Tag: Michael Jackson

Rebbie Jackson – Centipede (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

“Centipede” is the debut single by American singer Rebbie Jackson and the title track from her debut album, Centipede.

The song was written and produced by Jackson’s brother Michael Jackson. He and The Weather Girls also sing backing vocals on the song. It is Rebbie Jackson’s only single to enter the Billboard Hot 100 and is her best-remembered song. The Weather Girl’s Martha Wash’s soulful voice is heard quite prominently throughout the song.

On the back of the single, Michael Jackson dedicated the song “to my mannequin friends”.

“Centipede” was sampled in Brand Nubian’s song “Let’s Dance”, found on their 1998 album Foundation.

Released in the late summer of 1984, the single climbed high on the Billboard R&B charts, peaking at #4 there and peaking at #24 in the main Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It was Jackson’s highest-charting single to date and her only single to enter the Hot 100, although she had several more hits on the R&B chart throughout the decade. The single was Gold-certified by the RIAA, selling 500,000 copies in the USA.

SIDE A:
Centipede (Extended Version) 5:56
Backing Vocals – Michael Jackson, The Weather Girls
Lead Vocals – Rebbie Jackson

SIDE B:
Centipede (Instrumental) 5:54

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1984 Centipede U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #24
1984 Centipede U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles #4

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia ‎– 44-05047
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Pitman Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Synth-pop, Dance-pop

CREDITS:
Art Direction – Lane/Donald
Flugelhorn – Jerry Kaye
Guitar – David Williams (4)
Photography By – Matthew Rolston
Producer [Produced By] – Michael Jackson
Synthesizer, Drum Programming – John Barnes
Written-By – M. Jackson*

NOTES:
“P” in deadwax denotes a Pitman pressing.

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, 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)
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.

Diana Ross – Eaten Alive (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“Eaten Alive” is 1985 single released by American entertainer Diana Ross on the RCA label. It was the first release off her Eaten Alive album, which was ultimately a critical and commercial failure in the states, but, did reach Top 10-Top 20 rankings in a few European countries like Norway and The Netherlands.

The song was written by Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb and Michael Jackson the latter also co-producing with Barry and his team. Jackson and Barry Gibb can be heard singing in the background of the song with Jackson at times co-singing lead with Ross. The song was a disappointment in the United States, peaking at #77 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, although it fared much better on the R&B singles chart – where it reached the Top 10 – helped by BET’s heavy rotation of the music video.

In the song’s original copyright registration from 11 March 1985, it was credited to Barry Gibb and Maurice Gibb. It was not until Michael Jackson heard the demo of it that he suggested the chorus could be improved. The second copyright registration was filed on 1 June 1985 (the same day that Diana performed a sold-out concert at Joe Louis Arena in her hometown of Detroit) with the note ‘words and music in the choruses have been completely rewritten’.

The video, inspired by The Island of Doctor Moreau was directed by David Hogan and featured the singer playing a cat-like demon seducing a man played by Joseph Gian after having been pursued by chimeras.

SIDE A:
Eaten Alive (Extended Version) 5:52

SIDE B:
Eaten Alive (Instrumental) 5:52

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1985 Eaten Alive U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #77
1985 Eaten Alive U.S. Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Singles #10
1985 Eaten Alive U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #3

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: RCA Victor ‎– PD-14183, RCA Victor ‎– PD14183
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Funk / Soul, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Engineer – Jack Joseph Puig, Karl Richardson
Mixed By – Francois Kevorkian*, Ron St. Germain
Producer – Albhy Galuten, Barry Gibb, Karl Richardson, Michael Jackson
Written-By – B. Gibb*, M. Gibb*, M. Jackson*

NOTES:
From the “Eaten Alive” album
Made in U.S.A.

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, 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

Michael Jackson – Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Japan 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album Thriller (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 8, 1983 by Epic Records. The song was written, composed and co-produced by Jackson, and was produced by Quincy Jones.

The song’s lyrics pertain to strangers spreading rumors to start an argument for no good reason. Musically, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” evokes the disco sound of Jackson’s previous studio album, Off the Wall, released in 1979. The song is characterized by a complex rhythm arrangement and a distinctive horn arrangement. “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” has been covered and sampled by multiple recording artists since its release. Aside from Thriller, the song appears on multiple compilation and greatest hits albums by Jackson.

“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” was generally well received by contemporary music critics. The song was also commercially successful, charting within the top 20 and top 30 in several countries. It became Jackson’s fifth consecutive top 10 single in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number five, and later re-entered charts in 2008 after the release of Thriller 25. Following Jackson’s death in June 2009, the song re-entered music charts worldwide, mainly due to digital download sales. Unlike previous singles from Thriller, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” did not have a music video to accompany it, but was performed by Jackson on world concert tours, as both a member of The Jacksons and as a solo artist.

SIDE A:
Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Long Version) 6:32

SIDE B:
Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Instrumental Version) 6:32
Beat It 4:18

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
OBI: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1983 Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #5
1983 Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles #5

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic ‎– 12・3P-491
Series: Michael Jackson Jumbo Single Series 2
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: Japan
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul, Pop
Style: Funk, Rhythm & Blues, Soul, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Co-producer – Michael Jackson
Producer – Quincy Jones
Written-By – M. Jackson*

NOTES:
OBI states:
Side A: Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Unpublished Long version)
Side B: Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Karaoke Version)
Beat It (Special Mix)

A side: Special Version from the LP “Thriller”
B side: From the LP “Thriller”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: 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)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi