Tag: George Michael

June 4, 2025

George Michael – Freedom (US 12″) (1990)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

“I think there’s something you should know… I think it’s time I told you so…”

We’re taking Pride Month to the next level today with one of the most powerful anthems of self-liberation ever recorded—George Michael’s “Freedom ’90” (also known simply as “Freedom”) A bold declaration, a pop rebellion, and a deeply personal statement wrapped in a slammin’ groove, this track marked a turning point in George’s career and personal evolution.

Following the overwhelming fame of Faith, George Michael was ready to shed the image that had defined him. He famously refused to appear in the music video for Freedom! ’90—instead, letting a lineup of supermodels lip-sync the lyrics in a beautifully stylized, iconic clip. The burning jukebox, the exploding leather jacket, the shattered guitar—all symbols of a past he was torching on his own terms.

More than a personal manifesto, the song resonated with countless fans who felt the pressure to perform identities that weren’t truly theirs. “Freedom! ’90” became—and remains—a defiant celebration of choosing authenticity over expectation.

For the LGBTQ+ community, especially in the 90s, this track hit hard. George Michael would later come out publicly, but even before then, this song felt like a coded cry of self-emancipation. It still gives chills, pumps fists, and fills dance floors.

From its gospel-tinged backing vocals to its laid-back funk groove and emotional punch, Freedom! ’90 is a timeless Pride anthem for anyone who’s ever had to break free just to be who they are.

SIDE A:
Freedom (Back To Reality Mix) 6:14

SIDE B:
Fantasy 5:02
Freedom (Album Version) 6:25

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1990	Freedom	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#8
1990	Freedom	U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	#27
1990	Freedom	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#16

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia – 44 73584, Columbia – 44-73584
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1990
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop, Dance-pop

CREDITS:

Arranged By, Design [Sleeve], Producer – George Michael
Design [Sleeve] – Simon Halfon
Engineer – Chris Porter
Lacquer Cut By – Vlado*
Management – Kahane Entertainment
Photography By – Russel Young*
Written-By – B. Romeo* (tracks: A), C. Wheeler* (tracks: A), G. Michael*, N. Hooper* (tracks: A), S. Law* (tracks: A)

NOTES:
“Freedom” taken from the Columbia release LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE 46898

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.

December 12, 2024

George Michael – Monkey (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1988

NEW 2024 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Original post date September 24, 2013

“Monkey” is a hit single by George Michael from his debut solo album, Faith (1987). Released as the album’s fourth single in 1988, the song became a major success, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The track showcases a funky, dance-oriented style, blending elements of pop and R&B, and was co-produced by George Michael and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.

The lyrics reflect themes of addiction and unhealthy relationships, with Michael imploring someone to choose between him and their “monkey”—a metaphor for a habit or dependency. Its infectious beat, layered production, and cutting-edge remixes, including the popular Jam & Lewis remix, contributed to its club appeal and chart-topping performance.

“Monkey” also stands out for its music video, directed by Andy Morahan, featuring energetic visuals, including Michael performing alongside dancers and showcasing his signature style during the Faith era. It remains a fan favorite and a testament to Michael’s versatility as an artist.

The remixes of “Monkey” played a significant role in its popularity, especially in the U.S. club scene. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, renowned producers known for their work with artists like Janet Jackson, created a special remix for the single release. This version amplified the track’s funky, percussive energy, enhancing its appeal on dance floors and radio stations alike. The remix was so impactful that it became the definitive version of the song played on U.S. radio.

In terms of chart performance, “Monkey” achieved significant success globally. While it became George Michael’s eighth #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, it also fared well on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. Internationally, it charted within the top 10 in countries like Canada and Ireland, though it performed more modestly in the UK, peaking at #13 on the UK Singles Chart.

The single’s success cemented Michael’s reputation as one of the 1980s’ most versatile pop icons, capable of delivering everything from heartfelt ballads to irresistible dance tracks. “Monkey” also contributed to the massive commercial success of Faith, which won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1989.

SIDE A:
Monkey (Extended Version) 8:07

SIDE B:
Monkey (Acappella) 3:44
Monkey (Extra Beats) 3:43

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1988	Monkey	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#1
1988	Monkey	U.S. Billboard Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Songs	#8
1988	Monkey	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music / Club Play	#1

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia – 44 07849, Columbia – 44-07849
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Electro, Synth-pop, Dance-pop

CREDITS:

Artwork [Artwork By] – George Michael, Norman Moore
Engineer [Engineered By] – Steve Hodge
Lacquer Cut By [Runout Etching ❀] – Brian Gardner
Photography By [Photo By] – Chris Cuffaro
Producer [Produced By] – Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
Producer [Produced By], Written-By, Arranged By – George Michael
Remix [Special Re-mix By] – Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

NOTES:
From the LP “FAITH”

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

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.

February 14, 2024

George Michael – I Want Your Sex (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1987

Happy Valentine’s Day 

“I Want Your Sex” is a song by the English singer and songwriter George Michael. Released as a single on 18 May 1987 (US) and 1 June 1987 (UK), it was the third hit from the soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop II and the first single from Michael’s debut solo album Faith. It peaked at number two in the U.S. and number three in the UK, and was a top-five single in many other countries.

The single was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales in excess of two million in the United States. It was also the recipient for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song. The song’s radio airplay on the BBC was restricted to post-watershed hours due to concerns that it might promote promiscuity and could be counterproductive to contemporary campaigns about AIDS awareness.

Although it was one of Michael’s biggest hits, the singer ignored the song following its release; he never performed it after the Faith Tour and although the Rhythm Two version appears on Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael, it does not appear on the 2006 retrospective Twenty Five; furthermore, the “Monogamy Mix” does not appear on the 2011 remastered release of Faith. In an interview with Mark Goodier, included in the large-format book released with the 2011 remaster, Michael said that he still likes the second “Rhythm” but not the first, and that he distanced himself from the song because its production sounded too much like Prince; indeed, “Rhythm 1”, as well as a few other tracks on the Faith album (such as “Hard Day”), features Michael simulating female vocals by artificially pitching up and altering his own voice, much the same way as Prince was doing at the time with his pseudo-female alter ego Camille. In the interview, Michael admits that he was “deeply enamoured” with Prince, and adds that he thought it was very bad for him to be infatuated with a colleague of his. Rolling Stone editor David Fricke described this song as ‘a new bump-and-grind original that sounds more like Prince’s stark, sexy “Kiss” than anything in the Wham! catalog’. In 2016, after Michael’s death, Andrew Unterberger of Billboard ranked the song number eight on his list of Michael’s 15 greatest songs.

The music video, directed by Andy Morahan, featured Michael and his then-girlfriend Kathy Jeung to emphasize that he was in a monogamous relationship; at one point, he is shown using lipstick to write the words “explore” and “monogamy” on her back, which is photographed and retouched at the end of the video to reveal the phrase “explore monogamy”. A Spanish model was also used for naked scenes in a way that allowed the audience to assume they were the same woman; these shots are interspersed with intentionally blurred footage of George Michael dancing and singing the song.

In a 2004 interview with Adam Mattera for UK magazine Attitude, Michael reflected: “It was totally real. Kathy was in love with me but she knew that I was in love with a guy at that point in time. I was still saying I was bisexual…She was the only female that I ever brought into my professional life. I put her in a video. Of course she looked like a beard. It was all such a mess, really. My own confusion and then on top of that what I was prepared to let the public think.”

The video generated controversy over its sexual themes. In 2002, MTV2’s countdown of MTV’s Most Controversial Videos Ever to Air on MTV included the video for “I Want Your Sex” at number 3. The original video cut appears on the Twenty Five compilation 2-DVD set.

SIDE A:
I Want Your Sex (Monogamy Mix) 13:13
-Rhythm 1 Lust
-Rhythm 2 Brass In Love
-Rhythm 3 A Last Request

SIDE B:
Hard Day 4:53

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1987	I want Your Sex	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#2
1987	I want Your Sex	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#2
1987	I want Your Sex	U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop	#43

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia – 44 06814, Columbia – 44-06814, Columbia – Lust T 1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Downtempo, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Engineer [Engineered By] – Chris Porter
Mastered By – VLADO*
Photography By – James Wedge
Written-By, Producer [Produced By], Arranged By – George Michael

NOTES:
This record is dedicated to my hopeless conquest.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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.

July 14, 2023

Wham! – Bad Boys (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1983

NEW 2023 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Originally posted March 18, 2014

“Bad Boys” is a song by English pop duo Wham! which was a hit in 1983. It was written and co-produced by George Michael, one half of the duo, and released on Innervision Records.

The song was an energetic but endearing tale of a rebellious teenage lad’s struggle against his parents who are concerned about his late-night activities. Although Michael wrote and sang it from the teenager’s perspective (he was himself only 19 when he composed it and the character refers to being that age in the song), he also penned a middle eight in which the “parents” (Michael putting on more “adult” voices) aired their concerns, which included late nights and cigarettes and ultimately asking, “Why do you have to be so cruel?”. Michael’s father was played by Anthony Souter who was 18 and made up to look older.

It was the third single to be taken from Wham!’s debut album, Fantastic, and reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart, going on to become the 26th best selling single of 1983. At the time, Wham! was projecting a hard, politically motivated image, with “Bad Boys” one of a number of songs projecting a stance of mood and youthful independence, a “soul boy – dole boy” theme. The single was also released in the United States, peaking at number 60. It was the duo’s first time on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, although they were listed as Wham!-UK.

“Bad Boys” became the biggest hit from the debut album, although it would be usurped by “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” from the album Make It Big in 1984, which became the first of four UK number-one singles the duo would enjoy. Michael quickly denounced “Bad Boys” as a song he hated, stating it was “like an albatross round my neck”. The song was famously omitted from the 1997 compilation album The Best of Wham!: If You Were There…, despite the album including tracks that were not released as singles.

Also of note the 12″ Mix was omitted from the 2023 The Singles (Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven) CD single box set.

SIDE A:
Bad Boys (12″ Mix) 4:58

SIDE B:
Bad Boys (Instrumental) 3:25

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1983	Bad Boys	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#60
1983	Bad Boys	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#28

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia – 44-03933, Innervision Records (2) – 44-03933
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Pop/Rock
Style: Pop/Rock, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Arranged By, Co-producer – George Michael
Engineer – Tony Taverner
Mastered By – Greg Calbi
Photography By – Chris Craymer
Producer – Steve Brown
Written-By – G. Michael*

NOTES:
Pressed By – Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Pitman
Mastered At – Sterling Sound
Mastered At – Customatrix

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 making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.