Tag: 1983

October 30, 2020

Duran Duran – Union Of The Snake (Japan 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1983

“Union of the Snake” is the ninth single by the English new wave band Duran Duran, released on 17 October 1983.

“Union of the Snake” was the lead single from the band’s third album Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983), and preceded its release by one month. It was originally titled, “The Union at Stake”, when the band was interviewed on The Oxford Road Show in March 1983 before their first performance of “Is there something I should know?” on U.K. television. It became one of Duran Duran’s most popular singles, hitting number one on the US Cash Box and peaking at number three on both the US Billboard Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks at the end of 1983. Further chart movement was prevented by “Say Say Say” by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson and “Say It Isn’t So” by Daryl Hall and John Oates. It also reached number three on the UK Singles Chart.

After a songwriting session near Cannes in France, much of the band’s third album was recorded at George Martin’s AIR Studios on the Caribbean island of Montserrat with producer Alex Sadkin, then mixed at 301 Studios in Sydney. Mixing for “Union of the Snake” was done right up to the last minute before the tapes had to be turned over to EMI for pressing.

Lyricist Simon Le Bon (notoriously reticent about explaining his oblique lyrics) hinted in the Duran Duran lyric book The Book of Words that the borderline might be one between the conscious and subconscious minds. In later interviews, he proclaimed that it was a reference to Tantric sex.

Drummer Roger Taylor stated that the beat and drum track was based upon David Bowie’s 1983 single “Let’s Dance”.

The B-side to “Union of the Snake” was the atmospheric piece “Secret Oktober”. Twenty-four hours before the master tapes of the single were to be delivered to EMI for distribution, singer Simon Le Bon and keyboardist Nick Rhodes wrote and mixed the B-side “Secret Oktober” in an all-night recording session.

**The “Super Mix” contained on this Japan 12″ single is also titled “Monkey Mix” on other releases.

SIDE A:
Union Of The Snake (Super Mix) 6:23

SIDE B:
Union Of The Snake (Single Version) 4:20
Secret Oktober 2:45

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
Obi: Near Mint
Insert: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1983	Union Of The Snake	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#6
1983	Union Of The Snake	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	#2
1983	Union Of The Snake	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#33

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI ‎– EMS-27008
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Japan
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Liner Notes [対訳] – 山本安見*
Photography By – Jeff Hornbaker
Producer – Alex Sadkin
Producer [In Association With] – Duran Duran, Ian Little
Sleeve – assorted iMaGes*
Written-By, Arranged By – Duran Duran

NOTES:
Track A termed (Super Mix) on the back sleeve, also referred to as (The Monkey Mix) on other releases (116bpm).
Track B1 termed (Single Version) on the back sleeve, (7″ Version) on the label.

With obi and single-sided lyric/info insert.

〄 MADE IN JAPAN

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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October 16, 2020

Julie Brown – I Like ‘Em Big And Stupid (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1983

“I Like ‘Em Big and Stupid” was the debut single by comedian and singer Julie Brown. It was self-released by Brown in 1983 in 12-inch and 7-inch vinyl formats. The song is a 1980s-style pop song with comedic lyrics about the protagonist’s desire for a handsome, hunky muscle-stud who is not very bright (or as she sings, “Superman with a lobotomy”). The 12-inch version contained an extended dance mix and the B-side on all releases, “The Homecoming Queen’s Got a Gun”, was played on The Dr. Demento Show, and received airplay on Top 40 and Modern Rock stations around the US in 1984. Both songs appeared that year on Brown’s next release, Goddess in Progress.

Brown re-recorded the song for her 1987 album Trapped in the Body of a White Girl, and it was filmed for inclusion in Earth Girls Are Easy, but this sequence was ultimately removed from the movie (the scene is included in the DVD extras) though it is heard playing in the background during a scene in the film. Additionally, Brown performed the song in the stage version of Earth Girls.

The cover of the single is a pastiche of the back cover of Madonna’s Like a Virgin record. Brown would go on to be known for making fun of Madonna, particularly in her scathing mockumentary Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful.

**The b-side shows just how much life has changed since the song was recorded. In today’s gun violence culture “Homecoming Queen’s Got A Gun” would have never been recorded or even played on mainstream radio.

SIDE A:
I Like ‘Em Big And Stupid 2:37
Drum Machine [Linn Drum] – Steve Thoma

Homecoming Queen’s Got A Gun 4:40
Backing Vocals – Charlie Coffey
Voice [Cop] – Terrence McNally

SIDE B:
I Like ‘Em Big And Stupid (Extended Dance Mix) 5:00
Drum Machine [Linn Drum] – Steve Thoma

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Bulletz Records ‎– BR-767D
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Backing Vocals –Leslie Livrano, Nancy Buché*
Bass – Jeff Steele
Drums – Chuck Berkinshaw
Executive-Producer – Terrence McNally
Guitar – Dan Grenier*
Keyboards, Synthesizer – Steve Thoma
Lead Vocals – Julie Brown
Lyrics By – Charlie Coffey, Julie Brown, Terrence McNally
Mixed By [R-Mix Engineer – Alpha Studios] – Gary Brandt, Steve Thoma
Music By – Charlie Coffey, Julie Brown, Ray Colcord, Terrence McNally
Photography By – Wayne Williams (7)
Producer – Steve Thoma
Recorded By [Recording Engineer – Kitchen Sync] – Mike Hamilton (3), Steve Thoma
Saxophone – Chris Mostert

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.

October 7, 2020

Michael Jackson – Beat It (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1983

“Beat It” is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his sixth studio album, Thriller (1982). It was produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. Quincy Jones encouraged Jackson to include a rock song on the album, though Jackson had never previously shown an interest in the genre. Jackson later said of “Beat It”, “I wanted to write a song, the type of song that I would buy if I were to buy a rock song… That is how I approached it and I wanted the children to really enjoy it—the school children as well as the college students.”

Following the successful Thriller singles “The Girl Is Mine” and “Billie Jean”, “Beat It” was released on February 14, 1983, as the album’s third single. “Beat It” peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, staying there for three weeks. It also charted at number one on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. Billboard ranked the song No. 5 for 1983. It is a certified 5x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). With over 7 million copies sold worldwide, it is one of the best-selling singles of all time. “Beat It” was a number one hit in Europe, reaching number one in Spain and the Netherlands. The single, along with its music video, helped propel Thriller into becoming the best-selling album of all time.

“Beat It” received the 1984 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, as well as two American Music Awards.

Eddi Van Halen Guitar Solo

Eddie Van Halen, lead guitarist of hard rock band Van Halen, was asked to add a guitar solo. When initially contacted by Jones, Van Halen thought he was receiving a prank call. Having established that the call was genuine, Van Halen used a Hartley–Thompson amplifier borrowed from guitarist Allan Holdsworth and recorded his guitar solo free of charge. “I did it as a favor”, the musician later said. “I was a complete fool, according to the rest of the band, our manager, and everyone else. I was not used. I knew what I was doing—I don’t do something unless I want to do it.” Van Halen recorded his contribution following Jones and Jackson arriving at the guitarist’s house with a “skeleton version” of the song. Fellow guitarist Steve Lukather recalled, “Initially, we rocked it out as Eddie had played a good solo—but Quincy thought it was too tough. So I had to reduce the distorted guitar sound and that is what was released.” Two versions of the solo were recorded. Van Halen reported in 2015 that he also rearranged the song and asked Jones to edit the chords so his solo could be in the key of E.

Right before Van Halen’s guitar solo begins, a noise is heard that sounds like somebody knocking at a door. It is reported that the knock was a person walking into Eddie’s recording studio. Another story has claimed that the sound was simply the musician knocking on his own guitar. The sound, however, is that of Jackson knocking on a drum case, as he is credited in the album’s liner notes.

The engineers were shocked during the recording of Van Halen’s solo to discover that the sound of his guitar had caused the monitor speaker in the control room to catch fire, causing one to exclaim, “This must be really good!”

SIDE A:
Beat It* 4:17
Guitar – Eddie Van Halen, Paul Jackson Jr., Steve Lukather
Producer – Quincy Jones

SIDE B:
Burn This Disco Out 3:40
Producer – Quincy Jones
Written-By – R. Temperton*

Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough (Live Version) 4:25
Performed By – The Jacksons
Producer – The Jacksons

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1983	Beat It	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#1
1983	Beat It	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	#14
1983	Beat It	U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs	#1

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic ‎– TA 3258
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Stereo
Country: UK
Released: 1983
Genre: Pop/Rock, Funk / Soul
Style: Pop

CREDITS:
Written-By – M. Jackson* (tracks: A, A2)

NOTES:
*Taken from the album ‘Thriller’

Find the12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.

September 30, 2020

Big Country – In A Big Country (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1983

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Originally posted September 4, 2014

“In a Big Country” is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country from their 1983 debut studio album The Crossing released in early summer 1983. The single reached its highest overall national position in Canada, hitting No. 3 on the RPM Top Singles Chart on November 26, 1983. The song reached No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1983. The song was released in the US in the fall of 1983 and peaked at No. 3 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December of that year.

The band is often described as a one-hit-wonder for the popularity of “In a Big Country” in the United States, though they continued to have success in Europe and were a prolific touring band famous for their live shows more than their studio albums. Frontman Stuart Adamson once remarked about the song in an interview, part of which was shown on a VH1 special celebrating “one-hit-wonders” that, “If we’re known for nothing more than just that one song, I’d be pretty happy with that.”

SIDE A:
In A Big Country (Pure Mix) 6:19
Producer – Steve Lillywhite

SIDE B:
All Of Us 4:09
Producer – Big Country, Steve Lillywhite, Will Gosling

In A Big Country 3:56
Producer – Steve Lillywhite

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1983	In A Big Country	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#17
1983	In A Big Country	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	#3

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Phonogram ‎– COUNT 312, Phonogram ‎– 812 467-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1983
Genre: Rock
Style: New Wave, Pop Rock

CREDITS:
Performer [Big Country Are] – Bruce Watson, Mark Brzezicki, Stuart Adamson, Tony Butler
Photography By – Paul Cox (5)
Sleeve – JB*
Written-By – Big Country

NOTES:
From the LP “THE CROSSING”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.