Deniece Williams – Let’s Hear It For The Boy (US 12″) (1984)

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NEW 2026 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

After beginning Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition with Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For A Hero,” I just could not leave the Footloose soundtrack behind quite yet.

For the second entry in the series, we are staying with one of the biggest soundtrack albums of the 1980s and turning our attention to another of its defining hits, Deniece Williams and the irresistible “Let’s Hear It For The Boy.”

Released in 1984, “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” was written by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford and produced by the late George Duke. The song became one of the biggest hits of Deniece Williams’ career, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart. It was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Where “Holding Out For A Hero” is loud, dramatic, and almost operatic, “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” is pure joy. The production is bright and playful, with Deniece’s unmistakable voice floating effortlessly above the keyboards, rhythm, and infectious chorus.

It is also another perfect example of a song becoming forever connected to a scene in a movie.

In Footloose, the song accompanies the memorable sequence in which Ren teaches Willard how to dance. What begins with Willard struggling to find the beat gradually turns into one of the most enjoyable moments in the film. The song fits the scene beautifully. It is encouraging, funny, affectionate, and completely impossible to sit still through.

That sequence also shows just how important music was to Footloose. The songs were not simply placed over the movie. They became part of its identity. Nearly every major musical moment brings back a particular scene, character, or feeling.

And what a soundtrack it was.

The Footloose album produced an extraordinary run of hits, including Kenny Loggins’ title song, Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For A Hero,” Shalamar’s “Dancing In The Sheets,” Mike Reno and Ann Wilson’s “Almost Paradise,” and, of course, “Let’s Hear It For The Boy.”

Deniece Williams was already an established and highly respected singer before Footloose, but this song introduced her to an even larger pop audience. Her light, soaring vocal style is a perfect match for the production. There is an innocence and warmth to her performance that keeps the song from ever feeling forced. Even at its most polished and unmistakably 1984, it still sounds completely natural coming from her.

And then there is that chorus.

Once you hear it, good luck getting it out of your head.

For this post, I am featuring the 12-inch single, which includes the Dance Remix and Instrumental, both mixed by John “Jellybean” Benitez.

That makes this the second Footloose post in a row to feature Jellybean behind the remix desk. Just as he did with Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For A Hero,” he takes the original song and gives it more room for the dance floor without losing what made the record work in the first place.

The Dance Remix stretches out the groove and lets the rhythm section breathe, while the Instrumental puts the spotlight on George Duke’s production and the arrangement underneath Deniece’s vocal.

As a bonus, I have also included the vinyl-only “Dance Remix Edit,” lifted from the US 12-inch promotional release. This shorter edit offers another variation of Jellybean’s remix and has never been easy to find outside of the original vinyl.

I originally posted this single in March 2019. Seven years later, I decided it was time to return to the vinyl and start again.

For this 2026 edition, I created an entirely new transfer from the beginning, followed by meticulous audio restoration. This is not an update of the old 2019 files. It is a brand-new transfer created with my current equipment and restoration process.

Following the enormous drama of Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For A Hero,” Deniece Williams gives us a completely different side of the Footloose soundtrack. One song demands a hero. The other celebrates the boy you already have, even if he cannot dance.

At least not yet.

Two very different songs. Two unforgettable women. One incredible soundtrack.

Let’s hear it for Deniece Williams.

SIDE A:
Let’s Hear It For The Boy (Extended Dance Remix) 6:02

SIDE B:
Let’s Hear It For The Boy (Instrumental) 4:12

BONUS TRACK:
Let’s Hear It For The Boy (Dance Remix Edit) 3:36

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – Deniece Williams: Let’s Hear It For The Boy (1984)	Peak Position
Argentina (CAPIF)	10
Australia (Kent Music Report)	3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	5
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	1
Europe (European Top 100 Singles)	7
Ireland (IRMA)	2
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	4
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	19
UK Singles Chart	2
US Billboard Hot 100	1
US Billboard Adult Contemporary	3
US Billboard Dance Club Songs	1
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs	1
West Germany (GfK)	10

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia – 44-04988
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Engineer – Michael Hutchinson
Mixed By – John “Jellybean” Benitez
Producer – George Duke
Written-By – D. Pitchford*, T. Snow*

NOTES:
Also available “FOOTLOOSE” Music from the Paramount Motion Picture

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-Ject Tube Box DS2
Phono 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
Cleaning Solution: Turgikleen Record Cleaning Solution
Scanner: 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

PLEASE READ

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**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

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I appreciate your help.

July 14, 2026

Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out For A Hero (UK 12″) (1984)

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NEW 2026 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

I had already planned to begin this new series with Bonnie Tyler before hearing the sad news of her passing. Now, this post carries a meaning I never expected it to have.

Bonnie Tyler passed away on July 8, 2026, at the age of 75. With her unmistakable voice and powerful delivery, she gave us some of the most dramatic and memorable recordings of the 1970s and 1980s. She could turn almost any song into a full-scale event, and “Holding Out For A Hero” remains one of the greatest examples.

Released in 1984 as part of the soundtrack for the motion picture Footloose, “Holding Out For A Hero” was written by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford and produced by Steinman. The song was later included on Bonnie’s 1986 studio album Secret Dreams And Forbidden Fire.

From its opening blast of drums, racing piano, blaring horns, and urgent backing vocals, the record never slows down. Everything about it is oversized, breathless, and wonderfully theatrical. Then Bonnie enters with that rough, commanding voice, sounding as though she is not merely waiting for a hero. She is demanding that one arrive immediately.

No one could have sung this song halfway. It required a vocalist who could rise above Jim Steinman’s enormous production without becoming lost inside it. Bonnie did more than rise above it. She owned every second.

The song was originally released in the UK in 1984, reaching only number 96. It was reissued the following year and became a major hit, climbing to number two and remaining there for three weeks. It also reached number one in Ireland and number 34 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

The Footloose soundtrack was packed with hit singles, but “Holding Out For A Hero” brought a different kind of energy to the album. It was louder, stranger, and more dramatic than almost anything surrounding it. Even without the movie, the recording creates its own frantic action sequence inside your head.

For this post, I am using the original UK 12-inch single. The A-side features the extended dance remix by John “Jellybean” Benitez. Jellybean stretches the song to more than six minutes while keeping the force and urgency of Jim Steinman’s original production. The remix gives the arrangement more room to breathe, but it never loses its momentum.

The B-side opens with the instrumental version of “Holding Out For A Hero.” Removing Bonnie’s lead vocal puts more attention on the layers buried within the production, including the dramatic piano, pounding percussion, guitars, synthesizers, and backing vocals. It is a great companion to the extended remix and shows just how much is happening underneath Bonnie’s performance.

The final track is “Faster Than The Speed Of Night,” the title song from Bonnie’s hugely successful 1983 album. Also written and produced by Jim Steinman, it makes this UK 12-inch feel more substantial than the usual soundtrack single. All three tracks capture Bonnie during one of the strongest periods of her career.

I previously posted this record in April 2019. For this new 2026 edition, I returned to the vinyl and created an entirely new transfer from the beginning. This is not a recycled or lightly updated version of the previous post. It is a brand-new transfer with meticulous audio restoration while preserving the power, movement, and excitement of the original recording.

This post also begins my new series, Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition. Throughout the series, I will be featuring female artists who released singles connected to motion pictures during the 1980s.

It is bittersweet to begin the series this way, but I cannot think of a stronger song or a more deserving artist. Bonnie Tyler gave the decade a voice that could sound wounded, fearless, romantic, and larger than life, sometimes within the same recording.

Thank you, Bonnie, for the music, the drama, and that unforgettable voice.

SIDE A:
Holding Out For A Hero (Special Extended Remix) 6:22
Written By – J. Steinman/D. Pitchford
Written-By – D. Pitchford, J. Steinman

SIDE B:
Holding Out For A Hero (Instrumental) 5:17
Written By – J. Steinman/D. Pitchford
Written-By – D. Pitchford, J. Steinman

Faster Than The Speed Of Night 4:41
Written-By – J. Steinman*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – Bonnie Tyler: Holding Out For A Hero (1984)	Peak Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	44
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)	19
Canada (Billboard)	17
Europarade Top 40	12
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)	8
Ireland (IRMA)	1
Japan (Oricon Singles Chart)	38
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	33
South Africa (Springbok Radio)	23
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)	19
UK Singles Chart (1984 release)	96
UK Singles Chart (1985 reissue)	2
US Billboard Hot 100	34
West Germany (Official German Charts)	19

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: CBS – TA 4251
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: UK
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Hi NRG, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Producer, Directed By – Jim Steinman
Remix – John “Jellybean” Benitez (tracks: A, B1)

NOTES:
From the original soundtrack of the Paramount motion picture “Footloose”.

Side A – Mix name on front cover is “Extended Remixed Version”.
Side A – Also known as “Dance Version-Jellybean Remix”.

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

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

I appreciate your help.

July 10, 2026

Barbra Streisand – Promises (US 12″ Promo) (1980)

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NEW 2026 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Original post date: June 26, 2015

Released in May 1981, “Promises” was the fourth and final single taken from Barbra Streisand’s hugely successful album Guilty.

Written by Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb, the song carries the polished pop sound that defined much of the album. Barry and Robin also appear on backing vocals, adding those unmistakable Gibb harmonies behind Streisand’s commanding lead.

While “Promises” narrowly missed the Top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 48, it found greater success with adult contemporary listeners. The single reached number 8 on the US Adult Contemporary chart and climbed to number 5 in Canada.

A commercial 12″ single was released in both the United States and Europe, featuring a 5:55 “Special Version.” To my knowledge, this extended version has never appeared on CD or through digital services and remains exclusive to vinyl.

“Promises” also marked an interesting point in Streisand’s singles history. It was her first commercially released 12″ single as a solo artist. It followed her 1979 duet with Donna Summer, “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough),” along with promotional 12″ releases for “Shake Me, Wake Me (When It’s Over)” in 1975 and “The Main Event/Fight” in 1979.

The “Special Version” does not radically remake the song. Instead, it gives the arrangement more room to breathe, extending the smooth production and allowing the backing vocals, rhythm section, and instrumental details to stand out. It is a subtle extension, but one that works beautifully with the sleek sound of the Guilty era.

This post features a brand-new 2026 meticulous audio transfer and restoration taken from the US 12″ promotional pressing. The record contains the same 5:55 version on both sides.

For Streisand collectors, Gibb fans, and anyone who appreciates the refined sound of early 1980s pop, this vinyl-only version of “Promises” is a lovely addition to the collection.

SIDE A:
Promises (Special Version) 5:55

SIDE B:
Promises (Special Version) 5:55

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – Barbra Streisand: Promises (1981)	Peak Position
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary	#5
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#48
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	#8
U.S. Cash Box Top 100	#48

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia – 43 02089
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1980
Genre: Pop
Style: Vocal, Disco

CREDITS:

Executive-Producer – Charles Koppelman
Producer – Albhy Galuten, Barry Gibb, Karl Richardson
Written-By – B. Gibb*, R. Gibb*

NOTES:
DEMONSTRATION
NOT FOR SALE
Special Version Of The Columbia Lp: “GUILTY” FC 36750
Taken from The Columbia Lp: “GUILTY” FC 36750
Same track both sides.

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

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

I appreciate your help.

July 9, 2026

Bonnie Tyler 1951 – 2026

Today we say goodbye to Bonnie Tyler, one of the most unmistakable voices to ever come through a speaker.

Bonnie passed away at age 75 in Portugal after a period of illness. Born Gaynor Hopkins in Skewen, South Wales, she would become known around the world for that raspy, powerful voice that sounded like heartbreak, fire, and survival all at once. It was not polished in the usual pop-star way. It was better than that. It had character. You knew it was Bonnie the second she opened her mouth.

For many of us, Bonnie Tyler is tied to a very specific kind of pop memory. Big songs. Big drums. Big emotion. The sort of records that made the 1980s feel larger than life.

Before the thunder of “Total Eclipse Of The Heart,” Bonnie had already made her mark with “Lost In France” and “It’s A Heartache.” Those songs proved she could take pain and turn it into something beautiful. Then came her work with Jim Steinman, and everything went widescreen.

“Total Eclipse Of The Heart” is still one of those records that stops you in your tracks. It is dramatic, strange, romantic, and completely unforgettable. Who else could have taken a song that massive and made it feel so personal? Bonnie sang it like she was standing in the middle of a storm, refusing to be carried away.

And then there is “Holding Out For A Hero.” For lovers of 1980s movie music, that one is pure lightning. It has all the drama of a great soundtrack moment, but Bonnie’s voice is what makes it last. The song still feels alive every time it plays. It still makes the room bigger.

That was her gift. Bonnie Tyler could sing a huge production and still make it feel human. She could make heartbreak sound heroic. She could make longing sound like a battle cry. She could take a song right over the top, then somehow make you believe every word.

For those of us who love physical media, 12-inch singles, soundtrack cuts, and the big pop moments of the 1980s, Bonnie’s records are part of the collection in more ways than one. They are part of the memory. The radio. The video channels. The record bins. The late-night sing-alongs. The songs that came on and made everyone turn their head.

Bonnie Tyler gave us a voice that could not be copied.

She gave us songs that still fill a room.

She gave us drama, heart, and fire.

Rest in peace, Bonnie Tyler.

Turn around, bright eyes.

-DjPaulT