Tag: Stephen Hague

February 13, 2017

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – So In Love (Special American Dance Mix) (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

BTG Week Of LOVE!

“So in Love” is a song by the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1985 as the first single from the album Crush. The artwork, designed by XL Design, and the promo video were both influenced by the Mexican Day of the Dead festival.

Critic Dave Thompson in AllMusic praised “So in Love” as a “rich and sumptuous number” that is “well in keeping with the group’s signature styling”. Colleague Tom Schulte described the song as being – along with the following year’s “If You Leave” – the “pinnacle” of the band’s musical progression.

Although “So in Love” was the first single from Crush, it was one of the last songs written for the album. It was originally dropped until band member Martin Cooper persuaded Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys to make a demo for the song. Andy McCluskey said it was about the painful end of a relationship. It was their first hit in the United States, after five years of trying to “break” the States.

“So In Love” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 on August 31, 1985. The song remained on the chart for seventeen weeks, peaking at the #26 position. “So In Love” reached #27 in the U.K..

**This 12″ promo was released in the general issue picture sleeve that shows the B-side as being “Concrete Hands (Extended)”. The labels list the mixes on both sides as “Special American Dance Remix” but track durations are different.

SIDE A:
So In Love (Special American Dance Remix) (12″ Version) 5:40

SIDE B:
So In Love (7″ Version) 3:29

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	So In Love	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#26
1985	So In Love	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#16

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: A&M Records ‎– SP-12143
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Stephen Hague
Sleeve – XL Design
Written-By – OMD*, Steve Hague*

NOTES:
Original version appears on the LP “CRUSH”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
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

June 17, 2016

Erasure – Chains Of Love (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1988

“Chains of Love” is a song by British synthpop duo Erasure, released in May 1988 as their ninth single overall.

The song was released by Mute Records as the second single from Erasure’s third studio album The Innocents. In the United States, Sire Records released it as the first single. The album version was produced by Stephen Hague and was slightly remixed for its single release (most notably the album version starts cold, while the radio version contains a short synthesizer pattern as an intro).

“Chains of Love” became Erasure’s sixth consecutive Top 20 hit on the UK singles chart, just missing the Top 10 by peaking at number eleven. In the United States, it became Erasure’s mainstream breakthrough by climbing to number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the group’s first entry on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. It also hit number four on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. “Chains of Love” remains as Erasure’s highest-charting U.S. pop hit.

The song, written by Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, is an uptempo dance-oriented synthpop track with Clarke’s signature analogue sound and Bell’s lyrics about breaking through any restrictions or stereotypes of what love should be. The lyrics allude subtly to Bell’s desire for wider acceptance of homosexual couples, his pain evident from the opening lines “How can I explain when there are few words I can choose/How can I explain when words get broken”. The chorus is memorable for Bell’s use of falsetto. The music video featured Clarke and Bell performing the song while being hoisted through the air by thick, metal chains.

The instrumental dub as well as the remix radio edit without intro are exclusivley promotional versions/edits.

SIDE A:
Chains Of Love (The Unfettered Mix) 8:23
Chains Of Love (Fetter Dub Dub) 5:10
Chains Of Love (Remix Radio Edit Without Intro) 3:34

SIDE B:
Chains Of Love (Truly In Love With The Marks Bros. Mix) 7:19
Mixed By – Mark McGuire, Mark Moore

Chains Of Love (Instrumental Dub) 3:52
Chains Of Love (Remix Radio Edit With Intro) 3:54

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint (company)

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1988	Chains Of Love	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#12
1988	Chains Of Love	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	#22
1988	Chains Of Love	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#4
1988	Chains Of Love	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music Club Play/Maxi-Singles Sales	#1

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Sire ‎– PRO-A-3186, Mute ‎– PRO-A-3186
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Edited By – Tim Scott (tracks: A1 to A3, B2, B3)
Engineer [Mix] – Dennis Mitchell (tracks: A1 to A3, B2, B3)
Producer – Stephen Hague
Producer [Additional Production], Mixed By – Shep Pettibone (tracks: A1 to A3, B2, B3)
Written-By – Bell*, Clarke*

NOTES:
Special versions from the LP “THE INNOCENTS”

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

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

June 8, 2015

Flesh For Lulu – I Go Crazy (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

RIP Nick Marsh- 1962-2015.

After a lengthy battle with cancer lead vocalist and guitarist Nick Marsh passed away this past friday June 5, 2015 at age 53. He will be missed.

“I Go Crazy” is a song by British alternative rock band Flesh for Lulu from their third studio album Long Live the New Flesh (1987). An American college rock radio hit, the song gained prominence through its inclusion on the soundtrack to the 1987 film Some Kind of Wonderful.

SIDE A:
I Go Crazy (Dynamix) 6:36
Remix – Tom Lord-Alge

SIDE B:
I Go Crazy (LP Version) 3:53
I Go Crazy (Instrumental) 4:32

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records ‎– MCA-23736
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Rock
Style: Alternative Rock

CREDITS:
Bass Guitar, Vocals – Kevin Mills*
Drums – James Mitchell (3)
Guitar, Vocals – Rocco Barker
Lead Vocals, Guitar – Nick Marsh
Producer – Stephen Hague
Written-By – J. Mitchell*, K. Mills*, N. Marsh*, R. Barker*

NOTES:
From the original motion picture soundtrack “SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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

November 25, 2014

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – (Forever) Live And Die (John “Tokes” Potoker – Extended Mix) (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

This is the first U.K. 12″ pressing for the Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) single “(Forever) Live and Die”. Remixed by American remixer John “Tokes” Potoker. The story behind this remix is that the band was not happy with it so it was withdrawn. Virgin Records had already printed about 5,000 copies crediting John “Tokes” Potoker as the remixer. Some of these copies did make it into record shops.

The band later went with the Tom Lord-Alge remix and ir was later released. I posted that mix back in April 2014.

The single was a Top 10 hit in Canada and many European territories, and a Top 20 hit in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. It was the last of the group’s singles to reach the UK Top 20 before Humphreys left in 1989, and Andy McCluskey continued OMD on his own.

SIDE A:
(Forever) Live And Die (John “Tokes” Potoker – Extended Mix)
Remix – John “Tokes” Potoker*

SIDE B:
(Forever) Live And Die (7″ Version) 3:36
This Town 3:46

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1986	(Forever) Live And Die	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#19
1986	(Forever) Live And Die	U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary	#25
1986	(Forever) Live And Die	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play	#37

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin ‎– VS 888-12
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Gloss Sleeve
Country: UK
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Engineer – Tom Lord-Alge
Producer – Stephen Hague

NOTES:
The picture sleeve on this release has a Gloss finish on both sides, there is an alternate sleeve that has a matte finish.

From the LP “THE PACIFIC AGE”

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Speed Control: Pro-Ject Speed Box S
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 Removeal: 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