Tag: Alex Sadkin

July 6, 2016

Thompson Twins – Lay Your Hands On Me (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

REQUEST

“Lay Your Hands on Me” is a 1984 song by the British band Thompson Twins. It was the first single to be released from their 1985 album Here’s To Future Days, and was released in the UK almost a year in advance of the album. It was written by Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie, and Joe Leeway. There are two main versions of the song, with various edits and remixes of the two. The first version was produced by Alex Sadkin & Tom Bailey was released in late 1984 in Europe and Australia. The 1985 version was a reworking co-produced by Nile Rodgers, adding electric guitar and a gospel choir and released as a single in the US (this version appeared on the album). The single peaked at #13 in the UK, spending nine weeks on the chart. The single fared better in America where it peaked at #6 on the US Billboard 100 and also peaked at #46 on the US Dance /Club Play Singles.

The B-side, “The Lewis Carol (Adventures In Wonderland)”, is an instrumental variation of the song and was exclusive to this single.

SIDE A:
Lay Your Hands On Me (Single Version) 3:57
Producer – Alex Sadkin, Nile Rodgers, Tom Bailey

The Lewis Carol (Adventures In Wonderland) 4:13
Producer – Alex Sadkin, Tom Bailey

SIDE B:
Lay Your Hands On Me (Extended Version) 6:00
Producer – Alex Sadkin, Nile Rodgers, Tom Bailey

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	Lay Your Hands On Me	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#6
1985	Lay Your Hands On Me	U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	#14
1985	Lay Your Hands On Me	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#46

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Arista ‎– AD1-9397
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Art Direction – Alannah Currie
Design – Andie Airfix, Satori (14)
Mixed By – James Farber
Photography By – Rebecca Blake (2)
Written-By – Alannah Currie, Joe Leeway, Tom Bailey

NOTES:
“Lay Your Hands On Me” taken from forthcoming album/cassette
“Here’s To Future Days”

Mastered at Masterdisk.

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: 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)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

March 4, 2016

Grace Jones – Love Is The Drug (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“Love Is the Drug” is a 1975 song originally recorded by English band Roxy Music.

Grace Jones recorded “Love Is the Drug” on her Warm Leatherette album from 1980. The track was released as the second single, following “A Rolling Stone” in the UK while it was the first single to be released in Germany. After failing to chart in 1980, a remix of the Grace Jones version was released in 1986 following the 1985 compilation Island Life and then became a minor hit in the UK, peaking at no. 35. Music video was produced for the 1986 remix and directed by Matt Forrest and Bruno Tilley.

SIDE A:
Love Is The Drug (Remix) 6:58
Remix – Paul “Groucho” Smykle
Written-By – A. Mackay*, B. Ferry*

SIDE B:
Living My Life 5:21
Mixed By – Steven Stanley
Written-By – Grace Jones

The Apple Stretching 7:03
Mixed By – Steven Stanley
Written-By – Melvin Van Peebles

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Island Records– 12 IS 266
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Design – Island Art
Illustration [Drawings] – John Paul Goude*
Lacquer Cut By – Jonz*
Producer – Alex Sadkin, Chris Blackwell

NOTES:
A remixed by Paul “Groucho” Smykle at the Fallout Shelter.

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

January 6, 2016

Thompson Twins – You Take Me Up (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

REQUEST

“You Take Me Up” is a song by the British pop group Thompson Twins. It was the third single to be taken from their 1984 album Into the Gap and was released in the UK on 23 March 1984. It was written by Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway, and prominently features harmonica and a melodica solo. The single peaked at #2 in the UK, making it their highest chart position for a song, and spent eleven weeks on the chart. In addition to the regular 7″ and multiple 12″ releases, Arista Records also released four different shaped picture discs for the single, three of which were part of a jigsaw.

In the US the single spent nine weeks on the Billboard 100, peaking at #44. The promotional music video for this single was directed by Dieter Trattmann.

The B-side of the single was a non-album track entitled “Passion Planet”.

The 12″ mixes together “You Take Me Up / Machines Take Me Over” and “Down Tools” making it one eleven minute track. I have left it this way to preserve the original continuity of the single. The remasterd CD release seperates the tracks.

SIDE A:
You Take Me Up / Machines Take Me Over/Down Tools 11:37

SIDE B:
Leopard Ray 3:21
Passion Planet 3:47

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984	You Take Me Up	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#44

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Arista ‎– TWINS 124
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Partially Mixed
Country: UK
Released: Mar 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Art Direction – Alannah Currie, Nic Marchant*
Design – Satori (14)
Mixed By – Phil Thornalley
Photography By – Paul Cox (5)
Producer – Alex Sadkin, Tom Bailey
Written-By – Alannah Currie, Joe Leeway, Tom Bailey

NOTES:
“You Take Me Up” from the Arista LP “INTO THE GAP”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi