Tag: 1986

July 19, 2018

Bananarama – Venus (Special Edition) (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“Venus” is a 1969 song written by Dutch musician Robbie van Leeuwen. In 1970, the Dutch rock band Shocking Blue took the song to number one in nine countries.

In 1986, the British female pop group Bananarama returned the song to number one in seven countries.

“Venus” had been a part of Bananarama’s repertoire for several years before they actually recorded it. The group’s three members, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, and Keren Woodward, had the idea of turning the song into a dance music tune, but they were met with resistance from their producers at the time, Steve Jolley, and Tony Swain. Bananarama brought the idea to the production trio of Stock Aitken Waterman, and it became Bananarama’s first collaboration with them.

Dallin, Fahey, and Woodward had nearly completed recording their third album, titled True Confessions, with Jolley and Swain. Stock, Aitken, and Waterman also resisted the idea because they believed that “Venus” would not make a good dance record. After persistence by the women, SAW relented. Bananarama’s “Venus” went to number one in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Mexico, and South Africa. It hit number two in Germany and Hong Kong and was a top ten success in Italy, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and their native UK (number 8 on UK Singles Chart). It also went to number one for two weeks on the US Dance chart.

The collaboration on “Venus” led Bananarama and SAW to work together on the group’s follow-up album Wow! the following year.

The music video, directed by Peter Care, with choreography by Bruno Tonioli, received extensive play on MTV and video channels across the world, and presented Bananarama in various costumes, including a she-devil, a French temptress, a vampiress, and several Greek goddesses. In one sequence of the video, The Birth of Venus, the painting by Sandro Botticelli is adapted as a tableau vivant. The video marked a pivotal shift towards a more glamorous and sexual image for the girls that contrasted with the tomboyish style of their earlier work.

SIDE A:
Venus (The Hellfire Mix) 9:20
Remix – Ian Levine

Venus (Fire & Brimstone Mix) 6:44

SIDE B:
Venus (Extended Version) 7:26
Venus (Dub Version) 8:17

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1986	Venus	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#1
1986	Venus	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#1

RELEASE IONFORMATION:
Label: London Records ‎– 886 088-1, Polygram ‎– 886 088-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Special Edition, 70 – Indianapolis Press
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Design [Sleeve Design] – Peter Barrett (3), Simon Withers (2)
Producer – Stock/Aitken/Waterman*
Written-By – R. Leeuwen*

NOTES:
Produced for P.W.L. Productions

Original Version From The London LP- “True Confessions”

RCA Records Pressing Plant, Indianapolis pressing indicated by pressing code “70” printed on labels and “RCA” etched in run-outs.

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 3, 2018

Fine Young Cannibals – Suspicious Minds (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“Suspicious Minds” is a song written and first recorded by American songwriter Mark James. After James’ recording failed commercially, the song was handed to Elvis Presley by producer Chips Moman, becoming a number one song in 1969.

In 1986, the band Fine Young Cannibals’ cover version of the song, which featured backing vocals by Jimmy Somerville, reached No. 8 on the UK Singles chart. Singer Roland Gift said that Elvis had come to him in a dream and told him he would record the greatest version of Suspicious Minds ever.

The Fine Young Cannibals’ music video for the song was filmed in black & white and remains so for the majority of the song. However, the video is noted for its innovative use of colorization, following the bridge section of the song. The video pays its homage to Elvis, both in its use of the monochrome filming (common during Elvis’ early career) and the shiny spangled suits that the band wear in the second half of the video.

In the United States, the single reached No. 23 on the Billboard Dance chart on June 28, 1986.

SIDE A:
Suspicious Minds (Suspicious Mix) 7:51
Backing Vocals [Uncredited] – Jimmy Somerville
Engineer – Gary Hellman
Producer – Robin Millar
Remix, Edited By – John Luongo
Written-By – James*

Prick Up Your Ears 2:53
Producer, Written-By – Cox*, Steele*

SIDE B:
Suspicious Minds (Caught In A Dub) 7:40
Backing Vocals [Uncredited] – Jimmy Somerville
Engineer – Gary Hellman
Producer – Robin Millar
Remix, Edited By – John Luongo
Written-By – James*

Johnny Come Home (That Other Mix) 5:08
Producer – Cox*, Steele*, Gift
Remix – Herbie
Written-By – Steele*, Gift*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1986	Suspicious Minds	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#28

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: I.R.S. Records ‎– IRS-23626
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Artwork [Serigraph By] – Laura Marie Benson
Cover – Grasso*, Scarselli* *, Scarselli*
Mastered By – Frank Deluna

NOTES:
From the LP “FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS”

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 2, 2018

Eurythmics – Missionary Man (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“Missionary Man” is a song by the British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was taken from their sixth album, Revenge, and continued the band’s rock/R&B musical style of the time and featured Jimmy Zavala on harmonica.

In the band’s native UK, it was the fourth single to be taken from the album and peaked at number 31. It was more successful in the United States, where it was the first single to be taken from the album and peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 (becoming their last main US Top 20 hit to date). It also made the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart, and it received extensive airplay on American rock radio, reaching number 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks, Eurythmics’ only song to top this chart. The single was also a top ten hit in Australia, where it was released as the second single from the album.

“Missionary Man” earned Eurythmics a Grammy Award for “Best Rock Vocal Performance – Group”.

SIDE A:
Missionary Man (Extended Version) 6:49

SIDE B:
Take Your Pain Away 4:33

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1986	Missionary Man	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#14
1986	Missionary Man	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	#1
1986	Missionary Man	U.S. Billboard Hot DanceMusic/Club Play	#8

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: RCA Victor ‎– PD-14409, RCA ‎– PD-14409
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: Pop Rock, New Wave

CREDITS:
Arranged By [Orchestra], Conductor – Michael Kamen
Backing Vocals – Joniece Jamison
Bass – Jannick Top
Drums – Clem Burke
Engineer – Jon Bavin
Engineer [Assistants] – Fred Defaye, Serge Pauchard
Engineer [Mix] – Manu Guiot
Guitar – David A. Stewart
Harmonica – Jimmy “Z” Zavala*
Keyboards – Patrick Seymour
Mastered By [Runout Etch ¢] – Tom Coyne
Producer – David A. Stewart
Vocals – Annie Lennox
Written-By – Lennox*, Stewart*

NOTES:
From the album “REVENGE”

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

June 5, 2018

Sparks – Music That You Can Dance To (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“Music That You Can Dance To” is the first single taken from the fourteenth studio album of the same name by American pop band Sparks. The single only charted in the United States where it peaked at #6 on the Billboard Dance Chart.

The song also appeared on the soundtrack for the 1986 American film about BMX racing “Rad”.

The U.S. 12″ contains alternate remixes than what appeared on the U.K. 12″.

SIDE A:
Music That You Can Dance To (LP Version) 4:23
Music That You Can Dance To (Mini Version) 2:32

SIDE B:
Music That You Can Dance To (Club Version) 6:34
Remix – Dan Lacksman, Marc Moulin

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

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1986	Music That You Can Dance To	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#6

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records ‎– MCA-23640, Curb Records ‎– MCA-23640
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Written-By, Producer – Ron Mael, Russell Mael

NOTES:
A1: From the “Rad” Soundtrack and the upcoming Sparks LP, “Music That You Can Dance To”

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