Burning The Ground Exclusive
Yesterday we were chasing a gopher around the golf course.
Today, we are moving on to 9½ Weeks.
Nobody can accuse this series of lacking variety.
For our next Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition selection, we turn to Canadian singer and songwriter Luba and “The Best Is Yet To Come,” from the 1986 film 9½ Weeks.
Directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke, 9½ Weeks certainly was not Caddyshack II. The film became one of the most talked-about movies of the decade, following the intense relationship between New York art gallery employee Elizabeth and mysterious Wall Street broker John.
And like so many memorable films from the 1980s, it came with a terrific soundtrack.
John Taylor opened the album with “I Do What I Do… (Theme For 9½ Weeks),” followed by Luba’s “The Best Is Yet To Come.” The soundtrack also featured Bryan Ferry’s “Slave To Love,” Dalbello’s “Black On Black,” Corey Hart’s “Eurasian Eyes,” Joe Cocker’s unforgettable “You Can Leave Your Hat On,” Devo, Eurythmics, and Stewart Copeland.
Luba actually appears twice.
The album closes with “Let It Go,” a song that originally appeared on her 1984 album Secrets And Sins. “The Best Is Yet To Come,” however, was not taken from one of Luba’s regular studio albums. It was recorded for the soundtrack and later appeared on her 1987 compilation Over 60 Minutes With Luba.
That makes this one especially interesting for soundtrack collectors.
“The Best Is Yet To Come” was written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle and produced by Narada Michael Walden.
That is already quite a pedigree.
Walden surrounds Luba’s powerful voice with the kind of glossy, dramatic production that seemed made for the middle of the 1980s. Big drums, keyboards, atmosphere, and a vocal that keeps building as the song moves forward.
And then François Kevorkian gets hold of it.
Now we are really talking.
The US 12-inch takes the track onto the dance floor with an Extended Dance Mix and Dub Version remixed by François Kevorkian, one of the most important names in club music. The record also includes “Let It Go,” giving us both of Luba’s contributions to the 9½ Weeks soundtrack on one 12-inch.
The Extended Dance Mix gives the production room to breathe. Kevorkian stretches out the rhythm, lets the percussion and keyboards take a larger role, and builds an arrangement that feels much more spacious than the soundtrack version.
Then comes the Dub.
And you know I love a good dub.
This is where the record gets stripped down and opened up, allowing the production itself to become the star. Vocals move in and out, instrumental pieces suddenly jump forward, and all those little details hiding underneath the original mix finally get their turn.
It is exactly the kind of remixing that made the 12-inch format so much fun.
There was also an official music video made for “The Best Is Yet To Come,” another reminder that Capitol was giving the song a genuine push beyond its soundtrack appearance.
Despite that promotion and an international single release, “The Best Is Yet To Come” does not appear to have reached any of the major national singles charts.
That is a little surprising.
Here we have a major motion-picture soundtrack, production by Narada Michael Walden, remixes by François Kevorkian, an official music video, and a singer who was already a major star in Canada.
And somehow, the single slipped through the chart cracks.
Luba became one of Canada’s most successful female vocalists of the decade and won the Juno Award for Female Vocalist of the Year three years in a row.
Yet in the United States, she remained something of a discovery.
That makes “The Best Is Yet To Come” perfect for this series.
Here we have a great female vocalist, a major motion-picture soundtrack, production by Narada Michael Walden, remixes by François Kevorkian, and a US 12-inch that brings both of Luba’s soundtrack contributions together.
And still, the record is easy to overlook.
Not anymore.
From golf courses and gophers to Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger, Week Four continues to take us to some interesting places.
But that is the fun of soundtrack collecting.
You never know where the next record is going to take you.
And judging by this one…
The Best Is Yet To Come.
SIDE A:
The Best Is Yet To Come (Extended Dance Mix) 6:37
SIDE B:
The Best Is Yet To Come (Dub Vs.) 5:53
Let It Go 3:41
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Capitol Records – V-15231
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, SRC Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop
CREDITS:
- Producer – Daniel Lanois (tracks: B2), Narada Michael Walden (tracks: A, B1)
- Remix – Francois Kevorkian* (tracks: A, B1)
- Written-By – G. Lyle* (tracks: A, B1), Luba (tracks: B2), T. Britten* (tracks: A, B1)
NOTES:
This is a Specialty Records Corporation (SRC) pressing as indicated by E A S T embossed on side A label.
(from the LP “9 1/2 Weeks” Original Motion Picture Soundtrack SV-12470)
Housed inside a company die-cut sleeve
Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS
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I’d like to take a moment to accuse this series of having a lack of variety! 🙂 I have to admit I have never seen the movie in question… hopefully it is as good as Caddyshack II… but the whole soundtrack for this one is pretty good though! I think I like the remix and the dub more than the original for this track. The transfer sounds outstanding. I think the the song title here is really telling, the best is yet to come indeed, can’t wait to see what you have in store for the rest of the week… Read more »
Thank you so much, JP! I knew somebody was going to call me out on that “lack of variety” line. If you ever do watch 9½ Weeks, I can safely say it is a very different experience from Caddyshack II. But I agree about the soundtrack. It is loaded with great music, and François Kevorkian really gives this track another life. I can completely understand preferring the remix and dub to the original. I’m especially glad you are enjoying the transfer. And yes, “The Best Is Yet To Come” turned out to be a pretty appropriate title for this point… Read more »
If you choose to watch it, make sure you pick the original director’s cut. The movie flopped in the US because it was heavily censored to appease the PMRC, etc…. to such an extent that this version appears completely ridiculous.
Thanks for the advice on going for the director’s cut! Much appreciated. There might be a double feature with Caddyshack II in my future!
Wow, I never even knew there was a 12“ for this song! Looking forward to both mixes! Sadly, two other fave tunes from the film were neither on the LP let alone given single releases: Jack Nietzsche‘s Love Theme and Jarre‘s dazzling Arpegiator.
Thank you so much, Andy! I love when one of these posts turns up a 12-inch that even longtime soundtrack fans did not know existed. And you are absolutely right about those two pieces. Jack Nitzsche’s “Love Theme” and Jean-Michel Jarre’s “Arpegiator” are both memorable parts of the film, yet neither made it onto the soundtrack LP. That is one of those frustrating little mysteries that soundtrack collectors know all too well. At least with Luba, we got a terrific 12-inch and two François Kevorkian mixes to make up for it a little. I hope you enjoy both mixes, and… Read more »
Luba!!! Love her, one of my fave fellow Canadian artists, fantastic voice, all her albums are worth checking out if anyone is not familiar with her. Thanks for this Paul!
Thank you so much, Lee R! Luba really does have one of those voices that immediately grabs your attention.
I agree that anyone who only knows her from a soundtrack appearance or a couple of singles should dig deeper into her albums. There is a lot of excellent material there, and she deserved a much bigger audience outside Canada.
I’m very happy to feature her in the series, especially with a record as overlooked as this one. Thank you again!
There was an interview many years ago with Terry Britten and he was talking about working with Tina Turner on her Break Every Rule and mentioned a song called “The Best Has Yet To Come” that Tina didn’t like so he gave it to someone else. I wonder if this is that song.
Thank you so much, JTH! Now that is fascinating, and you may very well be onto something. I did a little digging after reading your comment. “The Best Is Yet To Come” was, of course, written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle, and Marilyn Martin later recorded the same song as well. The timing certainly makes your memory of Tina and the Break Every Rule sessions intriguing. I have not been able to track down that Terry Britten interview yet, so I don’t want to say for certain that Luba ended up with the song Tina passed on. But if… Read more »
“ 9½ Weeks certainly was not Caddyshack”
That’s hilarious 😂
Wow, the details from the production of this track and it’s remix are enough !!!
= There’s no way this isn’t a winner!
I remember the movie, I remember I Do What I Do… I think I have the soundtrack on vinyl but maybe I’m dreaming about someone else’s collection…
Can’t wait to hear this gem!
Thank you so much, ING! I couldn’t resist that Caddyshack line. Going from Gophers to 9½ Weeks was just too good a transition to leave alone. And I agree, once you see Narada Michael Walden producing and François Kevorkian remixing, expectations go up immediately. A lot is going on in this track, and the 12-inch really lets all those production details come forward. “I Do What I Do…” is probably the song most people immediately associate with the soundtrack, so I think Luba’s contribution gets overlooked a little. That makes it even more fun to bring this one back. I… Read more »
You’re welcome, Richard. I’ve got “Let It Go” on order and will share it once it arrives. 🙂
Oh wow, I never even bothered to see if there were any remixes of the amazing songs of that soundtrack. And on top of it, it’s a François Kevorkian remix! You just blew my mind. Thank you so much! Glad you decided to continue this outstanding series!
by the way, you can definitely hear that this song was written by Terry Britten. It has the same vibe as Tina’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It”. Great stuff!
I agree, Axel. Terry Britten and Graham Lyle were all over the 80s, writing songs for Tina and Olivia! 🙂
Thank you so much, Axel F80! François Kevorkian is exactly the kind of name that makes you stop and take notice on a soundtrack 12-inch.
That is one of the reasons I love digging into these records.
Sometimes a familiar soundtrack hides a remix or pressing that completely changes how you hear the song. This one was definitely worth pulling back into the light.
I’m really glad you are enjoying the series and that this one managed to surprise you. Thank you again!
The “9 1/2 Weeks” motion picture soundtrack is probably the one soundtrack I am head over heels in love with. Or make that, in lust with! Seeing the film first in the theaters was an incredibly stimulating affair for me. This was an excruciatingly arousing movie that was really soft-core erotica. Kim Basinger, for me, was that perfect sex kitten! She and Mickey Rourke had some scorching on-screen chemistry with one another. Here were two gorgeous Hollywood stars that could provoke intense feelings of lust and desire in my young mind (and loins!). And Adrian Lyne’s cinematic vision had so… Read more »
Thank you so much, Jeff! There is no question that 9½ Weeks left quite an impression on audiences, and the music became inseparable from the atmosphere of the film. I agree that the soundtrack is exceptionally strong. Bryan Ferry, Joe Cocker, John Taylor, Dalbello, Corey Hart, Luba, Eurythmics, and the others make it one of those albums where the deeper cuts are just as interesting as the better-known songs. And as you mentioned, several of those tracks have great 12-inch versions waiting to be explored. François Kevorkian was another big reason I wanted to feature this particular record. His Extended… Read more »
Hello Paul,
Thank you for your hard work over all these years.
Fantastic!
This might not be the right place to ask, but I recently saw a TV documentary about Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder. Here is the link: https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/129378-000-A/giorgio-moroder-donna-summer-i-feel-love/ (You can choose the English version).
I would like to know the name of the song that starts at 37:48. Maybe you know it from the US?
Thank you!
Unfortunately I can’t seem to play this video to see if I know the song!
Maybe you will be able to use this link : https://www.filemail.com/d/qhnxwaesiwhujjy ?
I read the credits at the end and it looks like a piece called “Night Music” but no publisher and no songwriter mentioned, so my guess it’s production music and not available publicly.
You know, I listens, and I’d say I could say it sounds familiar but could not say what it was! It’s also hard because it was not in English. I’d have to access it in English. If I have a chance I’ll look unless someone else here can enlighten us!!!!
Hello,
You can found an English version of the documentary. It is a very good documentary.
The song is also familiar to me. It is unusual to find violin for a song of 1970’s (37:56).
Here is the link : https://www.filemail.com/d/dknhkjuvdwndimv