Tag: Richard James Burgess

February 12, 2026

King – Won’t You Hold My Hand Now (Heavy Times Mix) (US 12″) (1984)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Before Love & Pride became a defining pop moment of 1985, King were already refining their bright, brassy brand of new wave soul. One of the key stepping stones in that ascent was “Won’t You Hold My Hand Now,” the third single lifted from their debut LP Steps In Time.

Originally released in 1984, the single failed to ignite immediately, reaching only #112 on the UK Singles Chart. At that point, King were still carving out their identity in a crowded mid-’80s pop landscape. Stylish? Absolutely. Catchy? Undeniably. But they hadn’t yet broken through.

Everything changed with the explosive success of “Love & Pride.” After that breakthrough hit stormed the charts, “Won’t You Hold My Hand Now” was re-released in March 1985 and finally connected with a wider audience, climbing to #24 on the UK Singles Chart. It was proof that sometimes the public just needs a nudge — or a hit — to look back and discover what they missed.

Brass, Bounce, and Romantic Urgency

Musically, the track is quintessential King. Paul King’s distinctive vocal delivery balances urgency and vulnerability, while the band propels the song forward with punchy brass stabs, tight rhythm guitar, and polished keyboard textures. The production straddles late new romantic flair and the emerging sophisti-pop sheen that would define much of 1985’s radio sound.

At its core, the song is simple and relatable — a plea for reassurance, connection, and emotional grounding. Wrapped in vibrant instrumentation, that vulnerability becomes something celebratory rather than desperate.

A Treat for 12″ Collectors

For vinyl enthusiasts, the US 12″ single offers something particularly special. The two remixes featured on the B-side are exclusive to the American 12″ release, making it an essential pickup for serious King collectors. These extended versions stretch the groove beautifully, giving the brass and rhythm section more room to breathe while enhancing the track’s dancefloor appeal — a perfect example of how the 12-inch format could elevate an already strong pop single.

It’s details like these that make collecting so rewarding: alternate mixes, regional exclusives, and subtle production differences that tell their own story.

A Second Chance Well Earned

“Won’t You Hold My Hand Now” may not have exploded out of the gate, but its re-release success solidified King’s brief yet brilliant run in the mid-’80s spotlight. Alongside Love & Pride and the rest of Step In Time, it captures a moment when British pop was colorful, ambitious, and unapologetically stylish.

Sometimes all it takes is one big hit to make the world circle back — and realize what was there all along.

SIDE A:
Won’t You Hold My Hand Now (Heavy Times Mix) 7:49
Producer – Liam Henshall*

SIDE B:
Won’t You Hold My Hand Now (85 Reasons To Hold Hands Mix) 5:07
Producer – Richard James Burgess

Won’t You Hold My Hand Now (Dub Mix) 3:22
Producer – Richard James Burgess

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance – King: *Won’t You Hold My Hand Now* (1984)
Chart	Peak Position	Date
UK Singles Chart	#24	1984
Australia (Kent Music Report)	#86	1984
Belgium (ultrapop)	#14	1984

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic – 49 05286
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Stereo, Pitman Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Photography By – Sheila Rock
Written-By – J. Lantsbery*, M. Roberts*, P. King*, T. Wall*

NOTES:
Also available King “Steps In Time” on Epic Records and Cassettes

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
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.

November 6, 2025

Spandau Ballet – To Cut A Long Story Short (UK 12″) (1980)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

NEW 2025 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Original post date: January 22, 2018

“To Cut a Long Story Short” was Spandau Ballet’s debut single, released on November 3, 1980, and it quickly became a defining anthem of the New Romantic movement, reaching No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart.

Origins and Release

Spandau Ballet emerged from London’s avant‑garde club scene—most famously the Blitz nightclub—where art, style, and music collided. The band had a devoted following before signing to Chrysalis. Written by guitarist Gary Kemp and produced by Richard James Burgess, the single was released on October 31, 1980 and later appeared on Journeys to Glory (1981).

The track set a template for their early sound: synth‑pop blended with art‑pop, new wave, and a touch of disco and funk—an aesthetic that matched the Blitz Kids’ future‑modern dressing and theatricality.

Musical Style

The 7″ single runs around 3:20; the 12″ expands the arrangement for club play, emphasizing rhythmic drive and layered textures. Tony Hadley’s baritone sits atop metallic synth lines and clipped percussion, producing a sound that is at once urgent and stylish. Burgess’s production foregrounds electronic timbres and a crisp sheen that became emblematic of the band’s early aesthetic.

Lyrics and Theme

Cryptic and evocative, the lyrics—lines like “War upon war, heat upon heat, to cut a long story short, I lost my mind”—suggest identity, disorientation, and psychological strain. Some readings place this language alongside images of post‑conflict confusion; others see it as a more personal, emotional unraveling. The ambiguity gives the song its haunting edge.

Cover Art

Part of Spandau Ballet’s deal with Chrysalis was that the band would have control over every aspect of how their music was marketed, including artwork, videos, and the selection of singles. They found much of their creative support at the Blitz club. Blitz regular and Camberwell College of Arts graphics student Graham Smith designed the sleeve for their debut single as well as the album Journeys to Glory and its accompanying singles: The Freeze, Muscle Bound, and Glow.

“I wanted to create an overall corporate visual package for Spandau that was cutting edge and reflected their aspirations. It had to have style,” Smith explained. The minimalist cover art for “To Cut A Long Story Short” reflected the lyric “I am beautiful and clean.” There was no photo of the band, which Gary Kemp thought would be “too risky, given the speed at which styles were changing.” Smith later remarked that this decision, seen as uncommercial by Chrysalis, gave the band mystique and reinforced their autonomy: “It added strength to Spandau as they were clearly stating they were not packaged by the record company but doing things on their terms.”

Reception and Legacy

Upon release the single peaked at No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart, and helped position Spandau Ballet as leaders of the New Romantic movement. While later singles — The Freeze, Musclebound, and then the more soulful True — explored different textures, this debut remains the clearest statement of the band’s early vision.

Cultural Impact

Fashion and music were inseparable around this record: sharp tailoring, theatrical staging, and club style were part of the package. The single became a Blitz fixture and helped elevate New Romantic aesthetics from underground to mainstream.

SIDE A:
To Cut A Long Story Short (Mix 1) 6:30

SIDE B:
To Cut A Long Story Short (Version) (Mix 2) 3:58

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

Chart Performance — Spandau Ballet: *To Cut A Long Story Short* (1980)
Chart	Peak Position	Date
US Billboard Dance Club Songs	#28	1980
UK Singles	#5	1980

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Reformation – CHS 12 2473, Chrysalis – CHS 12 2473
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: Nov 3, 1980
Genre: Electronic
Style: New wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Graphics – Graham Smith (5)
Producer – Richard James Burgess
Written-By – G. Kemp*

NOTES:
Alternate non die-cut embossed sleeve
Utopia Studios ‘lyre symbol’ etched on the runouts.

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.

December 16, 2022

Spandau Ballet – She Loved Like Diamond (UK 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1982

“She Loved Like Diamond” is a song by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 11 January 1982 as the third single from what would be their second album, Diamond. The music video and cover art for the single focused on the sexual themes in the lyrics and the allure of the title character. In writing the song, their guitarist/songwriter Gary Kemp was influenced by American Jewish music with an eastern European flavour that he had heard in movie themes and musicals. Most reviews singled out lead singer Tony Hadley’s performance as the main problem with the recording, which only mustered a number 49 peak position on the UK Singles Chart. The poor showing prompted the idea to release another song from the album, but the band realized that getting a new single to succeed would require a remix of the disappointing work of their current producer and decided to discontinue their association with him in doing so.

“She Loved Like Diamond” was released on 11 January 1982, and only got as high as number 49 on the UK Singles Chart. The number 30 showing of “Paint Me Down” meant that the studio performance of that song that they filmed for the British music chart television programme Top of the Pops went unaired, so it was clear that an appearance there to promote “She Loved Like Diamond” was not going to happen.

SIDE A:
She Loved Like Diamond (Re-Mix) 3:39

SIDE B:
She Loved Like Diamond (Instrumental) 2:56

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Reformation – CHS 12 2585, Chrysalis – CHS 12 2585
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: Jan 25, 1982
Genre: Pop
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Composed By – Gary Kemp
Design [Graphics] –Graham Smith (5)
Producer – Richard James Burgess

NOTES:
Side A is not credited as a Re-Mix on the labels or sleeve.
From the LP “DIAMOND”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable:Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Elite
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
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 3.0 (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 making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.

February 1, 2022

King – Alone Without You (Scorcher Mix) (Japan 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1986

“Alone Without You” is a song by English band King, released as the first single from their second studio album Bitter Sweet.

The single was the second of the band’s only two top ten hits, peaking at No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1985, and remaining there for nine weeks.

SIDE A:
Alone Without You (Scorcher Mix) 4:33
Remix – Groucho*

SIDE B:
Love & Pride (U.S.A. Summer Mix) 6:14
Remix – Richard James Burgess
Written-By – M. Roberts*

I Kissed The Spikey Fridge (Rock Hard Mix) 3:59
Remix – Richard James Burgess

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

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic – 12•3P-719
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Japan
Released: Mar 21, 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Photography By –Simon Fowler (2)
Producer – Richard James Burgess
Written-By – P. King*

NOTES:
Issued with OBI and one sided insert.
Label side A is a picture label, label side B carries all the credits.

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon 2M Black
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
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

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 making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.