Tag: Alex Sadkin

September 10, 2025

Classix Nouveaux – Forever And A Day (UK 12″) (1983)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

By the early 1980s, Classix Nouveaux had firmly carved out their place in the New Wave and post-punk landscape. Formed in London in 1979 from the ashes of X-Ray Spex, the band — fronted by the charismatic Sal Solo — quickly became known for their striking visual style, theatrical performances, and polished, synth-driven sound.

One of the gems in their catalog is “Forever and a Day,” a single released in 1983 from their third studio album Secret. By this point, Classix Nouveaux had refined their sound, moving away from the rawer edges of their early work toward a sleeker, more atmospheric approach.

A Shift in Sound

“Forever and a Day” captures the essence of this evolution. Built on shimmering synth textures, driving bass lines, and Sal Solo’s dramatic, soaring vocals, the track balances melancholy with romantic optimism. The production feels cinematic, reflecting the broader trend in early-to-mid ’80s New Wave toward lush, layered arrangements.

While the band never quite broke through on the same scale as contemporaries like Ultravox or Duran Duran, tracks like “Forever and a Day” show they had all the right ingredients — powerful hooks, emotional depth, and undeniable style.

Release & Reception

Issued as a single in 1983, “Forever and a Day” wasn’t a major chart hit, but it cemented Classix Nouveaux’s reputation as cult favorites in the New Wave scene. In some territories — particularly across Europe and in markets like Poland, where the band enjoyed a surprising level of popularity — the song gained significant airplay.

The single was accompanied by a 12″ release, which offered an extended version remixed ny Phil Thornalley (Johnny Hates Jazz, The Cure) aimed at dancefloors and club DJs. This longer version gave the band’s synth arrangements more room to breathe, making “Forever and a Day” a perfect fit for the era’s club culture.

Legacy

Though Classix Nouveaux disbanded shortly after the release of Secret, songs like “Forever and a Day” have stood the test of time, rediscovered by collectors and fans of the 12″ remix format. The track remains a shining example of how New Wave blended electronic experimentation with pop sensibility — dramatic, stylish, and achingly heartfelt.

For many fans, “Forever and a Day” is more than just a single — it’s a reminder of the fleeting brilliance of a band that deserved a bigger spotlight.

SIDE A:
Forever And A Day (Extended Version) 6:46
Mixed By – Phil Thornalley
Strings – Ann Dudley
Written-By – Mik Sweeny, Sal Solo

SIDE B:
Switch (Full Length Version) 6:41
Written-By – B.P. Hurding, Mik Sweeny*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Liberty – 12BP 419
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: New Wave

CREDITS:

Producer – Alex Sadkin
Sleeve – Edward Bell

NOTES:
Rear sleeve: Lyrics reproduced by kind permission of Chappell Music Ltd.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for burningtheground.net

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.

November 19, 2024

Arcadia – The Promise (Extended Remix) (UK 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1986

“The Promise” was the third single released by Arcadia, the Duran Duran offshoot band. Issued by Parlophone in 1986 as their second UK single, it reached number 37 on the UK Singles Chart.

The track features uncredited backing vocals from Sting. During Arcadia’s recording sessions for “So Red the Rose” in Paris, the band attended a Sting concert and decided to invite him to contribute to their album. They were particularly intrigued by the vocal chemistry between Sting and lead singer Simon Le Bon, first heard on Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Sting graciously accepted, resulting in a collaboration that became one of the group’s favorite moments on the record. Enhancing the track further, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour delivered expressive guitar work that added a haunting and ethereal quality, especially in its climactic sections.

The single version of “The Promise” was trimmed significantly from the album’s original 7:28 runtime to a more radio-friendly 4:50. Even the “extended remix,” produced by Alex Sadkin and Ron Saint Germain, ran slightly shorter than the album cut, clocking in at 7:05. The B-side of the single featured an extended mix of the album track “Rose Arcana.”

While “So Red the Rose” didn’t reach the commercial success of Duran Duran’s biggest albums, it earned critical praise and has since developed a devoted fanbase. “The Promise” stands out as a highlight, celebrated for its ambitious artistry and the rare collaboration of such iconic talents. For fans of Duran Duran and 1980s art-rock, the song remains an underrated gem and a testament to the creative freedom Arcadia embraced during this transitional period in their careers.

Although Roger Taylor, the drummer for Arcadia, appeared in only a few promotional photos and the music video for Election Day, his primary focus was on the recording side of the project. Taylor also contributed percussion to The Power Station, another Duran Duran offshoot.

SIDE A:
The Promise (Extended Remix) 7:05
Mixed By – Alex Sadkin, Ron Saint Germain
Performer, Backing Vocals [Uncredited] – Sting
Written-By – Rhodes, Taylor, Le Bon

SIDE B:
Rose Arcana (Extended Mix) 5:35
Mixed By – Alex Sadkin, Larry Alexander
Written-By – Rhodes, Le Bon

The Promise (7″ Mix) 4:50
Mixed By – Alex Sadkin, Ron Saint Germain
Performer, Backing Vocals [Uncredited] – Sting
Written-By – Rhodes, Taylor, Le Bon

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Parlophone Odeon Series – 12 NSR 2
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Gold Sleeve
Country: UK
Released: Jan 1986
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Photography By – Norman Parkinson
Producer – Alex Sadkin, Arcadia (3)
Sleeve [Produced By] – Assorted Images

NOTES:
The version of “Rose Arcana” on this single is much longer than the album version (So Red The Rose), but it does not have a unique title.

Manufactured in the UK by EMI Records Limited.

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

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.

November 9, 2022

Duran Duran – The Reflex (Dance Mix) (UK 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1984

NEW 2022 Transfer!
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration!

Originally posted August 14, 2012

++ Of note the original transfer in 2012 was the USA 12″ of “The Reflex” which was pressed at 33 ⅓ RPM it also did not include the live b-side track. For this NEW 2022 Transfer, I decided to use the UK 12″ which is pressed at 45 RPM for better sound fidelity along with the addition of “Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)” recorded live on the b-side.

“The Reflex” is the eleventh single by the English new wave band Duran Duran, released in 1984. The song was heavily remixed for single release and was the third and last to be taken from their third studio album Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983). The single became the band’s first to reach the top of the US singles chart and their second to top the UK singles chart.

“The Reflex” became the band’s most successful single, topping the UK chart on 5 May 1984. It was their second UK No. 1, after 1983’s “Is There Something I Should Know?”, and would prove to be their last. The single entered the charts in America on 21 April 1984 at no. 46, became Duran Duran’s first of two singles to hit no. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (for 2 weeks) on 23 June 1984 , and was a huge hit internationally. (Their only other single to hit no. 1 in the US was the title song to the 1985 James Bond film “A View to a Kill”.) It was also the first of two songs that kept “Dancing in the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen out of the top spot (the other one being Prince’s “When Doves Cry”). The band wanted it to be the lead single from Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983), but their label did not like the warbling singing during the “why don’t you use it” segments, thinking this would hinder its success as a stand-alone single track.

The remixes for both the 7″ and 12″ singles were created by Nile Rodgers, of Chic fame. It was his first work with the band, and he would later go on to produce “The Wild Boys” single as well as the album Notorious (1986) and several tracks on Astronaut (2004).

Producer Ian Little recalled the sound Nick Rhodes came up with on his Roland Jupiter-8 keyboard: “…whenever I hear that steel-drum part it always brings a smile to my face because it’s so out of tune. Steel drums always are, but it was exactly right in terms of rhythm and tone. So a wood-block sound was mixed in to make it even more percussive and, successfully, it did the job.”

The live B-side “Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)” is a cover version of a Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel song, recorded 16 November 1982 at Hammersmith Odeon in London, with lead Rebel Steve Harley joining the band onstage.

SIDE A:
The Reflex (Dance Mix) 6:34
Mixed By – Jason Corsaro, Nile Rodgers
Written-By – Duran Duran

SIDE B:
The Reflex (Dance Mix Edited) 4:22
Mixed By –Jason Corsaro, Nile Rodgers
Written-By – Duran Duran

Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) 4:55
Mixed By – Ian Little
Written-By –Steve Harley

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHARTS HISTORY

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984	The Reflex	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#1
1984	The Reflex	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#15

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI – 12DURAN 2, EMI – 12 DURAN 2
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: Apr 28, 1984
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Lacquer Cut By – Arun*
Producer – Alex Sadkin (tracks: A, B1), Duran Duran (tracks: A, B1), Ian Little (tracks: A, B1)

NOTES:
Track B2 recorded live in November 1982 at Hammersmith Odeon.
Manufactured In The UK By EMI Records Limited.

From the LP “Seven And The Ragged Tiger”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon 2M Black
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
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.

June 15, 2021

Grace Jones – Pull Up To The Bumper (Remix) (UK 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1985

Celebrating Pride 2021

NEW 2021 Transfer!
NEW Meticulous Restoration!

Originally posted May 21, 2011

“Pull Up to the Bumper” was the second single released by Grace Jones from her critically-acclaimed 1981 album Nightclubbing. The song has since come to be one of Jones’ signature tunes. The song was co-written by Jones herself, Sly Dunbar, Dana Mano, and Robbie Shakespeare.

Upon its release, “Pull Up to the Bumper” spent seven weeks at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, as well as becoming a Top-5 single on the U.S. R&B chart.

In 1985 the track was remixed and re-released to promote the Island Life compilation, the Extended Remix includes additional keyboard overdubs and remix by Paul “Groucho” Smykle. This 1985 remix peaked at #12 on the UK pop chart in early 1986.

Jones’ genre-hopping artistry earned her a diehard LGBTQ+ fan base from day one, largely because of her very uncommon divadom. By gleefully toying with masculine and feminine conventions, she offered her queer audience a constantly evolving performance in which they could recognize their own sexual fluidity. “Bumper” succinctly captures Jones’ protean mix of playfulness and aggression, simultaneously tongue-in-cheek and deadly serious. It’s a masterstroke of double entendre that, with its sinuous reggae-disco backdrop and Jones’ snarled vehicular puns, really only demands one thing from you: that you move.

SIDE A:
Pull Up To The Bumper (Extended Remix) 6:25
Remix – Paul “Groucho” Smykle
Producer – Alex Sadkin, Chris Blackwell
Written-By – Dana Mano, Grace Jones, Koo Koo Baya

SIDE B:
La Vie En Rose 7:20
Arranged By – Duke Williams
Producer – Tom Moulton
Written-By – E. Piaf*, Louiguy

Nipple To The Bottle 5:50
Producer – Alex Sadkin, Chris Blackwell
Written-By – Grace Jones, Sly Dunbar

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Cover: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Island Records ‎– 12 IS 240
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Dub, Downtempo, Disco

CREDITS:
Mastered By – GD* (tracks: B1, B2), Jonz* (tracks: A)

NOTES:
Pull Up To The Bumper
A version of this song appears on the Grace Jones album ‘Island Life’
Rydim Music Ltd.
(P) 1985 Original sound recording made by Island Records Inc.

La Vie En Rose
Produced for Beam Junction Productions
Taken from the album ‘Island Life’
Noel Gay Music-MPCS
(P) 1977 Island Records Inc.

Nipple To The Bottle
Taken from the album ‘Living My Life’
Rydim Music Ltd.
(P) 1982 Island Records Inc.

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL ReSTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

Password: burningtheground

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