Viola Wills – Stormy Weather (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND DISCO EXCLUSIVE 1982

Front Cover

“Stormy Weather” is a 1933 song written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler. Ethel Waters first sang it at The Cotton Club night club in Harlem. Viola Wills covered the song in 1982, it peaked at number four on the dance charts.

The song tells of disappointment, as the lyrics, “Don’t know why there’s no sun up in the sky” show someone pining for her man to return. The weather is a metaphor for the feelings of the singer; “stormy weather since my man and I ain’t together, keeps raining all the time.”

Viola Wills died of cancer on May 6, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona at 8:27am Pacific Time. Her funeral was held at the Macedonia Abbey Baptist Church in Los Angeles on May 15, 2009.

DISCOGS LINK

RELEASE/PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Label: Sunergy
Catalog#: SNG-0001
Format: Vinyl, 12″
Country: US
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic
Style: Disco
Credits: Producer – Aristides Jacobs

SIDE A
(A) Stormy Weather 7:35

SIDE B
(B1) Stormy Weather (Instrumental) 7:35
Vocals – Viola Wills
(B2)Stormy Weather (Radio Version) 3:37

Back Cover

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 30, 2010

Nik Kershaw – I Won’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1983

1983 Front Cover

“I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” is a song by singer Nik Kershaw, first released on his hit debut album Human Racing.

The song was written during the latter part of the Cold War period when nuclear war between the two superpowers of the USSR and USA was still a very real concern, and the lyrics reflect a satirical view of politics and the threat of war with lines such as: “old men in stripey trousers, rule the world with plastic smiles”, and: “forefinger on the button, is he blue or is he red?”

“I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” only reached number 47 in the UK charts when first released. However, the follow up single from the same album, “Wouldn’t It Be Good”, reached the top five and on the back of that success “I Won’t …” was re-released and soared to number two. It was also subsequently a major hit in several other countries and was responsible for bringing Nik Kershaw to greater public attention.

In Kershaw’s version, the synth tune was produced with an Oberheim OB-8 played by Paul Wickens (Wix).

This 12″ version contains samples from “wouldn’t It Be Good” and “Dancing Girls”.

RELEASE INFORMATION;
Label: MCA Records Ltd.
Catalog#: NIKT 4
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Artwork By [Design] – Clinic, The
Photography [Back Sleeve] – Iain McKell
Photography [Front Sleeve] – Brian Aris
Producer – Peter Collins
Written-By – Nik Kershaw

NOTES:
Front has no remix title, and the label on A has added, below the title in small print, “Special new extended mix by Simon Boswell”.
Back of cover has (Extended Remix By Simon Boswell).

SIDE A:
I Won’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me (Extended Remix By Simon Boswell) 6:33
Remix – Simon Boswell

SIDE B:
Dark Glasses 4:17

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

DISCOGS LINK

Back Cover

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

June 22, 2010

Elton John – Nobody Wins (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1981

Front Cover

REQUEST

In 1981, when new wave and punk were the movement of the day, Elton John released his first album for Geffen Records, “The Fox”. Not a “party” album, but a very stately, majestic album.

The first single, “Nobody Wins”. Is a magnificent, soaring piece of electronic-pop that was sweeping and dramatic. It soundeds like the title track to a James Bond film. It was also released in Europe, with EJ singing the vocals in French, under the name of “J’Veux De La Tendresse”.

“Nobody Wins” peaked at #21 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #23 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song did not do as well in Elton’s home country and only peaked at #42 on the UK singles chart.

This US 12″ contains both the “Extended Version” of the song as well as the “French Version”. Both tracks are exclusive to this release.

DISCOGS LINK

RELEASE/PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Label: Geffen Records
Catalog#: PRO-A-948
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1981
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Producer – Chris Thomas
Recorded By – Bill Price
Written-By – Gary Osborne , Jean-Paul Dreau

NOTES
“Nobody Win” from the Geffen Records album Elton John/The Fox (GHS 20002)

Published by Inntersong Music – ASCAP
℗ 1981 Sackville Productions, ILtd

SIDE A
(A) Nobody Wins (Extended Version) 5:20

SIDE B
(B) Nobody Wins (French Version) 5:09

Back Cover

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

May 28, 2010

Elton John – Sad Songs (Say So Much) (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

1984 Front Cover

REQUEST

“Sad Songs (Say So Much)” is a song by Elton John from the 1984 album Breaking Hearts. It is the closing track. It reached the number 5 position on the U.S. chart. The lyrics describe how you sometimes need to listen to old radio blues classics when you’re feeling down, or when someone beloved has left you. In the years since then it has had modest radio airplay compared to some of the bigger 1980s singles from John.

The music video, shot on a street in Rushcutters Bay, Sydney, featured John in which he did not wear glasses for portions nor did he play a piano although he did when this was recorded.

DISCOGS LINK

RELEASE/PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Label: The Rocket Record Company
Catalog#: PH 712, 822 087-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1984
Genre: Pop, Rock
Style: Soft Rock
Credits: Producer – Chris Thomas

NOTES
(P) 1984 Happenstance Ltd. England.
Published by Big Pig Music.
Original Sound Recording Made By Phonogram Ltd. (London)
Made In Britain

SIDE A
(A) Sad Songs (Say So Much) (Extended Version) 4:50
Recorded By – Renate*
Written-By – Bernie Taupin , Elton John
This version does not appear on the new album ‘Breaking Hearts’

SIDE B
(B) A Simple Man 3:48
Recorded By – Bill Price
Written-By – Elton John , Gary Osborne
Does not appear on the new album ‘Breaking Hearts’

Back Cover

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