George Michael – Freedom (Edit) (UK 7″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1990

“Freedom ’90” (also known simply as “Freedom”) is a song written, produced,and performed by George Michael, and released on Columbia Records in 1990. The “’90” added to the end of the title is to prevent confusion with a hit by Michael’s former band, Wham!, also titled “Freedom”.

It was the third single taken from Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, “Freedom ’90” was one of a few uptempo songs on this album, it was also a major hit and went to #8 in the US. The song is referring to George’s past success with Wham! but also shows a new side of himself as a new man, who is more cynical about the music business than he had been before. Michael refused to appear in the video and let a group of supermodels appear instead, lip-syncing the lyrics.

George Michael performed the song during the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.

“Freedom (Edit)” is exclusive to this UK promo.

SIDE A:
Freedom (Edit) 4:33

SIDE B:
Fantasy 5:01

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1990	Freedom	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#8
1990	Freedom	U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	#27
1990	Freedom	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#16

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic‎– PRO 609
Format: Vinyl, 7″, Promo
Country: UK
Released: 1990
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Downtempo, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Design [Sleeve Design] – George Michael, Simon Halfon
Engineer – C. Porter*
Photography – Russell Young
Producer, Arranged By, Written-By – George Michael

NOTES:
For Promotional USe Only

Find the 7″ 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

March 30, 2016

Ofra Haza – Im Nin’Alu (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1988

“Im Nin’Alu” is a song by Israeli singer, actress and international recording artist Ofra Haza. The song is based on a Hebrew poem by 17th-century Rabbi Shalom Shabazi.

Ofra Haza became famous in Europe with the song in 1988, when a remixed version of the song, produced by Izhar Ashdot, reached the Top Ten in various countries and number one in several of these, most notably in West Germany where it topped the charts for nine weeks in the summer of 1988. In the UK the track was a Top 20 hit, peaking at #15 and in the U.S. it reached #15 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart and #18 on Hot Modern Rock Tracks. British duo Coldcut produced a remix of Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid In Full” which heavily sampled “Im Nin’alu”. The single reportedly sold some three million copies worldwide, making it one of the first world music recordings to cross over to mainstream pop chart success. Even though Haza’s version of the song shows her own interpretation, and its presentation was modern and popular, it still fits in with the Yemenite tradition that she represented.

The original version was included on the 1984 album Yemenite Songs, also known as Fifty Gates of Wisdom. The remixed version was part of her international debut Shaday of 1988.

Sadly Ofra Haza died on February 23, 2000, at the age of 42, of AIDS-related pneumonia.

SIDE A:
Im Nin’Alu (Gates Of Heaven Mix) 6:48
Remix – Frank Inglese, Mark Kamins

Im Nin’Alu (Instrumental Dub) 5:40

SIDE B:
Im Nin’Alu (Played In Full Mix) 5:39
Im Nin’Alu (7″ Version With English Vocal) 4:05

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1988	Im Nin’Alu	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#15
1988	Im Nin’Alu	U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	#18

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Sire ‎– PRO-A-3277
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Downtempo, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Izhar Ashdot

NOTES:
Promotional Copy Not For sale
Housed in a unique picture sleeve.
From the Sire LP “SHADAY”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge:Ortofon OM Super
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

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

March 29, 2016

INXS – I Send A Message (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

“I Send a Message” was the second single released by Australian rock band INXS from their fourth album The Swing.

The song was released on 12 March 1984 and reached No.3 on the ARIA Charts. It also reached No.18 on the New Zealand Singles charts, No. 18 on the US Billboard Dance Music/Club Play Singles and No. 77 on The Billboard Hot 100.

SIDE A:
I Send A Message (Vocal Remixed Version) 5:01
Remix – Nick Launay

SIDE B:
Send A Message (Vocal LP Version) 3:24
Mixed By – Nick Launay

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984	I Send A Message	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#77
1984	I Send A Message	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#18

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: ATCO Records ‎– PR 618
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Mastered By – Bob Ludwig
Producer, Engineer – Nick Launay
Written-By – A. Farriss*, M. Hutchence*

NOTES:
Promotional copy not for sale
Issued in generic white jacket with info sticker.
Tracks listed on sleeve as ‘Remix-4:53’ and ‘Album version-3:25’

Pressed at Specialty Records Corp.
Mastered at Masterdisk, NY.

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

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

March 28, 2016

Rick Springfield – State Of The Heart (Special Remix) (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“State Of The Heart” is a song originally recorded by Australian rock band Mondo Rock in 1981. Fellow Australian Rick Springfield covered the song for his 1985 studio album Tao. Springfield’s version peaked at #22 on April 17, 1985 after spending 15 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100.

SIDE A:
State Of The Heart (Special Remix) 6:01
Remix – Alan Coulthard

SIDE B:
The Power Of Love (The Tao Of Love) 5:02

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	State Of The Heart	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#22

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: RCA ‎– PT 49960
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Bill Drescher, Rick Springfield

NOTES:
Special version from the LP “TAO”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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