Bananarama – More Than Physical (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

REQUEST

“More Than Physical” is a song written and performed by English girl group Bananarama. It was one of two tracks on the group’s True Confessions album produced by the Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) trio instead of Jolley & Swain. The album version of the track is different from the single.

In order to capitalize on the number-one success of previous single “Venus” (the other True Confessions track produced by SAW), “More Than Physical” was given a Hi-NRG-influenced make-over to sound similar to the dance-oriented chart-topper.

Even with heavy exposure on MTV, “More Than Physical” did not duplicate the success of “Venus”, stalling at number forty-one on the UK singles chart and number seventy-three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was a top-forty success in Australia, where it peaked at number twenty-eight in the ARIA chart. Its biggest success was in nightclubs, and “More Than Physical” became a top-five hit on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart.

“More Than Physical” was featured in the 1986 British film Rita, Sue and Bob Too starring Michelle Holmes and Siobhan Finneran. The song is featured in the scene where the girls are babysitting for Bob and Michelle, and they dance around the living room while the video to “More Than Physical” plays on the television.

The bassline of the track is derivative of the 70’s disco hit “Boogie Oogie Oogie” by A Taste Of Honey.

The remixed single version’s music video further capitalized on Bananarama’s new glamorous and sexy visual image by including several well-muscled, topless men in a montage of shots of the group members. Some of the shots were made with colored filters, and are juxtaposed with tightly cropped shots of body parts or movements in slow motion.

SIDE A:
More Than Physical (Muscle Mix) 10:00
Remix – Ian Levine

SIDE B:
More Than Physical (Garage Mix) 8:45
More Than Physical (Dub) 4:58

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Cover: Mint (Generic)

CHARTS:

Year Single Chart Position
1986 More Than Physical U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #73
1986 More Than Physical U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music\Club Play #5

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: London Records
Catalog#: PRO 4601
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo, 33 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Hi NRG, Synth-pop
Credits: Producer – Stock/Aitken/Waterman*
Written-By – Woodward*, Dallin*, Fahey*, Stock/Aitken/Waterman*

NOTES:
Promotional Not For Sale
Produced for P.W.L. Productions
Original version on the London album #422 828 013-1 R-1 “True Confesssions”

Find The 12″ on DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 20
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

Rufus & Chaka Khan – Ain’t Nobody (Remix) (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1989

“Ain’t Nobody” is a 1983 hit single by Rufus & Chaka Khan. It was released as a studio bonus track on the band’s live album Stompin’ at the Savoy. It reached number one on the U.S. R&B chart and twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It has become one of Khan’s signature songs.

Rufus keyboardist David “Hawk” Wolinski wrote the song around a repeating synthesizer loop backed by a LinnDrum drum machine. Legendary producer Quincy Jones (who had previously worked with Rufus) wanted Wolinski to give “Ain’t Nobody” to Michael Jackson for the album that would become the blockbuster, Thriller, but Wolinski had already promised it to producer Russ Titelman, who ultimately had the band record it as a vocal showcase for Khan.

The song was also included in the soundtrack of the movie Breakin’.

House music pioneer Frankie Knuckles remixed the record for Chaka Khan’s Life Is a Dance – The Remix Project (the first-ever double album of outside remixes of a single artist’s catalogue) in 1988. This remix is regarded as the first example of what would become Knuckles’ (and business partner David Morales’) “Def Classic Mix” style.

SIDE A:
Ain’t Nobody (LP Remix Version) 4:24
Engineer [Remix] – John Poppo
Engineer [Assistant] – Abdu Malahi
Producer – Russ Titelman
Percussion [Additional], Programmed By [Keyboards] – David Morales, Peter Swartz*
Written By – Hawk Wolinski
Remix, Producer [Additional] – Frankie Knuckles
Performed By: Rufus & Chaka Khan

SIDE B:
Ain’t Nobody (Hallucinogenic Version) 6:55
Engineer [Remix] – John Poppo
Engineer [Assistant] – Abdu Malahi
Producer – Russ Titelman
Percussion [Additional], Programmed By [Keyboards] – David Morales, Peter Swartz*
Written By – Hawk Wolinski
Remix, Producer [Additional] – Frankie Knuckles
Performed By: Rufus & Chaka Khan

I’m Every Woman (Dub Version) 4:58
Remix, Producer [Additional] – Dancin’ Danny D
Engineer [Remix] – Jerry Allom*
Written By – Ashford & Simpson
Producer – Arif Mardin
Edited By – Dancin’ Danny D, Steve Murrell
Performed By: Chaka Khan

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Cover: Near Mint

CHARTS:

Year Single Chart Position
1989 Ain’t Nobody (Remix) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #22
1989 Ain’t Nobody (Remix) U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Hip-Hop Songs #1

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records
Catalog#: 921 269-0, W 2880 T
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic
Style: House, Disco

NOTES:
Remixed at Quantum, Jersey City & Shakedown, N.Y. (A, B1).
Taken from / Original version from the LP * Cassette * CD ‘Life Is A Dance – The Remix Project’.
Made In U.K.

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

Bananarama – Only Your Love (Remix) (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1990

REQUEST

“Only Your Love” is a song recorded by English girl group Bananarama. It was released as the first single from the group’s fifth studio album Pop Life and was issued several months prior to the release of the album. The Pop Life album marked a break for Bananarama from their long-standing relationship with the Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) production trio. “Only Your Love” was co-written and produced by Youth. The album version of the song was remixed for its single release.

The song’s primary rhythm, complete with ‘Woo Woo’ hoots, directly references “Sympathy for the Devil”. This led Jonathon Ross to jokingly thank ‘The Rolling Stones’ after Bananarama had performed the song on his TV show. The song also contains samples of “Loaded” by Primal Scream and “Fool’s Gold” by The Stone Roses, two songs that had been recent pop and dance hits in the UK. Upon its release “Only Your Love” received positive critical reviews. The song was not released as a single in the United States.

“Only Your Love” peaked at number twenty-seven in the UK singles chart, which the group considered to be a disappointment. The single did not fare much better in other countries, hitting number forty-nine in New Zealand and fifty-one in Australia.

SIDE A:
Only Your Love (The Monkey Drum Mooch) 7:23
Remix – Terry Farley

SIDE B:
Only Your Love (A Tribute To Barry Mooncult Mix) 5:40
Remix – Terry Farley

Only Your Love (Paris Texas Instrumental) 5:33
Arranged By [Vocal Arrangements] – Andy Caine
Engineer – Thrash

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Cover: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: London Records
Catalog#: NANXR 21
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1990
Genre: Electronic
Style: House
Credits: Design [Sleeve Design] – Andrew Biscomb, Peter Barrett (3)
Producer – Youth
Written-By – Andy Caine, Sara Dallin*, Youth

NOTES:
Tracks A & B1 Remixed for Boys Own Productions

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

Howard Jones – Pearl In The Shell (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

REQUEST

This 12″ is the UK release which includes an eight minute version of “Total Conditioning” that does not appear on any Howard Jones CD release, including the 12″ Collection compilation which only contains a 6:58 version making this 12″ a true HoJo collectible. I posted the US 12″ Promo back in April of 2010 and it includes the Remix Version of “Pearl In The Shell” you can get it here.

“Pearl in the Shell” is the fourth and final single released by musician Howard Jones from the album Human’s Lib. Released in May 1984, the song reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart. It features a saxophone solo by Davey Payne of Ian Dury’s band The Blockheads.

“Total Conditioning” is an extended version of the song “Conditioning” also taken from Human’s Lib the mix feature a medley  at the end of the track of all ten songs from Humans Lib as well as Always Asking Questions.

SIDE A:
Pearl In The Shell 3:55
Saxophone [Uncredited] – Davey Payne, Stephen W. Tayler
Saxophone [Uncredited] – Davey Payne, Stephen W. Tayler
Producer – Rupert Hine
Lyrics By – Howard Jones
Engineer – Stephen W. Tayler

Law Of The Jungle 3:16
Lyrics By – Howard Jones
Engineer – Mike Roarty

SIDE B:
Total Conditioning 8:01
Producer, Remix – Rupert Hine
Lyrics By – William Bryant
Engineer – Stephen W. Tayler

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Cover: Near Mint

CHARTS:

Year Single Chart Position
1984 Pearl In The Shell U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Did Not Chart

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label:WEA Records Ltd., WEA
Catalog#: HOW 4T, 249370-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 26 May 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Music By – Howard Jones
Photography – Mike Prior

NOTES:
Taken from the album ‘Human’s Lib’
A2 – Recorded in Howard’s Front Room, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
Cover photo courtesy of No1.

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 20
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