BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985
NEW 2020 Transfer!
Meticulously Remastered!
Originally posted: January 24, 2012
“Alive and Kicking” is a song by the Scottish rock band Simple Minds. Released in 1985 as the first single from the band’s most successful album, Once Upon a Time, it reached number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 4 in Canada, and peaked within the top 5 of several European countries including Italy, where the song reached number one.
SIDE A:
Alive & Kicking 5:24
SIDE B:
Alive & Kicking (Instrumental) 6:03
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Alive & Kicking | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #3 |
| 1985 | Alive & Kicking | U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | #2 |
| 1985 | Alive & Kicking | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play | #25 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin – 602 038, Virgin – 602 038-213
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
CREDITS:
Artwork [Art] – Mick Haggerty
Composed By – Simple Minds
Mastered By [Runout] – Barry Woodward
Photography By – Anton Corbijn
Producer – Bob Clearmountain, Jimmy Iovine
NOTES:
From the LP “Once Upon A Time”
Find the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
DAC/Phono Pre-amp: Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (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
Username: btg
Password: burningtheground
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Great post, Paul. I love how your posts (sometimes) have special meaning to the times we are in. This is a great track and 12″. Thank you. Your rips are out of this world.
Thank you so much MusicMan3 🙂
DjPaulT agradezco estas “NEW 2020 Transfer!. Meticulously Remastered!” estos nuevos archivos suenan espectaculares. Muchas gracias.
De Nada 🙂
A friend and I were discussing the recent “re-rips” Paul has been posting. My friend had his doubts as to whether Paul was just posting the same content that was previously available on the old version of the site, but with new descriptions. I tried to tell him that you could hear the audio difference and he argued that he could not. Though by his own admission he is not much of an audiophile and his experience is based solely of listening in his car on the way to work (the worst listening environment possible! I know you are reading… Read more »
Aaron, Thanks for your wonderful comment. Paul is doing a phenomenal job ripping music. His new additions are breath-taking along with the re-rips. Paul is committed to the best sound possible. Over the weeks I’ve noticed an incredible sound on the records he’s posted. I listen to them on a Bose system and they put me in a rapture! Everyone should know that Paul cares the very best about his site and the music he showcases. And he’s extremely grateful to all of us when we donate whenever possible. He is a class act in every way. Have a blessed… Read more »
Aaron,
Thank you so much for your comment I also appreciate you posting the Spectral analysis. I love doing the new transfers and I appreciate that someone took notice. Thank you 🙂
One of my favorite tracks Paul. I forgot about the instrumental. Thanks.
You’re welcome, Matt 🙂
Hi Paul – thanks very much for this one! Is this the UK or the European version? I can see two versions on Discogs – https://www.discogs.com/Simple-Minds-Alive-Kicking/release/183649 vs https://www.discogs.com/Simple-Minds-Alive-Kicking/release/215324 ? Many thanks!
Mine is the UK version.
Thanks Paul. (The catalogue number should probable change in the description above – to VS 817-12.) Thanks again for this awesome post!!
Thank you, Paul! This one never gets old.
You’re welcome, Dean 🙂
Hi Paul,
Thanks for posting from one of my favorite groups.
The artwork is minimal, but stunning. Its not my favorite
song from them, but its still good. I actually like the
instrumental better.
And, as someone mentioned, there are some actual
remixes of this song on the deluxe cd release.
thanks as always, and keep up the great work.
later
-1
Thank you -1. Stay safe 🙂
Perfect song for the occasion Paul. I just adore the energy and it’s so great playing this loud and belting it out as if no one is listening. You put me in a fantastic mood.
Have a great day!
Jeff
P.S. I loved the Duran Duran single you posted on Friday. Karen and I both covet your works!
Thank you, Jeff. Hope you are having a great day 🙂
Thank you Paul. This is a fitting song for what is needed right now in this world. My love for the 80’s broad and wide and this song has always been one of my favorites even though it has been lost from many stations that play music from this era. My joy is doing the same thing and that is transferring these great 12″ classics from this era and while my collection is small it will never end to this music its justice.
You’re welcome, Dj Veteran 🙂
Thank you Paul. This song is brilliant and full of energy. One of my favourite 80s song. I never understood why the awesome remixes (12″ remix and Kevorkian 12″ remix) have not been released back then. Fortunately they are included on the 2015 remastered 2CD edition of the album “Once upon a time”.
Good point, I was just going to say there are some
actual extended versions for this song. I still don’t
understand why they weren’t released.
It was just waiting for a remix, and there wasn’t
one, which is why i was so disappointed with it.
the instrumental was only on the UK version,
so people in the US didn’t even get that either.
later
-1
You’re welcome, Daniel 🙂
Thanks a Lot! Paul. I can’t donate now but I will. Promise! In the meanwhile I’m sharing your posts.
Best regards,
I totally understand Jorge. 🙂
Thank you very much Paul for all your contributions, here in Chile in the middle of the quarantine of the coronavirus, so we have restriction, with our outings to the street, only for exceptional cases, especially to care for our older adults, I hope that this pandemic is more controlled in your country and especially in your environment, to take care of yourself and continue enjoying good music at home, greetings to all and please take care of yourself, be well
Take care and be safe 🙂
How very fitting. As usual you stun us with your empathy, Paul. Hard times required hard meaures, I suppose, but let´s hope that all of us and everybody out there remain alive and kicking.
As an irrelevant side note, I have the golden sleeve edition with one of my favourites as an additional b-side: “Up On The Catwalk (live).
There were 2 different gold covers. One was a flat gold colored
sleeve, and there was a 2nd one with a mirrored sleeve.
Yes, here in the US, we just got a plain 12 inch with the live
track, which is great, but they could have easily put the
instrumental on there also, since there really wasn’t a
remix.
Still, the song was a huge hit, so what do we know.
later
-1
Thanks so much, Song And Dance 🙂
Thanks Paul,
I’m on Day 10 of isolation at 63 , scary times, I’ve hopefully been lucky and got through this 🙂 (Been very unpleasant at times)
God speed all here and everywhere, a great track by the way..
Best wishes, safe journey to all..
Kev