Tag: Prince

May 4, 2016

Patti LaBelle – Yo Mister (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1989

“Yo Mister” is the fourth track on Patti LaBelle’s second MCA Records album Be Yourself. Later in 1989, “Yo Mister” was released as the album’s second single, containing various remixes of the track.

Basic tracks were recorded on November 11, 1986 at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA. Patti LaBelle’s lead vocal overdubs were recorded on May 21, 1988 at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA.

The song is one of LaBelle’s biggest R&B hits to date, peaking at number six on the Billboard R&B chart. The song failed to hit the Billboard Hot 100.

Prince played all instruments and performed backing vocals on the track. The Frankie Knuckles remixes contained on this US 12″ promo are exclusive to this release.

SIDE A:
Yo Mister (Miss Thing’s Club Version) 8:44

SIDE B:
Yo Mister (Miss Thing’s Radio Version) 5:51
Yo Mister (Miss Thing’s Instrumental) 5:49

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1989	Yo Mister	U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles	#8

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records ‎– L33-18087
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: House, Soul

CREDITS:
Executive-Producer – Patti LaBelle
Producer – Prince
Remix – Frankie Knuckles

NOTES:
Promotional Only – Not For Sale

Remixed For Def Mix Productions Ltd.
Original version appears on the MCA LP MCA-6292 “Be Yourself”

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

May 3, 2016

Sheila E. – Special Medley (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“Special Medley” is a 1985 12″ single released only in Europe and Australia to help promote Sheila E.’s debut album Romance 1600 it features a medley of “The Glamorous Life”, “Sister Fate” and “A Love Bizarre.

The b-side “A Love Bizarre” was the last single taken from the album and was Sheila E.’s last major hit and her second biggest behind her debut single “The Glamorous Life”. The song was performed in the film Krush Groove, in which Sheila E. also had a major supporting role. The song was a major hit and reached #1 on the Urban radio airplay and Dance/Club play charts. On other American charts, “A Love Bizarre” went to #2 on the U.S. R&B charts and #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Pop radio airplay charts. “A Love Bizarre”was written by Prince and Sheila E.. The song is a duet between both singers.

SIDE A:
Special Medley Of 7:04

a) The Glamorous Life
Producer [Directed (Produced) By] – Sheila E., The Starr Company*
Written-By – Sheila E.

b) Sister Fate
Producer, Written-By, Arranged By – Sheila E.

c) A Love Bizarre (Pt. I)
Producer, Written-By, Arranged By – Prince, Sheila E.

SIDE B:
A Love Bizarre (Pts. I And II) 7:13
Producer, Written-By, Arranged By – Prince, Sheila E.

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985/56	A Love Bizarre	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#11
1985/86	A Love Bizarre	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#1
1985/86	A Love Bizarre	U.S. Billboard Hot Black singles	#2

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records ‎– W8890 TX
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Partially Mixed
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Mastered By – Tone* (tracks: A1 to A3)

NOTES:
Made in UK

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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

May 2, 2016

Bangles – Manic Monday (Extended Version) (Europe 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“Manic Monday” is a song by the American pop rock band The Bangles, and the first single released from their second studio album, Different Light (1986). It was written by American musician Prince, using the pseudonym “Christopher”. Originally intended for the group Apollonia 6 in 1984, he offered the song to The Bangles two years later. Lyrically, it describes a woman who is waking up to go to work on Monday, wishing it were still Sunday where she could relax.

The song, which was released on Monday January 27, 1986, by Columbia Records, received generally positive reviews from music critics and some comparisons with The Mamas & the Papas’ “Monday, Monday”. It became The Bangles’ first hit.

“Manic Monday” debuted at number eighty-six on the Billboard Hot 100, on the week ending January 25, 1986, and reached a peak of number two, on the issue dated April 19, 1986, being blocked from the top of the chart by Prince and the Revolution’s single “Kiss”. In the United Kingdom “Manic Monday” debuted at number eighty-five on February 8, 1986, and entered the top forty, at number twenty-four, on February 22, 1986. The song eventually reached its peak position, at number two, the next month. In Germany, the single debuted at number twenty-nine on March 17, 1986, reaching the top ten in the next three weeks, and its peak, also at number two, on April 14, 1986, where it stayed two weeks. It remained in the top ten for four more weeks leaving the charts on July 20, 1986.

In Switzerland “Manic Monday” debuted at number twelve on March 30, 1986, becoming the highest debut of the week. It reached its peak two weeks later at number four, where it remained another week. In the Netherlands, the single debuted at number forty-three on February 22, 1986; and managed to reach the number twenty-four. It stayed on the chart for seven weeks. In Norway, “Manic Monday” debuted at number nine in the tenth week of 1986, becoming the second highest debut of the week. It also reached the number four two weeks later, where it stayed another two. The song also peaked within the top five in the Austrian, the Irish, and the New Zealand charts.

Prince has used the pseudonym “Christopher” only one time for writing credits of ‘Manic Monday’.

It’s a reference to “Christopher Tracy,” a character he played in the motion picture ‘Under The Cherry Moon’ (1986) although he never used the full name ‘Christopher Tracy’ as a writing or production alter ego.

SIDE A:
A Manic Monday (Extended Version) 4:40
Written-By – Christopher

SIDE B:
Manic Monday 3:04
Written-By – Christopher

In A Different Light 2:51
Written-By – S. Hoffs*, V. Peterson*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1986	Manic Monday	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#2
1986	Manic Monday	U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	#10

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: CBS ‎– CBSA 13.6796, CBS ‎– A 13.6796
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: Europe
Released: 1985
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop Rock

CREDITS:
Producer – David Kahne

NOTES:
Special Version From The CBS LP: Different Light

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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

April 29, 2016

The Time – The Bird (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“The Bird” was the sixth and final track on The Time’s third album Ice Cream Castle, and, in the Summer/Fall of 1984, The Bird was released as the album’s second single. The Bird was written by Morris Day and Prince under the pseudonym Jamie Starr.

While reflecting on the track’s history on Facebook in 2014, Jesse Johnson wrote “I wrote a 4 track version on 1999 tour, Prince kinda like the hook, he threw the rest of what I did in the trash can as he commenced to write and performed a straight heater.” Johnson’s name was initially included in the credits when submitted for copyright in May 1984, but after he left the band, his name was removed from the credits when the track was released. It was co-produced by Morris Day and Prince under the name The Starr Company. The song also features in the movie Purple Rain.

The released recording is a live recording from The Time’s concert at First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA, on 4 October 1983, and features no musical input by Prince; it is, in fact, the only track on the album to feature the entire line-up of The Time, as the studio tracks were recorded almost entirely by Prince and Morris Day.

Prince and Morris Day did record a studio version of this song also, however, three months after the live recording, on 4 January 1984 (three days after additional recording on We Can Fuck (later released as We Can Funk), and the day before Oliver’s House and The Belle Of St. Mark), but the decision was made to release the live version on the album instead, closing the album in a similar way to Purple Rain, perhaps because of the inclusion of the song in the movie Purple Rain.

The single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 23, 1985 spending thirteen weeks on the survey peaking at #36.

SIDE A:
The Bird (Remix) 6:25

SIDE B:
My Drawers (Edit) 3:43

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	The Bird	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#13
1985	The Bird	U.S. Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Singles	#11
1985	The Bird	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#10

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records ‎– 9 20315-0 A, Warner Bros. Records ‎– 0-20315
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Funk

CREDITS:
Producer [Produced By] – Morris Day, The Starr * Company
Written-By – Morris Day , Prince [Uncredited]

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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