Wild Blue – Fire With Fire (US 12″ Promo) (1986)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Closet 80s is a recurring series spotlighting overlooked and forgotten gems from the decade—songs that may not have dominated the charts but left a lasting impression. These are the records that still spark memories, reward rediscovery, and prove that some of the best ’80s music lived just outside the spotlight.

Wild Blue – Fire With Fire (1986)

Some songs feel inseparable from their moment—and Fire With Fire by Wild Blue is one of those lost 80s gems that deserves another listen.

Released in 1986, Fire With Fire was written specifically for the film of the same name, giving the track an immediate cinematic urgency. The song was written and produced by Chas Sandford, best known for co-writing John Waite’s Missing You. His knack for emotionally direct, radio-ready songwriting is all over this track—polished, dramatic, and built to connect.

Wild Blue were a Chicago-based band fronted by lead singer Renee Varo, whose powerful yet controlled vocal performance gives the song its emotional core. Firmly rooted in the AOR (Album-Oriented Rock) world, Fire With Fire balances melody and muscle, letting the verses simmer before the chorus opens up with conviction and fire.

The song enjoyed strong exposure beyond radio thanks to its music video, which received heavy rotation on MTV. In the mid-’80s, that kind of visibility mattered, and Fire With Fire fit perfectly alongside the era’s emotionally charged rock and pop visuals.

On the charts, the single debuted at #89 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on May 17, 1986, eventually peaking at #71. While it never became a major hit, its MTV presence and AOR appeal helped it leave a lasting impression. The track would later appear on Wild Blue’s debut album, No More Jinx, cementing its place as the band’s defining moment.

Fire With Fire is exactly the kind of record Closet 80s was made for—a song that may not have dominated the charts, but still captures the sound, ambition, and emotion of its time. Turn it up and rediscover a track that proves some fires never really go out.

SIDE A:
Fire With Fire (Edit) 3:30

SIDE B:
Fire With Fire (Long Version) 4:41

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance — Wild Blue: *Fire With Fire* (1986)
Chart	Peak Position	Date
US Billboard Hot 100	#71	1986

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Chrysalis – VAS-2289
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Pop, Rock
Style: Pop Rock

CREDITS:

Engineer – Gary McGachan
Mixed By – Chas Sandford, Gary McGachan
Producer – Chas Sandford
Written-By – C. Sandford*

NOTES:
For Promotional Use Only

From the forthcoming LP “No More Jinx” and the Motion Picture “Fire With Fire.”

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
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

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal. I appreciate your help.

January 28, 2026

Pat Benatar – Invincible (Theme From The Legend Of Billie Jean) (Extended Remix) (US 12”) (1985)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

NEW 2026 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Previously posted April 14, 2015

Released on June 24, 1985, “Invincible” is the Grammy-nominated lead single from Pat Benatar’s sixth studio album, Seven the Hard Way. Written by Holly Knight and Simon Climie—with Knight also having co-written Benatar’s earlier breakthrough anthem “Love Is a Battlefield”—the song was created as a defining statement, not just a hit.

The track also served as the theme song for the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean, a cult favorite whose narrative of defiance, justice, and self-determination mirrors the song’s core message. That alignment wasn’t accidental. Invincible doesn’t simply accompany rebellion—it embodies it.

From its opening pulse, the record announces itself with authority. Synth-driven but grounded by Neil Giraldo’s unmistakable guitar work, the production balances mid-’80s pop precision with rock muscle. It’s bold, forward-moving, and unafraid of its own power. This is empowerment framed as momentum.

Lyrically, the song rejects passivity outright. Benatar’s vocal delivery is direct and uncompromising, cutting cleanly through the arrangement. There’s no irony here, no distance between the message and the performance. Invincible doesn’t suggest strength—it demands it.

Commercially, the song became one of Benatar’s defining hits, reaching #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning heavy rotation on MTV. In an era crowded with strong female voices, Benatar stood apart by leaning fully into conviction rather than spectacle. The song became Benatar’s fourth and final American top ten hit.

This presentation features a brand-new 2026 transfer with a meticulous new audio restoration, preserving the punch of the original mix while revealing added depth, clarity, and low-end weight. It’s a reminder of just how big—and how intentional—this record was meant to sound.

While Invincible wasn’t designed as a club track in the traditional sense, it shares DNA with the 12″ era’s emphasis on scale and physicality: big drums, big hooks, and a sound meant to move people—whether in an arena, on a car radio, or on a dancefloor where genre lines blurred.

Nearly forty years on, Invincible remains exactly what it claims to be. Not nostalgic. Not softened by time. It’s a song about standing up for what you believe and using your voice—especially when silence feels like the easiest option. In times like these, when our voices need to be heard louder than ever, Invincible still refuses to back down.

Pat Benatar didn’t just sing about being invincible—she made it sound achievable.

SIDE A:
Invincible (Theme From The Legend Of Billie Jean) (Extended Version) 5:31

SIDE B:
Invincible (Theme From The Legend Of Billie Jean) (Instrumental) 4:25

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – Pat Benatar: **Invincible** (Theme From The Legend Of Billie Jean) (1985)
Chart	Peak Position	Date
US Billboard Hot 100	#10	1985
US Billboard Mainstream Rock	#4	1985
UK Singles (OCC)	#53	1985
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	#6	1985
Australia (Kent Music Report)	#23	1985
Belgium (Ultratop50 Flanders)	#9	1985
West Germany (GfK)	#31	1985

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Chrysalis – 4V9 42878
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Engineer – “Tokes”*
Management – Rick Newman
Producer – Mike Chapman
Remix – John “Tokes” Potoker*
Written-By – H. Knight*, S. Climie*

NOTES:
Theme from the film “THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN”
From the LP “SEVEN THE HARD WAY”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

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

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal. I appreciate your help.

January 27, 2026

Prince – Sign ☮ The Times (US 12″) (1987)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Today, we honor Minneapolis—the music, the community, and the lives impacted by violence. Prince’s “Sign ☮ The Times” remains a document of witness, not spectacle. This is a tribute.

Released in 1987 and recorded in Minneapolis, “Sign ☮ The Times” is one of Prince’s most direct and uncompromising works. Stripped down to a stark drum machine pattern and spoken delivery, the song removes any barrier between artist and reality. There is no metaphor to decode, no dramatic crescendo—only observation.

Prince opens with a litany of crises: violence, addiction, disease, environmental collapse. These are not abstract concepts but lived conditions, delivered calmly, almost matter-of-factly. That restraint is what gives the song its weight. Sign ☮ The Times doesn’t sensationalize suffering—it documents it.

The record is inseparable from its place of origin. Minneapolis wasn’t just where Prince lived or recorded; it was the center of an independent creative universe he built on his own terms. Studios, musicians, clubs, and communities flourished there outside the usual industry pipelines. That spirit of autonomy and clarity runs through this track. It speaks plainly, without performance or posturing.

Within the context of 12″ culture and club music, Sign ☮ The Times stands apart. At a time when extended mixes often leaned toward escapism, Prince chose confrontation through simplicity. Even in its various edits and remixes, the song never loses its tension or intent. This is dance-era music that demands attention before movement.

Nearly four decades later, the song remains painfully relevant. Violence still shapes headlines. Communities still grieve. Minneapolis continues to be a city defined not only by tragedy, but by deep cultural impact and creative legacy. Prince held those truths together, refusing to let one erase the other.

Sign ☮ The Times is not an argument. It is not a slogan. It is a record of its moment—and, uncomfortably, of ours. Posting it today is an act of remembrance, respect, and acknowledgment.

This is Minneapolis speaking—then and now..

SIDE A:
Sign ☮ The Times (LP Version) 4:57

SIDE B:
La, La, La, He, He, Hee (Highly Explosive) 10:46
Lyrics By [Co-Written] – Sheena Easton

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance — Prince: **Sign ☮ The Times (1987)**
Chart	Peak Position	Date
US Billboard Hot 100	#3	1987
US Billboard Hot Black Singles	#1	1987
UK Singles	#10	1987
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	#10	1987
Australia (Kent Music Report)	#29	1987

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Paisley Park – 9 20648-0 A, Paisley Park – 0-20648
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single, SRC Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Rock, Funk / Soul, Pop
Style: Minneapolis Sound, Funk, Pop Rock

CREDITS:

Producer, Arranged By, Composed By, Performer – Prince

NOTES:
Original version of ‘Sign “☮” The Times’ on the 4th-coming double album Sign “O” The Times available on the Paisley Park LP, cassette and compact disc (1/4/2-25577)

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

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

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal. I appreciate your help.

January 23, 2026

Tina B – Nothin’s Gonna Come Easy (Canada 12″) (1984)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Nothing Is Handed to You: Tina B’s Nothin’s Gonna Come Easy and the Beat Street Era

By 1984, New York City was ground zero for a musical revolution. Dance, electronic, funk, and hip-hop were colliding in clubs, studios, and on the streets, producing a sound that would reshape popular music for decades. Few soundtracks captured that moment as perfectly as Beat Street, and tucked inside its landmark tracklist is a quietly powerful dancefloor gem: “Nothin’s Gonna Come Easy” by Tina B.

Produced by Arthur Baker and John Robie, the track embodies the raw optimism and grit of mid-’80s NYC dance music. Built on pulsing electro rhythms and a driving groove, “Nothin’s Gonna Come Easy” feels both urgent and uplifting—music made for dancers who knew that survival, success, and self-expression all required work. The message hits hard: nothing is handed to you, but perseverance moves mountains.

The song resonated on the dancefloor, reaching #18 on the U.S. Billboard Dance Chart in December 1984, a solid showing amid a fiercely competitive era for club music. Its inclusion on the Beat Street soundtrack placed Tina B alongside some of the most influential artists and producers shaping the sound of the decade.

Tina B is one of those essential voices of the era whose impact runs deeper than chart positions alone. A vocalist and songwriter featured on gold and platinum records, her work helped define a musical movement that still echoes today. Her versatility made her a go-to supporting vocalist, contributing her unmistakable voice to recordings by Madonna, New Order, Al Green, Freeze, U2, Carly Simon, and Bruce Springsteen—a staggering cross-section of pop, rock, soul, and dance royalty.

She was also married to Arthur Baker, one of the architects of electro, freestyle, and early hip-hop crossover records, and together their creative orbit helped shape the sound of 1980s club culture. While Baker and Robie provided the framework, it’s Tina B’s vocal presence that gives “Nothin’s Gonna Come Easy” its emotional core—strong, determined, and perfectly in sync with the era’s DIY spirit.

More than four decades later, “Nothin’s Gonna Come Easy” stands as a reminder of a time when dance music wasn’t just about escapism—it was about resilience, ambition, and carving out space in a changing city. A true Beat Street deep cut, and an essential slice of New York’s electrifying 1984 soundscape.

SIDE A:
Nothin’s Gonna Come Easy (Vocal/Long Version) 8:02

SIDE B:
Nothin’s Gonna Come Easy (Dub/Long Version) 6:13
Nothin’s Gonna Come Easy (Vocal/Edit) 4:10

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance — Tina B: *Nothin’s Gonna Come Easy* (1984)
Chart	Peak Position	Date
US Billboard Dance Club Songs	#18	1984

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Atlantic – 78 69180
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Stereo
Country: Canada
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Freestyle

CREDITS:

Design – Lynn Dreese Breslin
Engineer [Mix] – John Potoker (tracks: B1)
Executive-Producer – Arthur Baker, Harry Belafonte
Lacquer Cut By – D.K.*
Mixed By – Arthur Baker, John Robie
Producer, Arranged By – Arthur Baker, John Robie
Written-By – Arthur Baker, Tina Baker*

NOTES:
Recorded at Unique Sound Studio & Shakedown Sound Studio, NYC.
A, B2. Mixed at Greene Street Recording
B1. Mixed at Sigma Sound, NYC

Tina B appears courtesy of Elektra/Asylum Records
Version of Atlantic LP 80158 – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack “Beat Street™ Volume 2”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

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

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal. I appreciate your help.