Peter Gabriel – Red Rain (Europe 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Red Rain” is the first track on Peter Gabriel’s 1986 solo album So. In the USA, it reached #3 on Billboard magazine’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Stewart Copeland from The Police played the hi-hat for the rain-like background sound; the rest of the drumming was handled by Jerry Marotta.

The song is a combination of several inspirations. The lyrics directly reference a recurring dream Gabriel was having where he swam in his pool drinking cold red wine. Another version of the dream had bottles falling from a cliff, and the bottles were in the shape of people. When they were smashed on the ground, the people-shaped bottles had red liquid coming out, and then it began to rain the same red liquid.

Earlier in his solo career, Gabriel had an idea for a movie, Mozo. In it, villagers were punished for their sins with a blood red rain. “Red Rain” was to be the theme song. This idea was eventually scrapped, although there was a mention of Mozo in the song “On the Air” in Peter Gabriel (II). “Down The Dolce Vita”, “Here Comes The Flood”, “Exposure”, and “Big Blue Ball” are also reference the Mozo story, as well.

According to the sleeve notes from the remastered version of So, it is also a reference to acid rain. Based on one interpretation of some of the lyrics it is also thought to refer to nuclear fallout.

SIDE A:
Red Rain 5:35
Producer – Daniel Lanois, Peter Gabriel
Written-By – Peter Gabriel

SIDE B:
Ga-Ga (I Go Swimming Instrumental) 4:28
Producer – Steve Lillywhite
Written-By – Peter Gabriel

Walk Through The Fire 3:31
Producer – Nile Rodgers, Peter Gabriel
Written-By – Peter Gabriel

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
CHARTS:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1987	Red Rain	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	#3

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin – 609 240
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Europe
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Classic Rock
Credits: Painting, Design – Peter Saville Associates
Photography By – Trevor Key

NOTES:
Printed in Western Germany

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

November 14, 2012

Peter Gabriel – Big Time (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“Big Time” is a song by Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It was his second top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #8.

“Big Time” alternates mode between A♭ minor (Aeolian) in the chorus and A♭ Dorian during the verses and is played at the speed of 116 bpm. The song’s bass guitar part is unique in that backing bassist Tony Levin and then-backing drummer Jerry Marotta teamed up for the main bassline. Using one of Levin’s fretless basses, Levin handled the fingerings while Marotta hit his drumsticks on the strings, which is why the bass part sounds percussive. Inspired by this sound, Levin later invented Funk Fingers, which were little drumstick ends that could be attached to the fingers to achieve a similar bass guitar effect in concert. Police drummer Stewart Copeland plays drums on the song.

SIDE A:
Big Time (Dance Mix) 6:10
Remix – Tom Lord Alge*

SIDE B:
In Your Eyes (Special Mix) 7:14
Engineer [Remix] – Jason Corsaro
Producer – Bill Laswell

We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37) 3:18

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

CHARTS:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1986	Big Time	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#8
1986	Big Time	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	#3

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Geffen Records – 0-20600
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop
Credits: Design – Brett Wickens, Peter Saville (2)
Engineer – Kevin Killen
Photography By – Trevor Key
Producer – Daniel Lanois, Peter Gabriel
Written-By – Peter Gabriel

NOTES:
Designed at Peter Saville Associates, London.

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

November 13, 2012

Janet Jackson – Control (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“Control” is the fourth single from Janet Jackson’s third album Control. The song was written by Jackson, James Harris III, and Terry Lewis and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Its arrangement, built upon complex rhythmic tracks, showcased state-of-the-art production. The song is about Jackson wanting to finally take control of her life. Jackson sings, “When I was seventeen, I did what people told me.” Now she is an adult who wants to make her own decisions in life.

Released in 1986, the single peaked at number five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming Jackson’s fourth consecutive top five hit on the chart; it also peaked at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and the Hot Dance Club Play charts. The song captured a pivotal moment off the album by showcasing a female streak of independence. It was the 37th biggest Hot 100 single of 1987, the fifth biggest Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs single of 1987, and the ninth biggest-selling 12″ single of 1987. In the UK it missed the top 40, peaking at number 42.

SIDE A:
Control (Extended Version) 7:33

SIDE B:
Control (Dub Version) 5:55
Control (A Cappella) 3:55

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

CHARTS:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1986	Control	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#5
1986	Control	U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs	#1
1986	Control	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	#1

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: A&M Records – SP-12209
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Promo, Single
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Soul, Synth-pop
Credits: Arranged By [Rhythm & Vocal Arrangers] – Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis*
Co-producer – Janet Jackson
Executive Producer – John McClain
Producer – Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis*
Remix – Steve Hodge
Written-By – Janet Jackson, James Harris III-Terry Lewis*

NOTES:
Promotion Copy Not For Sale
Produced and remixed for Flyte Tyme Productions, Inc.
Original version appears on the A&M album “CONTROL” SP-3905

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

November 6, 2012

Arcadia – Election Day (The Consensus Mix) (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

Re-Election Day!

“Election Day” was the first single released by the Duran Duran off-shoot band, Arcadia. It was released by Parlophone Records in October 1985 and subsequently hit the top ten on both sides of the Atlantic, peaking at #6 in the US and #7 in the UK, but was the most successful in Ireland, peaking at #5 and in Italy, peaking at #1 (also reaching the Top 25 in Germany). Along with the Arcadia members, “Election Day” features Grace Jones on vocals and speech segments.

SIDE A:
Election Day (The Consensus Mix) 8:39

SIDE B:
Election Day (Single Version) 4:30
She’s Moody And Grey, She’s Mean And She’s Restless 4:28

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

CHARTS:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	Election Day	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#6
1985	Election Day	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#29

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Capitol Records – V-15209
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop
Credits: Engineer – Larry Alexander
Mixed By – Francois Kevorkian*, Ron Saint Germain*
Producer – Arcadia (3)
Producer, Mixed By – Alex Sadkin
Written-By – hodes*, Taylor*, Le Bon*

NOTES:
Recorded within Studio De La Grande Armee, Paris.
From the album “SO RED THE ROSE”

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi