Tag: Culture Club

Various – Happy Christmas From The Stars (UK 7″ Flexi-disc)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1982

Season’s Greetings!

I originally shared this post way back on December 22, 2012, but a good friend of the site suggested it was worth revisiting to kick off the Christmas season. After giving it some thought, I agreed—it’s a fantastic way to get into the holiday spirit. While I didn’t create a new transfer for this one, there’s only so much you can do with a 44-year-old flexi-disc. That said, I’m excited to share it again and wish you all the best this holiday season and beyond!

“Happy Christmas From The Stars” is a promotional-only flexi-disc single featuring spoken-word holiday messages from various 80s pop stars. It was released in the UK in 1982 as a collaboration between Smash Hits, Levi’s, and Lyntone Records. The disc was included as a freebie with the December 9-22, 1982 issue of Smash Hits magazine.

This promotional item was tied to Levi’s “Accessory Kit 3” campaign for their black Levi jeans. Interestingly, the idea for the single came from Neil Tennant, who was then Smash Hits’ news editor and would go on to fame as a member of the Pet Shop Boys.

As with most flexi-discs, the audio quality isn’t stellar—they’re notorious for that. However, I’ve done my best to restore the recording while preserving some of the original crackle, which I believe adds to its charm. The full recording includes the Levi’s promo segments for a complete vintage experience.

Enjoy, and Happy Christmas!

—DjPaulT

SIDE A:
Happy Christmas From The Stars (Part 1) 6:12

SIDE B:
Happy Christmas From The Stars (Part 2) 6:14

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Very Good
Sleeve: Near Mint (generic)

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Smash Hits! Magazine – LYN 12570/1, Levi’s – LYN 12570/1
Format: Flexi-disc, 7″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1982
Genre: Non-Music
Style: Spoken Word, Holiday

CREDITS:

NOTES:
Smash Hits promotion for ‘Accessory Kit 3’ with ‘Black Levi’ brand jeans by Levi’s.

Made in Britain by Lyntone London.

Buy the Flexi 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 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.



Culture Club – The Medal Song (Extended) (UK 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1984

NEW 2023 Transfer!
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration!

Originally posted May 10, 2011

“The Medal Song” was the second single released from the 1984 album “Waking Up With The House On Fire” by British new wave band Culture Club. “The Medal Song” is about the 1930s American actress Frances Farmer, who was featured on the sleeve of the single. The single was only released in Europe, Japan, and Australia. “The Medal Song” peaked at #32 in the UK, #14 in Ireland, and #50 in New Zealand.

The b-side “Don’t Go Down That Street” features Japanese chatting by Miko, Boy George’s friend at the time. That song was recorded especially to be a B-Side after the other songs were made for the Waking Up album. There are two versions of the track: one short for the single in Japan, and another, around six minutes long, which can be found as the B-Side of various singles.

Even though the song was available as a B-side in most countries (it was also the B-side of “Mistake No. 3” in Canada and the U.S.), it still received a separate release in Japan as a single in 1985 for the Japan-only “Love Is Love EP”, where it peaked at number 69.

“The Medal Song (Extended Mix)” was omitted from the remastered re-issue of “Waking Up With The House On Fire”.

SIDE A:
The Medal Song (Extended Mix) 6:23

SIDE B:
Don’t Go Down That Street 6:30

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin – VS 730-12
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Limited Edition, Poster
Country: UK
Released: Nov 19, 1984
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

NOTES:
includes a Limited Edition Poster.

Produced for Do Not Erase Productions.

Taken From The Album “Waking Up With The House On Fire”

Manufactured in the UK

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.



Culture Club – I’ll Tumble 4 Ya! (Special Extended Version Remix) (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1983

NEW 2023 Transfer!
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration!

Originally posted July 7, 2014

“I’ll Tumble 4 Ya!” was a hit single from Culture Club’s Platinum-plus debut album Kissing to Be Clever.

The single was released only in North America, peaking at #9 in both the U.S. and #5 in Canada. In Australia, it was released in September 1983 as a Double A-side single with Karma Chameleon, peaking at #1 and receiving substantial airplay. With this single, in America, Culture Club was the first band to have three Top 10 singles from a debut album since The Beatles. Much like the group’s two prior American hits, this song was aided by a hugely popular MTV music video.

++ Of note this remix of “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya!” was omitted from the recent Japan Deluxe Re-issue of “Kissing To Be Clever”.

SIDE A:
I’ll Tumble 4 Ya! (Special Extended Version Remix) 4:40

SIDE B:
Man Shake 2:35

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Very Good +

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1983 I’ll Tumble 4 Ya U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #9
1983 I’ll Tumble 4 Ya U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks #33
1983 I’ll Tumble 4 Ya U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #14
1983 I’ll Tumble 4 Ya U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles #70

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic ‎– 49-03913
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Backing Vocals – Helen Terry
Design [Cover] – Nick Egan
Mixed By – Jon Moss, Steve Levine
Photography By – Mark Lebon
Producer, Engineer – Steve Levine

NOTES:
From the LP “KISSING TO BE CLEVER”

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
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.



Culture Club – Move Away (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

  • NEW 2019 Transfer!
    Meticulously Remastered!

Originally posted January 16, 2012

“Move Away” is a 1986 song by the British band Culture Club. Taken as the lead single from their fourth album, From Luxury to Heartache, the song became the group’s eighth top-ten hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number seven. It reached number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100, the song was popular on US radio and the music video received healthy airplay on MTV during the spring of 1986 and was also their last single to reach the Top 40 in the US. It also reached the top ten in various other countries including Canada (#4), Italy (#10) and Australia (#10).

The song was produced by Lew Hahn and Arif Mardin (the latter a producer for Chaka Khan and Aretha Franklin in the 80s). “Move Away” was the only single from the album to reach the top-ten in the UK and would be the band’s last UK top 10 hit until 1998’s “I Just Wanna Be Loved”.

The video-clip for the song, which cast Boy George and Jon Moss as silent film-stars racing cars across a black/white movie screen, was filmed at the Brixton Academy, London. George’s friend Alice Temple can also be seen in the video.

The song was featured in the background of a 1986 episode of the US daytime soap opera General Hospital. In 1986, Boy George sang the song in a guest-starring role in an episode of the television series The A-Team entitled “Cowboy George”.

SIDE A:
Move Away (Extended Version) 7:25
Written-By – Culture Club, P. Pickett*

SIDE B:
Sexuality (Tango Dub Remix Version) 10:34
Written-By – ture Club, M. Rudetsky*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

 

Year Single Chart Position
1986 Move Away U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #12
1986 Move Away U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks #11
1986 Move Away U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Hip-Hop Songs #87
1986 Move Away U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play #4

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic ‎– 49 05360, Epic ‎– 49-05360
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Photography By – Jamie Morgan
Producer – Arif Mardin, Lew Hahn
Sleeve – Assorted iMaGes

NOTES:
Special version from the Virgin/Epic LP: “From Luxury to Heartache”

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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
DAC/Phono Pre-amp: 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 USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
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

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

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