Tag: 1982

July 30, 2026

Carly Simon – Why (Extended Version) (UK 12″) (1982)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

After two visits to the Two Of A Kind soundtrack, Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition moves to another movie whose music proved far more lasting than the film itself.

Today’s selection is Carly Simon’s “Why,” from the 1982 motion picture soundtrack Soup For One.

On paper, Carly Simon working with Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers might have seemed like an unusual match. Carly was closely associated with the thoughtful singer-songwriter sound of the 1970s, while Edwards and Rodgers had created the sleek dance-floor sound of Chic.

Once the needle drops, however, the question is not why they worked together.

The question is why they did not record an entire album.

“Why” was written, produced, arranged, and conducted by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. Chic recorded the instrumental backing track, while Carly supplied the lead vocal. The result is not a typical Carly Simon record with a disco beat added to it. It is a full Chic production built around one of pop music’s most recognizable voices.

Soup For One was a 1982 romantic comedy written and directed by Jonathan Kaufer. The film follows a New York bachelor searching for the perfect woman. It failed to make much of an impression at the box office, but the soundtrack assembled an impressive collection of R&B, pop, and dance recordings produced by the Chic Organization.

Along with Carly Simon, the album featured Chic, Debbie Harry, Teddy Pendergrass, Sister Sledge, Fonzi Thornton, and the Chic Organization itself.

The film may have disappeared.

The soundtrack refused to go with it.

“Why” was a dramatic change of direction for Carly. The record leaves behind the piano-driven pop and confessional songwriting most listeners associated with her. In their place are Bernard Edwards’ elastic bass, Nile Rodgers’ clipped guitar, soft keyboards, handclaps, and a relaxed rhythm that sits somewhere between post-disco, reggae, funk, and dub.

The groove is light, but the emotion is not.

Carly sings about a relationship filled with mixed signals. She sounds hurt, confused, and increasingly frustrated, but the production never becomes heavy. Her repeated cries of “Why?” float above one of the most effortless grooves Edwards and Rodgers ever created.

That contrast is the magic of the record.

The lyric is heartbroken.

The music makes you want to dance.

Carly does not attempt to sound like a traditional disco singer. She keeps the conversational quality that made her earlier recordings so personal. Her pauses, sighs, and changes in tone make the performance feel spontaneous, as though she is working through the argument while the tape is running.

Edwards and Rodgers surround her with space.

Nothing feels crowded. The bass carries the melody, the guitar slips quietly through the rhythm, and the keyboards add just enough color. Even when stretched beyond eight minutes, the track never feels rushed or overworked.

The single performed modestly in the United States, reaching number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, however, “Why” became a genuine hit. It reached number 10 and remained on the chart for eighteen weeks.

Its story did not end in 1982.

“Why” later found a new audience in British and European clubs, becoming associated with the Balearic sound that grew during the late 1980s. The song returned to the UK chart in 1989, reaching number 56, and its bass line and rhythm continued to influence DJs, producers, and hip-hop artists.

Decades later, the record no longer sounds like a strange detour in Carly Simon’s career. It sounds ahead of its time.

Pitchfork included “Why” in its list of the 200 best songs of the 1980s, another sign that the record’s reputation eventually grew far beyond its original chart performance.

The song also received a music video filmed on the streets of New York City. Carly’s daughter Sally Taylor makes an appearance, pouring a bottle of wine over a man’s head. The playful clip matches the record’s mixture of romantic frustration and cool detachment.

For this post, I am featuring the original UK 12-inch single.

Side one contains the Extended Version of “Why,” running approximately 8:09. Side two contains the Instrumental Extended Version, running approximately 7:06. The instrumental is credited to Chic, confirming that the musicians behind the groove were not simply studio players hired for a Carly Simon session. This was the Chic Organization at work.

The Extended Version takes its time establishing the rhythm before Carly enters. Once she does, the mix allows her vocal phrases to drift in and out of the arrangement. The extra length gives Bernard Edwards’ bass line even more room to work its magic.

This is not an extended mix filled with dramatic edits, added effects, or sudden changes.

It does not need them.

The strength of “Why” is the groove itself. Edwards and Rodgers understood that the best thing a remix could do was stay out of its way.

The Instrumental Version reveals just how complete the backing track is without Carly’s vocal. The bass, guitar, percussion, and keyboards form a hypnotic Chic recording that could easily stand on its own.

Still, Carly’s absence leaves an unmistakable space.

Her performance is what transforms the track from an elegant groove into a conversation, an argument, and a heartbreak song.

“Why” is one of the great unexpected collaborations of the 1980s. Carly Simon brought vulnerability and personality. Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers brought the rhythm, precision, and unmistakable Chic sound.

Soup For One may not be remembered as a classic movie.

Its soundtrack gave us a classic record.

Why?

Sometimes the strangest combinations make the most perfect sense.

SIDE A:
Carly Simon – Why (Extended Version) 8:11

SIDE B:
Chic – Why (Instrumental (Extended Version)) 7:05

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Year	Chart	Peak Position
1982	UK Singles Chart	10
1982	US Billboard Hot 100	74
1989	UK Singles Chart (Reissue)	56

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: WEA – K 79300T, Mirage (2) – K79300T
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic, Reggae, Funk / Soul, Pop
Style: Disco, Funk, Downtempo, Soundtrack

CREDITS:

Photography By – Lynn Goldsmith
Producer, Arranged By, Conductor – Nile Rodgers And Bernard Edwards*
Written-By – Bernard Edwards And Nile Rodgers*

NOTES:
From the original motion picture soundtrack album Soup For One – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack K99236

Produced, arranged and conducted for the CHIC Organisation Ltd.
Carly Simon appears, courtesy of Warner Brothers Records

Manufactured in the UK

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

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June 18, 2026

The Associates – Club Country (UK 12″) (1982)

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NEW 2026 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Original post date: September 2, 2015

Pride is often celebrated through the obvious anthems, the songs that become rallying cries on dance floors and parade routes. But some songs belong to Pride for different reasons. They represent individuality, self-expression, and the courage to exist outside the lines others draw for us. The Associates’ 1982 single “Club Country” is one of those songs.

Released on May 8, 1982, “Club Country” arrived during one of the most exciting periods in The Associates’ career. Following the success of “Party Fears Two,” Scottish duo Billy Mackenzie and Alan Rankine suddenly found themselves on the verge of mainstream success. The single climbed to No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart and helped pave the way for their acclaimed album Sulk, released just a few weeks later.

At first listen, “Club Country” is irresistible pop. Sweeping piano lines, dramatic flourishes, infectious rhythms, and a chorus that practically begs to be shouted back at the speakers. But like so much of The Associates’ music, there was more happening beneath the surface.

Billy Mackenzie was one of the most extraordinary vocalists of his generation. His voice could shift effortlessly from warm intimacy to soaring falsetto, often within the same line. There was theatricality, vulnerability, humor, and longing in every performance. He didn’t sound like anyone else because he wasn’t trying to be anyone else.

For many LGBTQ+ listeners, that authenticity mattered.

Mackenzie rarely discussed his private life publicly, preferring to let the music speak for itself. At a time when many artists were pressured to fit into neat categories, he embraced ambiguity and individuality. He dressed how he pleased, performed with fearless intensity, and refused to compromise the qualities that made him unique. Simply existing on his own terms became a quiet act of defiance.

The title “Club Country” evokes images of nightlife and belonging. Clubs have long been sanctuaries for LGBTQ+ communities, places where people could dance freely, build connections, and discover versions of themselves that the outside world often rejected. Whether or not Mackenzie intended the song to carry that meaning, it resonates deeply through that lens today.

There is also joy here.

Pride is not only protest and remembrance. It is celebration. It is finding your people under flashing lights and losing yourself in music for a few precious minutes. “Club Country” captures that exhilaration perfectly. It feels glamorous and strange, sophisticated and playful. It invites everyone onto the dance floor while reminding us that the most interesting people are often those who never quite fit in.

The Associates would never fully capitalize on their commercial breakthrough. Tensions between Mackenzie and Rankine eventually brought their partnership to an end, making this period frustratingly brief. Yet the music they created together remains timeless.

More than four decades later, “Club Country” still sparkles with originality. It stands as a reminder that Pride’s soundtrack isn’t built solely from obvious anthems. Sometimes it comes from artists who challenged expectations simply by being unapologetically themselves.

Billy Mackenzie gave the world permission to embrace eccentricity, sensitivity, glamour, and contradiction. He showed that individuality could be its own kind of strength.

For this year’s Soundtrack of Pride, “Club Country” deserves its place on the playlist.

Turn it up, step onto the dance floor, and celebrate everything that makes you beautifully impossible to define.

SIDE A:
Club Country (Extended Version) 6:58

SIDE B:
A.G. It’s You Again 3:06
Ulcragyceptemol 4:25

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance — The Associates: Club Country (1982)
Chart	Peak Position	Date
UK Singles Chart	#13	1982
Ireland Irish Singles Chart	#22	1982

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Associates – asc2t
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: Apr 29, 1982
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Post-Punk, New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Composed By – Rankine*, McKenzie*
Producer – Hedges*, Associates*
Sleeve, Photography By – Alan Macdonald (2)

NOTES:
Track A is an uncredited extended version.
Track B1 is an early version of “Arrogance Gave Him Up”.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

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

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.

June 17, 2026

Soft Cell – Torch (Germany 12″) (1982)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

As Pride Month continues, The Soundtrack of Pride turns its attention to one of the most poignant and emotionally devastating songs ever recorded by Soft Cell. While the duo is forever associated with dance floor staples and synth-pop provocations, “Torch” revealed another side of Marc Almond and David Ball, one filled with longing, heartbreak, and romantic obsession.

Released in the UK in April 1982, with the extended 12-inch single arriving in May, “Torch” quickly captured the public’s imagination. By mid-June, it had climbed to number two on the UK Singles Chart, held from the top spot by Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen.” It would go on to rank as the 45th biggest-selling single in the UK for 1982.

Audiences who expected another dark electronic dance anthem in the wake of “Tainted Love” and “Bedsitter” instead discovered something altogether different. “Torch” was a torch song in the truest sense of the word.

Built around dramatic piano chords, sweeping strings, and David Ball’s elegant synthesizer arrangements, the track showcased Marc Almond at his most vulnerable. His theatrical vocal performance captures the anguish of unrequited love with startling honesty. The lyrics paint the portrait of someone trapped in emotional limbo, desperately waiting for affection that may never be returned.

Adding to the song’s emotional intensity is a striking trumpet solo by John Gatchell, whose performance gives “Torch” an almost cinematic quality. The arrangement feels rooted as much in classic cabaret and film noir as it does in synth-pop, elevating the song into something timeless and deeply affecting.

As the song reaches its climax, another unexpected voice enters the story. Marc Almond duets with Cindy Ecstasy, an American clubgoer whom Soft Cell had met the previous year at the legendary after-hours Club Berlin in New York City. Her appearance is brief but unforgettable, providing a ghostly counterpoint to Almond’s aching vocal. The exchange feels intimate and spontaneous, as if we are eavesdropping on two lonely souls searching for connection in the early hours of the morning.

The song’s title itself is a nod to the tradition of torch songs, ballads of lost love and impossible desire that stretch back through decades of popular music. From Billie Holiday to Dusty Springfield, these songs gave voice to hearts left bruised and broken. Marc Almond embraced that lineage, channeling old Hollywood glamour and cabaret drama through the lens of early 1980s synth-pop.

For many LGBTQ+ listeners, “Torch” resonated on an even deeper level.

At a time when openly queer representation in mainstream music was rare, Marc Almond brought an unmistakable sense of outsider emotion to his performances. He often resisted labels and preferred ambiguity in his art, yet the feelings embedded within songs like “Torch” felt deeply familiar to those who had experienced loving from a distance, hiding their true selves, or longing for connections that society didn’t always permit them to express openly.

Pride isn’t only about celebration. It is also about acknowledging the emotional journeys that shape our lives. The first crushes we couldn’t talk about. The relationships that existed in secret. The heartbreaks that taught us resilience. The hope that someday our love stories could be lived honestly and without fear.

“Torch” understands all of that.

More than four decades later, it remains one of Soft Cell’s finest achievements. It stands as proof that synth-pop could be sophisticated, cinematic, and emotionally fearless. It reminds us that vulnerability can be its own form of strength.

As we continue celebrating The Soundtrack of Pride, “Torch” honors those quieter moments of our shared experience. The tears shed behind closed doors. The dreams that kept us going. The courage it took to keep loving, even when love seemed impossible.

Because sometimes Pride isn’t found beneath the disco ball.

Sometimes, Pride is carrying a flame through the darkness and refusing to let it go out.

SIDE A:
Torch 8:30
Trumpet – John Gatchell

SIDE B:
Insecure Me 8:17
Tenor Saxophone – Dave Tofani

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – Soft Cell: Torch (1982)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	68
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	6
Ireland (IRMA)	7
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	12
UK Singles (OCC)	2
West Germany (GfK)	75

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Vertigo – 6400 618, Vertigo – 64 00 618
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single, Stereo
Country: Germany
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Design [Sleeve Design], Illustration – Huw Feather
Engineer – Don Wershba
Mixed By – Harvey Goldberg
Photography By – Eugene Adebari
Producer – Mike Thorne
Vocals – Cindy Ecstasy
Written-By – Ball*, Almond*

NOTES:
Made in West Germany

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

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

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.

May 8, 2026

ABC – The Look Of Love (USA Remix – Dub) (US 12″) (1982)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

NEW 2026 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Original post date: September 23, 2016

British new wave band ABC released “The Look Of Love” in May 1982 as the third single from their debut album “The Lexicon of Love.” Produced by the legendary Trevor Horn, the track became one of the band’s signature songs, peaking at #4 on the UK Singles Chart and reaching #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. With its sophisticated mix of synth-pop, funk grooves, lush orchestration, and sharp lyrical wit, “The Look Of Love” helped define the sound and style of early ‘80s pop music.

The single itself was an ambitious concept divided into four interconnected sections referred to as “Parts One, Two, Three and Four.” Each segment explored different moods and arrangements while maintaining the song’s sleek and cinematic identity. Martin Fry’s cool, detached vocal delivery paired perfectly with Trevor Horn’s polished production techniques, creating a track that sounded unlike anything else on radio at the time.

For American audiences, Mercury Records issued a special 12″ remix in 1982 featuring a completely different take on the song by Trevor Horn. This exclusive U.S. remix became highly sought after by club DJs and collectors due to its extended structure, added instrumental passages, and deeper dub influences. Included on the U.S. 12″ was the rare “U.S.A. Remix Dub,” also known among fans as “Part Five.”

Although the U.S.A. Remix Dub later appeared on the compilations “Absolutely” and “Look Of Love – The Very Best Of ABC,” both versions were edited. The full-length mix also surfaced on the poorly mastered “Remix Collection” CD, leaving vinyl enthusiasts searching for the original 12″ pressing to experience the remix properly.

After its original release, the 1982 U.S. Remix became increasingly difficult to find, and demand for the record grew steadily among DJs and devoted ABC fans. Original copies of the Mercury Records 12″ often commanded high prices on the collector’s market. Recognizing the ongoing demand, Neutron Records, the band’s UK label, eventually issued a limited-edition promotional 12″ repress of the Trevor Horn remix under the title “Special Remix.” While not considered an official re-release of the single, it gave collectors another opportunity to obtain the legendary mix without paying premium import prices.

Today I am revisiting this classic with a NEW 2026 meticulous audio restoration and transfer from my original U.S. Mercury Records 12″ pressing. Every effort has been made to preserve the warmth, dynamics, and punch of the original vinyl while presenting these rare mixes in the best possible quality.

Whether you remember hearing “The Look Of Love” on MTV, in the clubs, or blasting through late-night radio in 1982, this remains one of the defining singles of the decade and a shining example of Trevor Horn’s groundbreaking studio craftsmanship.

SIDE A:
The Look Of Love (USA Remix – Dub Version) 7:39
Remix [Uncredited] – ABC
Remix [Uncredited] – Trevor Horn

SIDE B:
The Look Of Love (Part 3 – Dance Version) 4:17
Remix [Uncredited] –John Luongo

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – ABC: *The Look Of Love* (1982)
Chart (1982)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	7
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	16
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	1
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)	4
Ireland (IRMA)	12
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	12
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	5
Spain (AFYVE)	15
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)	8
UK Singles (OCC)	4
US Billboard Hot 100	18
US Dance/Disco Top 80 (Billboard)	1
US Rock Top Tracks (Billboard)	32
US Cash Box Top 100	9
West Germany (GfK)	36

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Mercury – MDS-4023, Mercury – 6400 751
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Stereo, 53
Country: US
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop, New Wave

CREDITS:

Producer [Produced By] – Trevor Horn
Written-By – ABC

NOTES:
From the album SRM-1-4059 “The Lexicon Of Love”

Printed in U.S.A.

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-Jec Tube Box DS2
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
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

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

**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal. I appreciate your help.