Tag: Ian Levine

June 16, 2023

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 Wilde, Ricki 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:

Photography By, Design – Simon Marsh (2)
Producer – Ricki Wilde*
Written-By – Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland, Jr.* (tracks: A, B2)

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.

December 10, 2021

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 Jøn, Larry Steinbachek, Steve Bronski
Design [Sleeve Design] – Peter Barrett (3)
Engineer – Brian Pugsley, Simon Bohannon
Photography By [Photographs] – Peter Ashworth
Producer, Mixed By – Adam Williams
Written-By – Steinbachek, Bronski

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

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.

June 17, 2021

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 Boys, Shep 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

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.

July 19, 2018

Bananarama – Venus (Special Edition) (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“Venus” is a 1969 song written by Dutch musician Robbie van Leeuwen. In 1970, the Dutch rock band Shocking Blue took the song to number one in nine countries.

In 1986, the British female pop group Bananarama returned the song to number one in seven countries.

“Venus” had been a part of Bananarama’s repertoire for several years before they actually recorded it. The group’s three members, Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, and Keren Woodward, had the idea of turning the song into a dance music tune, but they were met with resistance from their producers at the time, Steve Jolley, and Tony Swain. Bananarama brought the idea to the production trio of Stock Aitken Waterman, and it became Bananarama’s first collaboration with them.

Dallin, Fahey, and Woodward had nearly completed recording their third album, titled True Confessions, with Jolley and Swain. Stock, Aitken, and Waterman also resisted the idea because they believed that “Venus” would not make a good dance record. After persistence by the women, SAW relented. Bananarama’s “Venus” went to number one in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Mexico, and South Africa. It hit number two in Germany and Hong Kong and was a top ten success in Italy, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and their native UK (number 8 on UK Singles Chart). It also went to number one for two weeks on the US Dance chart.

The collaboration on “Venus” led Bananarama and SAW to work together on the group’s follow-up album Wow! the following year.

The music video, directed by Peter Care, with choreography by Bruno Tonioli, received extensive play on MTV and video channels across the world, and presented Bananarama in various costumes, including a she-devil, a French temptress, a vampiress, and several Greek goddesses. In one sequence of the video, The Birth of Venus, the painting by Sandro Botticelli is adapted as a tableau vivant. The video marked a pivotal shift towards a more glamorous and sexual image for the girls that contrasted with the tomboyish style of their earlier work.

SIDE A:
Venus (The Hellfire Mix) 9:20
Remix – Ian Levine

Venus (Fire & Brimstone Mix) 6:44

SIDE B:
Venus (Extended Version) 7:26
Venus (Dub Version) 8:17

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1986	Venus	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#1
1986	Venus	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#1

RELEASE IONFORMATION:
Label: London Records ‎– 886 088-1, Polygram ‎– 886 088-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Special Edition, 70 – Indianapolis Press
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Design [Sleeve Design] – Peter Barrett (3), Simon Withers (2)
Producer – Stock/Aitken/Waterman*
Written-By – R. Leeuwen*

NOTES:
Produced for P.W.L. Productions

Original Version From The London LP- “True Confessions”

RCA Records Pressing Plant, Indianapolis pressing indicated by pressing code “70” printed on labels and “RCA” etched in run-outs.

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: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7 TubeGold Pins
Soundcard: 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