Tag: Eric Kupper

July 30, 2025

Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy (US 12″) (1989)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Originally released in 1988, “She Drives Me Crazy” marked the explosive return of British trio Fine Young Cannibals. Issued as the lead single from their second (and final) album The Raw & the Cooked (1989), the track became an instant classic—showcasing Roland Gift’s unmistakable falsetto and the band’s clever fusion of pop, soul, and funk.

Written by frontman Roland Gift and bassist David Steele, and co-produced by the band along with David Z (a longtime Prince collaborator), “She Drives Me Crazy” has one of the most iconic snare sounds of the era. The distinctive “pop” of the drum was no accident—David Z employed an inventive technique during the recording sessions at Prince’s famed Paisley Park Studios in Minneapolis. The snare part was recorded separately, then played back through a speaker placed on top of the snare drum while a mic underneath captured the sound again—creating that sharp, tight punch that helped the track cut through on both radio and the dancefloor.

Chart-wise, the single became the band’s biggest hit. In the UK, it reached No. 5—making it their highest-charting release at home. But it was in the U.S. that the song really took off, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and staying there for a week in April 1989. It also topped charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Austria, and Spain, cementing Fine Young Cannibals’ global success. Two different music videos were shot for the track—one by French choreographer/director Philippe Decouflé and another by Pedro Romhanyi.

Today on Burning the Ground, I’m featuring the U.S. 12″ single, which includes three rare remixes by Justin Strauss: a club-friendly extended remix a Dub, and a tight edit version—none of which have been released digitally or appeared on commercial CD (except for a scarce promo) which included the Justin Strauss Remix. Strauss’s approach adds extra rhythmic space and re-sequencing, extending the groove while preserving the quirky charm of the original.

If, like me, you spent countless nights in record stores or at clubs chasing down mixes you knew weren’t on your regular 12″, this one’s for you. A peak pop moment, reimagined with the dancefloor in mind.

SIDE ONE:
She Drives Me Crazy (The Justin Strauss Remix) 7:42
Edited By – Chep Nunez*
Engineer [Remix] – Daniel Abraham
Keyboards – Eric Kupper
Producer [Additional], Remix – Justin Strauss

She Drives Me Crazy (Single Remix) 3:48
Edited By – Chep Nunez*
Engineer [Remix] – Daniel Abraham
Keyboards – Eric Kupper
Producer [Additional], Remix – Justin Strauss

SIDE A:
She Drives Me Crazy (David Z Remix) 7:05
Remix – David Z.

She Drives Me Crazy (Driven Crazy Dub) 5:33
Edited By – Chep Nunez*
Engineer [Remix] – Daniel Abraham
Keyboards – Eric Kupper
Producer [Additional], Remix – Justin Strauss

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1989	She Drives Me Crazy	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#1
1989	She Drives Me Crazy	U.S. Billboard 12 Inch Singles Sales	#3
1989	She Drives Me Crazy	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	#1
1989	She Drives Me Crazy	U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles	#54
1989	She Drives Me Crazy	U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	#5

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: I.R.S. Records – IRS-23926
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Pinckneyville
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic, Pop, Stage & Screen
Style: Dance-pop, House

CREDITS:

Management – Tony Meilandt
Producer – David Z.
Written-By – Steele*, Gift*

NOTES:
The labels state Side One and Side A.

Tracks A1/A2/B2: Additional production for Just Right Productions.
Track A1 is also known as the “U.S. Mix”.

Management is written “Tony Meilandt AGM Management”

This release was pressed at the MCA Pressing Plant, Pinckneyville .

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.

June 17, 2025

Depeche Mode – Strangelove (US 12″) (1988)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

NEW 2025 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Original post date: July 22, 2013

Today’s Pride Month post dives deep into one of Depeche Mode’s most seductive and emotionally tangled singles: “Strangelove.” Originally released in 1987 as the lead single from Music for the Masses, it marked a sonic and thematic shift for the band—moody, magnetic, and rich with contradiction.

“Strangelove” is all about duality—desire vs. guilt, pleasure as pain, salvation wrapped in sin. And for anyone who’s ever loved in secret, or wrestled with their identity in the shadows, lines like “I give in to sin because I like to practice what I preach” hit like a thunderclap. At a time when queer love was often hidden or coded, Depeche Mode gave us a space to feel seen, without ever having to say it outright.

For today’s post, I’m spinning the 1988 U.S. 12″ of “Strangelove”—a stateside-exclusive remix known as the Highjack Remix, remixed by Bomb the Bass. It’s a version that takes the original’s dark sensuality and launches it into overdrive: thumping bass, fractured samples, and a jacked-up energy that’s ready for the club floor and the mirrorball of your mind.

The B-side features a standout too—“Nothing (Zip-Hop Mix)”—remixed by the legendary Justin Strauss. Sleek, rhythmic, and full of low-end bounce, it’s one of those understated Depeche tracks that quietly demands your attention.

This 12″ remains a fan favorite and club essential. It peaked at #50 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #24 on the U.S. Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in 1988, but more importantly—it struck a deep chord. It became an anthem not just for synth lovers, but for anyone navigating the gray zones of desire, shame, and self-discovery.

For Pride Month, “Strangelove” stands as a reminder that identity and emotion are rarely simple—and that’s where their power lies. Depeche Mode has long held a special place in LGBTQ+ hearts, offering music that embraces complexity, intensity, and unflinching honesty.

SIDE A:
Strangelove (Highjack Remix) 6:31
Remix – Bomb The Bass

Strangelove (Remix Edit) 3:50
Remix – Bomb The Bass

SIDE B:
Nothing (Zip-Hop Mix) 7:03
Edited By – Chep Nunez*
Engineer [Remix] – Hugo Dwyer
Programmed By [Additional] – Eric Kupper
Remix, Producer [Additional] – Justin Strauss

Nothing (Dub) 6:38
Edited By – Chep Nunez*
Engineer [Remix] – Hugo Dwyer
Programmed By [Additional] – Eric Kupper
Remix, Producer [Additional] – Justin Strauss

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1988	Strangelove (1988)	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#50
1988	Strangelove (1988)	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play	#24

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Sire – 0-21022, Sire – 9 21022-0, Mute – 0-21022, Mute – 9 21022-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: US
Released: Aug 23, 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Design, Photography – T&CP Assoc.*
Producer – David Bascomb*, Depeche Mode
Written-By – M.L. Gore*

NOTES:
Also known as Strangelove ’88.

The mix of track B1 is also known as “Justin Strauss Mix”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

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

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.

May 14, 2025

Moev – In And Out (US 12″) (1990)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

“In And Out” is a standout track by Canadian electronic band Moev, featured on their 1990 album Head Down. The song exemplifies the group’s moody, synth-driven aesthetic, blending darkwave textures with a strong melodic sensibility that set them apart from many contemporaries in the industrial and synth-pop scenes.

A notable element of “In And Out” is the haunting backing vocals provided by a then-rising star, Sarah McLachlan. Her contribution adds an ethereal layer to the track, contrasting the raw, emotionally charged vocals of lead singer Dean Russell.

Dean Russell’s distinctive delivery brought an aching vulnerability to Moev’s sound during the late 1980s and early ’90s. Tragically, Russell passed away in 1994 from complications related to AIDS. His death marked the end of an era for the band, which disbanded shortly afterward.

Head Down, and particularly “In And Out,” remains a powerful snapshot of a band at the height of its creative powers—fusing melancholy lyrics, brooding synths, and poignant performances. The song is both a product of its time and a lasting tribute to Russell’s artistry.

SIDE A:
In And Out (12″ Remix) 6:38
Backing Vocals – Sarah McLachlan
Keyboards [Additional] – Eric Kupper
Mixed By – Bruce Calder
Producer [Additinal For Remix] – Tony Garcia (6)
Producer, Recorded By – John Fryer
Recorded By – Ken Marshall
Recorded By [Assistant] – David Chiasson

In And Out (Dub) 4:31
Backing Vocals – Sarah McLachlan
Keyboards [Additional] – Eric Kupper
Mixed By – Bruce Calder
Producer [Additinal For Remix] – Tony Garcia (6)
Producer, Recorded By – John Fryer
Recorded By – Ken Marshall
Recorded By [Assistant] – David Chiasson

SIDE B:
In And Out (Radio Remix) 4:11
Backing Vocals – Sarah McLachlan
Mixed By – Michael R. Hutchinson*
Producer, Recorded By – John Fryer
Recorded By – Ken Marshall
Recorded By [Assistant] – David Chiasson

Alibis (CBC Live) 4:59
Drums – Ron Thaler
Engineer – David Olgilvie*
Lead Vocals – Cal Stephenson
Producer – Kevin Komoda

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Naer Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Rebel Rec. – SPV 055-30933
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1990
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Artwork By – William Dickson II
Bass, Drum Programming, Guitar, Keyboards – Kelly Cook
Drums, Electronics – Ron Thaler
Keyboards, Programmed By – Tom Ferris
Layout – John Rummen
Photography – Van Hai
Producer – Moev
Vocals – Dean Russell

NOTES:
Recorded at Mushroom Studios

From the album “HEAD DOWN”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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.

January 7, 2022

Jody Watley – I’m The One You Need (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1992

“I’m the One You Need” is a 1992 song by American singer Jody Watley, released as the third single from her third album, Affairs of the Heart.

Produced by house music pioneer, David Morales, “I’m the One You Need” constitutes Watley’s initial foray into house music (though its “Affairs of the Heart” predecessor, “I Want You”, boasted a house version). “I’m the One You Need” was Watley’s seventh Top 20 pop single in the US, and sixth Top five dance single, charting at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #3 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts, respectively.

SIDE A:
I’m The One You Need (Extended Club Version) 7:18

SIDE B:
I’m The One You Need (Def Dub Version) 5:20

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1992	I’m The One You Need	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#19
1992	I’m The One You Need	U.S. Billboard R&B Singles	#23
1992	I’m The One You Need	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#3

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records – MCA12-54278, MCA Records – MCA12 54278
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: Mar 10, 1992
Genre: Electronic
Style: House

CREDITS:
Design – 3 Lions D.A., Simon Halfon
Engineer – David Sussman
Executive-Producer – Jody Watley
Keyboards [Additional] – Eric Kupper, Peter “Ski” Schwartz
Management – Kahane Entertainment*
Photography By – Johnny Roser
Producer, Remix, Percussion, Drum Programming – David Morales
Written-By – Alec Shantzis, David Morales, Jody Watley

Original version appears on the Jody Watley album MCA-10355 “Affairs Of The Heart”

Produced and Mixed by David Morales for Def Mix Productions

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL 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

Password: burningtheground

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