Tag: John “Tokes” Potoker

Pat Benatar – Invincible (Theme From The Legend Of Billie Jean) (Extended Remix) (US 12”) (1985)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

NEW 2026 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Previously posted April 14, 2015

Released on June 24, 1985, “Invincible” is the Grammy-nominated lead single from Pat Benatar’s sixth studio album, Seven the Hard Way. Written by Holly Knight and Simon Climie—with Knight also having co-written Benatar’s earlier breakthrough anthem “Love Is a Battlefield”—the song was created as a defining statement, not just a hit.

The track also served as the theme song for the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean, a cult favorite whose narrative of defiance, justice, and self-determination mirrors the song’s core message. That alignment wasn’t accidental. Invincible doesn’t simply accompany rebellion—it embodies it.

From its opening pulse, the record announces itself with authority. Synth-driven but grounded by Neil Giraldo’s unmistakable guitar work, the production balances mid-’80s pop precision with rock muscle. It’s bold, forward-moving, and unafraid of its own power. This is empowerment framed as momentum.

Lyrically, the song rejects passivity outright. Benatar’s vocal delivery is direct and uncompromising, cutting cleanly through the arrangement. There’s no irony here, no distance between the message and the performance. Invincible doesn’t suggest strength—it demands it.

Commercially, the song became one of Benatar’s defining hits, reaching #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning heavy rotation on MTV. In an era crowded with strong female voices, Benatar stood apart by leaning fully into conviction rather than spectacle. The song became Benatar’s fourth and final American top ten hit.

This presentation features a brand-new 2026 transfer with a meticulous new audio restoration, preserving the punch of the original mix while revealing added depth, clarity, and low-end weight. It’s a reminder of just how big—and how intentional—this record was meant to sound.

While Invincible wasn’t designed as a club track in the traditional sense, it shares DNA with the 12″ era’s emphasis on scale and physicality: big drums, big hooks, and a sound meant to move people—whether in an arena, on a car radio, or on a dancefloor where genre lines blurred.

Nearly forty years on, Invincible remains exactly what it claims to be. Not nostalgic. Not softened by time. It’s a song about standing up for what you believe and using your voice—especially when silence feels like the easiest option. In times like these, when our voices need to be heard louder than ever, Invincible still refuses to back down.

Pat Benatar didn’t just sing about being invincible—she made it sound achievable.

SIDE A:
Invincible (Theme From The Legend Of Billie Jean) (Extended Version) 5:31

SIDE B:
Invincible (Theme From The Legend Of Billie Jean) (Instrumental) 4:25

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – Pat Benatar: Invincible (Theme From The Legend Of Billie Jean)  (1985)
Chart Peak Position Date
US Billboard Hot 100 #10 1985
US Billboard Mainstream Rock #4 1985
UK Singles (OCC) #53 1985
Canada Top Singles (RPM) #6 1985
Australia (Kent Music Report) #23 1985
Belgium (Ultratop50 Flanders) #9 1985
West Germany (GfK) #31 1985

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Chrysalis – 4V9 42878
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

NOTES:
Theme from the film “THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN”
From the LP “SEVEN THE HARD WAY”

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.


The Parachute Club – Rise Up US 12″ Promo)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1983

“Rise Up” is a pop song recorded by the Canadian group Parachute Club on their self-titled 1983 album. It was produced and engineered by Daniel Lanois, and written by Parachute Club members Billy Bryans, Lauri Conger, Lorraine Segato and Steve Webster, with additional lyrics contributed by filmmaker Lynne Fernie.

An upbeat call for peace, celebration, and “freedom / to love who we please,” the song was a national hit in Canada, and was hailed as a unique achievement in Canadian pop music:

Rarely does one experience a piece of music in white North America where the barrier between participant and observer breaks down. Rise Up rises right up and breaks down the wall.

According to Segato, the song was not written with any one individual group in mind, but as a universal anthem of freedom and equality; Fernie described the song’s lyrics as having been inspired in part by West Coast First Nations rituals in which young girls would “rise up” at dawn to adopt their adult names as a rite of passage.

It remains the band’s most famous song, and has been adopted as an activist anthem for causes as diverse as gay rights, feminism, anti-racism and the New Democratic Party. As well, the song’s reggae and soca-influenced rhythms made it the first significant commercial breakthrough for Caribbean music in Canada.

The song’s first ever live public performance took place at the 1983 Toronto Pride parade.

SIDE A:
Rise Up (Extended Dance Version) 6:45
Remix – Daniel Lanois

SIDE B:
Rise Up (Jellybean Mix) 5:58
Engineer [Remix] – John “Tokes” Potoker*
Remix –  John “Jellybean” Benitez

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1983 Rise Up U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #26

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: RCA – JD-13655
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Daniel Lanois

NOTES:
From the LP “The Parachute Club”

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.

Irene Cara – Why Me? (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1983

“Why Me?” is a song written by Giorgio Moroder, Irene Cara, and Keith Forsey and performed by Irene Cara.

The song was the first official single to be lifted from Cara’s 1983 album, What a Feelin’, although the album also featured the worldwide number-one single “Flashdance… What a Feeling”, which had been released six months earlier.

“Why Me?” continued Cara’s run of hit singles, reaching the Top 20 on the Hot 100. It was even more successful in Australia and several European countries, where it peaked within the Top 5.

SIDE A:
Why Me? (12″ Mix) 7:03

SIDE B:
Why Me? (Instrumental Dubb) 4:48

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1983 Why Me? U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #13
1983 Why Me? U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #7

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Geffen Records ‎– 0-20156, Network Records (2) ‎– 0-20156
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Maxi-Single, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Engineer [Assistant] – Melanie West
Engineer [Mixing] – John Tokes Potoker*
Mastered By – Greg Fulginiti
Mixed By –John “Jellybean” Benitez
Producer – Giorgio Moroder
Written-By – Moroder*, Cara*, Forsey*

NOTES:
Mixed At – Sigma Sound Studios, New York
Mastered At – Artisan Sound Recorders

Original version available on the Geffen/Network album “What A Feelin'”

Made in USA.

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
DAC/Phono Pre-amp:
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 USED:
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!

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

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

Genesis – Land Of Confusion (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986


New 2020 Transfer!
Meticulously Remastered!

Originally posted December 12, 2012

“Land of Confusion” is a song by the English rock band Genesis from their 1986 album Invisible Touch. The song was the third track on the album and was the third track released as a single, reaching No. 4 in the U.S. and No. 14 in the UK in late 1986. It also reached No. 8 in the Netherlands. The music was written by the band, while the lyrics were written by guitarist Mike Rutherford. The song’s video featured puppets from the 1980s UK sketch show Spitting Image.

SIDE A:
Land Of Confusion (Vocal/Edit Of Remix)** 3:50
Remix – John “Tokes” Potoker*

Land Of Confusion (Vocal/LP Version) 4:45

SIDE B:
Land Of Confusion (Vocal/Extended Remix) 6:56
Remix – John “Tokes” Potoker*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1986 Land Of Confusion U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #4
1986 Land Of Confusion U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks #11

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Atlantic ‎– PR 984
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Genesis
Producer, Engineer – Hugh Padgham

NOTES:
**The Vocal/Edit Of Remix of Land Of Confusion is exclusive to this 12″.
LP Version from the Atlantic LP “INVISIBLE TOUCH”
Promotional copy Not For Sale

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
DAC/Phono Pre-amp:
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 USED:
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

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

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