Tag: Colin Thurston

May 15, 2017

Duran Duran – Save A Prayer (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1982

35 years of “RIO”!

“Save a Prayer” is the sixth single by Duran Duran, released on 9 August 1982. The song was the third single from the band’s second album Rio. It became Duran Duran’s biggest hit to date (at the time) in the UK Singles Chart, reaching #2, held out of the top spot by Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger”. The track opens with a somewhat eerie synthesizer riff which plays in the background throughout the song.

It was not originally issued as a single in the United States, although the music video was very popular on MTV. A special US single version was finally released in January 1985 and reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100.

As well as being a commercial success, the song has received critical acclaim. AllMusic journalist Donald A. Guarisco described the song in a retrospective review, as being “a lilting epic”. He wrote: “The music maintains the stormily romantic quality of the lyric by combining meditative verses with an aching chorus that swells and ebbs in a way that perfectly captures the song’s heartbreak.”

The UK release of “Save a Prayer” was backed with a remix of “Hold Back the Rain”.

SIDE A:
Save A Prayer 5:25

SIDE B:
Hold Back The Rain (Remix) 7:04

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI ‎– 12 EMI 5327
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: Aug 1982
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Colin Thurston
Sleeve – Assorted Images
Written-By – Duran Duran

NOTES:
Manufactured in U.K.

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
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: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/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

May 12, 2017

Duran Duran – My Own Way (Night Version) (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1981

35 years of “RIO”!

“My Own Way” is the fourth single by Duran Duran, originally released as a single on 16 November 1981.

The single was designed as a stop-gap release to capitalise on the Top 5 success of the band’s previous single, “Girls on Film”, but prior to the recording and release of the band’s second album Rio (which was recorded in the early months of 1982).

“My Own Way” was another hit, peaking at #14 on the UK Singles Chart. It peaked at #10 in Australia. Despite its success, the single has often been cited by the band as one of their least favourite and is rarely played live. Keyboardist Nick Rhodes has expressed astonishment that “My Own Way” performed better than 1987’s “Skin Trade”, which ended the band’s record of twelve consecutive Top 20 hits in the UK.

The single release of “My Own Way” has a fast tempo and “disco strings” arranged by Richard Myhill & Duran Duran.

A slower version was later recorded for the Rio album, with slightly different lyrics. This version dispensed with the disco strings in favour of a new wave style with echoing synths and was later remixed by David Kershenbaum for the Carnival EP, and this altered track appeared on the American re-issue of the Rio album on vinyl and cassette late in 1982. All CD pressings of Rio have used the original UK album mix.

The band’s dislike of “My Own Way” is evinced by the song’s omission from all of Duran Duran’s compilation albums. Neither 1989’s Decade or 1998’s Greatest included the track, although it came close on the latter. A promo for Greatest included both “My Own Way” and “Careless Memories”, but the commercial release replaced them with 1990’s “Serious” and 1997’s “Electric Barbarella”.

The b-side “Like An Angel” is a non-album track.

SIDE A:
My Own Way (Night Version) 6:35

SIDE B:
Like An Angel 4:46
My Own Way (Short Version) 3:40

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI ‎– 12EMI 5254
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1981
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Arranged By [Strings] – Duran Duran, Richard Myhill
Design [Designed By] – Malcolm Garrett, Peter Saville (2)
Performer – Andy Taylor, John Taylor, Nick Rhodes, Roger Taylor (2), Simon Le Bon
Producer, Engineer – Colin Thurston
Written-By – Duran Duran

NOTES:
A-side dead wax says: “Shake That Dotie Groove Thaaag”
Recorded in London – Autumn 1981.
Mastered at Townhouse.

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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

May 11, 2017

Duran Duran – Rio (Part 2) (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1982

35 years of “RIO”!

“Rio” is the seventh single by Duran Duran. It was first released as a single in Australia, in August 1982, followed by a UK release on 1 November 1982.

The song was the fourth, final, and title single lifted from the band’s album of the same name, and was edited for its release. It was issued worldwide in January 1983 and became an immediate Top 10 hit in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #9 on 11 December 1982.

“Rio” was released as the third single from the album in Australia, and debuted on the Kent Music Report top 100 singles chart dated 6 September 1982.

The song did not attract much notice in the United States upon its initial global release, but received very early airplay at highly influential KROQ in Los Angeles as early as 2 August 1982. After the band’s breakthrough hit “Hungry Like the Wolf” stormed MTV and scaled the American charts in December 1982, radio programmers paid closer attention to the catchy melody and insistent, intricate bass line of “Rio”, and Capitol Records reissued the single in March 1983 to great success as the band’s 2nd US top 20 hit.(peaking at #14)

It is one of the band’s most recognisable songs, mostly due to its famous music video, which is widely regarded as symbolic of 1980s glamour and excess.

The parent album “RIO” was released 35 years ago this week May 10, 1982.

SIDE A:
Rio (Part 2) 5:30

SIDE B:
Rio (Part 1) 5:11
My Own Way 4:37

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1983	Rio	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#14
1983	Rio	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	#5

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI ‎– 12 EMI 5346
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Colin Thurston
Sleeve – Assorted iMaGes
Written-By – Duran Duran

NOTES:
Mastered at Town House

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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

May 5, 2017

The Men A.K.A. The Human League – I Don’t Depend On You (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1979

“I Don’t Depend on You” is a disco-influenced song by the British synthpop group The Human League released under the pseudonym The Men. It was released as a single in the UK in February 1979, but failed to chart. It was written by Philip Oakey, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh; was produced by Colin Thurston and featured guest backing vocalists Katie Kissoon and Lisa Strike (who later worked with Pink Floyd ).

After hastily signing the Human League in 1978 it became apparent to Virgin Records that the band were not very profitable, with none of their releases under Fast Records making any impact on the charts. Virgin began putting pressure on the group to justify their large advance signing fee. Pressure was put on Ware, Oakey and Marsh to abandon their no traditional instruments rule and use conventional instruments in an attempt to be more commercial and sell more records. Ware reluctantly agreed but insisted that any material recorded this way should be released under a pseudonym to ensure that it wasn’t confused with the pure electronic sound of The Human League. “I Don’t Depend on You” was the only product of this compromise with Virgin. It was recorded with the addition of session musicians and was released under the name The Men. The song also features the synth riff from debut single Being Boiled towards the end of the track. Afterwards the band were able to record tracks in their original style for Virgin. Before any further conventional style records could be recorded, the original Human League had split; Oakey then took the new reformed band down a different commercial and pop route.

Later, it would be commented on that in recording “I Don’t Depend on You” – two years prior to the arrival of schoolgirl vocalists Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall – Oakey, Ware and Marsh had already produced a Human League Mk 2-style track complete with commercial pop sound: Oakey’s vocal with female backing (with Katie Kissoon and Lisa Strike providing the backing vocals).

The B-side, titled “Cruel”, is simply a remix of “I Don’t Depend on You” without Oakey’s vocals. “I Don’t Depend on You” received little promotion or airplay and did not chart. Re-releases on albums now credit the track as The Human League aka ‘The Men’.

SIDE A:
I Don’t Depend On You 4:31

SIDE B:
Cruel (Instrumental) 4:41

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin – VS 26912
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1979
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Synth-pop, Disco, Funk

CREDITS:
Management – Tunenoise Ltd*
Photography By – Mackertich*
Producer – Colin Thurston, The Men
Written-By – Marsh*, Ware*, Oakey*

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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