Tag: Promo

February 24, 2026

Erasure/Depeche Mode – World Beyond Blue (US 12″ Promo) (1990)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

WORLD BEYOND BLUE

Razormaid Digital Mixes by Art Maharg
a DjPaulT Custom 12″ Single.

There are moments in synth-pop history where two parallel worlds feel destined to collide.

On one side, you have the romantic sweep and melodic grandeur of Blue Savannah — all widescreen emotion and soaring drama. On the other, the sensual restraint and hypnotic pulse of World in My Eyes — minimalist, shadowed, intimate.

Both were released in 1990.
Both club staples.
Both were transformed in the underground by Razormaid.

This custom 12″ — World Beyond Blue — imagines a promotional DJ pressing that could have existed at the height of remix service culture, when vinyl still ruled the booth and extended mixes were crafted with surgical precision.

The Remixes

Both tracks were remixed by Art Maharg, co-founder of the legendary Razormaid Remix Service.

Maharg’s approach was never about excess — it was about architecture. Precision edits. Clean digital transitions. Rebuilt intros and outros designed for seamless beatmatching. His mixes weren’t just longer — they were engineered for DJs.

The “Digital Mix” designation feels especially appropriate here. In 1990, that word carried weight. It meant modern. It meant crisp. It meant future-facing.

Why These Two Tracks?

Blue Savannah is expansive and emotional — almost celestial in tone.
World In My Eyes is grounded and physical — a whisper in the dark.

Together, they represent two poles of early 90s electronic pop:
light and shadow, devotion and desire, horizon and interior.

World Beyond Blue lives in the space between them.

The Sleeve Concept

I designed this to feel like a minimalist promotional pressing, the sleeve embraces a midnight blue-to-black gradient — a distant glowing horizon fading into darkness. No band photography. No logos. Just typography and atmosphere.

It’s meant to feel discovered. Like something that surfaced from a DJ crate three decades late.

The Era

1990 was a turning point.

Erasure were riding the success of Wild!
Depeche Mode had just released Violator — a record that would redefine their trajectory.

Razormaid, operating quietly in the background, was reshaping how club versions functioned. These weren’t label-sanctioned commercial remixes — they were tools. Functional, extended, and often superior for the dancefloor.

This custom 12″ pays tribute to that craft.

There’s something beautiful about imagining alternate vinyl histories — releases that never officially existed but absolutely should have.

World Beyond Blue is one of those records.

Turn it up.
Dim the lights.
Let the horizon glow.

— Paul

SIDE A:
Erasure – Blue Savannah (Digital Mix) 6:40
Remix [Digital Mix] – Art Maharg
Taken From Razormaid This Is Only A Test!

SIDE B:
Depeche Mode – World In My Eyes (Digital Mix) 7:40
Remix – Art Maharg
Taken From Razormaid Cycle Two – Sector Three

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Razormaid Records – c2-s3, Razormaid Records – SP-013
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1990
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Custom Sleeve Artwork [Design] – DjPaulT

NOTES:
For Promotional Use Only

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Music Black
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.

February 4, 2026

Information Society – Informedleymation (US 12″ Promo) (1990)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Today I’m spotlighting a very special 12″ release built for the dancefloor faithful and the Information Society deep divers. This one pulls together two Hot Tracks–exclusive remixes from the American electronic band Information Society, hailing from Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Minnesota, at a moment when Hack was still pulsing through clubs and radio alike.

Side A features Informedleymation, a Hot Tracks medley crafted by Glenn Cattanach that dives deep into the band’s second studio album, Hack. Rather than leaning solely on the obvious choice, Cattanach smartly anchors the mix around the era’s hit “Think”, while seamlessly weaving in four additional cuts from the album. Working directly from the Hack CD and assembling the mix via DAT, he achieved a crystal-clear, full-frequency medley that still sounds pristine today. It’s a masterclass in early-’90s remix craftsmanship—clean, punchy, and designed to keep momentum locked from start to finish.

Flip the record and Side B delivers the Digital Remix of “How Long,” originally released as the second single from Hack in 1991. Here, the track gets an entirely new lease on life thanks to a remix by legendary DJ, remixer, and producer Chris Cox. Cox brings his unmistakable touch to the mix, sharpening the track’s rhythmic edge while preserving its emotional core. It’s sleek, club-ready, and unmistakably built for serious sound systems—proof of how a great remix can reframe a song without losing its soul.

Together, these two Hot Tracks mixes form a perfectly balanced 12″: one side celebrating the album as a whole through a thoughtfully constructed medley, the other zeroing in on a single track and pushing it straight onto the dancefloor. For fans of Information Society, remix culture, or the golden era of DJ record pools, this release is a reminder of just how inventive and influential that moment truly was.

A killer slice of early ’90s electronic history—pressed loud, mixed smart, and made to move bodies.

SIDE A:
Informedleymation 8:07
DJ Mix [Megamix] – Glenn Cattanach
Written-By – Maher, Valaquen, Robb*

1 – Come With Me
2 – Think
3 – Move Out
4 – How Long
5 – Now That I Have You

SIDE B:
How Long (Digital Remix) 6:17
Remix Chris Cox
Written-By – P. Robb*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Custom

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Hot Tracks – SA 9-9, Hot Tracks – SA 10-1
Series: Hot Tracks Series – 9-9, Hot Tracks Series – 10-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Compilation, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1990
Genre: Electronic, Hip Hop, Pop
Style: House, Hip-House, Hi NRG, Euro House, Garage House

CREDITS:

Compilation Producer – Chris Cox
Custom Sleeve [Artwork] – DjPaulT

NOTES:
DJ Use Only

Buy Hot Tracks SA 9-9 at DISCOGGS

Buy Hot Tracks SA 10-1 at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

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.

January 29, 2026

Wild Blue – Fire With Fire (US 12″ Promo) (1986)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Closet 80s is a recurring series spotlighting overlooked and forgotten gems from the decade—songs that may not have dominated the charts but left a lasting impression. These are the records that still spark memories, reward rediscovery, and prove that some of the best ’80s music lived just outside the spotlight.

Wild Blue – Fire With Fire (1986)

Some songs feel inseparable from their moment—and Fire With Fire by Wild Blue is one of those lost 80s gems that deserves another listen.

Released in 1986, Fire With Fire was written specifically for the film of the same name, giving the track an immediate cinematic urgency. The song was written and produced by Chas Sandford, best known for co-writing John Waite’s Missing You. His knack for emotionally direct, radio-ready songwriting is all over this track—polished, dramatic, and built to connect.

Wild Blue were a Chicago-based band fronted by lead singer Renee Varo, whose powerful yet controlled vocal performance gives the song its emotional core. Firmly rooted in the AOR (Album-Oriented Rock) world, Fire With Fire balances melody and muscle, letting the verses simmer before the chorus opens up with conviction and fire.

The song enjoyed strong exposure beyond radio thanks to its music video, which received heavy rotation on MTV. In the mid-’80s, that kind of visibility mattered, and Fire With Fire fit perfectly alongside the era’s emotionally charged rock and pop visuals.

On the charts, the single debuted at #89 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on May 17, 1986, eventually peaking at #71. While it never became a major hit, its MTV presence and AOR appeal helped it leave a lasting impression. The track would later appear on Wild Blue’s debut album, No More Jinx, cementing its place as the band’s defining moment.

Fire With Fire is exactly the kind of record Closet 80s was made for—a song that may not have dominated the charts, but still captures the sound, ambition, and emotion of its time. Turn it up and rediscover a track that proves some fires never really go out.

SIDE A:
Fire With Fire (Edit) 3:30

SIDE B:
Fire With Fire (Long Version) 4:41

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance — Wild Blue: *Fire With Fire* (1986)
Chart	Peak Position	Date
US Billboard Hot 100	#71	1986

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Chrysalis – VAS-2289
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Pop, Rock
Style: Pop Rock

CREDITS:

Engineer – Gary McGachan
Mixed By – Chas Sandford, Gary McGachan
Producer – Chas Sandford
Written-By – C. Sandford*

NOTES:
For Promotional Use Only

From the forthcoming LP “No More Jinx” and the Motion Picture “Fire With Fire.”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

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.

January 22, 2026

Cindy Mizelle – This Could Be The Night (US 12″ Promo) (1984)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Before freestyle took over the clubs, Cindy Mizelle delivered this emotional floor-filler on the Beat Street soundtrack.

Released in 1984, “This Could Be The Night” stands as an early freestyle dance landmark and a key contribution to the influential Beat Street soundtrack. While the film is often cited for helping bring hip-hop and breakdance culture into the mainstream, its soundtrack also documented the parallel rise of freestyle—romantic, melodic, and rooted in the clubs of New York and New Jersey. Cindy Mizelle’s single captured that sound at a formative moment, pairing emotional urgency with dancefloor precision.

Born in Englewood, New Jersey, Cindy Mizelle began singing at a very young age. Raised in the church, she attended First Baptist Church in Englewood with her grandmother and eventually joined the choir, an experience that helped shape her powerful sense of phrasing and control. She attended Dwight Morrow High School and cites the Mizell Brothers—her cousins—and Cissy Houston as key musical influences, grounding her style in gospel discipline and classic soul tradition.

By the age of 17, Mizelle was already working professionally as a touring singer. Her early recording credits include vocals on Lemelle’s 1982 single “You Got Something Special,” followed by the 1983 album Pump the Nation with her band Attitude. In 1984, she stepped into the spotlight with “This Could Be The Night,” a freestyle track that aligned her with a genre just beginning to define itself.

Produced by Arthur Baker, the single reflects a producer at the height of his creative reach. Known for shaping the sound of electro and early hip-hop, Baker here adapts his approach to freestyle’s melodic framework. Driving drum machine patterns, pulsing synth basslines, and dramatic keyboard flourishes provide the foundation for Mizelle’s vocal, which delivers yearning and anticipation with clarity and emotional weight. The result is a song built for late-night dance floors, where romance and rhythm collide.

Though “This Could Be The Night” did not dominate the charts, its inclusion on the Beat Street soundtrack gave it lasting visibility and historical significance. In hindsight, the track feels like a bridge—connecting gospel-trained vocalists, club culture, and emerging freestyle into a sound that would soon explode in popularity with artists such as Shannon, Exposé, and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam.

Beyond her solo work, Cindy Mizelle went on to become one of the most in-demand backing vocalists in popular music. Her résumé reads like a modern music history textbook, with performances alongside Billy Ocean, Chaka Khan, Evelyn King, Mariah Carey, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross, The Rolling Stones, Steely Dan, Dave Matthews Band, and Alicia Keys. She also wrote music for Aretha Franklin and toured with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band—an extraordinary range that speaks to her versatility and professionalism.

Today, “This Could Be The Night” remains a compelling snapshot of 1984 freestyle culture: emotional, dance-driven, and full of promise. It also marks an important early chapter in the career of a singer whose voice would go on to shape countless recordings behind the scenes, even as this single continues to glow as a standout moment in her own spotlight.

SIDE A:
This Could Be The Night (Vocal/Extended Version) 6:56

SIDE B:
This Could Be The Night (Instrumental/Dub Mix) 5:18

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Atlantic – DMD 769
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Maxi-Single, Promo, SP (Specialty Records Corporation Pressing)
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Freestyle

CREDITS:

Arranged By [Co-Arranged] – Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers
Edited By [Edits By] – Albert Cabrera, The Latin Rascals, Tony Moran
Engineer [Mix] – Andy Wallace, Chris Lord-Alge
Producer, Arranged By, Mixed By – Arthur Baker
Written-By – Arthur Baker, Carl Sturken, Chris Lord-Alge, Evan Rogers, Tina B

NOTES:
PROMOTIONAL COPY
NOT FOR SALE

Version of Atlantic LP 80154 – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack “BEAT STREET”.

Artist name is not printed on B side label.

Housed inside company “12 Inch Maxi Single III” die-cut sleeve.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND

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.