Tag: 1989

October 8, 2026

Technotronic Feat Felly – Pump Up The Jam (US 12″) (1989)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Before the 1980s ended, a Belgian dance act called Technotronic unleashed one of the decade’s biggest club anthems. With its pounding bassline, infectious rhythm, and instantly recognizable rap vocals, “Pump Up The Jam” helped bring European house music into the American mainstream and became one of the defining dance records of 1989.

Technotronic was the creation of Belgian producer Jo Bogaert, who worked under the name Thomas De Quincey. Combining elements of house, hip-hop, and Belgium’s emerging new beat scene, Bogaert created a sound that was tailor-made for dance floors. However, one of the most interesting stories surrounding “Pump Up The Jam” involves the woman credited on the record.

Although the single was released as Technotronic Featuring Felly, the unmistakable vocals actually belonged to Belgian-Congolese rapper Manuela Kamosi, better known as Ya Kid K. Felly Kilingi was a model who appeared on the record sleeve and in the music video, lip-syncing to Ya Kid K’s performance. The arrangement was intended to give the group a recognizable public image, but the truth eventually emerged as Technotronic’s popularity grew. Ya Kid K would later receive the recognition she deserved as the group’s actual vocalist.

Released in August 1989, “Pump Up The Jam” quickly became an international sensation. In the United States, the single reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart, and No. 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Across the Atlantic, it climbed to No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart and topped the charts in several European countries.

CHART HISTORY (1989–1990)

Country	Chart	Peak Position
US	Billboard Hot 100	2
US	Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1
US	Billboard Hot Black Singles	10
UK	Official Singles Chart	2

The single’s success was especially significant because it introduced millions of mainstream listeners to a style of dance music that had previously been associated largely with underground clubs. Its combination of a hard-driving house beat, electronic bassline, and rap vocals helped establish hip-house as a commercially successful sound.

For today’s post, we have the original 1989 US 12″ single released on SBK Records. This pressing features four versions of the track, including the extended “Vocal Attack,” the “Jam Edit Mix,” the “Original Mix,” and the familiar 7″ Version.

The “Vocal Attack” gives DJs an extended take on the song’s relentless groove, while the “Jam Edit Mix” offers another variation on the arrangement. The “Original Mix” delivers the classic club sound that made the record a worldwide sensation. Together, these versions capture the excitement of a time when 12″ singles were an essential part of dance music culture.

More than three decades later, “Pump Up The Jam” remains an instantly recognizable party anthem. Its influence can still be heard in dance music today, and that opening beat is often all it takes to get people moving.

So turn up the volume, clear some space, and get ready to pump up the jam!

SIDE A:
A1. Pump Up The Jam (Vocal Attack) 5:23
A2. Pump Up The Jam (Jam Edit Mix) 4:57

SIDE B:
B1. Pump Up The Jam (Original Mix) 5:03
B2. Pump Up The Jam (7″ Version) 3:36

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: SBK Records – V-19701
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic
Style: Hip-House, Euro House

CREDITS:

Cover, Design – Grafiek • Patrick
Featuring – Felly
Mastered By – MJS*
Photography By – Michel Poels
Producer – Thomas De Quincey
Vocals [Uncredited] – Ya Kid K
Written-By – Manuella Kamosi*, Thomas De Quincey

NOTES:
Printed in the 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
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2
Phono Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
Audio Interface: MOTU M4
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Cleaning Solution: Turgikleen Record Cleaning Solution
Scanner: 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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.

October 7, 2026

Bigod 20 / TGT (The Genetic Terrorists) – Industrial Assault (US 12″ Promo) (1989)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Razormaid Digital Mixes by Art Maharg and Joseph Watt
A DJPaulT Custom 12″ Single.

Spooky Season Spins kicks off today with something a little different.

October does not always have to mean ghosts, vampires, and horror movie themes. Sometimes the right atmosphere comes from something colder, harsher, and far more mechanical. For this installment, we are heading straight into the factory with a custom 12″ that I have titled Industrial Assault.

This two-track single brings together Bigod 20 and TGT (The Genetic Terrorists), with both selections originally appearing on Razormaid Chapter R-25.

Opening Side A is Bigod 20 with “America,” re-edited by Razormaid co-founder Art Maharg.

Bigod 20 was part of the German Electronic Body Music and Industrial scene, and “America” has exactly the kind of atmosphere I wanted for an October post. It is dark, repetitive, confrontational, and driven by electronics that feel more like machinery than traditional instrumentation.

Maharg’s Razormaid treatment pushes that feeling even further. The track moves with a relentless pulse, using repetition and carefully placed edits to make the whole thing feel increasingly tense.

There may not be a monster hiding in the shadows here, but the track still feels threatening.

For Spooky Season Spins, that counts.

Flip the record over, and things become even more brutal.
“Machine Gun” by TGT, or The Genetic Terrorists, was re-edited for Razormaid by Joseph Watt.

The title gives you a pretty good indication of what is coming. Hard electronic percussion, samples, repetition, and a cold mechanical rhythm dominate the track.

Watt’s edit has that classic Razormaid DJ sensibility. Rather than simply stretching the original recording, the arrangement uses its strongest rhythmic elements to keep the track moving. It is sparse in places, aggressive in others, and never particularly interested in making the listener comfortable.

That is exactly why it works here.

Both “America” and “Machine Gun” were taken from Razormaid Chapter R-25, which also gives this custom single a nice connection. Side A represents Art Maharg, while Side B represents Joseph Watt, bringing both Razormaid co-founders together on one very Industrial piece of vinyl.
So for this edition of Spooky Season Spins, forget the haunted houses and graveyards for a moment.

Welcome to the factory.

Cold steel. Concrete. Smoke stacks. Machines running somewhere in the darkness.

SIDE A:
Bigod 20 – America 6:31
Edited By [Re-edited] – Art Maharg

SIDE B:
Genetic Terrorists* – Machine Gun 5:14
Edited By [Re-edited] – Joseph Watt

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Razormaid Records – RM-LP-r25
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic
Style: EBM, Industrial

CREDITS:
Custom Sleeve Artwork [Design] – DjPaulT

NOTES:
For Promotional Use Only

Both tracks taken from: Razormaid Chapter r-25

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.

October 6, 2026

Soul II Soul – Back To Life (Club Mix) (US 12″) (1989)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Released in 1989, “Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)” became one of the defining records of the closing months of the 1980s. Built around Caron Wheeler’s unforgettable vocal, the record combined soul, R&B, hip-hop rhythms, strings, and the laid-back club sound that made Soul II Soul stand apart from almost everything else on the radio at the time.

Led by Jazzie B, Soul II Soul had already scored a major hit earlier in the year with “Keep On Movin’,” also featuring Wheeler. “Back To Life,” however, took the group to another level.

One of the most interesting things about the song is that the version everyone knows was not originally included on the group’s debut LP, Club Classics Vol. One, in that familiar form. The album contained a mostly a cappella version of “Back To Life,” with the rhythm entering near the end as the track moved into “Jazzie’s Groove.” Jazzie B and producer Nellee Hooper later returned to the song and rebuilt it for single release, adding the shuffling beat, piano, strings, and other elements that turned it into the classic we know today.

The result was massive.

“Back To Life” reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1989 and remained there for four weeks. In the United States, the single reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B chart.

Chart (1989)	Peak Position
UK Singles Chart	1
US Billboard Hot 100	4
US Billboard Hot R&B Singles	1
US Billboard Dance Club Play	1
Eurochart Hot 100	1
Canada RPM Top Singles	11
Canada RPM Dance/Urban	1
Netherlands	1
New Zealand	4
West Germany	4
Ireland	6
Sweden	3
Switzerland	2
Belgium	4
Austria	13
Finland	14

The song also earned Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler the 1990 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocal. Soul II Soul also picked up a second Grammy that year for the instrumental “African Dance.”

For today’s post, I am featuring the US 12″ single released by Virgin Records, catalog number 0-96537.

This pressing is particularly nice because Virgin packed five different versions onto the record.

The centerpiece is the 7:37 “12″ Mix.” This full-length club treatment gives that familiar rhythm and bass groove plenty of room to breathe. Instead of simply stretching the radio version, the mix lets the arrangement unfold slowly, making Caron Wheeler’s vocal sound even more powerful when it enters.

The 3:29 “A Cappella Intro Version” is also included, an interesting link between the song’s a cappella beginnings and the finished single.

The 3:50 “LP Version” takes us back toward the original album presentation, making the contrast between the original concept and the hit single especially interesting when all of the versions are heard together.

Flip the record over and things get even more DJ-friendly.

“Jam & The Groove,” running 5:08, takes the familiar elements of the record and rearranges them into a more groove-centered workout, while the 4:38 “Bonus Beats” puts the rhythm section front and center. In 1989, mixes like these were made with DJs in mind, giving them extra material for mixing and extending a track on the dance floor.

SIDE A:
A1. Back To Life (12″ Mix) 7:37
A2. Back To Life (A Cappella Intro Version) 3:29
A3. Back To Life (LP Version) 3:50

SIDE B:
B1. Back To Life (Jam & The Groove) 5:08
B2. Back To Life (Bonus Beats) 4:38

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

The five-track configuration and running times are specific to this 1989 US Virgin 12″ pressing.

More than three decades later, “Back To Life” still sounds remarkably fresh. That deep rolling beat, the sweeping strings, the sparse arrangement, and Wheeler’s voice gave the record a sound that was unmistakably Soul II Soul.

And then there is that opening.

The moment you hear “Back to life, back to reality,” you know exactly what record is coming.

For those of us who love the 12″ format, Virgin 0-96537 is also a great example of why these singles are worth preserving. You are not getting one extended mix with a throwaway B-side. You get several different ways of hearing one of 1989’s most important records, including mixes that show how the track developed from its unusual a cappella beginnings into an international hit.

Enjoy!

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin – 0-96537, Virgin – 96537-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Contemporary R&B, Downtempo

CREDITS:

Design – Ranch Associates Limited
Photography By [Dancer] – Jamie Morgan*
Photography By [Jazzie B And Caron Wheeler] – Enrique Badulescu
Producer, Mixed By – Jazzie B, Nellee Hooper
Vocals – Caron Wheeler
Written-By – Romeo*

NOTES:
From the album ‘Keep On Movin” available on Virgin Records, Cassettes, and CD’s

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.

July 16, 2026

A’mé Lorain – Whole Wide World (US 12″) (1989)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

After spending the first two entries of Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition with the blockbuster Footloose soundtrack, I thought it was time to move toward something a little less obvious.

“Whole Wide World” by A’mé Lorain may not be tied to a movie as famous as Footloose, but the record became a major hit on its own and remains one of the most infectious pop singles released during the closing months of the 1980s.

The song appeared on the soundtrack to True Love, a 1989 independent comedy directed by Nancy Savoca and starring Annabella Sciorra and Ron Eldard. Set within an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx, the film follows an engaged couple as wedding plans, family expectations, and second thoughts begin to test their relationship. True Love opened in October 1989 and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

“Whole Wide World” was written by Arnie Roman and Elliot Wolff, with Wolff also handling the production. Wolff was on quite a roll at the time, having recently written and produced Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up” and “Cold Hearted.” You can hear some of that same late-80s pop precision here, with tightly programmed rhythms, bright keyboards, and a chorus built to stay in your head.

From its opening seconds, “Whole Wide World” has an energy that sits right on the border between the 1980s and 1990s. The synthesizers and polished pop production are firmly rooted in the late 80s, while the beat points toward the New Jack Swing sound that was quickly taking over radio and dance floors.

A’mé Lorain’s vocal is playful, confident, and full of personality. She delivers the song with the excitement of someone who has fallen so completely in love that keeping it quiet is no longer an option. She wants everyone to know, and by the time the chorus arrives, she has probably convinced the listener to help spread the news.

It is pure pop, and it works.

A’mé Lorain was born Amy Trujillo and performed with The Family Affair, which included her brother Freddy Trujillo on bass and her then-husband Victor Indrizzo on guitar and drums. The group released the wonderfully titled album Starring In…Standing In A Monkey Sea on RCA Records in 1989. “Whole Wide World” appeared on both that album and the True Love soundtrack.

Although the record was released in 1989, its greatest chart success came during the spring of 1990. “Whole Wide World” climbed to number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100, giving A’mé Lorain her first and only Top 10 pop hit. It also reached number nine on Billboard’s dance chart and finished at number 95 on the magazine’s year-end Hot 100 listing for 1990.

That chart run makes “Whole Wide World” an interesting choice for an 80s series. The single belongs to the decade by release date, but its success arrived just as the calendar turned. It captures that brief period when the sound and style of the late 80s continued moving forward before the new decade developed an identity of its own.

The film itself has become more of a cult favorite than a widely remembered box-office hit. The song followed a different path. Many listeners who have never seen True Love still remember “Whole Wide World” from radio, MTV, clubs, or a long-forgotten cassette recorded from the weekly countdown.

That is one of the great things about soundtrack singles from this period. A song did not always need the movie to become a hit. Sometimes the soundtrack gave a new artist an opening, radio took over from there, and the record developed a life entirely separate from the film.

“Whole Wide World” also brings a different type of artist into this series. Bonnie Tyler and Deniece Williams were already established stars when their Footloose singles were released. A’mé Lorain was a new face with a debut hit, suddenly competing on the charts alongside some of the biggest names in pop.

Her follow-up single, “Follow My Heartbeat,” reached number 72 on the Hot 100, but the success of “Whole Wide World” was never repeated. That has left the song frozen in a particular moment, colorful, catchy, slightly quirky, and unmistakably connected to the period when the 1980s were making their final exit.

It may not be the first title people think of when discussing great 80s soundtrack singles, but that is exactly why it belongs here.

Sometimes the most enjoyable selections are the ones that make you stop and say, “I had forgotten all about this.”

The whole wide world may not remember A’mé Lorain, but those who heard this record the first time around certainly have not forgotten the song.

SIDE A:
A’me Lorain – Whole Wide World (Elliot Wolff 12″) 5:37
A’me Lorain – Whole Wide World (Radio Mix) 3:51

SIDE B:
A’me Lorain – Whole Wide World (Wingate 12″ House Remix) 7:21
A’me Lorain – Whole Wide World (Wingate House Dub Remix) 6:09
Barrence Whitfield And The Savagess – Stop Twistin’ My Arm 2:52

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart (1990)	Peak Position
UK Singles Chart	90
US Billboard Hot 100	9
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	9
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	37
US Cash Box Top 100	13

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: RCA – 9099-1-RD
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Alternate cover
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Funk / Soul
Style: House, Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues, New Jack Swing

CREDITS:

Edited By – Tuta Aquino (tracks: B1, B2)
Mixed By, Remix – Mick Guzawski*
Producer – Mike Costello (tracks: B3), Milton Reder (tracks: B3)
Producer [Additional], Remix [Additional] – Trevor Bernard (tracks: B1, B2), Wingate (tracks: B1, B2)
Producer, Arranged By, Remix – Elliot Wolff

NOTES:
Original versions on the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack album, “True Love,” 9819-1-R

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.