Tag: 1988

January 6, 2026

Jane Wiedlin – Rush Hour (US 12″) (1988)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

When Jane Wiedlin stepped out on her own in the late ’80s, she did so with a confidence that felt both playful and perfectly in sync with the era. Best known as a founding member of The Go-Go’s, Wiedlin’s solo work allowed her to lean harder into synth-pop and dancefloor-friendly territory—and “Rush Hour” stands as one of the brightest examples of that shift.

Released in 1988 from her second solo album Fur, “Rush Hour” is pure late-’80s pop bliss. Built on a propulsive beat, shimmering keyboards, and a hook that refuses to let go, the song captures that restless, kinetic feeling its title suggests. There’s movement everywhere—cars, people, emotions—mirrored in the song’s relentless forward momentum. It’s the sound of urgency without anxiety, excitement without chaos.

Commercially, “Rush Hour” became the biggest solo hit of Jane Wiedlin’s career. In the U.S., the song peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, firmly placing her in the mainstream pop spotlight outside of The Go-Go’s. On the dance side, where the track truly thrived, “Rush Hour” reached #1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart, confirming its strong connection to club culture and DJs who embraced its extended and remix-friendly structure.

What makes “Rush Hour” especially compelling is how effortlessly it balances accessibility and edge. Jane’s vocal delivery is cool and confident, never overworked, gliding smoothly over the electronic production. While undeniably pop, the song borrows enough from contemporary dance music to feel right at home on late-’80s club floors—especially in its longer mixes that gave the groove room to breathe.

The song’s success also translated visually, earning heavy rotation on MTV at a time when image and sound worked hand in hand. Yet despite its chart performance and exposure, “Rush Hour” never feels disposable. There’s a timeless quality to its melody and pacing that keeps it sounding fresh decades later—one of those tracks that instantly transports you back to neon lights, late nights, and the pulse of city life in 1988.

For fans of synth-driven pop, crossover dance hits, and artists who successfully carved out a solo identity, “Rush Hour” remains essential listening. It’s proof that Jane Wiedlin wasn’t just part of one of the most iconic pop bands of the ’80s—she also delivered a solo single that conquered both the charts and the dancefloor.

Still moving. Still glowing. Still impossible to ignore once it starts.

SIDE A:
Rush Hour (Extended Remix) 7:20
Rush Hour (7″ Version) 4:01

SIDE B:
Rush Hour (The Red Mix) 7:23
Rush Hour (Instrumental) 5:04
The End Of Love 3:12

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – Jane Wiedlan: *Rush Hour* (1988)
Chart	Peak Position	Date
US Billboard Dance Club Songs	#1	1988
US Billboard Hot 100	#9	1988

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI-Manhattan Records – V-56085
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Specialty Records Corp. Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Art Direction – Henry Marquez
Co-producer, Engineer – David Jacob
Composed By – Jane Wiedlin, Peter Rafelson (tracks: A1 to B2), Stephen Hague (tracks: B3)
Design – Ph.D
Edited By – Bradley D. Hinkle (tracks: A1, B1, B2), Les Massengale (tracks: A1, B1, B2)
Engineer [Remix] – Paul Sabu (tracks: A1, B1, B2)
Keyboards [Additional] – Mike Egizi (tracks: A1, B1, B2)
Photography – Mike Owens
Producer – Stephen Hague
Producer [Additional], Remix – Rusty Garner (tracks: A1, B1, B2)

NOTES:
Produced for Blue Panda Ltd.
A1, B1 & B2 edited for Ultimix.

Album version can be heard on the LP, cassette & CD “Fur”

Printed in U.S.A

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.

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

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.