Burning The Ground Exclusive

NEW 2025 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Original post date: September 10, 2013

Before she became an international Grammy-winning pop icon, Jody Watley briefly took a detour into the UK club scene with a short-lived—but fascinating—solo launch. “Where The Boys Are” was her first solo single following her departure from Shalamar in the early 1980s, and it’s a gem that has flown under the radar for far too long.

Released exclusively in Europe and Australia on Mercury Records in 1984, “Where The Boys Are” marked a bold attempt at rebranding Watley as a club-ready solo act. Issued under just her first name—Jody—the track was part of an early effort to craft a full-length solo album while she was living in the UK. Unfortunately, neither this single nor the follow-up “Girls Night Out” generated significant traction, and the proposed album was ultimately shelved.

But that doesn’t mean the music lacked fire. On the contrary, “Where The Boys Are” pulses with classic mid-80s dancefloor energy—full of bouncing synths, moody grooves, and Jody’s unmistakable charisma. It’s sleek, stylish, and sassy—laying the early groundwork for the confident pop/fashion hybrid image she would perfect by the end of the decade.

The B-side of both singles was “My House (4-Free),” a track that would find unexpected life years later. In 1990, it was reworked into a club hit for Paul Lekakis, best known for his Hi-NRG anthem “Boom Boom (Let’s Go Back To My Room).”

None of the versions on this rare 12″ have ever been released on CD or digital platforms, making this a prized find for vinyl collectors and Watley completists.

Of course, the story doesn’t end here—Jody returned stronger than ever in 1987 with her U.S. debut self-titled album, which spun off multiple hits and earned her a Grammy for Best New Artist. But this 1984 single is where it all began—an early taste of her future solo stardom, waiting to be rediscovered.

SIDE A:
Where The Boys Are (The Long Way Home Mix!) 6:10
Producer, Engineer – Gary Langan

SIDE B:
Where The Boys Are (7″ Version) 3:16
Producer, Engineer – Gary Langan

My House (4-Free) 4:52
Engineer – Simon Sullivan

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Mercury ‎– JODY 112
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

• Design – Neville Brody
• Other [Assistant] – Ben Murphy
• Photography By – Tim O’Sullivan
• Producer – Bruce Woolley
• Written-By – Bruce Woolley, Jody Watley

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus:  Ortofon Concorde Music Black
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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