Tag: Totally Obscure 80s

The Damned – Grimly Fiendish (UK 12″ Ltd. Edition)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“Grimly Fiendish” is a single by English band The Damned, released in 1985, the song was the band’s biggest hit since 1979, reaching No. 21 in the UK Singles Chart in April 1985.

The song takes its title (although misspelled for copyright reasons) from a character – Grimly Feendish – The Rottenest Crook in the World – in the UK children’s Wham!, Pow! and Smash! comics from the 1960s, as well as Cor!, Shiver & Shake, Monster Fun, and Buster in the 1970s and 1980s.

Created by Leo Baxendale, Grimly is an over-ambitious and generally incompetent, childlike criminal mastermind, who is often shown wearing a long, black coat, starting initially as the villainous foil to Eagle-Eye, Junior Spy. Although popular enough to merit his own strip, the regular restructuring or shelving of his strip due to the comics he appeared in being merged with others meant that he never achieved longevity in any single publication, though he was a staple in many IPC/Fleetway comics annuals until the 1980s.

The inspiration behind the song is a throwaway remark by a BBC Radio One DJ, who wondered whether anyone still remembered the character. The lyrics depict Grimly on trial for being a bad influence on children but protesting that he was never given much of a chance (an allegory to his fate in the comic world).

SIDE A:
Grimly Fiendish (The Bad Trip Mix) 5:08
Producer – Bob Sargeant, The Damned
Remix [Remixed by] – The Damned
Written-By – Merrick*, Vanian*, Scabies*, Jugg*, Doctor*

SIDE B:
Grimly Fiendish (7″ Version) 3:48
Producer – Bob Sargeant, The Damned
Written-By – Merrick*, Vanian*, Scabies*, Jugg*, Doctor*

Edward The Bear 3:50
Producer – The Damned
Written-By – Merrick*, Vanian*, Scabies*, Jugg*, Doctor*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records ‎– GRIMX 1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single, Limited Edition, Numbered, White
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Punk, New Wave, Goth Rock

CREDITS:
Photography By – Bob Carlos Clarke

NOTES:
Limited Edition pressed on white vinyl

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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
DAC/Phono Pre-amp: 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 USED:
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

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.

Julie Brown – I Like ‘Em Big And Stupid (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1983

“I Like ‘Em Big and Stupid” was the debut single by comedian and singer Julie Brown. It was self-released by Brown in 1983 in 12-inch and 7-inch vinyl formats. The song is a 1980s-style pop song with comedic lyrics about the protagonist’s desire for a handsome, hunky muscle-stud who is not very bright (or as she sings, “Superman with a lobotomy”). The 12-inch version contained an extended dance mix and the B-side on all releases, “The Homecoming Queen’s Got a Gun”, was played on The Dr. Demento Show, and received airplay on Top 40 and Modern Rock stations around the US in 1984. Both songs appeared that year on Brown’s next release, Goddess in Progress.

Brown re-recorded the song for her 1987 album Trapped in the Body of a White Girl, and it was filmed for inclusion in Earth Girls Are Easy, but this sequence was ultimately removed from the movie (the scene is included in the DVD extras) though it is heard playing in the background during a scene in the film. Additionally, Brown performed the song in the stage version of Earth Girls.

The cover of the single is a pastiche of the back cover of Madonna’s Like a Virgin record. Brown would go on to be known for making fun of Madonna, particularly in her scathing mockumentary Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful.

**The b-side shows just how much life has changed since the song was recorded. In today’s gun violence culture “Homecoming Queen’s Got A Gun” would have never been recorded or even played on mainstream radio.

SIDE A:
I Like ‘Em Big And Stupid 2:37
Drum Machine [Linn Drum] – Steve Thoma

Homecoming Queen’s Got A Gun 4:40
Backing Vocals – Charlie Coffey
Voice [Cop] – Terrence McNally

SIDE B:
I Like ‘Em Big And Stupid (Extended Dance Mix) 5:00
Drum Machine [Linn Drum] – Steve Thoma

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Bulletz Records ‎– BR-767D
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Backing Vocals –Leslie Livrano, Nancy Buché*
Bass – Jeff Steele
Drums – Chuck Berkinshaw
Executive-Producer – Terrence McNally
Guitar – Dan Grenier*
Keyboards, Synthesizer – Steve Thoma
Lead Vocals – Julie Brown
Lyrics By – Charlie Coffey, Julie Brown, Terrence McNally
Mixed By [R-Mix Engineer – Alpha Studios] – Gary Brandt, Steve Thoma
Music By – Charlie Coffey, Julie Brown, Ray Colcord, Terrence McNally
Photography By – Wayne Williams (7)
Producer – Steve Thoma
Recorded By [Recording Engineer – Kitchen Sync] – Mike Hamilton (3), Steve Thoma
Saxophone – Chris Mostert

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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
DAC/Phono Pre-amp: 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 USED:
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

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.

Paul Zone – Featuring Debbie Harry – I’ll Try Anything Once (Germany 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1990

“I’ll Try Anything Once” is a 1990 single by Paul Zone of Man 2 Man featuring Blondie lead vocalist Debbie Harry. The single was released to promote the Paul Zone compilation “Discollection”. The song did not have any chart success.

SIDE A:
I’ll Try Anything Once 7:46
I’ll Try Anything Once (7″ Version) 4:19

SIDE B:
I’ll Try Anything Once (House Remix) 8:43
I’ll Try Anything Once (7″ Version – House Remix) 4:19

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: ZYX Records ‎– ZYX 6293-12
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Germany
Released: 1990
Genre: Electronic
Style: Hi NRG, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Artwork – Kristian Hoffman
Photography By – Lee Black Childers*
Vocals [Additional – Featuring] – Armand Zone, Debbie Harry*
Written-By, Producer – Frank Buonadonna, Paul Zone

NOTES:
Dedicated to Miki Zone.

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground

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
DAC/Phono Pre-amp: 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 USED:
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

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.

Then Jerico – Big Area (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1988

“Big Area” is a 1988 single by English rock band Then Jerico, from their second album The Big Area. The song is their biggest hit and highest-charting single to date, reaching No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1989. It featured on the soundtrack to the 1989 film Slipstream.

SIDE A:
Big Area (12” Mix) 4:47
Engineer – John Brough
Mixed By – Bruce Lampcov
Producer – Gary Langan

SIDE B:
The Big Sweep (Dance Mix) 4:49
Remix – Philth Tennant*, Tim Baldwin*
Written-By – Then Jerico

The Motive (USA Mix) 4:05
Producer – Martin Rushent
Remix – Bob Clearmountain
Written-By – Then Jerico

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: London Records ‎– LONX 204, London Records ‎– 886 366-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1988
Genre: Rock
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Keyboards – Alex Right*, Andy Wright, Arthur Barrow, Ben Angwin, Chris Youdell
Lyrics By – Shaw*
Percussion – Andy Duncan, Luis Jardim
Written-By [And Performed By] – Then Jerico

NOTES:
Side A listed as 12″ mix on the sleeve but not on the label.

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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
DAC/Phono Pre-amp: 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 USED:
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

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by making a donation using PayPal. Thank you for your help.