Tag: 1984

December 16, 2016

Wham! – Last Christmas (Japan 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

I originally posted this festive 12″ on December 12, 2010, wow six years ago. Since then I have really upgraded my equipment and fine tuned my ripping skills. I also stopped using ClickRepair and now manually remove every click/pop myself, the results are much better since using ClickRepair can degrade the audio. This year I wanted to bring new life into this 12″ so I gave it a brand new transfer. If you happen to have the old rip in your collection I think you will see this is the definitive transfer.

The mix used on this 12″ omits a verse and has additional backing vocals from George Michael and some slightly different keyboard arrangements towards the end. The record itself is labeled as (Pudding Mix) (Long Version) it is actually an alternate edit of the “Pudding Mix”.

I really hope that you enjoy the new transfer Seasons Greetings.

~ DjPaulT (December, 2016)

“Last Christmas” is a song by English pop duo Wham!, released on Epic Records in 1984, on a double A-side with “Everything She Wants”. Originally written and produced by George Michael, it has been covered by many artists since its original release.

Wham! had been a dominant force in the UK Singles Chart in 1984 and news that they were planning a Christmas single meant that a battle for the coveted Christmas #1 spot in the UK seemed set to be between Wham! and the year’s other big act, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, who had achieved a third #1 in early December with “The Power of Love”. However, the Band Aid project, helmed by Bob Geldof, produced the #1 single. Wham!’s offering peaked at #2 for much of the period, although George’s involvement in Band Aid meant that Wham! still had an input. Wham! subsequently topped the monies raised by Band Aid by donating all of their “Last Christmas/Everything She Wants” royalties to the Ethiopian famine appeal.

“Last Christmas” did make #1 in various other countries.

The single sold well over a million copies and became the biggest selling single in UK chart history not to reach #1. A year later, it was re-issued for Christmas again (this time without a billed flip-side) and got to #6. A second re-issue at Christmas 1986 – by which time Wham! had split – stalled outside the top 40.

The song gradually sold in Japan, and finally became the best-selling single that did not reach that country’s top-10 chart, selling more than 600,000 copies and peaking on the chart at #12 in 1992.

“Last Christmas” has sold 1.8 million copies as of June 2016 and is the biggest selling single in UK chart history not to reach number one.

Due to perceived similarities between “Last Christmas” and the song “Can’t Smile Without You” as popularised by Barry Manilow, an out of court settlement was reached in which the first year’s royalties were donated to the one-year-old “Band Aid” charity.

The video to “Last Christmas” saw George and partner Andrew Ridgeley accompanying girlfriends to see friends at their home in an unspecified ski resort, although the cable-car that can be seen in two shots is from Saas-Fee, Switzerland. It became clear early on, however, that Andrew’s girlfriend had previously been in a relationship with George, and it was to her character the song was aimed. The video also featured the duo’s erstwhile backing singers Pepsi and Shirlie and Spandau Ballet bassist Martin Kemp, the boyfriend and future husband of Shirlie Holliman.

SIDE A:
Last Christmas (Pudding Mix Edit) 4:45

SIDE B:
Credit Card Baby 5:09

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic/Sony – 12·3P-575
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 45 RPM
Country: Japan
Released: 21 Dec 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer, Arranged By, Written-By – George Michael

NOTES:
Released with a lyric insert and obi strip.
Side A is listed as “Pudding Mix” “Long Version” but actually plays the 4:45 version.

Find the 12″ 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

December 6, 2016

The Nails – 88 Lines About 44 Women (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

REQUEST

“88 Lines About 44 Women” is the name of a hit single by the new wave band The Nails. Originally recorded for their EP Hotel for Women, the song was re-recorded and released to critical and commercial acclaim on the band’s 1984 album Mood Swing. Along with the track, “Let It All Hang Out”, “88 Lines About 44 Women” peaked at number forty-six on the US dance chart in March 1985.

Marc Campbell and David Kaufman of The Nails wrote “88 Lines About 44 Women” in a Manhattan loft. The rhythm track on the song was a preprogrammed track on Kaufman’s Casio keyboard. Campbell wrote the lyrics to the song and has noted that “[s]ome of the women [referenced in the song] are real, some are made up.” Campbell wrote the song in two hours on a manual typewriter and the band recorded it the next day. The Nails never produced a music video for “88 Lines About 44 Women.”

The Nails filed several lawsuits over use of “88 Lines About 44 Women”, including a successful lawsuit over use of the song to promote the television show Dexter, as well as use by the state of Massachusetts in an anti-drinking advertising campaign.

SIDE A:
88 Lines About 44 Women (X Rated Version) 4:53

SIDE B:
88 Lines About 44 Women (“Edited” Version) 4:53

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984	88 Lines About 44 Women	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#46

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: RCA ‎– JD-14091
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Engineer – Michael Frondelli
Executive-Producer – Bruce Harris
Producer – Gregg Winter
Written-By – Marc Campbell, The Nails

NOTES:
From the LP “MOOD SWING”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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

December 2, 2016

Thompson Twins – The Gap (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

“The Gap” is a song by the British pop group Thompson Twins. It was the title track from the group’s 1984 album Into the Gap, and was also released as a single in certain countries though not in the group’s native UK. The single peaked at #69 in the U.S., spending six weeks on the US Billboard 100. It also charted in Germany where it peaked at #62. There was no promotional music video for this single.

The AOR (Album Orienred Rock) Version is exclusive to this 12″.

SIDE A:
The Gap (AOR Version) 3:53

SIDE B:
The Gap (Club Remix Version) 8:34

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984	The Gap	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#69

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Arista ‎– ADP-9289
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, Promo, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Alex Sadkin, Tom Bailey
Written-By – Alannah Currie, Joe Leeway, Tom Bailey

NOTES:
From the LP “THE GAP”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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

November 11, 2016

Billy Joel – Keeping The Faith (Special Mix) (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

After all of the disappointment of the last week there is one bright point I am going to see Mr. Joel this evening in concert. Remember no matter where you are from or who you love keep letting your voice be heard. Keep The Faith!

“Keeping the Faith” is a song by rock singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released from his 1983 album An Innocent Man. It reached #18 on the main US Billboard Hot 100 chart and #3 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The song was the only single from the album that failed to chart on the UK Singles Chart, despite the success of An Innocent Man in the United Kingdom.

“Keeping the Faith” is the last track on and final single from the album and the lyrics sum up Joel’s reason for creating the album, which hearkens back to the sounds and style of 1950s and early 1960s pre-British Invasion rock and roll music.

This promo 12″ contains the same mix on both sides.

SIDE A:
Keeping The Faith (Special Mix) 5:30

SIDE B:
Keeping The Faith (Special Mix) 5:30

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint (generic)

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984	Keeping The Faith	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#18
1984	Keeping The Faith	U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	#3

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia ‎– AS 1982
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo, Single
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop Rock

CREDITS:
Producer – Phil Ramone
Written-By – Billy Joel

NOTES:
From the LP “AN INNOCENT MAN”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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