Player [1] – Space Invaders (Germany 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1979

“Space Invaders” is a song by Australian songwriters Russell Dunlop and Bruce Brown, recording under the band name Player One (commonly stylised as Player [1]) in 1979. The song is based on the hugely successful 1978 video game Space Invaders. It was a novelty hit in Australia, peaking at #3 on the Kent Music Report charts, and ending up as the fourth best selling single in Australia for 1980.

The song was released internationally but failed to chart outside Australia. It was, however, influential in the history of dance music, being sampled by Jesse Saunders for the bassline of what is commonly held to be the first Chicago house music record, “On and On” (1984).

Dunlop and Brown also released an album as Player One, Game Over. Dunlop recalled: “We sat down and wrote a bunch of space songs, but instead of sticking to the concept of the hit, we wandered off into the ‘clever’ musical genre with fancy time signatures, radical chord progressions and so on. The reply came back for the States that this was intended for 13- to 14-year-olds: ‘You’ve lost us.'”

The single and album were released in the US under the band name Playback, which Brown and Dunlop had used for other projects, to avoid confusion with the US band Player. The US version of the album was titled Space Invaders.

SIDE A:
Space Invaders 5:52

SIDE B:
A Menacing Glow In The Sky 3:12

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: WEA ‎– WEA 70004
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: Germany
Released: 1979
Genre: Electronic
Style: Disco

CREDITS:
Producer – Bad Productions

NOTES:
Recorded at Alberts Studios, Sydney, Australia using Roland Synthesizers
From the LP “GAME OVER”

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Speed Control: Pro-Ject Speed Box S
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 Removeal: ClickRepair (DeClick Level 3)
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

October 9, 2014

Fred Schneider & The Shake Society – Monster (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

“Monster” is a 1984 US only promotion single released by Schneider frontman of the rock band The B-52’s. The track was taken from Schneider’s first solo album Fred Schneider and the Shake Society. Kate Pierson, also from The B-52’s, performs backing vocals on this track.

“Monster” is one of my favourite tracks, as there is an innuendo implied, although Fred states in the disclaimer that this wacky space-age song with tag team guitars that it’s about a dinosaur walking around in his polka dot PJ’s and not what some dirty-minded people might think. Think about it: “There’s a monster in my pants and it does a nasty dance. When it moves in and out. Everybody starts to shout. Monster aah!”

The music video was actually banned from MTV in 1983. The video stars Keith Harring and Chris and Tina from the talking heads & tom tom club and the late Drag performer, playwright, and actor, artist Ethyl Eichelberger.

SIDE A:
Monster 3:30

SIDE B:
Boonga (The New Jersey Caveman) 4:45

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records ‎– PRO-A-2224
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Co-producer – Bernie Worrell
Mixed By – Steve Peck, Ted Currier

NOTES:
From the LP “Fred Schneider & The Shake Society”

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

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

October 8, 2014

Bobby “O” & His Banana Republic Feat. Claudja Barry – Whisper To A Scream (Germany 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“Whisper To A Scream” is a Hi NRG dance track by American record producer, dance music artist Bobby Orlando and singer-songwriter and actress Claudja Barry released in October 1985. The song was featured in the film Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge.

The single debuted on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart on October 19, 1985 spending five weeks on the survey peaking at #27.

SIDE A:
Whisper To A Scream 9:04

SIDE B:
Whisper To A Scream (Dub) 6:10

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	Whisper To A Scream	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#27

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Metronome ‎– 883 581-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: Germany
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Hi NRG

CREDITS:
Vocals – Bobby Orlando, Claudja Barry
Written-By – B. Orlando*, C. Chase*

NOTES:
BPM 134

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

October 7, 2014

Screamin’ Lord Byron Featuring Thomas Dolby and Timothy Spall – The Devil Is An Englishman (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“The Devil Is An Englishman” is a 1986 single by Sreamin’ Lord Byron featuring Thomas Dolby and Timothy Spall taken from the soundtrack for the film Gothic.

In Ken Russell’s film Gothic, poet Lord Byron was played by Gabriel Byrne. Thomas Dolby’s soundtrack for the film closes with the song “The Devil Is An Englishman”, which prominently features samples of Byrne’s dialogue from the film, much of it shouted — hence, the half-serious “featuring Screamin’ Lord Byron” credit on the single and the soundtrack album.

SIDE A:
The Devil Is An Englishman (Extended Version) 6:00
Artist – Screamin’ Lord Byron Featuring Thomas Dolby and Timothy Spall
Remix – Martin Rushent
Vocals – Timothy Spall

SIDE B:
Fantasmagoria 2:11
Artist – Thomas Dolby

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin ‎– VS 937-12
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Composed By – Thomas Dolby
Producer – Clif Brigden, Thomas Dolby

NOTES:
Both tracks taken from the soundtrack album “GOTHIC”

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

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