Two Girls – Another Boy In Town (Canada 12″) (1986)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

When it comes to obscure Hi-NRG gems of the mid-80s, few records capture that elusive blend of European flair and North American dancefloor ambition quite like “Another Boy In Town” by Two Girls. Released in 1986 on Popular Records in both the U.S. and Canada, this single stands as a one-off project under this name—but like many Italian productions of the era, the story behind it runs much deeper.

Two Girls was less a traditional group and more a studio creation, part of the rotating network of Italo-disco talent that thrived during the decade. The artists behind the project were also known under several aliases, including Caren Monique, Chip Chip, Clip Club, and Cristina Montanari—a common practice in the European dance scene where producers and vocalists moved fluidly between projects, leaving behind a trail of interconnected releases.

Musically, “Another Boy In Town” is pure mid-80s Hi-NRG bliss. Pulsating synth basslines, tight electronic drums, and a catchy, emotionally charged vocal drive the track forward with relentless energy. It’s polished, dramatic, and tailor-made for the club—exactly the kind of record DJs relied on to keep the floor moving.

What makes this release especially interesting—and highly collectible—is its remix history. Multiple versions of “Another Boy In Town” were issued internationally, each with subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) differences. The North American pressings in particular offer something unique.

My copy is the Canadian 12″ on Popular Records, and to the best of my knowledge, the remix featured on Side A is exclusive to this release. That kind of regional variation was fairly common at the time, with labels commissioning or selecting alternate mixes to better suit local club tastes. For collectors and DJs alike, these differences are part of the thrill—tracking down the version that hits just a little harder or takes the track in a slightly different direction.

It also speaks to how strong the Hi-NRG scene was in North America during this period. By 1985, there was a real appetite for European imports, and labels ensured these records were optimized for the booming club culture on both sides of the border.

Despite never becoming a major crossover hit, “Another Boy In Town” has all the ingredients of a classic—memorable hooks, driving rhythm, and that unmistakable Italo-meets-Hi-NRG production style. It remains a cult favorite, especially among collectors who appreciate the nuances between different pressings.

And while Two Girls may have only released this single under this name, their broader body of work—spread across multiple aliases—helped shape the sound of an era.

For me, this Canadian pressing is a standout—not just for the track itself, but for that exclusive Side A remix that makes it feel like a truly special find.

💿 Sometimes it’s the regional variations that make collecting so rewarding—one record, many stories, and a dancefloor legacy that still resonates today.

SIDE A:
Another Boy In Town (Special Underwater Remix) 6:50
Remix – Casey Jones

SIDE B:
Another Boy In Town 5:24

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Popular Records – KXD 001
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Canada
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop, Hi-NRG, Italo Disco

CREDITS:

Drum Programming – Matt Noble
Producer – Anthony Monn
Written-By – Monn*, Dempsey*

NOTES:
Mixed at Northcott Studios, NYC
Remixed for Volume Productions
Produced for Transparent Records

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
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
Audio Interface: MOTU M4
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
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.

April 16, 2026

Digette – Fred From Jupiter (UK 12″) (1984)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Every so often, a record comes along that feels like it beamed in from another planet—quirky, charming, slightly off-center, and completely irresistible. “Fred From Jupiter” by Digette is one of those hidden gems that perfectly embodies the playful, anything-goes spirit of the early ‘80s underground.

Released in 1984 on Sire Records, Digette was a short-lived but fascinating project featuring Lisa Michaelis (vocals, keyboards), Min Thometz (vocals), and Ivan Ivan (vocals, keyboards, percussion). If Ivan Ivan’s name rings a bell, it should—he was already making waves behind the scenes producing and working within the downtown New York scene, and this project carries that same artsy, left-of-center energy.

“Fred From Jupiter” is a delicious slice of minimalist synth-pop with a wink. Built around a simple, hypnotic keyboard line and deadpan, almost detached vocals, the track tells the oddball tale of an alien visitor—Fred—who seems both mysterious and oddly mundane. It’s that contrast that gives the song its charm. There’s no dramatic build, no big chorus—just a cool, repetitive groove that pulls you into its strange little universe.

What makes this even more interesting is that Digette’s version is actually a cover. The song was originally recorded in 1981 by the German group Die Doraus Und Die Marinas as “Fred Vom Jupiter.” That original version leans even further into the naïve, lo-fi aesthetic of the Neue Deutsche Welle movement, with a kind of childlike innocence that feels almost like a surreal art project.

Digette’s take smooths things out slightly for a wider audience while still retaining the offbeat personality that made the original so special. It’s a perfect example of how ideas traveled across borders in the early ‘80s—mutating and evolving as they went, but always keeping that experimental edge intact.

This is exactly the kind of track that fits right at home in the Closet 80s series—slightly obscure, endlessly interesting, and guaranteed to make you ask, “How did I miss this the first time around?”

💿 This transfer is a NEW 2026 Meticulous Audio Restoration and Transfer, bringing this quirky cult favorite back to life with the clarity and care it deserves. I originally posted this track on December 12, 2013, and I’m excited to revisit it with a fresh upgrade.

And in true offbeat ‘80s fashion, the record itself comes with one of the most delightfully eccentric special thanks lists you’ll ever read. Shout-outs go to Seymour Stein, Shirley Divers, Richard and Jean Wilson, Elliot Spears, Danny Heaps, Mark Josephson, Mark Fotiadis, Mark Kamins, all other Marks in this galaxy, Justin Strauss, Annette von Spreckelsen, Keith Haring, Ron Pameri, WLIR, NASA, ESA, and even The Russian Rocket Force—a perfectly surreal roll call that mirrors the song’s interstellar whimsy.

If you were digging through the bins in 1984, this might have been one of those records you passed over in favor of something more familiar. But give it a spin now, and you’ll find a quirky little treasure that captures a very specific moment in time—when pop music wasn’t afraid to be weird.

And honestly… we could use a little more of that.

SIDE A:
Fred From Jupiter (Long Version) 4:13
Written-By – Dorau, Maurischat

SIDE B:
Fred From Jupiter (Short Version) 2:35
Written-By – Dorau, Maurischat

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Sire – W9166T, Sire – W 9166 (T), Sire – 920279-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Art Direction, Design – Zoë Brotman
Artwork – Kenny Scharf
Costume Designer [Clothes By] – Parachute (13), Pat Fields*
Engineer – Matthias Härtl
Make-Up [Make Up] – Diane Matthews
Musician [Additional Musicians], Guitar – Tony Love
Musician [Additional Musicians], Sequenced By [Sequencer] – Peter Baumann
Performer [Digette Is] – Ivan Ivan, Lisa Michaelis, Min Thometz
Photography By [Photo] – Tseng Kwong Chi
Producer – Ivan Ivan, Peter Baumann
Stylist [Styling] – Ellen Silverstein (2)
Vocals – Min Thometz
Vocals, Keyboards – Lisa Michaelis
Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion – Ivan Ivan

NOTES:
Art Direction and Design for Studio Zed
Final Mix
Recorded at Cronex
Mixed at “Recordland” Berlin

This record is dedicated to the memory of Michael Stewart

Special thanks to Seymour Stein, Shirley Divers, Richard and Jean Wilson, Elliot Spears, Danny Heaps, Mark Josephson, Mark Fotiadis, Mark Kamins, all other Marks in this galaxy, Justin Strauss, Annette von Spreckelsen, Keith Haring, Ron Pameri, WLIR, NASA, ESA, The Russian Rocket Force.

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.

April 14, 2026

Sheila E. – Hold Me (US 12″) (1986)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

By 1986, Sheila E. had already carved out a unique space in the pop and R&B landscape. Known for her explosive percussion work and high-energy hits like “The Glamorous Life” and “A Love Bizarre,” she shifted gears with something far more intimate on Hold Me — the lead single from her third self-titled album, Sheila E.

Interestingly, the song had a somewhat complicated early release history. It first appeared in Canada under the title Touch Me, and in Japan as the B-side to Holly Rock. The title was later changed to Hold Me for wider release, reportedly to avoid confusion with Samantha Fox’s international hit Touch Me. It’s one of those small but fascinating details that collectors and longtime fans will appreciate — a reminder of how marketing decisions could shape a song’s identity across different territories.

Released at a time when glossy production and dancefloor dominance were the norm, Hold Me stands out as a smooth, heartfelt R&B ballad. It’s a vulnerable moment in her catalog — trading in the bold, rhythmic punch she was known for in favor of a softer, more emotional delivery. The track leans into late-night quiet storm territory, with lush instrumentation and a restrained vocal that showcases a different side of Sheila’s artistry.

Despite its understated approach, Hold Me found solid success on the charts. The single climbed to No. 3 on the U.S. Hot Black Singles chart, proving her appeal within the R&B audience, while also reaching No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100. It may not have been a massive crossover hit, but it resonated strongly where it counted.

Flipping the record over reveals The World Is High, a non-album B-side that offers a striking contrast. Where Hold Me is reflective and tender, The World Is High is an upbeat dance track, much closer in spirit to Sheila’s earlier, more energetic work. It’s the kind of pairing that made 12″ and 7″ singles so exciting — giving listeners both sides of an artist’s range in one release.

Collector’s Note: The A-side is labeled as an “Extended Version,” but this is actually the standard album version. For the 7″ single, the track was edited down, making the so-called “Extended Version” designation a bit misleading — and a detail that vinyl collectors will definitely want to take note of.

As far as I can tell, no official music video was produced for “Hold Me,” which may have contributed to its lower profile on the pop charts, despite its strong showing on the R&B side.

For collectors, it’s yet another example of why physical formats remain so essential. Between alternate titles, regional variations, and exclusive B-sides, releases like this tell a deeper story than the charts alone ever could.

As always, it’s these kinds of releases — the overlooked singles, the unique pressings, and the hidden gems on the flip side — that make digging through vinyl so rewarding.

SIDE A:
Hold Me (Extended Version) 5:04
Written-By – Constance Guzman, Eddie Minnifield*, Sheila E.

SIDE B:
The World Is High 3:24
Written-By – Levi Seacer*, Sheila E.

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – Sheila E: *Hold Me* (1986)
Chart	Peak Position	Date
US Billboard Hot Black Singles	#3	1986
US Billboard Hot 100	#68	1986
US Billboard Hot Dance Music / Maxi-Singles Sales	#22	1986

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records – 92 05790, Paisley Park – 92 05790
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Hip Hop
Style: RnB/Swing, Downtempo, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Co-producer – David Z.
Producer, Arranged By – Sheila E.

NOTES:
Side A: from the LP Sheila E.

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.

April 13, 2026

Spring Fundraiser Complete – Thank You

Hi everyone,

I’m happy to share that we’ve reached our $1,500 goal, so it’s time to officially wrap up the Spring fundraiser.

I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you who contributed. Your generosity and support mean more to me than I can express. Because of you, Burning the Ground will continue to run smoothly, stay secure, and keep bringing you the rare 12″ mixes and extended versions that we all love.

I’m also grateful to everyone who shared the site, left comments, or simply stopped by to enjoy the music. This community is what makes everything worthwhile.

The next fundraiser will take place in October and will focus on covering the site’s hosting renewal.

Thank you again for being part of this journey and for helping keep this music alive.

—Paul