Tag: 1988

December 17, 2025

Will To Power – Say It’s Gonna Rain (New Remixes) (US 12″) (1988)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

When Will To Power’s “Say It’s Gonna Rain” began gaining serious traction in U.S. dance clubs, Epic Records did what the best labels of the era often did: they went back to the multitracks and gave DJs something new to work with.

The result was a second U.S. 12″ single, titled “New Remixes”, released specifically to capitalize on the song’s growing club momentum. Rather than reusing earlier versions, Epic enlisted Justin Strauss and Murray Elias working together, a collaboration that brought a distinctly New York club sensibility to the project.

Together, Strauss and Elias reshaped the track with a clear understanding of dance-floor dynamics. Their remix emphasizes groove and atmosphere, allowing the song to breathe while subtly reinforcing its rhythmic drive. Alyson Williams’ vocal remains the emotional anchor, floating over a more streamlined, club-focused arrangement that feels tailor-made for late-night sets.

What makes this second 12″ particularly notable is its timing. It wasn’t issued as part of the song’s initial release campaign; instead, Epic responded directly to the record’s success in U.S. dance clubs. This kind of reactive release strategy—issuing fresh remixes after a song had already proven itself—was a hallmark of late-’80s club culture.

Today, the “New Remixes” 12″ stands as a snapshot of that moment when labels, remixers, and DJs were in close conversation. It’s not just a follow-up pressing, but a deliberate extension of the song’s life on the dance floor—and a reminder of how collaborative remix work could give a hit single renewed energy and relevance.

SIDE A:
Say It’s Gonna Rain (Popstand Remix) 8:37
Say It’s Gonna Rain (Acid Rain Dub) 6:39

SIDE B:
Say It’s Gonna Rain (Popstand Nueva York Remix) 7:27
Say It’s Gonna Rain (Orange Sunshine Dub) 6:33

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic – 49 07589
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Freestyle, Electro, House

CREDITS:

Edited By – Chep Nunez*
Engineer [Remix] – Hugo Dwyer
Lacquer Cut By – Vlado*
Producer – Bob Rosenberg
Producer [Additional Production], Remix [Re-mix] – Justin Strauss, Murray Elias
Written-By – B. Rosenberg*

NOTES:
Special Version From The Epic Lp: “Will To Power” FE 40940
Additional production & re-mix for Popstand Productions.
Edited for SOS Productions.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

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.

October 10, 2025

Will To Power – Fading Away (US 12″ Promo) (1988)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

NEW 2025 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Original post date: June 10, 2013

I have given “Fading Away” a brand-new 2025 transfer, ensuring that every synth, beat, and vocal nuance hits with pristine clarity. It’s the ultimate way to experience this late-80s dance gem, whether on the club floor or through your own speakers at home.

When Will To Power released their self-titled debut album in 1988, most listeners immediately noticed the massive medley Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley. But another track from that era, Fading Away, deserves just as much attention for its emotive vocals, lush synths, and undeniable dance floor energy.

Produced by Bob Rosenberg, Fading Away blends heartfelt emotion with polished late-80s dance-pop production. The lyrics deal with the pain of a fading love, and the arrangement—soft atmospheric synths building into a driving beat—creates the perfect tension between introspective balladry and club-ready rhythm.

On the charts, Fading Away had modest mainstream success, peaking at #65 on the US Pop chart in February 1989 and reaching #84 in the UK Singles Chart the following month. However, the track found its true audience in the dance world. It climbed to #2 on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales chart and spent two weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart—making it Will To Power’s second chart-topper in clubs, after Say It’s Gonna Rain in 1988.

A big part of its dance success came from the remixes by Shep Pettibone, one of the era’s premier remixers. Pettibone extended the song’s ethereal synths and accentuated its rhythmic pulse, transforming Fading Away into a club-ready anthem that DJs could spin for peak-hour energy.

BONUS DISCONET EDIT

As a special treat for collectors and DJs, there’s also the rare Disconet Remix service edit, remixed by one of New York’s exciting editors, Mervyn “Funkmaster” Jordan. This explosive, non-stop edit turns the song into a floor-packing powerhouse—perfect for DJs looking to blow the roof off the house. Jordan’s edit highlights the track’s infectious energy while adding his own signature punch, making it a standout in any collection.

For fans of 80s synth-pop, freestyle, and dance music, Fading Away remains a standout track. It’s a reminder that Will To Power’s artistry went beyond their big medley hit, and that some of the best moments in dance-pop history lie just beneath the surface, waiting to be rediscovered.

SIDE A:
Fading Away (Power House Mix) 8:42
Fading Away (Power House Dub) 6:43

SIDE B:
Fading Away (Big Beat Mix) 8:35
Fading Away (The Rhythm Dub) 6:14

BONUS TRACK:
Fading Away (Disconet Edit) 7:00
Edited By – Mervin “Funkmaster” Jordan

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance — Will To Power: Fading Away (1988)
Chart	Peak Position	Date
US Billboard Dance Music / Club Play	#1	1989
US Billboard Hot 100	65	1989
US Billboard Dance Music / Maxi-Singles Sales	#2	1989
UK Singles Chart	#84	1989
Australia (ARIA)	#153	1989

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic – 49 08183
Format: Vinyl, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic
Style: Freestyle, House

CREDITS:

Edited By – Chep Nunez*
Mastered By – Ted Jensen
Producer – Bob Rosenberg
Producer [Additional Production], Remix [Re-Mix] – Shep Pettibone
Written-By – B. Rosenberg*

NOTES:
DEMONSTRATION
NOT FOR SALE
Additional Production/Remix for Mastermix Productions
Special Version From The Epic LP: “WILL TO POWER”

DISCONET EDIT taken from Volume 11 Program 2

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

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.

October 8, 2025

Will To Power – Say It’s Gonna Rain (US 12″) (1988)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

“Say It’s Gonna Rain” is a song by American dance-pop group Will to Power. The original version appeared on their self-titled debut album, released in 1988. Written and produced by Miami-based DJ and producer Bob Rosenberg, the track features Suzi Carr on lead vocals.

A 12-inch single was issued to clubs the same year, featuring extended and remixed versions that became a massive hit in dance circles. The remix went on to become the group’s first of two number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, where it held the top spot for two weeks in August and September 1988. It also crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 49 that July.

Built on a sleek freestyle groove and shimmering synth layers, “Say It’s Gonna Rain” perfectly captures the late-’80s Miami club sound—melodic, emotional, and irresistibly danceable. Suzi Carr’s soulful, yearning delivery gives the song a romantic core beneath its pulsating beats.

While Will to Power later found mainstream pop success with their chart-topping medley “Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird,” “Say It’s Gonna Rain” remains their defining club anthem—a staple of freestyle compilations and a time capsule of the 1988 dancefloor scene.

*Note: On Side B, the tracks are listed separately on the label; however, they are actually mixed together. To preserve the flow and integrity of the original vinyl, I have not separated the tracks.

For those who lived through the era, this one instantly conjures flashing lights, smoke machines, and that unmistakable 808 rhythm echoing through packed dance clubs on a humid summer night.

SIDE A:
Say It’s Gonna Rain (Extended Mix) 6:38

SIDE B:
Say It’s Gonna Rain (Instrumental Mix)/
Say It’s Gonna Rain (808 Capella) 7:25 *

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – Will To Power: *Say It’s Gonna Rain 1988*
Chart	Peak Position	Date
Canada (RPM) Dance	#8	1988
US Billboard Hot 100	#49	1988
US Billboard Hot Dance / Club Play	#1	1988
US Billboard Hot Dance / Maxi-Singles Sales	#3	1988

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic – 49 07589
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Freestyle

CREDITS:

Lacquer Cut By – MF*
Producer – Bob Rosenberg
Written-By – B. Rosenberg*

Lacquer Cut At – Fullersound
Pressed By – Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Carrollton, GA

NOTES:
From the LP “Will To Power”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

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.

October 1, 2025

Taylor Dayne – Don’t Rush Me (US 12″) (1988)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

By the fall of 1988, Taylor Dayne was on a roll. Her powerhouse debut album Tell It to My Heart had already produced three U.S. Top 10 singles, including the title track, and she was quickly becoming one of the defining vocalists of the late ‘80s. Riding that momentum, Arista Records issued “Don’t Rush Me” as the fourth single from the album, and it turned out to be one of Dayne’s biggest hits.

Written by Alexandra Forbes and Jeff Franzel and produced by Ric Wake, the song stands out for its lyrical theme. Unlike the bold passion of “Tell It to My Heart” or the dance-floor fire of “Prove Your Love,” “Don’t Rush Me” carries a message about taking things slow—essentially, a plea for abstinence. Delivered with Dayne’s unmistakable vocal strength, it struck a balance between vulnerability and determination.

Chart Success

“Don’t Rush Me” first saw release in the UK in September 1988 before arriving in the U.S. on October 24. The single quickly climbed the charts, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1989, only held back from the top by Phil Collins’ “Two Hearts.” It became Dayne’s highest-charting single in the States at the time and spent an impressive 20 weeks on the Hot 100.

On other U.S. charts, it reached No. 3 on Adult Contemporary, No. 6 on the Dance Club Songs chart, and even topped Cashbox for a week in late January. Internationally, however, “Don’t Rush Me” didn’t achieve the same level of success, charting modestly in Europe, with Germany being one of the few countries where it cracked the Top 40.

The Music Video

The single’s visuals have a curious backstory. The first video, directed by Alek Keshishian (who would later work with Madonna), was shot in Los Angeles and featured Dayne alongside a “real sexy guy” in various scenes. For reasons never fully explained, that version was scrapped and replaced with a second video directed by David Hogan. The final cut, filmed in New York at the Capitol Theatre, was more of a straightforward performance piece showcasing Dayne’s presence on stage. This version debuted on VH-1 on December 10, 1988, before rolling out to MTV, BET, and Night Tracks later that month.

Legacy

“Don’t Rush Me” proved that Taylor Dayne was more than just a one-hit wonder riding the wave of late-’80s dance-pop. It showed her versatility as both a pop and adult contemporary artist, paving the way for her ballads like “Love Will Lead You Back,” which would eventually take her all the way to No. 1.

Even though its chart performance outside the U.S. was limited, the single remains one of Taylor Dayne’s signature hits—a track that captured her vocal power while delivering a message that was somewhat unusual for its time.

SIDE A:
Don’t Rush Me (Extended Version) 7:16
Remix – Richie Jones

Don’t Rush Me (Bonus Beats) 3:39
Remix – Richie Jones

SIDE B:
Don’t Rush Me (Single Version) 3:48

Don’t Rush Me (Dub Version) 6:08
Remix – Richie Jones

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – Taylor Dayne: *Don’t Rush Me* (1988)
Chart	Peak Position	Date
US Billboard Dance Club Songs	#6	1988
US Billboard Hot 100	#2	1988
US Billboard RAdult Contemporary	#3	1988
U.K. Singles	#76	1988
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	#4	1988

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Arista – AD1-9723
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Design – Susan Mendola
Keyboards – Steve Skinner
Management – Champion Entertainment Organization, Inc.
Mixed By, Recorded By, Guitar – Bob Cadway
Photography By – Jennifer Baumann
Producer – Ric Wake
Written-By – Alexandra Forbes, Jeff Franzel

Recorded At – Cove City Sound Studios
Mixed At – Cove City Sound Studios
Mixed At – Blue Jay Studios

NOTES:

From the album “Tell It To My Heart”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

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.