Tag: 1988

Debbie Gibson – Super-Mix Club (Japan Mini-LP)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1988

BTG BARBIE Rewind: Bubblegum Pop Inspired by BARBIE!

“Super-Mix Club” is a Japan-only Mini-LP released by American female singer, songwriter, producer and actress Debbie Gibson featuring remixes from her debut album “Out Of The Blue”.

A child prodigy, she started writing songs when she was 5 years old and learned record production at the age of 12. She studied classical piano at New York’s Juliard School of Music and has appeared in several Broadway stage productions, most notably, “Les Miserables” and in the London theatre production of “Grease”.

Gibson released her debut album Out of the Blue in 1987, which spawned several international hits, later being certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. One of those singles, “Foolish Beat”, made Gibson the youngest female artist to write, produce, and perform a Billboard Hot 100 number-one single.

Gibson is the sole songwriter on all of her singles to reach the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. She was recognized by ASCAP as Songwriter of the Year, along with Bruce Springsteen, in 1989.

After years of writing and producing her own material, a demonstration tape of Gibson’s submitted to a radio personality was eventually shared with an executive at Atlantic Records. Based solely on Gibson’s original song, “Only in My Dreams”, she was signed to a development deal and began a promotional tour of club venues throughout the United States.

Gibson spent much of 1986 and the beginning of 1987 building her songwriting catalog, while continuing to play club dates. During her promotional tour, Gibson continued attending classes at Calhoun High School in Merrick, New York, where she later graduated as an honor student. Diane Gibson, Debbie’s mother and manager, accompanied her daughter on many of these track dates. “We played dance clubs, straight clubs, and gay clubs,” Diane has said.

The single “Only in My Dreams” was released in December 1986 and landed in the Billboard Hot 100 chart beginning in May 1987, peaking at number four that September. Atlantic Records and Gibson worked to complete her first album as a result of the good showing by the single.

Following the success of “Only In My Dreams”, “Shake Your Love” was released as the follow-up single and reached the Billboard top five. The “Shake Your Love” video was choreographed by Paula Abdul and was the first time MTV had visited Gibson on a video shoot.

In 1987, while performing at nightclubs throughout the United States, Gibson recorded her debut album, Out of the Blue. Along with producer Fred Zarr, Gibson wrote, recorded, and produced it in four weeks. Four singles from the album reached the top five of the Hot 100 chart: “Only in My Dreams”, “Shake Your Love”, “Out of the Blue”, and the number-one hit “Foolish Beat”, followed by “Staying Together”, which performed more modestly, reaching number 22. “Foolish Beat” set a record, making Gibson at 16 the youngest artist to write, produce, and perform a Billboard number-one single, as cited in the 1988 Guinness Book of World Records. She remains the youngest female artist to have done so. Out of the Blue became a hit album, and she had success in the UK and southeast Asia, filling stadiums with her Out of the Blue tour. By the end of 1988, Out of the Blue had gone triple platinum.

SIDE A:
Shake Your Love (Club Mix) 5:54
Out Of The Blue (Drumapaella) 4:05
Only In My Dreams (Club Mix) 6:32

SIDE B:
Foolish Beat (Extended Mix) 6:44
Out Of The Blue (Club Mix) 5:52
Shake Your Love (Bassa Pella) 3:33

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
OBI Strip: Near Mint
Insert: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Atlantic – P-6269
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Mini-Album
Country: Japan
Released: Jun 25, 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Freestyle, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

NOTES:
Includes insert with lyrics in English and Japanese.

Buy the Mini-LP at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus:  Ortofon 2M Black PnP MkII
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 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

**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!


Password: burningtheground

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



Elton John – Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters (Part Two) (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1988

Gay Icon Elton John made sure to send a message to people who were cast out like him. He reassured people who were not fitting in that they would eventually find their place. Over the years he has been working for AIDS prevention. He also established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992, which has raised more than $400 million. As well as an annual high-profile Oscar party which also raises money for AIDS prevention.

“Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)” is a song by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin from the album Reg Strikes Back. It was released as a 12″ single in 1988 only in the United States.

Although not a particularly popular song, some critics judged it as a “most intriguing” song or the “brightest moment” of the album. John said: “That’s probably my favorite track on the album. It just has a great New York feel”. He played both versions of the song sequentially in concerts from the release of “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)” in 1988 through to 1993.

The song is about New York City and is a continuation of the song “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” from the 1972 album Honky Château. Although the song follows the same meaning of its predecessor, it has a very different tempo and instrumental arrangement and is in many ways a more complex song, with a variety of key changes and unusual chords throughout the song. A brief homage to the Beatles’ song “Drive My Car” can be heard during the trumpet solo, where Elton and the backup singers interject “beep beep, beep beep, yeah!”.

SIDE A:
Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters (Part Two) (The Renaissance Mix) 6:18
Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters (Part Two) (The Da Vinci Version) 4:47

SIDE B:
A Word In Spanish 4:38
Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters (Part Two) (The Self Portrait Instrumental) 4:56

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records – MCA-23917
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Pop
Style: Synthpop

CREDITS:

NOTES:
Original version appears on the MCA LP, “Reg Strikes Back”.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus:  Ortofon 2M Black PnP MkII
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 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

**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!


Password: burningtheground

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



Pet Shop Boys – Heart (Remix) (UK 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1988

NEW 2023 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Originally posted October 14, 2013

“Heart” is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their second studio album, Actually (1987). It was released as the album’s fourth and final single on 21 March 1988. The song topped the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in April 1988, becoming the duo’s fourth and final chart-topper to date in the United Kingdom. The group had initially written the song for Madonna, though they never asked her to record it, instead keeping it for themselves.

Written by Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, “Heart” was the fourth and final single from the duo’s second studio album, Actually. A new mix different to the album version was released as a single in March 1988, ascending to the top of the charts to become the duo’s fourth—and, to date, last—UK number-one single. It was also successful across Europe.

The genesis of the song goes back to the sessions for the duo’s first album Please in early 1986 with Shep Pettibone. Originally, the duo had planned to offer it to Hi-NRG singer Hazell Dean or—more notoriously—Madonna, but they ultimately kept it for themselves. The duo’s version of the song was intended to be used in the Steven Spielberg-produced film Innerspace, but the dance sequence it was intended for was at the wrong tempo for the song. The song was originally called “Heartbeat”, but was changed after Culture Club drummer Jon Moss announced the formation of a group named Heartbeat UK.

The lyrics are more traditional than most Pet Shop Boys songs, being a straightforward declaration of love—a characteristic common in many pop songs. On the commentary of the Pet Shop Boys’ live video album Cubism, Tennant reveals that the “oh – ah – oh’oh ah” refrain which repeats throughout the song features the vocals of himself, Pavarotti, and Wendy Smith (of Prefab Sprout).

According to Tennant, they were inspired by the song I Like You by Phyllis Nelson, which was produced by Shep Pettibone, who did a remix of Heart.

The song was re-recorded for Actually with producer Andy Richards and was mixed by Julian Mendelsohn. The single remix is an edit of the Richards’ version with the use of wah-wah guitar, giving the song more of a 1970s sound.

Despite topping the UK chart for three weeks and being a worldwide success, the duo themselves tend to dismiss it, with Lowe stating in 2001: “It just shows that chart positions aren’t the be-all and end-all. ‘Heart’ isn’t in the same league as ‘Being Boring’.” However, many fans regard the song highly and Pet Shop Boys like it enough to have performed the song on their 1989 tour, the Fundamental world tour in 2006 and 2007, and their Pandemonium tour in 2009–2010.

When included in the retrospective PopArt: The Hits collection, the album version of the track was used for the UK release rather than the hit single mix, the reason for this is unknown. The single mix was included in the US release.

Directed by Jack Bond, director of the band’s 1987 film It Couldn’t Happen Here, the music video for “Heart” is based on the 1922 film Nosferatu. The video opens with Tennant and his bride (played by model Danijela Čolić Prižmić) being driven to a castle with Lowe as his chauffeur. As he goes to bed with his bride, the vampire, played by Ian McKellen, spies on them. Later, he seduces the bride and bites her. Finally, Lowe drives Nosferatu and his bride away, leaving Tennant to stare bitterly after them from a castle window. The video was shot in Mokrice Castle, Slovenia, then one of the Yugoslavia republics.

The “Heart” Remix is the second of two 12″ releases in the UK. The 12″ Remix, and Dub Mix were omitted from the Actually Further Listening 1987–1988 (bonus disc) released in 2001 and again in 2018.

SIDE A:
Heart (12″ Remix) 8:57
Engineer – Tony Phillips
Guitar – J.J. Belle
Producer – Andy RichardsPet Shop Boys
Remix – Julian Mendelsohn
Written-By – Tennant/Lowe*

SIDE B:
Heart (Dub Mix) 5:16
Edited By –  Junior Vasquez
Engineer – Dave Meegan
Keyboards [Additional] – Adrien Cook
Producer – Pet Shop Boys, Shep Pettibone
Remix – Shep Pettibone
Written-By – Tennant/Lowe*

I Get Excited (You Get Excited Too) 4:53
Engineer – Mark Stent
Guitar – Steve Lipson*
Producer – Pet Shop Boys
Programmed By [Fairlight], Organ [Hammond] – Blue Weaver
Vocals [Additional] – Dee LewisShirley Lewis
Written-By – Lowe/Tennant*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Parlophone ‎– 12RX 6177
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: UK
Released: Apr 4, 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

NOTES:
Dee Lewis courtesy of Phonogram
Manufactured in the U.K.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus:  Ortofon 2M Black PnP MkII
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 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

**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!


Password: burningtheground

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



Vanessa Williams – The Right Stuff (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1988

“The Right Stuff” is a song by American singer and actress Vanessa Williams, released as the first single from her 1988 debut studio album of the same name. The crossover single was very successful and became a top-five hit on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, as well as making the Billboard Hot 100. “The Right Stuff” also went to number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart for one week. It peaked at number 71 on the UK Singles Chart and re-entered the charts in 1989, this time peaking at number 62 with a remixed version. At the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989, the song received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, but lost to Anita Baker’s “Giving You The Best That I Got”.

The accompanying video for “The Right Stuff” was filmed in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

SIDE A:
The Right Stuff (Radio Version) 4:28
The Right Stuff (Extended Version) 5:40

SIDE B:
The Right Stuff (Edited Version) 4:12
The Right Stuff (Dub-A-Delic) 5:46

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1988 The Right Stuff U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #44
1988 The Right Stuff U.S. Billboard Dance Club Songs #1
1988  The Right Stuff U.S. Billboard Dance Singles Sales #1
1988  The Right Stuff U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs #4

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Wing Records – 887 386-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: RnB/Swing

CREDITS:

NOTES:
Additional Production, Beats, Samples & Edits by
Hank Shocklee,
Eric VIETNAM Sadler, and
Bill Stephney.

Mastered by Lacquer Cutting Legend
Herbie “The Right Pump” Powers” at
Frankford Wayne Mastering Labs in NYC.

From the LP “THE RIGHT STUFF”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus:  Ortofon 2M Black PnP MkII
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 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

**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!


Password: burningtheground

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