Tag: 1987

Robbie Nevil – Wot’s It To Ya (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Wot’s It to Ya” was the third single taken from the self-titled debut from American pop singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist Robbie Nevil. The single debuted on the Us Billboard Hot 100 on May 30, 1987, peaking at #10 on July 31, 1987 after spending sixteen weeks on the survey.”Wot’s It to Ya” also peaked at #42 on the UK singles chart. The track was produced by producers Alex Sadkin and Phil Thornalley.

After “C’est La Vie” was chosen as the lead single and all the tracks were cut, Nevil expected the rest of the album to be smooth sailing, but he was about to learn an important lesson from veteran producer Alex Sadkin (Duran Duran, Thompson Twins), which resulted in the last-minute addition of “Wot’s It to Ya”. Nevil told Songfacts: “He explained it to me: ‘Always come from the school of you don’t have your first single, and always try to the bitter end to come up with something even better.’

So ‘Wot’s It To Ya?’ is written at the end of the record with the idea of you still don’t have your first single, so write one more and try to hit it out of the ballpark. It didn’t end up being the first single, but that’s when and why we did it.”

SIDE A:
Wot’s It To Ya (Rusty’s 12″ Dance Mix) 9:56
Remix – Rusty Garner

Wot’s It To Ya (Rusty’s Vocal Dub Mix) 6:52
Remix – Rusty Garner
Edited By – Allen Perada

SIDE B:
Wot’s It To Ya (Rusty’s Vocoder Dub) 6:58
Remix – Rusty Garner
Edited By – Allen Perada

Wot’s It To Ya (Extended To Ya Remix) 5:15
Remix – Robbie Nevil
Edited By – Gail “Sky” King, Keith Cohen

Wot’s It To Ya (To Ya Remix) 4:02
Remix – Robbie Nevil
Edited By – Gail “Sky” King, Keith Cohen

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1987 Wot’s It To Ya U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #10
1987 Wot’s It To Ya U.S. Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Singles #69
1987 Wot’s It To Ya U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #10

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Manhattan Records ‎– V-56056
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Alex Sadkin, Phil Thornalley

NOTES:
Taken from the LP “ROBBIE NEVIL”

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
DAC/Phono Pre-amp:
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 USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (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

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.

Jody Watley – Looking For A New Love (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Looking for a New Love” is a song by American dance-pop singer Jody Watley. It was released in January 1987 as the first single from her eponymous debut album. The song became one of the biggest pop and R&B singles of 1987. Watley re-recorded and re-issued the song in various remixes in 2005.

The single hit number two for four consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1987 and spent four weeks at number-one on the Billboard R&B chart. It is the only single between 1985 and 1990 in the United States to have spent four weeks in the runner-up position and not have reached the number one. The single was kept out of the top spot of the Hot 100 by Cutting Crew’s “(I Just) Died in Your Arms” and U2’s “With or Without You”, and would itself keep Club Nouveau’s Hot 100 number-one single “Lean on Me” out of the top spot of the R&B chart. It ranked number 16 on Billboard’s year-end chart for 1987.

The song also reached number-one on the RPM Singles Chart in Canada.

In 1988 the song was nominated for two Soul Train Music Awards for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video, and Best R&B/Soul Single, Female. She was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

While listening to a tape of instrumental tracks given to her by producer André Cymone, Watley reflected on a recent sour romantic breakup. Fusing her own feelings of “I’ll show you” with the feel of the track, Watley came up with the basic premise of “Looking for a New Love.” The released record is the eight-track demo of the song; that way the emotional urgency of Watley’s vocal was still intact. One of the song’s key phrases became a popular saying: “Hasta la vista, baby.” It wound up on innumerable answering machines and was used by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

SIDE A:
Looking For A New Love (Extended Club Version) 7:30

SIDE B:
Looking For A New Love (Radio Edit) 5:06
Looking For A New Love (Instrumental) 7:29
Looking For A New Love (A Cappella) 5:06
Looking For A New Love (Bonus Beats) 4:34

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1987 Looking For A New Love U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #2
1987 Looking For A New Love U.S. Billboard Hot Black singles #1
1987 Looking For A New Love U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #1

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records ‎– MCA-23689
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: RnB/Swing, Soul

CREDITS:
Engineer [Remix Engineer] – Taavi Mote
Producer – André Cymone, David Z.
Recorded By – Eric Zobler*
Remix – Louil Silas, Jr.*
Written-By – A. Cymone*, J. Watley*

NOTES:
Original version appears on the Jody Watley album, “Jody Watley”

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
DAC/Phono Pre-amp:
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 USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (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

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.

The Communards – Never Can Say Goodbye (Remix) (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Never Can Say Goodbye” is a song written by Clifton Davis and originally recorded by The Jackson 5.

In 1987, British band The Communards had a hit with a Hi-NRG cover of the song, which was featured on their second album, Red.

Their version reached number one in Spain and number two in Ireland, number four number the UK Singles Chart, 51 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Dance/Disco chart in the U.S. The group had reached number one on those charts covering another 1970s classic, “Don’t Leave Me This Way”, in 1986. The cover was also a top 10 hit in several European countries and New Zealand.

A music video was produced for this version of the song, directed by Andy Morahan.

SIDE A:
Never Can Say Goodbye (San Paulo Mix) 7:02
Remix – Freddy Bastone

SIDE B:
Never Can Say Goodbye (Dub) 6:22
Remix – Freddy Bastone

’77 The Great Escape 2:16

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1988 Never Can Say Goodbye U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #51
1988 Never Can Say Goodbye U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #2

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: London Records ‎– LONXR 158
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – David Jacob
Producer [Assistant] – Avril MacKintosh
Written-By – Clifton Davis (tracks: A, B1), Somerville* (tracks: B2), Coles* (tracks: B2)

NOTES:
From the LP “RED”

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
DAC/Phono Pre-amp:
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 USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (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

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.

ABC – When Smokey Sings (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“When Smokey Sings” is a song by English band ABC, released as the first single from their fourth studio album, Alphabet City (1987). The lyrics and title of the song are a tribute to R&B and soul singer Smokey Robinson. In the United States, Robinson himself was on the Billboard 100 pop chart with his single “One Heartbeat” at the same time as this tribute song; for the week ending 3 October 1987, both songs were in the Billboard Top 10 simultaneously.

“When Smokey Sings” and its B-side, “Chicago” also topped the Hot Dance Club Play chart. The song reached No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart and proved to be their second American Top 10 hit, peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. There is a slight difference in the lyrics between the album and single version in the bridge of the song.

In the album version, references are made to “Luther”, “Sly”, “James”, and “Marvin” (most likely referring to Luther Vandross, Sly Stone, James Brown, and Marvin Gaye, respectively). In the single version, this is replaced by alternate lyrics, followed by a short saxophone solo.

Pitchfork Media was favorable for the Miami Mix, saying “can you fuck with…the proto–freestyle of the “Miami mix” of ABC’s “When Smokey Sings”?…No, of course, you cannot.”

The bass line of the song is a homage to Robinson’s composition, “The Tears of a Clown.” Smokey Robinson himself praised the song, saying, “Well, of course, that’s a form of flattery, and I really appreciate it.”

SIDE A:
When Smokey Sings (Miami Mix) 7:03
Mixed By – Phil “Mixmaster” Harding*

Chicago (Parts I & II) 6:37
Mixed By – Julian Mendelsohn

SIDE B:
When Smokey Sings (7″ Version) 4:23
Mixed By –Julian Mendelsohn

When Smokey Sings (Bonus Beats) 4:39
Mixed By – Phil “Mixmaster” Harding*

When Smokey Sings (Detroit Mix) 6:45
Mixed By – Julian Mendelsohn

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1987 When Smokey Sings U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #5
1987 When Smokey Sings U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary #2
1987 When Smokey Sings U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #1
1987 When Smokey Sings U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales #8

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Mercury ‎– 888 726-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Engineer – Martyn Webster (tracks: A1, B1 to B3)
Producer – Bernard Edwards (tracks: A1, B1 to B3), Mark White, Martin Fry
Written-By – Mark White, Martin Fry

NOTES:
From the forthcoming Mercury album “Alphabet City”

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
DAC/Phono Pre-amp:
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 USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (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

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.