May 2, 2025

Earth Wind & Fire with The Emotions – Boogie Wonderland (US 12″) (1979)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

🔥 “Dance, boogie wonderland…” 🔥

Few disco anthems are as instantly recognizable—or as joyfully infectious—as “Boogie Wonderland.” Released in 1979, this iconic collaboration between Earth, Wind & Fire and The Emotions marked a high point of late-’70s dancefloor magic. A swirling, soulful, full-throttle burst of disco energy, the track remains a gold standard of the genre.

Written by Jon Lind and Allee Willis (the songwriting duo also responsible for “September”), “Boogie Wonderland” pulses with vibrant horns, lush strings, and an insistent four-on-the-floor beat that refuses to let go. It’s all elevated by the dynamic, gospel-tinged vocals of The Emotions—fresh off their own smash “Best of My Love”—who bring a raw emotional edge to the euphoria.

Although Earth, Wind & Fire were known for their spiritual, funk-influenced sound, “Boogie Wonderland” saw them fully embrace the disco movement without losing their signature depth. The result? A smash hit that climbed to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the US Hot Soul Singles chart. In the UK, it peaked at #4, becoming one of their most beloved international hits.

The 12″ promo release featured an extended version clocking in at 8:21—a DJ’s dream, with a longer instrumental break perfect for mixing and building a groove. It’s this mix that became a staple in clubs and continues to be sought after by crate diggers and dance music purists alike.

“Boogie Wonderland” isn’t just a song—it’s a mood, a celebration, a glittering time capsule from the peak of the disco era. It’s also a testament to the genre’s power to unite people on the dance floor through rhythm, release, and radiant joy.

If you’re feeling down, if the world feels too heavy—just drop the needle on this one. There’s healing in the beat. There’s salvation in the sweat. Welcome to Boogie Wonderland.

SIDE A:
Boogie Wonderland (Special Disco Version) 8:22

SIDE B:
Boogie Wonderland (Instrumental) (Special Disco Version) 6:17

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1979	Boogie Wonderland	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#6
1979	Boogie Wonderland	U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Songs	#2
1979	Boogie Wonderland	U.S. Billboard Hot Disco Top 80	#14

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: ARC (3) – 23-10950, Columbia – 23-10950
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Stereo, Pitman Press
Country: US
Released: 1979
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Disco

CREDITS:

Arranged By [Strings, Horns] – Ben Wright*
Producer – Al McKay, Maurice White
Written-By – A. Willis*, J. Lind*

NOTES:
From The Arc Lp: “I Am”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground

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.

May 1, 2025

The Art Of Noise With Max Headroom – Paranoimia (US 12″) (1986)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

In the mid-1980s, when electronic music was evolving as both an art form and a playground for avant-garde experimentation, The Art of Noise stood at the forefront. Their 1986 single “Paranoimia”, featuring the glitchy charm of TV’s first virtual VJ Max Headroom, remains one of their most iconic and unconventional releases.

Originally an instrumental track on the group’s second studio album In Visible Silence, “Paranoimia” was reimagined and released as a standalone single featuring Max Headroom—played by Canadian actor Matt Frewer. The result was a bizarre, brilliant fusion of synthesized paranoia and late-night hallucination, narrated by a snarky, stuttering digital character who had already become a symbol of media overload and artificial intelligence satire.

The single version of “Paranoimia” kicks off with Max lamenting his inability to sleep. “I lie awake, tossing and turning,” he says in his signature electronic stammer, diving into a surreal monologue about dreams, nightmares, and subconscious fears. The Art of Noise’s soundbed—filled with clanging samples, synthetic textures, and abstract rhythms—complements Max’s ramblings perfectly, creating an atmosphere that’s both hypnotic and unsettling.

What makes this track especially memorable is its ability to straddle the line between novelty and innovation. While Max Headroom may have added a comedic, pop-culture edge, the song’s production is pure Art of Noise—meticulous, layered, and sonically adventurous. The 12″ extended remix stretches the experience even further, giving Max more room to monologue and the music more space to evolve.

“Paranoimia” was a commercial success, reaching #12 on the UK Singles Chart and becoming a favorite in clubs and on college radio. It remains a snapshot of a time when music, television, and technology were converging in weird and wonderful ways.

For fans of synth-pop, audio collage, and ‘80s media satire, “Paranoimia” isn’t just a song—it’s a mood. A brilliantly warped time capsule that still feels oddly relevant in our age of digital overload and sleepless scrolling.

SIDE A:
Paranoimia (Extended Version) 6:42
Featuring [With] – Max Headroom

Paranoimia 3:18
Vocals [Uncredited], Featuring [With] – Max Headroom

SIDE B:
Why Me? 2:56
A Nation Rejects 2:58

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1986	Paranoimia	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#34
1986	Paranoimia	U.S. Billboard 12-Inch Singles Sales	#21
1986	Paranoimia	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music / Club Play	#14

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: China Records – 4V9 43017, Chrysalis – 4V9 43017
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Design [Sleeve Designed By] – J. Pasche*
Producer, Arranged By – The Art Of Noise
Written-By – Dudley*, Jeczalik*

NOTES:
Taken from the album, cassette and CD “In Visible Silence”.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
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-Ject 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

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.

April 30, 2025

New Order – True Faith (US 12″) (1987)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Released in July 1987, “True Faith” stands as one of New Order’s most enduring and critically acclaimed singles. Written specifically for their compilation Substance 1987, the track marked a creative peak for the band—seamlessly blending moody post-punk sensibilities with polished synth-pop and club-ready beats. It soared to #4 on the UK Singles Chart and became their first real breakthrough in the U.S., peaking at #32 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Co-produced with Stephen Hague (best known for his work with Pet Shop Boys and OMD), “True Faith” is layered with shimmering synths, dynamic drum programming, and Bernard Sumner’s unmistakably detached vocal delivery. The lyrics, while cryptic, are widely interpreted as reflecting personal struggles, particularly with addiction and emotional disconnection.

The single’s success was amplified by its surreal, artful music video directed by French choreographer Philippe Decouflé, featuring colorfully costumed performers in bizarre, theatrical movement—a staple of late-’80s MTV.

Included here is the 12″ remix by Shep Pettibone, whose club credentials need no introduction. His rework maintains the song’s brooding elegance while enhancing its rhythmic pulse for the dancefloor—striking a balance between underground edge and commercial appeal.

This post is particularly special as it marks the first vinyl transfer using the Ortofon Concorde Music Black cartridge, bringing out an even greater level of clarity, warmth, and precision in this pressing. The result is a faithful and dynamic reproduction of one of the most iconic singles of the era.

SIDE A:
True Faith (The Morning Sun Extended Remix) 9:02

SIDE B:
True Faith (Alternate Faith Dub) 10:44
1963 5:31

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1987	True Faith	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#32
1987	True Faith	U.S. Billboard 12-Inch Singles Sales	#10
1987	True Faith	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music / Club Play	#3

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Qwest Records – 0 – 20733, Qwest Records – 9 20733-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Maxi-Single, ARC Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Engineer – Steve Peck (tracks: A, B1)
Producer [Additional Production], Remix – Shep Pettibone (tracks: A, B1)
Producer, Written-By – New Order, Stephen Hague

NOTES:
True Faith (The Morning Sun Extended Remix) is the same mix as “True Faith (Remix)” & “True Faith (Alternate Faith Dub)” is the same as “True Dub” from the UK remix 12″.

From the New Order album “Substance” on Qwest Records 1 – 25621

Made in USA

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
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

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.

April 25, 2025

New Arrival: Concorde Music Black – First Impressions

Something new and exciting has landed in the Burning the Ground setup – my brand-new Concorde Music Black cartridge has arrived!

I’m currently in the early stages of breaking it in, which means I’ve been spinning record after record (not exactly a hardship). I’m giving it a proper workout across a variety of pressings and genres to let it really settle into its groove.

Let me tell you—it’s not often I swap out a cartridge and immediately hear such a dramatic difference. But this time? Night and day. The clarity, the depth, the punch… it’s all there. Everything feels more alive, more present, more musical. It’s one of those rare upgrades that makes you want to go back and rediscover your entire vinyl collection.

Needless to say, I’m already looking forward to transferring some vinyl with this beauty. Can’t wait to hear how it handles some of my favorite 12″ mixes and rare cuts.

More updates to come once the break-in period is complete, but for now—I’m impressed.

Stay tuned,
Paul