Burning The Ground Exclusive
Yesterday we rocked hard with Suzi Quatro.
Today, lunch is served.
Hot lunch, to be exact.
For today’s Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition, we return to 1980 for a terrific UK 12-inch pairing from the original motion picture soundtrack to Fame.
On one side we have Linda Clifford with “Red Light.”
Flip it over and Irene Cara is waiting with “Hot Lunch Jam.”
Two ladies.
Two songs.
One soundtrack.
Not a bad way to spend twelve inches of vinyl.
Directed by Alan Parker, Fame follows a group of students through their years at New York City’s High School of Performing Arts, from auditions through graduation. Irene Cara stars as Coco Hernandez, alongside Gene Anthony Ray, Lee Curreri, Paul McCrane, Barry Miller, Maureen Teefy, and others. The film received its national US release on June 20, 1980.
Of course, the music became almost as important as the movie.
The soundtrack gave us Irene Cara’s “Fame” and “Out Here On My Own,” along with “I Sing The Body Electric,” “Dogs In The Yard,” “Never Alone,” and the two tracks featured on today’s 12-inch. The album itself reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200.
First up is Linda Clifford.
“Red Light” was written by Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford and produced by Michael Gore and Gil Askey. Linda was already well established in the disco world thanks to records such as “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” “Runaway Love,” and her dramatic disco remake of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
“Red Light” gave her another substantial hit.
The single reached No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 40 on the Hot Soul Singles chart.
But the dance floor liked it even more.
Billboard’s Disco chart grouped “Red Light” with Irene Cara’s “Fame” and “Hot Lunch Jam,” and the three tracks reached No. 1 together.
Now that is one crowded dance floor.
The version on this UK 12-inch is the full-length “Extended Version,” running considerably longer than the edited single version. It is essentially the version that lets Linda stretch out and do what Linda Clifford does best.
Sing big.
Dance big.
And apparently ignore the red light completely.
Then we turn the record over.
Lunch time.
“Hot Lunch Jam” is performed by Irene Cara and was written by Michael Gore, Lesley Gore, and producer Robert F. Colesberry. Michael Gore produced the recording.
The history behind the song is particularly interesting.
According to Alan Parker, “Hot Lunch Jam” grew out of an all-day session in which the young performers contributed ideas as the number took shape. In other words, the loose, spontaneous energy we hear in the finished recording was not entirely an illusion. The song really did evolve as something of a jam.
And it sounds like one.
Piano.
Percussion.
Horns.
Handclaps.
Voices flying everywhere.
Irene right in the middle of it all.
It feels less like a carefully assembled soundtrack recording and more like somebody opened the cafeteria doors and an entire performing arts school broke into music.
Which, come to think of it, is basically Fame.
The UK 12-inch labels Irene’s side “Hot Lunch Jam (Vocal And Melody Arrangement),” while other listings describe it as the Full Length Version. Unlike some of the records we have featured during this series, there is no newly constructed club remix hiding here. The appeal is having these two full-length soundtrack performances together on one 45 RPM 12-inch.
And what a pairing.
Linda Clifford brings the polished disco fire.
Irene Cara brings the spontaneous school-cafeteria chaos.
Somehow, it works.
Fame went on to become much more than another 1980 musical. Michael Gore won the Academy Award for Original Score, while “Fame,” written by Gore and Dean Pitchford, won Best Original Song. “Out Here On My Own” was nominated in the same category. The film was later selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2023.
But today we are moving away from the title song and digging a little deeper into the soundtrack.
That is what this series is all about.
Sometimes the real fun is hiding one or two tracks away from the obvious hit.
So when the red light comes on…
ignore it.
Lunch is ready.
And apparently…
it’s a jam.
SIDE A:
Linda Clifford – Red Light (Extended Version) 6:10
Producer – Gil Askey
Written-By – D. Pitchford*
SIDE B:
Irene Cara – Hot Lunch Jam (Full Length Version) (Vocal & Melody Arrangement) 4:11
Written-By – L. Gore, R.F.Colesberry
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
| Single | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|
| Linda Clifford – “Red Light” | US Billboard Hot 100 | 41 |
| Linda Clifford – “Red Light” | US Billboard Hot Soul Singles | 40 |
| Linda Clifford / Irene Cara – “Red Light” / “Hot Lunch Jam”* | US Billboard Disco | 1 |
* Billboard’s Disco chart combined “Fame,” “Red Light,” and “Hot Lunch Jam” as a single chart entry.
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: RSO – RSOX 64
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1980
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Disco
CREDITS:
- Producer – Michael Gore
- Written-By – M. Gore*
NOTES:
From The Original Soundtrack Of The Motion Picture “Fame” – 2479 253
Made In England
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
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2
Phono Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
Audio Interface: MOTU M4
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Cleaning Solution: Turgikleen Record Cleaning Solution
Scanner: 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
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