Tag: The Metro

Berlin – Sex (I’m A…) (Australasia 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1983

A. Front

12 Inches of “Sex…”

“Sex (I’m A…)” is a song by the American band Berlin from their second album Pleasure Victim. The song was co-written by group members John Crawford, Terri Nunn and David Diamond and sung as a duet by Crawford and Nunn.

Released as the album’s second single in February 1983, the single became a cult hit on American radio and brought the group into the mainstream. Despite the significant attention, the song’s racy lyrics resulted in it being banned from several radio stations. Perhaps because of this, the single ultimately peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in late March and early April 1983.The song was also the first single release from the band’s new label, Geffen Records.

As a bonus I have included the “Instrumental Version” which I lifted from the U.S. 12″ promo.

SIDE A:
Sex (I’m A…) (Extended 12″ Version) 8:06
Remix – DVP (2), The Maomen
Written-By – Diamond*, Nunn*

SIDE B:
The Metro 4:11
Sex (I’m A…) (Instrumental) 5:08

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1983 Sex (I’m A…) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #62
1983 Sex (I’m A…) U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks #10
1983 Sex (I’m A…) U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play #8

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Mercury ‎– 812 571-1, M.A.O. Records ‎– 812 571-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Australasia
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Daniel R. van Patten*
Written-By – Crawford*

NOTES:
Manufactured in Australasia.

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

B. Back

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

Berlin – The Metro (US 7″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1981

A. Front

“The Metro” is a new wave song written by John Crawford for his band, Berlin. The song first appeared on Berlin’s breakthrough album Pleasure Victim, released on the independent label Enigma in 1982 and re-released on Geffen in 1983. “The Metro” became the third single from the album, and the second to appear on the Geffen label. It was produced and engineered (as was most of the album) by the band’s then-drummer and drum programmer, Daniel Van Patten.

The song is known as epitomizing the new wave genre, for showing the genre for what it essentially was: a blending of punk rock and pop, with heavy use of the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 synthesizer. Terri Nunn said the song, which was a breakthrough hit for Berlin, “defined us and defined that period of music.”

The single surpassed the Hot 100 peak of their previous cult hit, “Sex (I’m A…)”, going to #58, and it remains their third-highest charting single in the U.S.

Special note about this single: 

This 7″ is the original 1981 US release on the now obsolete M.A.O. Records label.  The single contains the original mixes that were re-recorded for the Pleasure Victim EP. Not available elsewhere. The single also has alternate artwork and the labels list the sides as “E” and “W”.

 

SIDE E:
The Metro 4:12

SIDE W:
Tell Me Why 4:12

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1983 The Metro U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #58

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: M.A.O. Records ‎– MAO-S4
Format: Vinyl, 7″, Single, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1981
Genre: Electronic
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop
Credits: Producer – Daniel R. Van Patten
Written-By – Crawford*

NOTES:
Original mixes that were re-recorded for the Pleasure Victim EP. Not available elsewhere.

Find The 7″ On DISCOGS

B. Back

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: ClickRepair (DeClick Level 3)
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