Tag: Hugo Dwyer

December 17, 2025

Will To Power – Say It’s Gonna Rain (New Remixes) (US 12″) (1988)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

When Will To Power’s “Say It’s Gonna Rain” began gaining serious traction in U.S. dance clubs, Epic Records did what the best labels of the era often did: they went back to the multitracks and gave DJs something new to work with.

The result was a second U.S. 12″ single, titled “New Remixes”, released specifically to capitalize on the song’s growing club momentum. Rather than reusing earlier versions, Epic enlisted Justin Strauss and Murray Elias working together, a collaboration that brought a distinctly New York club sensibility to the project.

Together, Strauss and Elias reshaped the track with a clear understanding of dance-floor dynamics. Their remix emphasizes groove and atmosphere, allowing the song to breathe while subtly reinforcing its rhythmic drive. Alyson Williams’ vocal remains the emotional anchor, floating over a more streamlined, club-focused arrangement that feels tailor-made for late-night sets.

What makes this second 12″ particularly notable is its timing. It wasn’t issued as part of the song’s initial release campaign; instead, Epic responded directly to the record’s success in U.S. dance clubs. This kind of reactive release strategy—issuing fresh remixes after a song had already proven itself—was a hallmark of late-’80s club culture.

Today, the “New Remixes” 12″ stands as a snapshot of that moment when labels, remixers, and DJs were in close conversation. It’s not just a follow-up pressing, but a deliberate extension of the song’s life on the dance floor—and a reminder of how collaborative remix work could give a hit single renewed energy and relevance.

SIDE A:
Say It’s Gonna Rain (Popstand Remix) 8:37
Say It’s Gonna Rain (Acid Rain Dub) 6:39

SIDE B:
Say It’s Gonna Rain (Popstand Nueva York Remix) 7:27
Say It’s Gonna Rain (Orange Sunshine Dub) 6:33

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic – 49 07589
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Freestyle, Electro, House

CREDITS:

Edited By – Chep Nunez*
Engineer [Remix] – Hugo Dwyer
Lacquer Cut By – Vlado*
Producer – Bob Rosenberg
Producer [Additional Production], Remix [Re-mix] – Justin Strauss, Murray Elias
Written-By – B. Rosenberg*

NOTES:
Special Version From The Epic Lp: “Will To Power” FE 40940
Additional production & re-mix for Popstand Productions.
Edited for SOS Productions.

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

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.

July 9, 2019

Alisha – Bounce Back (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1990

“Bounce Back” is a song written by Michael Jay and Gregory Smith. The best-known version of the song is the 1990 version by American freestyle and dance-pop singer Alisha, from her same-titled album Bounce Back, although the track was also recorded by duo Fire on Blonde and American pop singer-songwriter Martika.

Michael Jay produced the track, as well as producing the entire album, whilst the song was released as the album’s lead single. It was Alisha’s last single to make any commercial impact.

Handing the song over to Alisha for her third album, Michael Jay also gave the singer the Fire on Blonde track “Wrong Number” for the album as well, and the song was also released as the second single. After the 1987 album Nightwalkin’ only gave Alisha some minor chart action, mainly on the Dance Charts, “Bounce Back”, released nearly two years after the previous single, gave the singer her biggest charting release on the American Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at #54 in mid-1990 On the American Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart, the song peaked at #10 whilst also peaking at #26 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart.

SIDE A:
Bounce Back (LP Version) 3:54
Bounce Back (7″ Radio Remix) 3:50

SIDE B:
Bounce Back (12″ Vocal Remix) 7:07
Bounce Back (12″ Techno-Bounce Dub) 7:12

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1990	Bounce Back	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#54
1990	Bounce Back	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#10
1990	Bounce Back	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	#26

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records ‎– MCA-24018
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1990
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Freestyle, House, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Edited By – Chep Nunez* (tracks: A2, B1, B2)
Keyboards – Eric Kupper (tracks: A2, B1, B2)
Producer [Additional], Remix – Justin Strauss (tracks: A2, B1, B2)
Producer, Written-By – Michael Jay
Remix, Engineer [Remix] – Hugo Dwyer (tracks: A2, B1, B2)
Written-By – Gregory Smith*

NOTES:
LP version appears on the MCA Album “BOUNCE BACK:

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
Phono Pre-amp: Schiit Mani
Soundcard: ESI Juli@ XTe Audio Interface
Monitiring: Novation Audiohub 2×4 Audio Interface
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, 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)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

[passster password=”burningtheground”]

[/passster]

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

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

June 19, 2019

Sa-Fire – Boy, I’ve Been Told (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1988

“Boy, I’ve Been Told” is the first single released by Puerto Rican singer freestyle singer Sa-Fire from her 1988 eponymous debut album. “Boy, I’ve Been Told” peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100, November 12, 1988, after spending sixteen weeks on the survey. The single was also a top twenty dance hit reaching #13 on the Billboard Dance Chart in October 1988.

The song was also written by American singer Marc Anthony, who also performs backing vocals on the track.

SIDE A:
Boy, I’ve Been Told (Club Mix) 6:13
Boy, I’ve Been Told (7″ Version) 4:05

SIDE B:
Boy, I’ve Been Told (Rascal Dub) 5:44
Boy, I’ve Been Told (Two In A Room Dub) 5:55

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1988	Boy, I’ve Been Told	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#48
1988	Boy, I’ve Been Told	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#13
1988	Boy, I’ve Been Told	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	#3

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Cutting Records ‎– 870 514-1, Mercury ‎– 870 514-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Freestyle

CREDITS:
Art Direction – Dane Venable
Backing Vocals – Marc Anthony, Sa-Fire*
Design – Michael Bays
Drums, Mixed By – Aldo Marin, Carlos Rodgers
Edited By [Unbelievable Edits] – The Latin Rascals
Engineer [Assistant] – Steve Weller*
Engineer [Mix] – Hugo Dwyer
Executive-Producer – Aldo & Amado Marin*
Keyboards – Peter Schwartz
Mastered By – Jose Rodriguez*
Other [Stylist, Make-up, Hair] – René de Chamizo
Percussion – Mike Theodore
Photography – Ricardo Betancourt
Producer – Carlos Rodgers, Peter Schwartz
Written-By – M. Anthony*

NOTES:
Special mixes from the Mercury/Cutting Records album, “Sa-Fire”.
Recorded at Planet Recording, NY.

Mixed for Cutting Music Productions.
Mixed at Shake Down Sound, NY.
Mastered at Sterling Sound.

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
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.