Thompson Twins – The Gap (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

“The Gap” is a song by the British pop group Thompson Twins. It was the title track from the group’s 1984 album Into the Gap, and was also released as a single in certain countries though not in the group’s native UK. The single peaked at #69 in the U.S., spending six weeks on the US Billboard 100. It also charted in Germany where it peaked at #62. There was no promotional music video for this single.

The AOR (Album Orienred Rock) Version is exclusive to this 12″.

SIDE A:
The Gap (AOR Version) 3:53

SIDE B:
The Gap (Club Remix Version) 8:34

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984	The Gap	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#69

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Arista ‎– ADP-9289
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, Promo, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Alex Sadkin, Tom Bailey
Written-By – Alannah Currie, Joe Leeway, Tom Bailey

NOTES:
From the LP “THE GAP”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: 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)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

December 1, 2016

Sylvester – Someone Like You (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

Today is World AIDS Day an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day, held for the first time in 1988. I thought it fitting to feature one of the many artists who were taken from us in the 1980’s by this horrible disease.

“Someone Like You” is a 1986 dance single by Sylvester. The song was written by Len Barry and McKinley Horton. It was produced by Ken Kessie and Morey Goldstein. The single was Sylvester’s second and last entry to reach number one on the dance charts, where it stayed for one week. “Someone like You”, also went to number nineteen on the soul chart, and was Sylvester’s highest chart entry, since 1978.

An activist who campaigned against the spread of HIV/AIDS, Sylvester died from complications arising from the virus in 1988, leaving all future royalties from his work to San Francisco-based HIV/AIDS charities.

The single sleeve was designed by artist Keith Harring who was an American artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s by expressing concepts of birth, death, sexuality, and war.

Haring’s work was often heavily political and his imagery has become a widely recognized visual language of the 20th century.

The theme of AIDS permeates Haring’s late work, most likely because it had a heavy influence on his personal life. Midway through Haring’s journals there is mention of the disease claiming his friends’ lives, and later passages show Haring worrying increasingly about his own HIV status.

Haring died on February 16, 1990 of AIDS-related complications.

WEST SIDE:
Someone Like You (Remix) 6:15
Mixed By – Ken Kessie, Marty Blecman

Someone Like You (Joseph Watt Remix) 5:40
Engineer – Joseph Watt
Remix – Joseph Watt

EAST SIDE:
Someone Like You (Larry Levan Remix) 6:01
Engineer – Robert Kaster
Mixed By – Larry Levan

Someone Like You (Larry Levan Dub Remix) 6:36
Engineer – Robert Kaster
Mixed By – Larry Levan

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1986	Someone Like You	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#1
1986	Someone Like You	U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles	#19

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records – 0-20548
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Disco

CREDITS:
Executive Producer – Marty Blecman, Sylvester
Illustration – Keith Haring
Producer – Ken Kessie, Morey Goldstein
Recorded By [Originally] – Ken Kessie
Written-By – Len Barry, McKinley Horton

NOTES:
Original version available on Sylvester’s album “MUTUAL ATTRACTION” on Warner Bros. Records.

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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

November 30, 2016

Flesh For Lulu – Idol (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“Idol” is a single by Alternative rock/Gothic band formed in Brixton, London, UK, Flesh for Lulu. “Idol” was the first single released by the band on Beggars Banquet records after being dropped by Polydor the previous year. “Idol” was released as a 7″ and 12″ EP which included previously unreleased tracks.

SIDE A:
Idol (12″ Version) 4:51
Producer – Craig Leon

SIDE B:
Life Of Crime 2:52
Sleeping Dogs 3:02
Spaceball Ricochet 2:14

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Beggars Banquet ‎– BEG 177T
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1986
Genre: Rock
Style: Alternative Rock, New Wave, Indie Rock

CREDITS:
Producer – Flesh For Lulu (tracks: B1 to B3), Richard Preston (tracks: B1 to B3)

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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

November 29, 2016

Lou Gramm – Midnight Blue (Germany 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Midnight Blue” is the first single released by Lou Gramm from his debut solo album Ready or Not in 1987. The single spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot Album Rock Tracks, starting on February 14, 1987, and peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, Gramm’s highest-charting solo hit.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic calls the song the “last great single of the album-rock era”. Allmusic reviewer Bret Adams posits that, “despite its hit status, it’s one of the decade’s truly underappreciated singles”.

The song was covered by R.E.M. on their 1987 tour.

SIDE A:
Midnight Blue (Extended Remix) 5:23

SIDE B:
Chain Of Love 4:00

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1987	Midnight Blue	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#5
1987	Midnight Blue	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	#1

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Atlantic ‎– 786 723-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Germany
Released: 1987
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop/Rock

CREDITS:
Arranged By – Bruce Turgon, Lou Gramm, Pat Moran
Backing Vocals – Cookie Watkins, Mark Rivera, Sherryl Marshall
Bass Guitar – Stanley Sheldon
Drums – Ben Gramm
Engineer – Pat Moran
Engineer [Assistant] – Roger Talkov
Guitar [Lead] – Eddie Martinez
Guitar [Rhythmn] – Bruce Turgon
Keyboards, Programmed By – Phil Ashley*
Mastered By – Ted Jensen
Producer – Lou Gramm, Pat Moran
Written-By – Bruce Turgon, Lou Gramm

NOTES:
Original Version Available on the Atlantic Album “READY OR NOT”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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