Tag: Nile Rodgers

Carly Simon – Why (Extended Version) (UK 12″) (1982)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

After two visits to the Two Of A Kind soundtrack, Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition moves to another movie whose music proved far more lasting than the film itself.

Today’s selection is Carly Simon’s “Why,” from the 1982 motion picture soundtrack Soup For One.

On paper, Carly Simon working with Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers might have seemed like an unusual match. Carly was closely associated with the thoughtful singer-songwriter sound of the 1970s, while Edwards and Rodgers had created the sleek dance-floor sound of Chic.

Once the needle drops, however, the question is not why they worked together.

The question is why they did not record an entire album.

“Why” was written, produced, arranged, and conducted by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. Chic recorded the instrumental backing track, while Carly supplied the lead vocal. The result is not a typical Carly Simon record with a disco beat added to it. It is a full Chic production built around one of pop music’s most recognizable voices.

Soup For One was a 1982 romantic comedy written and directed by Jonathan Kaufer. The film follows a New York bachelor searching for the perfect woman. It failed to make much of an impression at the box office, but the soundtrack assembled an impressive collection of R&B, pop, and dance recordings produced by the Chic Organization.

Along with Carly Simon, the album featured Chic, Debbie Harry, Teddy Pendergrass, Sister Sledge, Fonzi Thornton, and the Chic Organization itself.

The film may have disappeared.

The soundtrack refused to go with it.

“Why” was a dramatic change of direction for Carly. The record leaves behind the piano-driven pop and confessional songwriting most listeners associated with her. In their place are Bernard Edwards’ elastic bass, Nile Rodgers’ clipped guitar, soft keyboards, handclaps, and a relaxed rhythm that sits somewhere between post-disco, reggae, funk, and dub.

The groove is light, but the emotion is not.

Carly sings about a relationship filled with mixed signals. She sounds hurt, confused, and increasingly frustrated, but the production never becomes heavy. Her repeated cries of “Why?” float above one of the most effortless grooves Edwards and Rodgers ever created.

That contrast is the magic of the record.

The lyric is heartbroken.

The music makes you want to dance.

Carly does not attempt to sound like a traditional disco singer. She keeps the conversational quality that made her earlier recordings so personal. Her pauses, sighs, and changes in tone make the performance feel spontaneous, as though she is working through the argument while the tape is running.

Edwards and Rodgers surround her with space.

Nothing feels crowded. The bass carries the melody, the guitar slips quietly through the rhythm, and the keyboards add just enough color. Even when stretched beyond eight minutes, the track never feels rushed or overworked.

The single performed modestly in the United States, reaching number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, however, “Why” became a genuine hit. It reached number 10 and remained on the chart for eighteen weeks.

Its story did not end in 1982.

“Why” later found a new audience in British and European clubs, becoming associated with the Balearic sound that grew during the late 1980s. The song returned to the UK chart in 1989, reaching number 56, and its bass line and rhythm continued to influence DJs, producers, and hip-hop artists.

Decades later, the record no longer sounds like a strange detour in Carly Simon’s career. It sounds ahead of its time.

Pitchfork included “Why” in its list of the 200 best songs of the 1980s, another sign that the record’s reputation eventually grew far beyond its original chart performance.

The song also received a music video filmed on the streets of New York City. Carly’s daughter Sally Taylor makes an appearance, pouring a bottle of wine over a man’s head. The playful clip matches the record’s mixture of romantic frustration and cool detachment.

For this post, I am featuring the original UK 12-inch single.

Side one contains the Extended Version of “Why,” running approximately 8:09. Side two contains the Instrumental Extended Version, running approximately 7:06. The instrumental is credited to Chic, confirming that the musicians behind the groove were not simply studio players hired for a Carly Simon session. This was the Chic Organization at work.

The Extended Version takes its time establishing the rhythm before Carly enters. Once she does, the mix allows her vocal phrases to drift in and out of the arrangement. The extra length gives Bernard Edwards’ bass line even more room to work its magic.

This is not an extended mix filled with dramatic edits, added effects, or sudden changes.

It does not need them.

The strength of “Why” is the groove itself. Edwards and Rodgers understood that the best thing a remix could do was stay out of its way.

The Instrumental Version reveals just how complete the backing track is without Carly’s vocal. The bass, guitar, percussion, and keyboards form a hypnotic Chic recording that could easily stand on its own.

Still, Carly’s absence leaves an unmistakable space.

Her performance is what transforms the track from an elegant groove into a conversation, an argument, and a heartbreak song.

“Why” is one of the great unexpected collaborations of the 1980s. Carly Simon brought vulnerability and personality. Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers brought the rhythm, precision, and unmistakable Chic sound.

Soup For One may not be remembered as a classic movie.

Its soundtrack gave us a classic record.

Why?

Sometimes the strangest combinations make the most perfect sense.

SIDE A:
Carly Simon – Why (Extended Version) 8:11

SIDE B:
Chic – Why (Instrumental (Extended Version)) 7:05

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Year Chart Peak Position
1982 UK Singles Chart 10
1982 US Billboard Hot 100 74
1989 UK Singles Chart (Reissue) 56

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: WEA – K 79300T, Mirage (2) – K79300T
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic, Reggae, Funk / Soul, Pop
Style: Disco, Funk, Downtempo, Soundtrack

CREDITS:

NOTES:
From the original motion picture soundtrack album Soup For One – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack K99236

Produced, arranged and conducted for the CHIC Organisation Ltd.
Carly Simon appears, courtesy of Warner Brothers Records

Manufactured in the UK

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

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Chaka Khan – (Krush Groove) Can’t Stop The Street (US 12″) (1985)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

After the polished electronic pop of Olivia Newton-John, Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition heads straight into the streets of New York City.

Today’s selection is Chaka Khan’s “(Krush Groove) Can’t Stop The Street,” recorded for the soundtrack to the 1985 film Krush Groove.

Chaka Khan was already one of the most powerful and versatile voices in music. Whether performing funk with Rufus, disco, jazz, rock, pop, or electronic dance music, she could take control of almost any song placed in front of her.

“Can’t Stop The Street” gave her another world to conquer.

Krush Groove was loosely inspired by the early years of Russell Simmons and the rise of Def Jam Recordings. Blair Underwood made his feature-film debut as Russell Walker, a young record promoter trying to build his label while struggling to finance the success of his artists.

The film brought together an incredible lineup that included Run-DMC, Sheila E., Kurtis Blow, The Fat Boys, New Edition, LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, and several other performers from New York’s growing hip-hop scene. Directed by Michael Schultz, Krush Groove opened in October 1985 after a fast twenty-six-day shoot around New York City.

It is part movie, part musical showcase, and part time capsule.

The plot may be fictionalized, but the energy surrounding the music is real. Krush Groove arrived when hip-hop was moving beyond clubs, neighborhood parties, and independent singles into movies, major-label releases, and mainstream popular culture.

Chaka was an ideal artist to help connect those worlds.

Only a year earlier, “I Feel For You” had combined her enormous voice with synthesizers, electronic rhythms, scratching, and Melle Mel’s unforgettable rap introduction. It became one of the defining records of her career and proved how naturally she could move between classic R&B and the new sounds developing around her.

“Can’t Stop The Street” continues in that direction.

The rap heard near the beginning of the song is performed by none other than Nile Rodgers. Best known as the co-founder and guitarist of Chic, as well as one of the era’s most important producers, Rodgers briefly steps up to the microphone and adds another surprising name to the recording’s credits.

His appearance also feels perfectly suited to the track. Nile Rodgers had already helped shape disco, funk, and dance music, while Chaka was bringing those traditions into the electronic and hip-hop-driven sound of the mid-1980s.

The song was written by Dan Hartman and Charlie Midnight, the team behind several memorable soundtrack recordings of the period. Hartman had recently scored his own major soundtrack hit with “I Can Dream About You” from Streets Of Fire.

Production was handled by Russ Titelman, with an arrangement by Philippe Saisse. Titelman had already worked extensively with Chaka and understood how to surround her voice with a busy production without allowing it to become buried.

The track begins with an immediate sense of movement. Electronic drums, synthesizers, vocal effects, and streetwise chants create a restless mixture of R&B, dance music, and electro-funk.

Then Chaka arrives.

Her performance is playful, commanding, and completely fearless. She does not approach the song like an outside guest trying to sound comfortable with hip-hop. She attacks it as if the street has always belonged to her.

Few singers could move so easily from a rough growl to a clear, soaring note. Chaka uses both sides of her voice here. She can sound loose and spontaneous one moment, then cut directly through the production with tremendous force the next.

The repeated chorus is simple, but she gives it authority. You believe that the street cannot be stopped because Chaka Khan is the one delivering the message.

“Can’t Stop The Street” also reflects the film’s larger celebration of music created outside the traditional industry system. The street represents more than a location. It is where the rhythms, fashions, dances, and ideas begin before the record companies discover them.

By the time the business catches up, the movement is already underway.

The song opened the Krush Groove soundtrack album, placing Chaka at the front of a collection that also featured LL Cool J, Kurtis Blow, The Fat Boys, Debbie Harry, Sheila E., the Beastie Boys, The Gap Band, Force M.D.’s, and the Krush Groove All-Stars.

Although the single did not reach the Billboard Hot 100, it performed well in the markets where Chaka’s audience remained strongest. It reached number 18 on Billboard’s R&B chart and number 30 on its dance chart. In the UK, it reached number 80 and remained on the chart for two weeks.

Those numbers do not tell the full story.

By 1985, Chaka had released an extraordinary run of singles from I Feel For You, including the title track, “This Is My Night,” “Through The Fire,” and “Eye To Eye.” “Can’t Stop The Street” arrived between those releases and her next studio album, making it easy for the song to become lost among her larger hits.

It also belonged exclusively to a various-artists soundtrack rather than one of her own albums.

For soundtrack collectors, that is part of its appeal.

For this post, I am featuring the US 12-inch single. Side one contains the 6:01 Extended Dance Mix, while the B-side includes the 5:15 Instrumental.

The Extended Dance Mix gives the rhythm more room to breathe. The opening is expanded, the electronic percussion becomes more prominent, and Chaka’s vocal phrases are allowed to bounce around the arrangement. The extra space brings the track’s electro and hip-hop elements closer to the surface.

This is not a remix that completely rebuilds the record.

Instead, it stretches the original production and focuses attention on its rhythm. The result feels tougher, looser, and more suited to a dance floor.

The Instrumental is equally valuable. Without Chaka’s lead vocal commanding the center, it becomes easier to hear how much is happening underneath her. The synthesizers, programmed drums, edits, and vocal effects reveal a production very much tied to the changing sound of 1985.

Of course, removing Chaka Khan from a Chaka Khan record creates a rather large empty space.

That may be the best proof of how much she brings to the song.

“Can’t Stop The Street” may not be one of the first titles mentioned when people discuss Chaka Khan’s career, but it captures an exciting moment in her evolution.

She had already conquered funk, soul, disco, and pop. Here she stepped into the growing world of electro and hip-hop without sacrificing any part of her musical identity.

The street could not be stopped.

With Chaka Khan leading the charge, it never stood a chance.

SIDE A:
(Krush Groove) Can’t Stop The Street (Extended Dance Mix) 6:04

SIDE B:
(Krush Groove) Can’t Stop The Street (Instrumental) 5:11

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart (1985) Peak Position
US Billboard Hot Black Singles 18
US Billboard Dance Club Songs 30
UK Singles Chart 80

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records – 0-20367, Warner Bros. Records – 20367 A
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Hip Hop
Style: Electro

CREDITS:

NOTES:
From the forthcoming Warner Bros album “ Krush Groove – Music From The Original Motion Picture Sound Track ” 9 25295-1, 1-25295.

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

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Arcadia – So Red the Rose (1985–2025): A 40th Anniversary Retrospective

A 40th Anniversary Tribute

Forty years ago, in November 1985, three members of Duran Duran stepped sideways into a lush, art-driven dreamscape and created one of the most daring projects of the decade. Arcadia’s So Red the Rose wasn’t just a side-project — it was a manifesto. A stylish, romantic, avant-pop statement that embraced everything bold, beautiful, and experimental about the mid-80s.

Where Duran Duran were conquering arenas and MTV, Arcadia — Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, and Roger Taylor — leaned into a darker, more atmospheric world. So Red the Rose shimmered with shadow and elegance, wrapped in high fashion, surrealist imagery, and a sonic palette as rich as its crimson title. If Duran Duran were the soundtrack to neon nightlife, Arcadia was the soundtrack to a midnight art gallery.

The Sound of a Band Breaking Rules

Produced with Alex Sadkin and featuring an extraordinary lineup of guests — Grace Jones, Sting, David Gilmour, Herbie Hancock, and Nile Rodgers — the album felt like a fever dream brought to life. Its textures drifted through ambient pop, art rock, post-punk drama, and gilded synth atmospheres.

“Election Day,” the album’s biggest hit, was a swirling, mysterious epic anchored by Grace Jones’ unforgettable spoken-word performance. “Goodbye Is Forever,” “The Flame,” and the towering “The Promise” showcased the trio’s ambition, pushing the boundaries of what mainstream pop could be in 1985.

And then there was “Lady Ice,” “El Diablo,” and “Missing” — cinematic, moody, gorgeously produced deep cuts that revealed just how committed Arcadia were to crafting a complete world.

Visuals as Bold as the Music

Arcadia didn’t just make an album — they created a universe. Sleek black-and-white photography, painted masks, couture glamour, the long-form Arcadia Video collection… everything was meticulously curated. It was Art with a capital A, as if Duran Duran’s New Romantic roots had blossomed into a baroque bloom.

Even the videos felt like museum pieces — stylish, symbolic, and dreamlike. In 1985, nobody else in pop was doing anything quite like Arcadia.

Four decades later, So Red the Rose stands as one of the essential cult classics of the 80s. It remains a testament to artistic freedom at the height of commercial success — the sound of musicians choosing to explore their imagination rather than repeat themselves.

Many fans consider it the “true” third Duran Duran album in spirit, a spiritual sibling to Rio in its glamour and to Seven and the Ragged Tiger in its mystery. It’s an album that rewards deep listening, late-night headphones, and anyone who loves the lush, dramatic side of the decade.

In 2025, So Red the Rose still feels like a rare gem: elegant, strange, hypnotic, timeless.

Happy 40th Anniversary to Arcadia’s masterpiece — the album that painted the 80s a deeper shade of red.

-DjPaulT (Burning The Ground)

Duran Duran – The Wild Boys (Japan 12″) (1984)

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NEW 2025 Transfer!
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration!

Original post date: December 22, 2016

In late 1984, Duran Duran unleashed “The Wild Boys,” a pounding, futuristic anthem that marked a darker turn for the band and became one of their most iconic singles of the era. The track was conceived as part of a proposed film project based on the William S. Burroughs novel The Wild Boys: A Book of the Dead, with the idea pushed by director Russell Mulcahy (who had helmed many of the band’s most lavish videos). While the film never came to fruition, the song and its accompanying video pushed boundaries—and budgets—at the time.

Produced by the legendary Nile Rodgers, “Wild Boys” was the only studio track on the band’s live album Arena and perfectly fused the band’s pop sensibility with Rodgers’ cutting-edge production and dancefloor sensibilities. The result was a sonic assault of heavy synths, aggressive guitar stabs, tribal drums, and Simon Le Bon’s defiant vocal delivery.

The Extended Mix takes the drama up several notches, building the tension with a long, cinematic intro that recalls the dystopian atmosphere of the video. The breakdowns and effects-laden passages give the song more room to breathe and further highlight Rodgers’ intricate production.

Chart-wise, “Wild Boys” was a smash. It reached #2 in both the US and UK, blocked from the top in the US by Hall & Oates’ “Out of Touch.” It also gave Duran Duran their first #1 in Germany and South Africa, proving the band’s international staying power as they transitioned from New Romantic heartthrobs into global pop powerhouses.

Fun fact: Simon Le Bon nearly drowned during the filming of the video, which featured the band tied to a windmill and submerged in a water tank. It’s a miracle the band made it out intact—both literally and figuratively.

The B-side, “(I’m Looking For) Cracks In The Pavement (Live),” was recorded during the band’s 5 March 1984 show at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. This is the same concert where the video for “The Reflex” was filmed—capturing the band at the height of their early-’80s hysteria with screaming fans and high-voltage energy. The live track offers a grittier, rawer take on the Seven and the Ragged Tiger album cut, giving fans a peek into the band’s powerful live presence during their Sing Blue Silver tour.

“Wild Boys” remains a touchstone of mid-80s maximalism: all attitude, danger, and style. It’s the sound of a band pushing their limits—and taking us along for the ride.

SIDE A:
The Wild Boys (Wilder Than Wild Boys) (Extended Mix) 8:00
Producer – Nile Rodgers

SIDE B:
The Wild Boys (45) 4:18
Producer – Nile Rodgers

(I’m Looking For) Cracks In The Pavement (1984) 4:10
Engineer [Live Recording] – George Tutko
Engineer, Mixed By – Jason Corsaro

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

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1984 The Wild Boys U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #2
1984 The Wild Boys U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music / Club Play #27

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI ‎– S14-102
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: Japan
Released: Nov 21, 1984
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

NOTES:
From the LP “ARENA”

Track B2 was recorded live on tour 1984.
Mastered at Masterdisk.

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 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.