Grace Jones – Do Or Die (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1978

“Do or Die” – a single by Grace Jones, released in 1978, promoting her album Fame.

“Do or Die” was the first and in most parts of the world the only single release from Jones’ Fame, her second disco album. On Fame it made up the first part of the A-side non-stop medley “Do or Die”/”Pride”/”Fame”. The 7″ single featured a heavily edited version (3:22) with the French-language non-album track “Comme un oiseau qui s’envole” as the B-side, included as a bonus track on the Canadian edition of the Fame album. The 12″ single featured a slightly shorter mix of the album version with a cold end, and the B-side an extended mix of “Comme un oiseau qui s’envole”. “Do or Die” reached #3 on the U.S. Billboard dance chart, but failed to make a chart impact anywhere else.

In 1985 the 7″ edit of “Do or Die” was included as one of three disco tracks on the career retrospective Island Life, the other being the album versions of “I Need a Man” and “La Vie en rose” (1977).

A music video was shot as a part of an Italian TV show Stryx, for which Jones made several more clips. It uses the Stryx studio set and sees Jones dancing with a surreal scenography in the background.

Eartha Kitt recorded a cover of the song for her 1989 album I’m Still Here.

SIDE A:
Do Or Die 6:15
Music By – James Bolden
Words By – Jack Robinson

SIDE B:
Comme Un Oiseau Qui S’Envole 4:30
Lyrics By [French Lyrics] –J.C. Cosson*
Music By – Gil Slavin

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

CHARTS:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1978	Do Or Die	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play	#3

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Island Records – IS 1008
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 33 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1978
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Disco
Credits: Arranged By – John Davis (5)
Mastered By – Jose Rodriguez*
Producer, Mixed By –Tom Moulton

NOTES:
Produced for Beam Junction Prod.
“A Tom Moulton Mix”

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

June 11, 2012

Donna Summer – Hot Stuff (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1979

“Hot Stuff” is a hit single released by American singer Donna Summer in 1979 as the first single release from her Bad Girls album through Casablanca Records. Up to that point, Summer had mainly been associated with disco songs but this song also showed significant rock influences including a guitar solo by ex-Doobie Brother and Steely Dan guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. It is her most popular song, based on the performance on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Hot Stuff” won Summer the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, making her not only the first African-American artist to achieve that feat, but also the first woman to ever win a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance. It is ranked #104 on the updated Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. The song also lists at #67 on Billboard’s Greatest Songs of all time.

“Hot Stuff” was certified Platinum by the RIAA and remained at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for three non-consecutive weeks. The song also lists at #67 on Billboard’s Greatest Songs of all time. The song also topped the US Hot Dance Club Play chart. This limited edition UK 12″ was pressed on sexy red vinyl and plays the full 6:45 version of “Hot Stuff” with the album track “Journey To The Center Of Your Heart” as the b-side.

SIDE A:
Hot Stuff 6:45
Written-By – H. Faltermeyer*, K. Forsey*, P. Bellotte*

SIDE B:
Journey To The Centre Of Your Heart 4:37
Written-By – G. Moroder*, P. Bellotte*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

CHARTS:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1979	Hot Stuff	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#1
1979	Hot Stuff	U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles	#3
1979	Hot Stuff	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play	#1

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Casablanca Records – CANL 151
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, Limited Edition, 45 RPM, Red Vinyl
Country: UK
Released: 1979
Genre: Electronic
Style: Disco
Credits: Producer – Giorgio Moroder

NOTES:
Taken from the album “Bad Girls” CALD 5007
Pressed on Red Vinyl
Made In England

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

June 7, 2012

DeBarge – Rhythm Of The Night (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“Rhythm of the Night” is a 1985 hit single recorded by the American R&B band DeBarge and written by Diane Warren. The song is said to have jump-started the career of songwriter Diane Warren and was the biggest hit recorded by the Motown family singing group.

By 1985, DeBarge had become pop/R&B sensations with mostly ballads making the repertoire of their hit catalog though they were as impressive as live performers with their mixture of their trademark soft ballads and a collection of dance material. Motown Records sought to produce DeBarge with a dance single to give them a bigger crossover success that mirrored that of label-mate Lionel Richie, who like DeBarge, had created his initial fan base on soft songs before the release of “All Night Long”, which included a catchy dance beat influenced by calypso. A similar influence would come in the production of “Rhythm of the Night” which featured more of El DeBarge’s deep tenor with flashes of his trademark falsetto. Richard Perry, the hit producer behind hit recordings for The Pointer Sisters and other artists, was appointed to produce the single with Diane Warren as its writer.

The release of “Rhythm of the Night” coincided with the release of the Motown film, The Last Dragon, which featured the song as part of its soundtrack. The free publicity from the song on its soundtrack and in the movie itself helped boost its popularity. Eventually released as a single, the song produced DeBarge’s biggest success yet with the single reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, number one on the US adult contemporary chart, and number four in the UK singles chart – their only major hit single in the UK – going gold and boosting similar success for its parent album of the same name. The group’s music video of the song gained the group heavy rotation on MTV and BET and was actually the group’s first and last real music video starting a brief period where DeBarge became pop superstars.

SIDE A:
Rhythm Of The Night (Long Version) 6:41
Producer – Richard Perry
Written-By – D. Warren*

SIDE B:
Queen Of My Heart 3:30
Arranged By [Rhythm] – Eldra DeBarge*, Reggie Andrews
Arranged By [Strings & Horns] – Clare Fischer
Producer – Bobby DeBarge, Eldra DeBarge*
Written-By – B. DeBarge*, E. DeBarge*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint (company)

CHARTS:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	Rhythm Of The Night	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#3
1985	Rhythm Of The Night	U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemprary Tracks	#1
1985	Rhythm Of The Night	U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs	#1
1985	Rhythm Of The Night	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	#3

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Motown – 4532MG
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Latin, Synth-pop

NOTES:
A: Album versions in original Motion Picture Soundtrack “Berry Gordy’s – The Last Dragon” and “Rhythm Of The Night”
B: In the Album “In A Special Way”

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

June 6, 2012

El DeBarge With DeBarge – You Wear It Well (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“You Wear It Well” is a song recorded by El DeBarge with DeBarge for the Gordy label. This song was recorded and released as the third single from the album, Rhythm of the Night.

The song eventually reached number 7 on the Billboard R&B chart, number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and spent two weeks atop the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in October and November 1985. El Debarge made a guest appearance on The Facts of Life in the seventh season, the seventh episode “Doo Wah” which premiered on Saturday November 2, 1985 on NBC, at the same time the single was released and performed it with the show’s principal stars, Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn and Nancy McKeon as providing backup vocals.

SIDE A:
You Wear It Well (Club Mix) 6:55

SIDE B:
You Wear It Well (Dub Mix) 5:06
Baby, Won’t Cha Come Quick 4:32

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint (company)

CHARTS:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	You Wear It Well	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#47
1985	You Wear It Well	U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles	#7
1985	You Wear It Well	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play	#1

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Gordy – 4545GG
Format:
Vinyl, 12″, 33 RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: RnB/Swing, Synth-pop
Credits: Mixed By – John Morales & Sergio Munzibai
Producer, Arranged By – El DeBarge
Lead Vocals – El DeBarge
Backing Vocals – DeBarge

NOTES:
An “M&M” Mix
“You Wear It Well” from the Lp “Rhythm of the Night”

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