Tag: Ian Levine

Earlene Bentley – The Boys Come To Town (US 12″) (1983)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Let the glitterball spin a little faster today—because the boys have definitely come to town!

Today’s Disco Friday and Pride Month pick is an unapologetic slab of Hi-NRG heat from the fabulous Erlene Bentley: the powerhouse 1983 club anthem “The Boys Come To Town.” Originally released in the UK on Ian Levine’s Record Shack Records, my post features the rare and equally fierce US 12″ pressing on Megatone Records—a label legendary in the San Francisco gay disco scene. 🔥

From its stomping bassline to Erlene’s commanding, no-nonsense vocal delivery, this track was built for the dancefloor. It’s campy, it’s charged, it’s proud—and it captures that bold, liberating spirit that defined queer nightlife at the height of the Hi-NRG movement.

💥 Fun fact: The song was so iconic in the New York club scene that it even found its way onto the big screen—featured in the 1984 film “Police Academy” during the infamous Blue Oyster Bar scene. A moment that has since become a cultural time capsule of leather, mustaches, and late-night disco sleaze.

And how can you resist lines like:
“Hey, big boy! Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?”
Camp. Sass. Power. Bentley delivers it all with a wink and a whip crack.

While she may not have had mainstream chart success, Erlene Bentley carved out her own niche in queer club culture—and this track remains one of the most iconic anthems of the Hi-NRG era. It’s pure theatricality with a pulsing heart, a perfect tribute to the freedom and flair that Pride Month celebrates.

💿 This extended mix takes its time—and you’ll want it to—building into a glorious eruption of synths, horns, and unapologetic attitude.

So throw on your harness or heels, find your spotlight, and let this Hi-NRG gem take you back to a time when the dancefloor was both sanctuary and stage.

SIDE A:
The Boys Come To Town 8:07

SIDE B:
The Boys Come To Town (Instrumental Dub) 8:16

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Megatone Records – MT-115Record Shack Records – MT-115
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: Hi NRG, Disco

CREDITS:

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
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.


Kim Wilde – You Keep Me Hangin’ On (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1987

NEW 203 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Originally posted December 15, 2016

During the week of June 6, 1987, Kim Wilde ruled the dance floor in clubs across America with her chart-topping cover of the Supremes classic “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” which has since become a gay club classic and should be on every Pride playlist.

“You Keep Me Hangin’ On” is a song written and composed by Holland–Dozier–Holland. It was first recorded in 1966 by the American Motown girl group the Supremes.

“You Keep Me Hangin’ On” was covered in an updated version by English singer Kim Wilde in 1986. Wilde’s version was a total re-working of the original, completely transforming the Supremes’ Motown Sound into a hi-NRG song.

It was released as the second single from Wilde’s fifth studio album, Another Step (although “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” was the LP’s first worldwide single, as the first single had been released only in selected countries). The song reached number two in Wilde’s native United Kingdom and number one in Australia. It also became Wilde’s second and last top-40 entry in the United States following “Kids in America” (1981), as well as her most successful song in that country to date, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week in June 1987. It later ranked as the 34th best-selling song of 1987 on Billboard’s Hot 100 year-end chart that year. “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for UK sales in excess of 250,000 copies.

SIDE A:
You Keep Me Hangin’ On (Extended Mix) 9:02
Remix – Ian Levine

SIDE B:
Loving You 4:52
Written-By – Kim WildeRicki Wilde*

You Keep Me Hangin’ On (7″ Edit) 4:11

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1987 You Keep Me Hangin’ On U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1
1987 You Keep Me Hangin’ On U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary #30
1987 You Keep Me Hangin’ On U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #6

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records ‎– MCA-23717
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Hi NRG, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

NOTES:
Original version available on the MCA album “ANOTHER STEP”.

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.



Bronski Beat – Hit That Perfect Beat (Canada 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1985

In Memory Of Steve Bronski 1960-2021

“Hit That Perfect Beat” is a single from the British synthpop trio Bronski Beat and appeared on their 1986 album Truthdare Doubledare. It became a popular dance hit and reached number three in the UK charts in January 1986 and reached the top ten in many European countries and across the world.

SIDE A:
Hit That Perfect Beat (Extended Version) 6:24

SIDE B:
Hit That Perfect Beat (Instant Mix) 8:26
Remix – Ian Levine

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: London Records – LDSX 226
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Canada
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Band [Bronski Beat] – John JønLarry SteinbachekSteve Bronski
Design [Sleeve Design] – Peter Barrett (3)
Engineer – Brian PugsleySimon Bohannon
Photography By [Photographs] – Peter Ashworth
Producer, Mixed By –  Adam Williams
Written-By – SteinbachekBronski

NOTES:
Produced and mixed at Mayfair
Recorded at Berry Street Studios (Brian Pugsley) and Livingstone Studios (Simon Bohannon)

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.

Pet Shop Boys – It’s A Sin (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1987

Celebrating Pride 2021

NEW 2021 Transfer!
NEW Meticulous Restoration!

Originally posted March 20, 2013

“It’s a Sin” is a song by English synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys from their second studio album, Actually (1987). Written by Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, the song was released on 15 June 1987 as the album’s lead single. It became the duo’s second number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks atop the chart. Additionally, the single topped the charts in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, while reaching number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100.

A demo of the track was first cut in 1984 with Bobby Orlando, and the song’s form in the demo remained intact to the final version, although the released production is far more dramatic.

The dramatic, overblown production style of the song, loaded with synthesizers, orchestra hits, and bookended by a non sequitur sample of a NASA countdown, has come to exemplify the most theatrical extremes of the Pet Shop Boys’ musical style.[3] It remains a concert staple, being one of only two songs (alongside “West End Girls”) that has been played during every Pet Shop Boys tour.

The band stated at the time that they had been keen for Stock Aitken Waterman to produce the song, as they were huge fans. Neil has stated that Pete Waterman hated the demo so they turned instead to SAW’s remix engineer Phil Harding to remix the song for the US release (which went uncredited on the sleeve). They would work with him again on “I’m Not Scared”, the single they wrote for the Patsy Kensit band Eighth Wonder and remixes of “Always on My Mind”.

Bursting with melodramatic orchestral stabs, a NASA countdown, and huge-sounding, sweeping synths “It’s A Sin” secured itself in Gay culture permanently becoming a Pride Anthem.

SIDE A:
It’s A Sin (Phil Harding Latin Vocal Mix) 9:16
Keyboards [Fairlight] – Andy Richards
Remix – Pet Shop Boys , Phil Harding

It’s A Sin (Phil Harding Latin Dub Mix) 4:22
Keyboards [Fairlight] – Andy Richards
Remix – Pet Shop Boys , Phil Harding

SIDE B:
It’s A Sin (Remix) 8:16
Remix –  Ian Levine

It’s A Sin (Disco Mix) 7:42
Mixed By [Additional] – Stephen Hague

You Know Where You Went Wrong 5:51
Producer –  Pet Shop BoysShep Pettibone

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Cover: Near Mint

CHARTS:

Year Single Chart Position
1987 It’s A Sin U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #9
1987 It’s A Sin U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #3

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI America ‎– V-19256
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: June 15, 1987
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop, Hi NRG, Freestyle

CREDITS:
Mastered By – Herbie Jr. :^)*
Producer [Additional] – Stephen Hague (tracks: A1, A2, B2)
Producer, Engineer – Julian Mendelsohn (tracks: A1 to B2)
Written-By – Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe*

NOTES:
Packaged in 3-track sleeve for 1st 12″, stickered “4 special mixes of ‘It’s a Sin’”.

A1 and B1 “remixed in the U.K. for the USA”
A1 AKA “Phil Harding Latin Vocal Mix”
A2 as “Phil Harding Latin Dub Mix”

Sleeve mistakenly lists:
(Album version can be heard on the forthcoming album, “Jealousy”-ELT-46972)

Helena Springs courtesy of Arista Records.

(Album version can be heard on the LP, “Actually”-ELJ-46972)

“You Know Where You Went Wrong” (Not Available on the album “Actually”-ELJ-46972)

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.