Tag: 1984

August 10, 2018

Duran Duran – New Moon On Monday (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

“New Moon on Monday” is the tenth single by the English new wave band Duran Duran, released on 23 January 1984 in the United Kingdom.

The second single to be taken from the band’s third album Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983), the song was another success, reaching the top-ten on both the UK and US charts. On 11 February 1984, the single reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart and on 17 March, it reached number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100, after entering on 14 January 1984 at number 56. It did not chart well in Australia and Scandinavia, territories where its predecessor, “Union of the Snake”, had been a big hit. This trend was reversed with the next single, “The Reflex”, which became a worldwide number-one hit.

In a retrospective review, “New Moon on Monday” was praised by Allmusic journalist Donald A. Guarisco, who wrote: “The music holds the unusual lyrics together by wedding effervescent verse melodies that bounce high and low to a triumphant-sounding chorus with a rousing feel.”

The music video for “New Moon on Monday” was filmed by director Brian Grant during the icy first week of January 1984, in the village of Noyers in France. It has a loosely sketched storyline in which the band appear as members of an underground rebellion called “La Luna” (the name is one of the few connections between the video’s content and the song lyrics), organizing a revolt against a modern (1980s-era computers are used) oppressive militaristic regime, apparently in France.

“We set out to make a little movie”, recalled Grant. “I’m not sure we succeeded.” He was not the first choice to shoot the video, as Russell Mulcahy, director of many of the band’s other videos, was unavailable.

Several versions of this video exist. The longest is a 17-minute “movie version” which includes an extended introduction before the song starts (including a scene of dialogue between Simon Le Bon and the story’s female lead, played by Patricia Barzyk, winner of the Miss France title in 1980; a brief snippet of “Union of the Snake” is also heard on a radio), and is set to an extended remix of the song. A shorter version, with a spoken French-dialogue intro, was originally submitted to MTV, who then later requested an even shorter version without the prologue.

Yet another version was produced for the Dancing on the Valentine video collection, showing blue-lit scenes of the band members in front of a full-moon backdrop. All but one of the versions were included as easter eggs on the 2004 DVD compilation Greatest.

Both Andy Taylor and Nick Rhodes say this is the band’s least favorite video. “Everybody … hates it, particularly the dreadful scene at the end where we all dance together”, Taylor wrote in his memoirs. “Even today, I cringe and leave the room if anyone plays [it].” He recalls that they were miserable since their Christmas holiday had been cut short to shoot the video, and spent most of the day on the dark and cold set drinking, to the point that he was “half cut” by the time the last scenes were shot. “It’s one of the few times I’ve seen Nick dance”.

“New Moon on Monday” was backed with a remix of the instrumental “Tiger Tiger” done by Ian Little. The original version of the instrumental was found on the Seven and the Ragged Tiger album. The release was rounded out by an extended version of the title track.

SIDE A:
New Moon On Monday (Remix) 6:04
Remix – Ian Little

SIDE B:
Tiger Tiger (Remix) 3:25
Remix – Ian LittleIan Little
Saxophone – Andy Hamilton (7)

New Moon On Monday 4:16

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984	New Moon On Monday	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#10

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI ‎– 12 DURAN 1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 04 Feb 1984
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Arranged By, Written-By – Duran Duran
Photography By – Rebecca Blake (2)
Producer – Alex Sadkin, Duran Duran, Ian Little
Sleeve [Sleeve Produced By] – Assorted iMaGes

NOTES:
From the DURAN DURAN LP “SEVEN AND THE RAGGED TIGER”

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
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7 TubeGold Pins
Soundcard: Novation Audiohub 2×4 Audio Interface
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: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
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

July 31, 2018

Pretty Poison – Nightime (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

“Nightime” is the fourth single released by American dance group based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Pretty Poison. Group members are Jade Starling (lead vocalist); Whey Cooler (keyboardist and guitarist); and Kaya Pryor (percussionist).

“Nightime” was originally released in 1984 on Philly based label Svengali Records. “Nightime” peaked at #14 on the Billboard dance chart on August 18, 1984, after spending ten weeks on the survey. The song was later remixed and re-released in 1988 after the success of “Catch Me (I’m Falling)”.

This 12″ is also known as the Philly version.

SIDE A:
Nightime (Dance Mix) 5:45

SIDE B:
Nightime 3:49
In The Heat Of The Night (Dub Mix) 5:47

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984	Nightime	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#14

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Svengali Records ‎– SR8403
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Freestyle, Electro, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Engineer – Joe Nicolo*
Mastered By – Herb Powers Jr.
Photography [Frontcover] – James Graham
Photography [Rearcover And Layout] – Cheryl Knowles
Producer – Kae Williams*

NOTES:
Jacket (sleeve) made in Canada

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

July 13, 2018

Laura Branigan – Self Control (Full Length Version) (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

American singer Laura Branigan covered “Self Control” in 1984. It was released as the lead single from her third studio album of the same name, released the same year.

Branigan’s first major hit had also been co-written by Bigazzi: “Gloria” (1982) was an English cover of the 1979 original Italian song recorded by Umberto Tozzi. The following year Branigan recorded another English song written over a Tozzi and Bigazzi song, “Mama”, which was part of the 1983 album Branigan 2. Branigan chose two more Italian songs for her third album: the first one, “Ti Amo” with lyrics by Diane Warren once again based on the original by Tozzi and Bigazzi that had been a 1977 single for Tozzi. The second one, “Self Control” became the title track to the album and her biggest international hit. “Self Control” was the only one of the four Italian songs recorded by Branigan that was originally composed in English, and Branigan chose to record the song as written. Also unlike the other songs, Branigan’s version was contemporaneous with that of its co-writer.

The Branigan recording was arranged by Giorgio Moroder’s protégé Harold Faltermeyer with Robbie Buchanan and produced by Buchanan with Jack White in Germany and Los Angeles. A keyboard hook in Raf’s version was changed to a guitar riff for Branigan’s version and a vocal break was paired with a sharper and repeated percussive element.

Branigan was one of the first artists of the video era to work with an Academy Award-winning film director on a music video when William Friedkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist) directed the clip. Filmed in New Jersey and New York City, the video was produced by Fred Caruso and first aired in April 1984.

The video depicts Branigan, sitting in her bedroom while her lover sleeps. Tempted by the allure of the city at night, she gets dressed up and goes out. Brief encounters with a mysterious man in a full-face white mask lead Branigan from the dance floor of a nightclub to an underground room where the masked man stands in the midst of an orgiastic gathering that he beckons her to join. Branigan allows herself to be led into the group but ultimately flees in fright. Returning home, Branigan finds that the masked man and some of his throng are, somehow, now in her bedroom. The masked man lowers Branigan to her couch and she surrenders herself to him. The masked man, standing over Branigan, now lying unconscious on the floor, turns and walks towards the bedroom window, fading away in the morning light. Branigan, consumed by guilt, gets up and turns out the light. The final scene shows Branigan lying awake in bed when her lover turns to face her, his face hidden behind a familiar white mask.

The video ultimately drew controversy, as it was considered so shockingly sexy that MTV required some edits before it could air. Entertainment Tonight aired a segment on the network’s reaction to the clip, which was being played in late-night slots on other networks. Though Branigan resisted at first, her record company convinced her to allow a minor alteration and the video was aired on MTV, though by this time the single had peaked on the charts. Branigan would go on to be nominated for a 1985 American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Video Artist. Branigan’s fellow nominees were Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper, who won the award.

Branigan’s recording was a worldwide multi-format hit. In the US, the song became Branigan’s fourth consecutive top 10 hit on a Billboard chart in a year and a half, following “Gloria”, “Solitaire” and “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You”. “Self Control” peaked at no. 2 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, no. 4 on the Hot 100 and no. 5 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In Canada, the track hit no. 1 on both the pop and AC charts. Both the Raf original and the Branigan version of “Self Control” entered the German Top 20 in May 1984: on June 25, the Branigan single assumed the no. 1 position, where it remained for six weeks, while the Raf version occupied the no. 2 spot. Branigan’s “Self Control” also entered the Italian charts although the dominance of the Raf version in his native Italy predicated a comparatively low peak Italian chart peak of no. 29 for Branigan’s version.

“Self Control” afforded Laura Branigan a no. 1 hit in Austria, Canada, Sweden and South Africa and was also a smash hit for Branigan in Norway (no. 2), Ireland (no. 3), Australia (no. 3) and the UK (no. 5). Branigan’s album Self Control went Silver, Gold or Platinum in several countries and yielded subsequent charting singles, though not of the title track’s magnitude, in “The Lucky One”, “Ti Amo” and “Satisfaction”.

SIDE A:
Self Control (Extended Version) 5:02
Arranged By – Harold Faltermeyer
Lyrics By [English Lyrics] – Steve Piccolo
Music By [Original Music] – Giancarlo Bigazzi, Raffaele Riefoli

SIDE B:
Silent Partners (Extended Version) 4:07
Arranged By – Robbie Buchanan
Written-By – Diane Warren, The Doctor (10)

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984	Self Control	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#4
1984	Self Control	U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	#2
1984	Self Control	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#5

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Atlantic ‎– A9676T, Atlantic ‎– A 9676 T
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Executive-Producer – Jack White
Producer – Jack White , Robbie Buchanan

NOTES:
‘Full Length Version’ on cover, ‘Extended Version’ on label
Original versions appears on the LP “SELF CONTROL”

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

July 12, 2018

RAF – Self Control (France 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

“Self Control” is a song by Italian singer Raf, released in 1984. It was written by Giancarlo Bigazzi, Steve Piccolo, and Raf. The song was covered the same year by American singer Laura Branigan. Her version first hit no. 1 in Germany on June 15, 1984. Raf’s version first hit no. 1 in Italy on June 23, 1984. Both versions of the song were popular across Europe during much of the summer of 1984 and were the most successful single of the year in Switzerland. Branigan’s version peaked at no. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and also went to no. 2 on the dance chart.

The song has become one of the defining songs of the 1980s, with a number of remakes recorded each year. Notable covers include Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin in 1993, a hit dance remake by Branigan in 2004 and two 2006 versions that hit the Top 5 in various European enclaves, by Danish dance group Infernal and Spanish singer Soraya Arnelas.

Raf, born as Raffaele Riefoli, co-wrote the song “Self Control” with Giancarlo Bigazzi and Steve Piccolo. His version of “Self Control” peaked at no. 1 in Italy. It also notably edged into no. 1 in Switzerland between runs at the top spot by Laura Branigan’s version of “Self Control”, and peaked at no. 2 in Germany, no. 7 in Austria and at no. 40 in France. Raf released an extended dance mix of the song, like Branigan, but Raf’s version featured a rap (performed by two other rap vocalists), relatively rare for a white artist at the time.

He would release several more tracks in English and re-release his debut 1984 album Raf in 1987 under the title Self Control, featuring two of these tracks. Although his English-language album and especially the singles proved to be quite successful in Italy and elsewhere, he began releasing his later albums in his native language, almost all of which received better in Italy than the English-language albums; many of them entered Italy’s Top 10 album chart.

SIDE A:
Self Control (Special Maxi Version) 6:09

SIDE B:
Running Away 5:40

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Carrere ‎– 8.338, Carrere ‎– 8338
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: France
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Italo-Disco

CREDITS:
Arranged By – C. Valli*
Artwork – Grafica Solari
Other [Make Up] – Claudio Dereira
Photography By – R. Bastianoni*
Producer – G. Bigazzi*
Written-By – A. Primadei* (tracks: B), G. Bigazzi* (tracks: A), R. Riefoli*, S. Piccolo*

NOTES:
Made in France

Special Thanks to Anna Chu e Francesca Lotti

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi