Burning The Ground Exclusive
Yesterday we were playing with some very weird science.
Today we are going back to where the streets were dirty, the music was loud, and Times Square actually looked like Times Square.
For our next Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition selection, we travel all the way back to 1980 for Suzi Quatro and “Rock Hard,” from the original motion picture soundtrack to Times Square.
Directed by Allan Moyle, Times Square stars Trini Alvarado and Robin Johnson as two teenage girls from very different backgrounds who run away together and find their own form of rebellion on the streets of New York City. Tim Curry co-stars as radio DJ Johnny LaGuardia. The film opened in October 1980 and was shot on location around New York, including the wonderfully grimy Times Square that existed long before the neighborhood was cleaned up and transformed.
And then there is that soundtrack.
What a soundtrack.
The double LP reads like somebody raided one of the coolest record stores in 1980. The Pretenders, Roxy Music, Gary Numan, Talking Heads, Joe Jackson, XTC, the Ramones, The Cure, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Garland Jeffreys, and more all appear alongside music recorded specifically for the film.
And right there at the beginning of Side One is Suzi Quatro.
“Rock Hard.”
In fact, “Rock Hard” is identified in the film as a favorite record of Nicky and Pamela, which makes it more than just another song dropped onto the soundtrack. It actually belongs to their world.
Written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, “Rock Hard” was also the title track from Suzi’s 1980 studio album of the same name.
The song marked a return to the tough, guitar-driven sound that had made Suzi such a distinctive presence during the 1970s.
And she sounds fantastic.
The guitars grind.
The drums pound.
Suzi attacks the vocal like she has something to prove.
This is not background music.
This is Suzi Quatro reminding everybody why she was one of rock’s original tough ladies.
Mike Chapman produced the track, continuing a partnership that had already produced some of Suzi’s biggest records. The backing-vocal lineup is interesting too, with Michael Des Barres among the singers adding muscle behind Suzi’s lead.
Yes, that Michael Des Barres.
Actor, singer, later frontman for The Power Station, and apparently available in 1980 when somebody needed a little extra shouting behind Suzi Quatro.
I love these credits.
“Rock Hard” did considerably better in some countries than it did in Suzi’s native United States. The single reached No. 5 in South Africa, No. 9 in Australia, No. 19 in Zimbabwe, No. 26 in West Germany, No. 46 in the Netherlands, and No. 68 on the UK Singles Chart.
In the United States, however, Dreamland Records took a different approach.
And that brings us to the record I am featuring today.
My copy is the US promotional 12-inch labeled:
AOR SPECIAL
For anyone who remembers FM rock radio, those three letters tell the story.
AOR stood for Album-Oriented Rock, and this 12-inch was sent to American rock radio programmers in an attempt to get “Rock Hard” into rotation. Contemporary trade coverage shows the song receiving AOR airplay and being added by stations including KBPI, WABX, KLOL, WBAB, KZEL, and WSHE.
But if you are waiting for me to tell you about the Extended Version…
There isn’t one.
The Special Dance Mix?
Nope.
The Dub?
Keep dreaming.
This promo contains “Rock Hard” on one side.
Then you flip the record over…
and you get “Rock Hard” again.
That is dedication.
No remix. No alternate vocal. No bonus beats. No seven-minute breakdown designed for a club at two in the morning.
Just Suzi.
Rocking hard.
Twice.
And honestly, I love records like this.
The 12-inch single was not always about remixes. Sometimes it existed because a record company wanted radio stations to have a promotional copy of one particular track, and an AOR 12-inch like this is a little snapshot of how rock records were promoted in 1980.
It also makes an interesting addition to this series because Times Square itself was so closely tied to music.
The soundtrack was heavily promoted as a showcase for contemporary rock, punk, and new wave, and it eventually reached number 37 on the Billboard album chart.
The film may never have become the blockbuster its producers hoped for, but the soundtrack developed a life of its own.
And more than four decades later, that collection of records still captures a moment when punk, new wave, hard rock, and mainstream pop were all crashing into one another.
Suzi Quatro belonged right in the middle of it.
So no extended mix today.
No dub.
Not even a bonus beat.
Sometimes you do not need any of that.
Sometimes you just need to…
Rock Hard.
SIDE A:
Rock Hard (Intro: :17) 3:21
SIDE B:
Rock Hard (Intro: :17) 3:21
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
| Chart (1980) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 9 |
| Germany | 26 |
| Netherlands | 46 |
| South Africa | 5 |
| UK Singles Chart | 68 |
| Zimbabwe | 19 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Dreamland Records, Inc. – DPR – 1204, Dreamland Records, Inc. – DPR – 1204 AS
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1980
Genre: Rock
Style: Hard Rock
CREDITS:
- Producer – Mike Chapman
- Written-By – M. Chapman – N. Chinn*
NOTES:
Came in die-cut sleeve with hype sticker:
From the original motion picture
soundtrack “Times Square”
Labels read: Suzi Quatro AOR Special
Promotion Copy – Not For Sale
Manufactured By – RSO Records, Inc.
Marketed By – RSO Records, Inc.
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
PLEASE READ
There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other
**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!
Password: burningtheground
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