The Cure – In Between Days (Canada 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“In Between Days” (sometimes listed as “Inbetween Days” or “In-Between Days”) is a song by the English rock band The Cure, released in July 1985 as the first single from the band’s sixth album The Head on the Door.

The song was a big international success. In the UK, it was the band’s ninth chart single and their fourth consecutive Top 20 hit; while in the US it was their first single to reach the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 99. It was a Top 20 hit in Australia and New Zealand and also charted in several European countries, increasing the popularity of the band.

The song is poppy and upbeat, featuring strummed acoustic guitars under a snappy synthesizer riff, although the song’s lyrical themes of aging, loss and fear do not particularly reflect the upbeat tempo of the music. It features a distinctive drum intro by Boris Williams and a bass line reminiscent of “Dreams Never End” by New Order. The extended version, only released on the 12″ single in North America, features a longer introduction to the song.

SIDE A:
In Between Days (LP Version) 2:58

SIDE B:
In Between Days (Extended Version) 4:00

Stop Dead (Previously Unreleased) 4:03
Mixed By [Uncredited] – Howard Gray

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	In Between Days	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#99

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Elektra ‎– 96 68820
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: Canada
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Alternative Rock, New Wave, Pop Rock, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Cover – Parched Art
Other [Make Up By] – Yashi
Producer – Dave Allen*, Robert Smith
Written-By – Robert Smith

NOTES:
[Track A] From the Elektra LP “The Head On The Door”

[Track B2] Previously unreleased

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTOATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7 TubeGold Pins
Soundcard: Novation Audiohub 2×4 Audio Interface
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
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)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

August 8, 2018

The Smiths – This Charming Man (New York) (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1983

“This Charming Man” is a song by the English band the Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morrissey. Released as the group’s second single in October 1983 on the independent record label Rough Trade, it is defined by Marr’s jangle pop guitar riff and Morrissey’s characteristically morose lyrics, which revolve around the recurrent Smiths themes of sexual ambiguity and lust.

Feeling detached from the early 1980s mainstream gay culture, Morrissey wrote “This Charming Man” to evoke an older, more coded and self-aware underground scene. The singer said of the song’s lyrics: “I really like the idea of the male voice being quite vulnerable, of it being taken and slightly manipulated, rather than there being always this heavy machismo thing that just bores everybody.”

Although only moderately successful on first release—the single peaked at number 25 on the UK Singles Chart, “This Charming Man” has been widely praised in both the music and mainstream press. Re-issued in 1992, it reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart (making it the Smiths’ biggest UK hit by chart position). In 2004, BBC Radio 2 listeners voted it number 97 on the station’s “Sold on Song Top 100” poll. Mojo magazine journalists placed the track at number 1 on their 2008 “50 Greatest UK Indie Records of All Time” feature. It was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry in 2015.

SIDE A:
This Charming Man (New York Vocal) 5:34

SIDE B:
This Charming Man (New York Instrumental) 4:18

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Rough Trade ‎– RTT 136 NY, Rough Trade ‎– RTT 136 (NY)
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1983
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop Rock, Indie Rock

CREDITS:
Mastered By – timtom*
Producer – John Porter
Remix – Francois Kevorkian*
Written-By – Marr*, Morrissey

NOTES:
Remixed at Right Track Studios New York.
Mastered at CBS Studios, UK.

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

August 7, 2018

Red Box – Chenko (Tenka-io) (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Chenko” is the debut single by British group Red Box originally released in 1983 on Cherry Red Records this version failed to have any chart success. The band was later signed to Sire Records and released their debut album “The Circle & The Square” in 1986 which included a re-working of “Chenko (Tenka-io)” the song was given a more somber, stately treatment bringing chants to the fore and featuring Alexander Balanescu on violin. “Chenko (Tenka-io)” was released as the fourth single from the album and peaked at #77 on the U.K. singles chart in August 1987.

SIDE A:
Chenko (Tenka-io) (No Reservations Mix) 6:48
Mixed By – Red Box, Ross Cullum
Mixed By [With] – Mike Ging
Producer – David Motion

SIDE B:
Speeches 4:44
Producer – Phill Brown

Heart Of The Sun (Slash And Burn) 5:32
Mixed By – Phil Harding, Red Box
Producer – David Motion

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Sire ‎– 0-20785
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

NOTES:
From the LP “The Circle & The Square”

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

August 6, 2018

Pet Shop Boys – Always On My Mind (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1988

“Always on My Mind” is a song by Johnny Christopher, Mark James, and Wayne Carson, recorded first by Gwen McCrae (as “You Were Always on My Mind”) and Brenda Lee and Elvis Presley in 1972. The song has been a crossover hit, charting in both the country and western and pop categories. Willie Nelson peaked at #1 on the Billboard Country charts in 1982.

In 1987, the Pet Shop Boys performed a synthpop version of “Always on My Mind” on Love Me Tender, a television special on the ITV network in the UK. Commemorating the tenth anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, the programme featured various popular acts of the time performing cover versions of his hits. The Pet Shop Boys’ performance was so well-received that the duo decided to record the song and release it as a single.

This version became the UK’s Christmas number one single that year. It went on to top the charts for four weeks in total, and reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100.

In November 2004, The Daily Telegraph newspaper placed the version at number two in a list of the fifty greatest cover versions of all time. In October 2014, a public poll compiled by the BBC saw the song voted the all-time best cover version.

“Always On My Mind” was released as a non-album single in late 1987. It featured an extended version by Julian Mendelsohn and a more drastic remix by Phil Harding, as well as various edits and a beatless “dub”. Harding’s remix at one point changes key and transforms into a house version, introduced by Neil Tennant’s specially recorded vocal line “You were always in my house.” This version was later used as the basis for a reworked production of the song for the album “Pet Shop Boys – Introspective”. The success of the initial single in late ’87/early ’88 prompted the filming of extra scenes for the song’s last-minute inclusion in the Pet Shop Boys musical art/spoof film “It Couldn’t Happen Here”, dialogue from which is heard at the end of Julian Mendelsohn’s remix. It also prompted a repackaging of the album “Actually” with the “Always On My Mind” promo single as a bundle.

The 7: Instrumental ios exclusive to the U.S. 12″ promo and has not appeared on CD.

The picture sleeve is from the U.S. bungle of “Actually” which included a 12″ promo with an exclusive sleeve.

SIDE A:
Always On My Mind (Dance Version) 8:10
Composed By – Christopher*, James*, Thompson*
Keyboards [Fairlight] – Andy Richards
Producer – Julian Mendelsohn, Pet Shop Boys
Producer [With Thanks To] – David Jacob
Remix – Julian Mendelsohn

Always On My Mind (7″ Instrumental) 4:05
Composed By – Christopher*, James*, Thompson*
Keyboards [Fairlight] – Andy Richards
Producer – Julian Mendelsohn, Pet Shop Boys
Producer [With Thanks To] – David Jacob
Remix – Julian Mendelsohn

Always On My Mind (7″ Version) 3:56
Composed By – Christopher*, James*, Thompson*
Keyboards [Fairlight] – Andy Richards
Producer – Julian Mendelsohn, Pet Shop Boys
Producer [With Thanks To] – David Jacob
Remix – Julian Mendelsohn

SIDE B:
Always On My Mind (12″ Version) 5:57
Composed By – Christopher*, James*, Thompson*
Keyboards [Fairlight] – Andy Richards
Producer – Julian Mendelsohn, Pet Shop Boys
Producer [With Thanks To] – David Jacob
Remix – Phil Harding

Always On My Mind (7″ Dub) 2:04
Composed By – Christopher*, James*, Thompson*
Keyboards [Fairlight] – Andy Richards
Producer – Julian Mendelsohn, Pet Shop Boys
Producer [With Thanks To] – David Jacob
Remix – Phil Harding

Do I Have To? 5:16
Composed By – Tennant/Lowe*
Producer – Pet Shop Boys

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1988	Always On My Mind	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#4
1988	Always On My Mind	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#8
1988	Always On My Mind	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	#12

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI-Manhattan Records ‎– SPRO-04036, EMI-Manhattan Records ‎– SPRO-04051
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

NOTES:
Side A has catalog number ‘SPRO-04036’, while Side B has catalog number ‘SPRO-04051’.

Mfd. for EMI-Manhattan Records, A Division of Capitol Records Inc., A Subsidiary of Capitol Industries-EMI Inc., U.S.A.

Track A1 originally titled the “Extended Dance Version” on the UK release (12R6171).
Track A2 is unique to this 12″ (Officially).
Track B1 originally titled the “Remix” and B2 originally titled Dub or Dub Version on the UK release (12RX6171). This UK 12″ also credits the Pet Shop Boys as co-remixing these 2 tracks.

Credit for Andy Richards seems to suggest he is on all tracks but UK issues do not list him as being on “Do I Have To?”

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

Find the LP Bundle at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi