition. The Extended Remix on both the US and UK singles is indeed from François Kevorkian & Ron St. Germain. This was annoying to discover upon finally acquiring the UK release some years later. However, the 12″ Edit mixes on them are… Read more »
Yes, a big thank you to him for clearing that up as it had confounded me for 3 decades before then what the differences were.
Thanks for going back and looking at the old comments Beeroh I’m just happy that there is at least one alternate mix. Thanks again 🙂
I didn’t realize there were different remixes. How sneaky of them to both be the same length!
I think the MCA messed up the remixing credits on both releases. They both seem to be the same mix as far as I can tell. Pretty confusing hopefully someone can help us sort this out 🙂
Jan Hammer was fantastic on playing a VCO/VCF/VCA or FM synth through an guitar amp to get a decent guitar sound, and his impressive guitar-like technique with the Pitch bend and Mod wheel.
Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes did something similar on the Paper Gods album…..Track 3 “You Kill Me With Silence” at 3mim.33sec.
Thanks for another great post Paul and a trip down memory lane, also loved the television series Miami Vice.
You’re welcome John. Thanks for the info 🙂
Thanks Paul for this great post. I always loved this instrumental track. I didn’t know about this Kevorkian Remix and I think it has never been released on CD. Another great find for me. Paul you saved my busy working day.
You’re welcome Daniel 🙂
of course it is, in “Back to the 80’s, the long versions 2” from Sony Netherlands! 😉