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Original post date: September 30, 2014
Arthur Baker’s “Breaker’s Revenge”: Electro on the Big Screen
Released in 1984, “Breaker’s Revenge” stands as one of Arthur Baker’s most culturally anchored recordings—an electro track inseparable from the moment when hip-hop broke into the mainstream. The single was lifted from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to Beat Street, the landmark film that brought breakdancing, DJ culture, and graffiti art to audiences far beyond the streets where they were born.
True to its title, “Breaker’s Revenge” plays like a challenge record. Driven by crisp drum machine programming and stark, percussive synth lines, the track favors rhythm and attitude over melody, making it ideal battle music for the dance floor. Adding a human edge to the electronics are vocals by Gavin Christopher, whose soulful delivery contrasts sharply—and effectively—with the track’s cold, mechanized pulse. Christopher’s involvement also links the record to a broader dance lineage; he was the brother of house music diva Shawn Christopher, further underscoring how interconnected the emerging dance scenes were in the mid-’80s.
Commercially, “Breaker’s Revenge” made a solid impact on club culture. The single debuted on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart on August 18, 1984, remaining on the survey for nine weeks and reaching a peak position of #19. While not a crossover pop hit, its chart performance reflected strong DJ support and heavy rotation in clubs aligned with electro, freestyle, and early hip-hop.
Today, “Breaker’s Revenge” endures less as a standalone single and more as a cultural document—one that captures Arthur Baker at the intersection of music, film, and street culture. It remains a sharp snapshot of electro’s golden era, when records weren’t just played in clubs, but used as weapons in dance battles and symbols of a rapidly evolving movement.
SIDE A:
Breaker’s Revenge (Extended Vocal Version) 7:27
Vocals [Featuring] – Galvin Christopher*
SIDE B:
Breaker’s Revenge (Dub Mix / Vocal) 6:53
Jazzy Breakdown (Instrumental) 5:04
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
| Chart | Peak Position | Date |
|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Dance Club Songs | #19 | 1984 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Atlantic – 78 6931-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Italy
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Electro
CREDITS:
- Edited By – The Latin Rascals
- Engineer – Andy Wallace
- Mixed By, Producer, Written-By, Arranged By – Arthur Baker
- Mixed At – Shakedown Sound Studios,
NOTES:
Featured in the movie “Beat Street”
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
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