BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1983

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Originally posted April 26, 2011

“They Don’t Know” is a song, written and composed by Kirsty MacColl, who recorded it in 1979.

In 1983, Tracey Ullman recorded a version of the song. Already well known in the UK as an actress and comedienne, “They Don’t Know” was issued as her second single there, reaching #2. MacColl performed backing vocals on Ullman’s version and reprised her original “bay-ay-be-ee” in the middle of the song. The song was also included on Ullman’s debut album, You Broke My Heart in 17 Places.

The track was released in the United States the following year, as Ullman’s first single there. At the time, Ullman was almost a complete unknown in the US, as her TV appearances had not been seen in that country. Publicity for the single was aided by the fact that the video for “They Don’t Know” featured a cameo from Paul McCartney; at the time it was filmed, Ullman was filming a minor role in McCartney’s film Give My Regards to Broad Street. “They Don’t Know” eventually reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #11 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States.

It is sometimes erroneously reported that Ullman’s version of “They Don’t Know” simply uses the backing track from MacColl’s original single. In fact, Ullman’s version is an all brand-new recording, and the two versions are noticeably different: Ullman’s version, which was produced by Peter Collins, is in a different key, and it features a very slightly faster tempo, a distinctly different arrangement and a guitar solo that differs substantially from the one played on MacColl’s version, which was produced by Liam Sternberg. The confusion may stem from the fact that Ullman did use a previously-existing MacColl backing track when recording her own version of MacColl’s “Terry” in 1984. (Both versions of “Terry” were co-produced by MacColl.)

Much later, the track became the theme song for the final three seasons of Ullman’s later television series Tracey Takes On…. The Tracey Ullman version was also used as the theme for the opening credits of Our Nixon, a documentary about U.S. President Richard Nixon.

The “Extended Version” of “They Don’t Know” is exclusive to this UK limited edition 10″ single.

SIDE A:
They Don’t Know (Extended Version) 5:05
Producer – Peter CollinsPeter Collins
Written-By – K. MacColl*

SIDE B:
The B Side 4:34
Written-By – K. Fuller*, T. Ullman*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1983	They Don’t Know	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#8
1983	They Don’t Know	U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	#11

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Stiff Records ‎– S BUY 180
Format: Vinyl, 10″, Single, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1983
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop Rock

NOTES:
“Special 10″ Pressing”
Original version appears on the LP “YOU BROKE MY HEART IN 17 PLACES”

Find the 10″ on DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck 
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: 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)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi