Tag: Bernard Edwards

Carly Simon – Why (Extended Version) (UK 12″) (1982)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

After two visits to the Two Of A Kind soundtrack, Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition moves to another movie whose music proved far more lasting than the film itself.

Today’s selection is Carly Simon’s “Why,” from the 1982 motion picture soundtrack Soup For One.

On paper, Carly Simon working with Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers might have seemed like an unusual match. Carly was closely associated with the thoughtful singer-songwriter sound of the 1970s, while Edwards and Rodgers had created the sleek dance-floor sound of Chic.

Once the needle drops, however, the question is not why they worked together.

The question is why they did not record an entire album.

“Why” was written, produced, arranged, and conducted by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. Chic recorded the instrumental backing track, while Carly supplied the lead vocal. The result is not a typical Carly Simon record with a disco beat added to it. It is a full Chic production built around one of pop music’s most recognizable voices.

Soup For One was a 1982 romantic comedy written and directed by Jonathan Kaufer. The film follows a New York bachelor searching for the perfect woman. It failed to make much of an impression at the box office, but the soundtrack assembled an impressive collection of R&B, pop, and dance recordings produced by the Chic Organization.

Along with Carly Simon, the album featured Chic, Debbie Harry, Teddy Pendergrass, Sister Sledge, Fonzi Thornton, and the Chic Organization itself.

The film may have disappeared.

The soundtrack refused to go with it.

“Why” was a dramatic change of direction for Carly. The record leaves behind the piano-driven pop and confessional songwriting most listeners associated with her. In their place are Bernard Edwards’ elastic bass, Nile Rodgers’ clipped guitar, soft keyboards, handclaps, and a relaxed rhythm that sits somewhere between post-disco, reggae, funk, and dub.

The groove is light, but the emotion is not.

Carly sings about a relationship filled with mixed signals. She sounds hurt, confused, and increasingly frustrated, but the production never becomes heavy. Her repeated cries of “Why?” float above one of the most effortless grooves Edwards and Rodgers ever created.

That contrast is the magic of the record.

The lyric is heartbroken.

The music makes you want to dance.

Carly does not attempt to sound like a traditional disco singer. She keeps the conversational quality that made her earlier recordings so personal. Her pauses, sighs, and changes in tone make the performance feel spontaneous, as though she is working through the argument while the tape is running.

Edwards and Rodgers surround her with space.

Nothing feels crowded. The bass carries the melody, the guitar slips quietly through the rhythm, and the keyboards add just enough color. Even when stretched beyond eight minutes, the track never feels rushed or overworked.

The single performed modestly in the United States, reaching number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, however, “Why” became a genuine hit. It reached number 10 and remained on the chart for eighteen weeks.

Its story did not end in 1982.

“Why” later found a new audience in British and European clubs, becoming associated with the Balearic sound that grew during the late 1980s. The song returned to the UK chart in 1989, reaching number 56, and its bass line and rhythm continued to influence DJs, producers, and hip-hop artists.

Decades later, the record no longer sounds like a strange detour in Carly Simon’s career. It sounds ahead of its time.

Pitchfork included “Why” in its list of the 200 best songs of the 1980s, another sign that the record’s reputation eventually grew far beyond its original chart performance.

The song also received a music video filmed on the streets of New York City. Carly’s daughter Sally Taylor makes an appearance, pouring a bottle of wine over a man’s head. The playful clip matches the record’s mixture of romantic frustration and cool detachment.

For this post, I am featuring the original UK 12-inch single.

Side one contains the Extended Version of “Why,” running approximately 8:09. Side two contains the Instrumental Extended Version, running approximately 7:06. The instrumental is credited to Chic, confirming that the musicians behind the groove were not simply studio players hired for a Carly Simon session. This was the Chic Organization at work.

The Extended Version takes its time establishing the rhythm before Carly enters. Once she does, the mix allows her vocal phrases to drift in and out of the arrangement. The extra length gives Bernard Edwards’ bass line even more room to work its magic.

This is not an extended mix filled with dramatic edits, added effects, or sudden changes.

It does not need them.

The strength of “Why” is the groove itself. Edwards and Rodgers understood that the best thing a remix could do was stay out of its way.

The Instrumental Version reveals just how complete the backing track is without Carly’s vocal. The bass, guitar, percussion, and keyboards form a hypnotic Chic recording that could easily stand on its own.

Still, Carly’s absence leaves an unmistakable space.

Her performance is what transforms the track from an elegant groove into a conversation, an argument, and a heartbreak song.

“Why” is one of the great unexpected collaborations of the 1980s. Carly Simon brought vulnerability and personality. Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers brought the rhythm, precision, and unmistakable Chic sound.

Soup For One may not be remembered as a classic movie.

Its soundtrack gave us a classic record.

Why?

Sometimes the strangest combinations make the most perfect sense.

SIDE A:
Carly Simon – Why (Extended Version) 8:11

SIDE B:
Chic – Why (Instrumental (Extended Version)) 7:05

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Year Chart Peak Position
1982 UK Singles Chart 10
1982 US Billboard Hot 100 74
1989 UK Singles Chart (Reissue) 56

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: WEA – K 79300T, Mirage (2) – K79300T
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic, Reggae, Funk / Soul, Pop
Style: Disco, Funk, Downtempo, Soundtrack

CREDITS:

NOTES:
From the original motion picture soundtrack album Soup For One – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack K99236

Produced, arranged and conducted for the CHIC Organisation Ltd.
Carly Simon appears, courtesy of Warner Brothers Records

Manufactured in the UK

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

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Nona Hendryx – Moving Violations (US 12″) (1985)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

For today’s entry in Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition, we are pulling over for a title track that has spent far too many years hidden in the slow lane.

“Moving Violations” was recorded by Nona Hendryx for the 1985 comedy of the same name. The film was directed by Neal Israel, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Pat Proft. Released on April 19, 1985, it starred John Murray, Jennifer Tilly, James Keach, Brian Backer, Wendie Jo Sperber, Fred Willard, and Sally Kellerman.

The movie follows a group of unlucky motorists who are sentenced to traffic school. What they do not know is that the school is part of a crooked plan to fail the students and sell their impounded cars. Naturally, the students do not quietly accept the situation, and the result is a very silly collection of car chases, sight gags, crashes, and the sort of broad comedy that filled movie theaters during the mid-1980s.

The film may not be remembered as one of the decade’s major comedies, but its title song deserves another listen.

“Moving Violations” was written by Bruce Roberts and produced by Bernard Edwards, the bass player, songwriter, and producer best known as one-half of the team behind Chic. Edwards and Nile Rodgers created classics such as “Le Freak,” “Good Times,” “I Want Your Love,” and “Everybody Dance,” while also writing and producing hits for Sister Sledge and other artists.

That connection becomes clear as soon as “Moving Violations” gets underway.

Edwards gives the track a tight, fast-moving dance groove that feels built for both a movie chase and a crowded dance floor. The rhythm never lets up, and Nona Hendryx attacks the song with the power, humor, and confidence needed to keep up with it.

A lesser singer might have disappeared inside such a busy production. Nona sounds completely at home.

She growls, shouts, and pushes the title phrase as though she is personally daring the police to catch her. Her performance brings a little danger to what could have been a simple novelty theme. The movie is a comedy, but Nona sings as though every traffic ticket has become a personal challenge.

Nona Hendryx first gained fame as a member of Labelle alongside Patti LaBelle and Sarah Dash. She was also one of the group’s main songwriters and helped move their music beyond traditional soul into funk, rock, glam, and more experimental territory. Her solo career continued that refusal to remain in one musical lane.

By the middle of the 1980s, Hendryx had developed a sound that mixed rock, funk, electronic music, R&B, and dance music. She could be soulful one moment and sound like the leader of a futuristic rock band the next.

That made her a perfect choice for a soundtrack title that needed personality.

“Moving Violations” arrived during a busy soundtrack period for Nona. She also recorded “I Sweat (Going Through The Motions)” for the Jamie Lee Curtis film Perfect, another 1985 release. Both songs placed her commanding voice over polished dance-rock productions made for the movies.

The music used in Moving Violations reflected the anything-goes nature of the decade. Alongside Nona’s title song, the film featured Sammy Hagar’s “I Can’t Drive 55,” Julie Brown’s “Every Boy’s Got One,” a version of James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good),” and Peaches & Herb’s “Reunited.” It is an odd combination on paper, but that was often part of the fun of an 80s movie soundtrack.

However, Moving Violations never received an official standalone soundtrack album on either vinyl or CD. The songs remained scattered across individual releases and the artists’ own catalogs, making it impossible for fans to purchase the complete soundtrack in one place.

Nona Hendryx’s title song was only issued in the United States on 7-inch and 12-inch vinyl. There was no commercial release in other major territories, and no music video was produced to help promote the single.

Those missing pieces may help explain why the song became so difficult to remember and rediscover. Without a soundtrack album, a widely distributed international release, or a video receiving airplay on MTV, “Moving Violations” had very little chance to develop a life beyond the movie itself.

The title song still gives the film its own musical identity.

The regular single version runs just over four minutes, while the 12-inch version expands the track to nearly seven. The longer version gives Bernard Edwards’ production more space, letting the groove run longer while Nona’s vocal phrases move in and out of the arrangement. The extended version was later added to an expanded edition of Hendryx’s 1985 album The Heat.

“Moving Violations” does not carry the name recognition of “Lady Marmalade,” “Transformation,” or “Why Should I Cry?” It was also not attached to a blockbuster movie like Footloose.

That is exactly what makes it such a fun choice for this series.

Not every great soundtrack single became a major hit. Some records appeared, did their job inside the movie, and then slowly vanished from view. Years later, they are waiting in old record bins for someone to pull them out and give them another spin.

“Moving Violations” is one of those records.

It has a great vocalist, a respected songwriter, one of the finest bass players and producers of the era behind the controls, and enough energy to earn several tickets for reckless driving.

Buckle up.

Nona Hendryx is behind the wheel.

SIDE A:
Moving Violations (Extended Version) 6:56
Producer – Bernard Edwards
Written-By – B. Roberts*

SIDE B:
Soft Targets 4:24
Producer – Material, Nona Hendryx
Written-By – Nona Hendryx

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: RCA – PD-14057
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Rhythm & Blues

NOTES:
Side A: From the Movie “MOVING VIOLATIONS”

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!

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Rod Stewart – Forever Young (UK 12″)

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By the time Out of Order arrived in 1988, Rod Stewart was well into his late-career renaissance—slick production, big singles, and a renewed commercial presence, particularly in the U.S. Yet Forever Young stood apart from the album’s radio-ready polish. It wasn’t just another hit single; it was personal, reflective, and quietly profound.

Released as a single in 1989, Forever Young became one of Stewart’s most enduring songs, peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching No. 9 on Canada’s RPM charts. While it never achieved the same level of success in the UK, the song resonated deeply with American audiences, eventually taking on an almost anthem-like status.

Stewart co-wrote the song with longtime bandmates Jim Cregan (guitar) and Kevin Savigar (keyboards), and its inspiration came directly from his family life. In a 1995 interview with Mojo magazine, Stewart described the song as one of his personal favorites, explaining that it was written for his children—an expression of love mixed with regret. Touring commitments had caused him to miss several formative years in the lives of his older children, Sean and Kimberly, a realization that clearly weighs on the song’s emotional core.

That sense of reflection shapes the lyrics, which read like a blessing passed from parent to child—hopeful but grounded, tender without being naïve. Lines about integrity, courage, and resilience feel lived-in, not idealized. Stewart isn’t offering platitudes; he’s offering hard-earned wisdom.

The song’s lyrical structure also bears a noticeable resemblance to Bob Dylan’s Forever Young. Rather than becoming a source of conflict, the similarity was handled with mutual respect. Stewart sent the song to Dylan after its completion, and the two agreed to share ownership and royalties—an unusually graceful resolution that speaks volumes about both artists.

The production of Forever Young is another key part of its identity. The track was produced by Andy Taylor—best known as the guitarist for Duran Duran—alongside Bernard Edwards of Chic. At the time, Taylor and Edwards were also bandmates in The Power Station, a project that fused new wave, funk, and rock into a powerful hybrid sound. That sensibility carries over here: the rhythm section is tight and confident, the guitars are clean but assertive, and the overall feel balances late-’80s polish with genuine musical weight. It’s a sound that supports the song’s emotional message without overwhelming it.

Musically, Forever Young exists in multiple forms. The best-known version is the anthemic, driving arrangement released in the U.S., built for radio and stadium-sized emotion. Stewart later revisited the song in a more restrained form, recording a mellow version for his 1996 compilation If We Fall in Love Tonight, and an even more intimate piano-and-vocal take appears on The Rod Stewart Sessions 1971–1998. A live version from his 1993 MTV Unplugged performance—eventually released as a bonus track on Rhino’s 2009 Unplugged… and Seated Collector’s Edition—reveals the song’s emotional core with remarkable clarity.

The song also became culturally ubiquitous. In January 1989, NBC Sports used Forever Young as the soundtrack for a sweeping year-in-review montage aired immediately after Super Bowl XXIII, tying the song to moments from the 1988 Summer Olympics, the World Series, the Fiesta Bowl, and the Super Bowl itself—a move that further cemented its place in American pop culture.

The accompanying music video reinforces the song’s themes, featuring Stewart singing to a young child while images of rural America unfold in the background. Filmed along Potrero Road in Hidden Valley, Ventura County, California, the visuals echo the song’s emphasis on innocence, continuity, and the passage of time.

Why It Still Matters

What gives Forever Young its lasting power is that it isn’t anchored to a specific moment in Rod Stewart’s career—or even to the late ’80s sound that surrounds it. The song endures because its message evolves as the listener does. Heard young, it feels like encouragement. Heard later in life, it feels like reflection—and sometimes, quiet reckoning. In a catalog filled with swagger, romance, and spectacle, Forever Young stands out for its humility. It’s a reminder that success, fame, and momentum eventually give way to what we hope we’ve passed on to the people we love. That sentiment hasn’t aged a day.

SIDE A:
Forever Young (Remix) 6:24
Engineer [Assistant] – Rick Butts
Engineer, Producer [Additional] – Paul Brown
Remix – Club J.
Saxophone [Solo] – Sam Rainey
Written-By – J. Cregan, K. Savigar*

SIDE B:
Days Of Rage 4:12
Written-By – A. Taylor*

Forever Young (LP Version) 4:05
Written-By – J. Cregan, K. Savigar

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – Rod Stewart: Forever Young (1988)
Chart Peak Position Date
US Billboard Hot 100 #12 1988
US Billboard Adult Contemporary #3 1988
UK Singles #57 1988
Canadian Singles Chart #9 1988
South Africa #3 1988
Italy Airplay #5 1988

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records – W7796 T
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1988
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop Rock

CREDITS:

NOTES:
Side A: From the Warner Bros. album Out Of Order; Side B: Not available on any album

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.


The Jacksons – Time Out For The Burglar (US 12″) (Re-Post)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1987

**It has come to my attention that there was an issue with the 16-bit file on the original post. I have re-uploaded the files and this should fix the issue.

“Time Out For The Burglar” is a 1987 single recorded by American R&B group The Jacksons minus brothers Marlon, and Michael who were busy working on his LP “Bad”. “Time Out For The Burglar” was written by Jackie and Randy (who handle lead and co-lead vocals), and Bernard Edwards from Chic. The song was written for the 1987 feature film and soundtrack “Burglar” starring Whoopi Goldberg the song peaked at #88 on the U.S. Billboard R&B Chart in February 1987.

There was no music video produced for this single.

SIDE A:
Time Out For The Burglar (Extended Version) 7:52
Time Out For The Burglar (Radio Edit) 5:36

SIDE B:
Time Out For The Burglar (Instrumental) 7:51
Time Out For The Burglar (Bonus Beats) 7:50

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1987 Time Out For The Burglar U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs #88

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records – MCA-23729
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Funk/Soul
Style: R&B

CREDITS:

NOTES:
From The Motion Picture Soundtrack “BURGLAR”.

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.