Tag: Phil Harding

February 15, 2016

Erasure – Sometimes (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Sometimes” is a song by British synthpop duo Erasure, released in October 1986 as their fourth single overall.

After three commercial flops from their debut album Wonderland, “Sometimes” became Erasure’s first bona fide hit, peaking at number one in South Africa, number two in their native United Kingdom and in Germany, and becoming a huge international hit. The song became Erasure’s second Top 5 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where it charted alongside “It Doesn’t Have to Be” and peaked at number four.

Written by band members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, “Sometimes” typifies the Erasure “sound” — an uptempo, dance-oriented pop tune accentuated by Clarke’s analogue synthesizers and Bell’s lyrics about being in love. The music video showcases Erasure on a building rooftop — Clarke playing an acoustic guitar and Bell singing — as they weave through white sheets hanging from a laundry line; near the end of the video rain starts to fall on the duo.

“Sometimes” spent seventeen weeks in the UK singles chart — the duo’s longest chart run for a single in that country — and was included on Erasure’s second album The Circus, released six months later in March 1987.

SIDE A:
Sometimes (Shiver Mix) 5:50
Remix [Uncredited] – Rico Conning

Sometimes (Extended Mix) 7:30
Edited By – Joseph Watt
Remix – Rico Conning

SIDE B:
It Doesn’t Have To Be (The Boop Oopa Doo Mix) 7:13
Remix [Uncredited] – Phil Harding

Sexuality (Private Mix) 5:56
Remix – Rico Conning

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1987	Sometimes	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#4
1987	Sometimes	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	#37

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Sire ‎– 0-20614, Sire ‎– 9 20614-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Flood
Written-By – Clarke/Bell

NOTES:
Tracklist of Side A is incorrectly identified on back cover and center labels as:
A1 Sometimes (Extended Mix)
A2 Sometimes (Shiver Mix)

“Sometimes (Extended Mix)” is a longer version of the “Shiver Mix”.

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
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

December 29, 2015

Mel & Kim – Respectable (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Respectable” is a Mel and Kim song written and produced by Stock/Aitken/Waterman that became a UK number one single for one week in March 1987. It was the second UK number one single produced by Stock/Aitken/Waterman, following Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” in 1985, and the first UK number one single that Stock/Aitken/Waterman had written themselves. The single also topped the charts in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Australia and New Zealan in 1987. The single was also a #1 dance hit in the United States.

SIDE A:
Respectable (Vocal / Club Mix)

SIDE B:
Respectable (The Tabloid Mix)
Remix – Mix Master Phil Harding*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1987	Respectable	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#1

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Atlantic ‎– 0-86703, Supreme Records (3) ‎– 0-86703
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Electro, Euro House, Garage House

CREDITS:
Producer, Arranged By – Stock Aitken Waterman*

NOTES:
From the LP “F.L.M.”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

October 20, 2015

Divine – Walk Like A Man (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“Walk Like A Man” is a song originally recorded by The Four Seasons in 1963. American singer, actor and drag queen Divine recorded a Hi-NRG dance version of the song in 1985 which was included on the album Maid In England. Divine’s version peaked at #23 on the UK singles chart. Although the song received significant club play in the US it failed to chart.

SIDE A:
Walk Like A Man & Man Talk 7:47
Written-By – Gaudio/Crewe*, M. Rosen*

SIDE B:
Man Talk 7:02
Written-By – Mark Rosen

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Proto Records ‎– ENAT 125
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop, Hi NRG

CREDITS:
Arranged By – Pete Ware
Artwork – The Bouncing Ball
Artwork [Costume, Hair & Make-up] – Van Smith
Engineer – Mel Jefferson
Management – Bernard Jay
Mixed By, Engineer – Phil Harding
Other [Special Thanks To] – Nick Tichener
Photography By – Bill Bernardo
Producer – Barry Evangeli

NOTES:
Dedicated to Frances and Harris with love.

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

June 15, 2015

Tracey Ullman – Breakaway (UK 10″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1982

New 2015 Re-Rip!
Meticulously Remastered!
First time in 24bit Flac!

Originally posted April 25, 2011

“Breakaway” (spelled “Break-a-Way” on the original 45 RPM label, and spelled “Breakaway” on most subsequent releases and compilations) is a song written by Jackie DeShannon and Sharon Sheeley. It was originally recorded by Irma Thomas in 1964 and released as the B-Side of her biggest hit, the US #17 hit single “Wish Someone Would Care”.

The original version of “Breakaway” was never a hit — it did not make the Billboard Hot 100, nor the Bubbling Under charts, and the extensive chart archive at ARSA does not record a single instance of any radio station anywhere in North America placing the track on its playlist. Nevertheless, “Breakaway” is today generally considered a better-remembered song than the A-Side of Thomas’ record , a situation that may be partly due to Tracey Ullman’s hit 1980s cover. It has become a staple in Thomas’ live performances and appears on several recent Irma Thomas and “New Orleans music” compilations.

“Breakaway” was Tracey Ullman’s 1983 debut single in the UK, and reached #4 in the UK charts. The track then appeared on Ullman’s album You Broke My Heart In 17 Places, which was released in 1984.

In North America, “Breakaway” was actually Ullman’s second single, being released after her hit “They Don’t Know”. It charted at a modest #70 in the US in 1984, although the video for Ullman’s version received significant play on the then-fledgling MTV and Canada’s MuchMusic. The “Well Extended And Remixed Version” was remixed by Phil Harding an English audio engineer, producer and remixer, best known for his extended collaboration with keyboardist and programmer Ian Curnow. The highlight of the duo’s career is their 1980s work for the highly successful record label PWL, and its creative core at the time: Stock Aitken Waterman productions.

SIDE A:
Breakaway (Well Extended And Remixed Version) 5:04
Remix – Phil Harding
Written-By – Jackie De Shannon*, Sharon Sheeley*

SIDE B:
Dancing In The Dark 2:53
Written-By – Collins*, Chapman*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Cover: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1984	Breakaway	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#70

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Stiff Records – SBUY 168
Format: Vinyl, 10″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Mastered By – Arun*
Producer – Peter Collins

NOTES:
Extended Remixed 10″ Record
Produced for Loose End Productions
Made In England

Original version appears on the LP “YOU BROKE MY HEART IN 17 PLACES”

Find the 10″ on DISCOGS

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi