Tag: 1985

August 7, 2025

Jody Watley – Girls Night Out (UK 12″) (1985)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

NEW 2025 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Original post date: May 4, 2018

Before Jody Watley became a chart-topping solo sensation in the late 1980s, she was already redefining herself beyond her Shalamar roots. In 1985, she took her first bold steps into solo artistry with a sleek, dance-forward single “Girls Night Out”—a track that quietly laid the groundwork for what was to come.

Only released in Europe on Mercury Records, “Girls Night Out” marked Jody’s second solo single after her departure from Shalamar, following 1984’s “Where the Boys Are.” While it didn’t make a commercial splash at the time, the record showcases a confident, club-ready Watley stepping into the spotlight with style and poise.

The single was co-produced by Gary Langan, a founding member of the Art of Noise, bringing a distinctly British edge and studio sophistication to the production. Langan’s signature blend of synth-heavy textures and abstract funk grooves pairs perfectly with Jody’s smooth vocal delivery, creating a track that’s both polished and underground. You can hear echoes of Art of Noise’s experimental rhythms layered beneath a crisp pop sheen—blurring the lines between electro, post-disco, and early house.

Released as Mercury MERX 196, the 12″ features an Extended Dance Version that gives the song plenty of room to breathe on the floor. Thumping basslines, stabbing synths, and a no-nonsense vocal performance make this a criminally underrated gem from her pre-solo-album years. It’s pure mid-’80s club magic.

This rare vinyl release is a true collector’s piece and a fascinating glimpse at an artist on the verge of superstardom. Just two years later, Watley would explode onto the U.S. charts with her debut album and the hit single “Looking for a New Love.” But with “Girls Night Out,” she was already signaling that the future of pop and dance belonged to her.

So grab your heels, call your crew, and turn it up—tonight’s for the girls.

🎶💃

BTG EXCLUSIVE BONUS

As a special treat, I’ve also included the rare 7″ Version of “Girls Night Out,” which does not appear on the 12″ single and is being featured here on Burning the Ground for the very first time. This shorter edit brings a tighter, radio-friendly structure to the track without losing any of its bold attitude or groove.

This is a must-hear for completists and a great introduction for anyone unfamiliar with this early, essential chapter in Jody’s solo career.

SIDE A:
Girls Night Out (Dance Mix) 5:53
ngineer – Gary Langan
Producer – Bruce Woolley , Gary Langan
Written-By – B. Woolley* , J. Watley*

SIDE B:
My House (4-free) 4:52
Engineer – Simon Sullivan
Producer – Bruce Woolley
Written-By – B. Woolley* , J. Watley*

BONUS TRACK:
Girls Night Out (7″ Version) 3:36
ngineer – Gary Langan
Producer – Bruce Woolley , Gary Langan
Written-By – B. Woolley* , J. Watley*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Mercury – Merx 196
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Design – Laurence Stevens
Photography By – Brian Aris

Buy The 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Music Black
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
DAC: 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:
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

**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.

June 23, 2025

Quarterflash – Walking On Ice (Remix) (US 12″ Promo) (1985)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

🌈 Pride Month – Off the Beaten Path 🌈

Every June, I like to mix things up a bit — blending the obvious Pride floor-fillers with songs that carry an emotional weight, or simply capture the spirit of resilience, intensity, and passion that defines so much of the LGBTQ+ experience. Today’s post is one of those unconventional choices.

This is the 1985 single remix of Quarterflash’s “Walking on Ice,” taken from their third studio album, Back Into Blue.

Released on Geffen Records, this version was featured on both the 7″ single and a rare US 12″ promo sent to radio stations. The remix is subtle yet effective, smoothing out the original album version and giving it a more polished, radio-friendly edge without losing the moody tension that makes the song so compelling.

Quarterflash, fronted by the incredible Rindy Ross, were known for their fusion of rock, pop, and that unmistakable saxophone. While they’re most associated with early hits like “Harden My Heart,” it’s songs like “Walking on Ice” that reveal their darker, more emotionally complex side.

“I walk on ice, I play with fire / For loving you, baby, I’d dance on wire…”

The lyrics paint a picture of love as risk, as danger — a balancing act that many LGBTQ+ listeners, especially those who came of age in the ’80s, will recognize all too well—loving boldly, despite fear. Risking it all to be true to yourself. These are Pride themes, even if they come wrapped in a rock ballad rather than a club banger.

🎧 This remix may not be flashy or well-known, but it has a place in the Pride Month soundtrack — a moment to reflect, to feel, and to remember that Pride isn’t just about celebration. It’s also about survival, truth, and heart.

SIDE A:
Walking On Ice (Remix) 3:46

SIDE B:
Walking On Ice (Remix) 3:46

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Geffen Records – PRO-A-2400
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop Rock

CREDITS:

Producer – Steve Levine
Remix – Mike Shipley
Written-By – Marv Ross

NOTES:
Promotion Copy – Not For Sale

From the Quarterflash album “Back Into Blue”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Music Black
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
DAC: Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
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.

May 20, 2025

Bruce Springsteen – Born In The U.S.A. (US 12″) (1984)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

NEW 2025 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Original post date: July 3, 2012

“I’m ten years burning down the road / Nowhere to run, ain’t got nowhere to go…”

Released at the height of Reagan-era patriotism, “Born In The U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen became one of the most misunderstood songs in American pop history. Often mistaken for a fist-pumping anthem of national pride due to its thunderous chorus and stadium-sized production, the song is actually a fierce critique of how America treats its working-class veterans.

Originally released as the title track to Springsteen’s 1984 album, “Born In The U.S.A.” was issued as a 12″ single in 1985, backed with “Shut Out the Light.” The single version boasted an extended intro and booming mix that pushed Max Weinberg’s snare hits front and center, paired with Roy Bittan’s iconic synth riff that practically defined ‘80s heartland rock.

Produced by Chuck Plotkin, Jon Landau, and Springsteen himself, this version of the song was a club-ready update to the album cut—without losing an ounce of its gritty, anthemic fire. It’s Springsteen at his most anthemic, yet still bleeding through with disillusionment, despair, and blue-collar rage.

While “Born In The U.S.A.” is one of Springsteen’s signature tracks, its chart performance is often overshadowed by the massive success of other singles from the same album. “Born In The U.S.A.” reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1985. It was the third of seven top 10 singles from the album “Born In The U.S.A.”, which also tied Michael Jackson’s record for the most top 10 singles from one album.

Despite—or perhaps because of—its lyrical complexity and booming sound, “Born In The U.S.A.” was quickly adopted as a campaign theme by politicians (notably Ronald Reagan, mistakenly), sports teams, and patriotic rallies. But listen closely, and the pain of forgotten veterans and working-class struggle comes roaring through. It’s a song with dual identities: triumphant and tragic.

This 12″ remix captures that paradox perfectly—its towering production commands attention, but under the layers of synth and reverb, Springsteen’s voice still carries the weight of a soldier’s haunted memories.

SIDE A:
Born In The U.S.A. (The Freedom Mix) 7:20

SIDE B:
Born In The U.S.A. (Dub) 7:40
Born In The U.S.A. (Radio) 6:11

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984-85	Born In The U.S.A.	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#9
1984-85	Born In The U.S.A.	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	#8

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia – 44-05147
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Stereo
Country: US
Released: Jan 10, 1985
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Design – Andrea Klein
Edited By – The Latin Rascals
Engineer – Toby Scott
Lacquer Cut By [Runout Etching Ⓗ] – Greg Calbi
Mastered By – George Marino
Photography By – Annie Leibovitz
Producer – Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Plotkin, Jon Landau, Steve Van Zandt
Recorded By – Toby Scott
Remix – Arthur Baker

NOTES:
From the LP “BORN IN THE U.S.A.”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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.

May 6, 2025

Tears For Fears – Pale Shelter (You Don’t Give Me Love) (UK 12″) (1985 Re-Issue)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

One of the most hauntingly beautiful early singles from Tears for Fears, “Pale Shelter” perfectly captures the icy, emotional edge that defined much of the duo’s early sound. Originally released in 1982 and then re-recorded and re-released in 1983, the track marked a major turning point for Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith—climbing to #5 on the UK Singles Chart and solidifying their place in the new wave scene.

The title “Pale Shelter” comes from a line in a Henry Moore drawing (Pale Shelter Scene), and like many early Tears for Fears songs, it draws on the theories of Arthur Janov’s primal therapy—focusing on themes of emotional neglect and childhood wounds. Lines like “You don’t give me love / You give me cold hands” speak to a deep sense of disconnection that resonated with a generation of listeners.

In 1985, riding high on the global success of Songs from the Big Chair, Mercury Records reissued “Pale Shelter” with a brand-new cream-colored picture sleeve. This version features the original 1982 extended mix produced by Mike Howlett, not the more widely known 1983 Chris Hughes re-recording.

What makes this reissue special for collectors: both B-side tracks run longer than their original 1982 12″ counterparts. “Pale Shelter” is about 30 seconds longer, while “The Prisoner” adds another 8 seconds of atmospheric synth work.

SIDE A:
Pale Shelter (Extended Version) 6:31
Producer – Mike Howlett

SIDE B:
Pale Shelter 4:31
Producer – Mike Howlett

The Prisoner 2:51
Producer – Tears For Fears

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Mercury – idea 212
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Reissue
Country: UK
Released: Sep 2, 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Photography By – Mathew White
Written-By – C. Smith*, R. Orzabal*

NOTES:
M&M Music

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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.