Midnight Star – Freak-A-Zoid (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1983

Side A Label

This classic electro track is where the well worn vocoder sample “Please Report to the Dancefloor” originates from. “Freak-A-Zoid,” was the first single taken from Midnight Star’s fourth album, No Parking on the Dance Floor, released in 1983, it took them to the top of the charts peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 1983.

The reason that this PROMO version is so great is the fact of the B side. Its called Instrumental, but actually its all Vocoder, and missing all the normal vocals. Making this a pure electro vocoder claassic.

DISCOGS LINK

RELEASE/PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Label: Solar
Catalog#: ED 4907
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: Electro
Credits: Producer – Reggie Calloway
From Solar LP “No Parking” LP 60241

SIDE A
(A) Freak-A-Zoid (Vocal) 8:08

SIDE B
(B) Freak-A-Zoid (Instrumental) 6:15

Side B Label

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

July 29, 2010

Donna Summer – Dinner With Gershwin (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Dinner with Gershwin” is song written by Brenda Russell. It was first recorded by Donna Summer in 1987, which Russell co-produced with Richard Perry.

“Dinner With Gershwin” was the first single off Summer’s All Systems Go album which was Summer’s first album of new material released in four years. “Dinner With Gershwin” returned Summer to the Billboard R&B Top Ten – at #10 – for a final time but became the first lead single off a Donna Summer album of new material since 1978 to fall short of the Pop Top 40, peaking at #48.

“Dinner With Gershwin” was better received on the UK charts entering the Top 30 in November 1987, with Summer’s 19 November appearance on Top of the Pops – her first – assisting the track to a #13 peak.

Brenda Russell later recorded her own version of the song for her 1990 album Kiss Me With The Wind.

DISCOGS LINK

RELEASE/PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Label: Geffen Records
Catalog#: 0-20635
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Co-producer, Written-By – Brenda Russell (2)
Design – Janet Levinson
Engineer [Additional] – Steve Peck
Engineer [Second] – Ken Felton , Scott Maddox
Mixed By – Jim Tract
Mixed By, Engineer – Glen Holguin
Photography – Tony Viramontes
Producer – Richard Perry

NOTES
Recorded at Studio 55, Los Angeles

SIDE A
(A) Dinner With Gershwin (Extended Version) 7:43
SIDE B
(B) Dinner With Gershwin (Instrumental Version) 4:52

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

July 23, 2010

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

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