Burning The Ground Exclusive

Apparently, one visit to the Two Of A Kind soundtrack was not enough.

After featuring Olivia Newton-John’s double A-side release of “Livin’ In Desperate Times” and “Twist Of Fate,” Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition returns to the same movie for another overlooked gem.

This time, the spotlight belongs to Patti Austin and “It’s Gonna Be Special.”

The song first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1983 fantasy comedy Two Of A Kind, starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. It was later released as the first single from Patti Austin’s self-titled 1984 album, where it also opened side one.

The movie may not have repeated the success of Grease, but its soundtrack brought together an impressive group of artists. Along with Olivia and Patti, the album featured Journey, Chicago, Boz Scaggs, Steve Kipner, David Foster, and the Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta duet “Take A Chance.”

As we have already discovered, the music from Two Of A Kind enjoyed a much longer life than the film itself.

“It’s Gonna Be Special” was written by Clif Magness and Glen Ballard and produced by Quincy Jones. Patti supplied both the lead and backing vocals, while the musicians included Magness on guitar, John Van Tongeren on keyboards and synthesizer, Paulinho da Costa on percussion, and a horn section arranged by Jerry Hey.

That is quite a collection of talent for one song.

Glen Ballard was still years away from becoming one of the most successful songwriters and producers of the 1990s. Clif Magness would also build an impressive career as a songwriter, musician, and producer. Here, they created a song filled with the excitement of believing that something wonderful is about to happen.

The title says it all.

“It’s Gonna Be Special” is bright, energetic, and filled with optimism. The rhythm combines polished early-1980s pop, R&B, and dance music. Synthesizers give the production a modern edge, while Jerry Hey’s horn arrangement adds warmth and punch.

Then there is Patti Austin.

Her voice gives the song its personality. She begins with confidence and continues building as the arrangement grows around her. By the time she reaches the chorus, she sounds completely certain that something special is on the way.

Patti had the technical skill to sing almost anything, but she never allowed that skill to overpower the emotion of a song. She could sound smooth and controlled, then suddenly lift a phrase with tremendous force. On “It’s Gonna Be Special,” she sounds joyful, playful, and determined all at once.

The song also fits the unusual story of Two Of A Kind better than it may first appear.

The film follows two ordinary people brought together through romance, angels, divine intervention, and the possible destruction of humanity. Against that background, Patti’s promise that something special is about to happen almost sounds like a message from the angels themselves.

Perhaps saving the world begins with a good dance record.

The single reached number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100. It performed much better with Patti’s core audience, climbing to number 15 on Billboard’s R&B chart and number 5 on the Dance chart.

The song does not appear to have received an official promotional music video. That lack of visual support may have limited its exposure at a time when music videos were becoming increasingly important to pop success. It is impossible to know whether a video would have pushed the record higher on the Hot 100, but it certainly could not have hurt.

In the United States, “It’s Gonna Be Special” was released commercially as a 7-inch single. The extended version, however, appeared only on a promotional 12-inch sent to radio stations and club DJs.

The promo contains the 6:30 “Dance Remix” and the shorter 4:14 “Single Edit.” The Dance Remix was created by John “Jellybean” Benitez.

Jellybean understood how to extend a song without losing what made the original work. His mix gives the rhythm section more room, brings the percussion forward, and adds instrumental passages designed for the dance floor.

The longer introduction allows the groove to establish itself before Patti takes control. Once her vocal arrives, the arrangement continues opening around her. The synthesizers, percussion, horns, and backing vocals receive more space, but the song never loses its strong pop structure.

This is still “It’s Gonna Be Special.”

There is simply more of it to enjoy.

The Dance Remix also places the song firmly within the club sound of 1984. The production is polished, but it has plenty of movement. It connects traditional R&B musicianship with the electronic pulse that was becoming central to dance music.

The Single Edit takes the opposite approach.

At 4:14, it presents the song in a tighter form suited to radio. The energy remains, but the arrangement moves more quickly from one section to the next. Having both versions together makes the promotional 12-inch especially useful for collectors.

You get the concise radio presentation and the full club experience on one record.

Because the 12-inch was promotional-only in the United States, it could easily have been missed by listeners who bought the soundtrack or Patti’s album. There was no widely available commercial 12-inch sitting beside the regular single in record stores.

You had to know a DJ, search the used-record bins, or get lucky.

That limited availability makes it an ideal selection for this series. “It’s Gonna Be Special” is not completely unknown, but Jellybean’s Dance Remix never received the attention given to many of his more famous mixes.

It deserves another chance.

Patti Austin had already built an extraordinary career by the time this single appeared. She began recording as a child and became one of the most respected studio vocalists of the 1970s. Her solo work moved through jazz, soul, pop, R&B, and dance music, while her recordings with Quincy Jones introduced her voice to an even larger audience.

Her number-one duet with James Ingram, “Baby, Come To Me,” had become a major hit shortly before this release. “It’s Gonna Be Special” showed that she could follow a romantic ballad with a bright electronic dance track without sounding out of place.

That versatility is one reason Patti belongs in Ladies Of The 80s.

She did not depend on shocking image changes or elaborate characters. Her reinvention happened through the music. She could move from a sophisticated ballad to jazz, funk, pop, or club music because her voice gave her the freedom to go almost anywhere.

For this post, I am featuring the rare US promotional 12-inch containing John “Jellybean” Benitez’s Dance Remix and the Single Edit.

The Dance Remix lets the groove stretch out.

The Single Edit gets directly to the point.

Two Of A Kind may have been an unusual movie, but its soundtrack continues to reveal treasures.

With Quincy Jones behind the controls, Jellybean Benitez handling the remix, and Patti Austin at the microphone, this one was always going to be special.

SIDE A:
It’s Gonna Be Special (Dance Remix) 6:30
Remix – John “Jellybean” Benitez

SIDE B:
It’s Gonna Be Special (Single Edit) 4:14

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Qwest Records – PRO-A-2076
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul, Pop
Style: Soul

CREDITS:

• Producer – Quincy Jones
• Written-By – Cliff Magness*, Glen Ballard

NOTES:
From the motion picture “TWO OF A KIND”
From the album “PATTI AUSTIN” (1-23974)

Promotional Copy Not For Sale

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Music Black
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2
Phono Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
Audio Interface: MOTU M4
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Cleaning Solution: Turgikleen Record Cleaning Solution
Scanner: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 25 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

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