Tag: Trevor Horn

Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas? (UK 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1985

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the recording of Band-Aid’s iconic charity single, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”.

Written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, the song was created to raise funds for the 1983–1985 Ethiopian famine relief efforts. Recorded in just one day at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London, on November 25, 1984, the session brought together a supergroup of prominent British and Irish musicians assembled by Geldof and Ure.

Released in the UK on December 7, 1984, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” made an immediate impact, debuting at number one on the UK singles chart and holding the top spot for five weeks. It became the fastest-selling single in UK history at the time, moving one million copies in its first week. By the end of 1984, it had sold over three million copies in the UK and topped the charts in 13 other countries. In the United States, despite limited radio play, the song sold approximately 2.5 million copies by 1985. Globally, it reached 11.7 million in sales by 1989, and its UK sales alone stood at 3.8 million by 2017.

The single raised £8 million within its first year, far surpassing Geldof’s initial expectations. Due to its success, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”was reissued on November 29, 1985, featuring an updated B-side titled *”One Year On (Feed the World).” This version included a spoken message from Geldof and Midge Ure and highlighted the tangible impact of the funds raised, listing the resources and aid provided. Notably, this updated version was only ever released on vinyl.

“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” remains a testament to the power of music to inspire change and unite people for a common cause.

+De-notes vinyl-only

SIDE A:
Do They Know It’s Christmas? (12″ Mix) 6:17
Producer – Midge UreTrevor Horn
Remix – Trevor Horn

SIDE B:
One Year On (Feed The World)+ 4:34
Mastered By – BilBo (3)
Producer, Mixed By – Alvin Jeff Clark*Midge Ure

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1984 Do They Know It’s Christmas? U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #13
1984 Do They Know It’s Christmas? U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks #32

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Phonogram – FEED 112Mercury – FEED 112
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Reissue
Country: UK
Released: Nov 29, 1985
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop, Holiday

CREDITS:

NOTES:
Many thanks to all the Record Companies of the artists involved.

It’s one year on since BAND AID first began to raise funds for famine relief.
With your help people have survived, now help BAND AID to help them stay alive.
If you would like to make a further donation-send it to:
Band Aid Trust
c/o Stoy Hayward
8 Baker Street
London W1M 1DA

Many thanks to all the people, too numerous to mention, who kindly donated their time and effort in the making this record.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus:  Ortofon 2M Black PnP MkII
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.



Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Rage Hard (US 12″ Promo)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1986

NEW 2024 Transfer!
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration!

Originally posted November 28, 2012

“Rage Hard” is the fifth single by English pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood. It was released on 25 August 1986 as the first single from their second album Liverpool. The song reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart and number 1 in Germany and it was also a massive success in other countries.

Having topped the charts around the world with Welcome to the Pleasuredome and its accompanying singles, Frankie Goes to Hollywood took off to Hilversum Wisseloord Studios to record the follow-up album, Liverpool. Taking on a rockier edge, “Rage Hard” was the first single culled from the album.

In a 1986 interview, singer Holly Johnson was asked about the meaning of the song explaining, “Have you read the poem ‘Do Not Go Gently Into That Good Night’ by Dylan Thomas? It was kind of inspired by that. It’s an incantation against death and lethargy, and it’s supposed to encourage lots of creative idealism in the listener.”

Not only was it the first Frankie single to be featured on CD single, it was also the first single to not feature a cassette release—new rules limited the number of items that could count towards the official charts, following the earlier ZTT excesses. “Rage Hard” eventually hit number 4 in the UK Singles Chart and number 1 in Germany for two weeks, #5 in Switzerland, #7 in the Netherlands, #12 in Austria, #19 in Sweden and #32 in France.

*The two tracks are exclusive to this U.S. Promo, and remain vinyl-only mixes.

SIDE A:
Rage Hard (Vocal / Remix) 7:00

SIDE B:
Rage Hard (Remix / Edit) / (Vocal) 4:20
Rage Hard (Remix / Dub) / (Instrumental) 5:12

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Island Records – DMD 987, ZTT – DMD 987
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Promo, Stereo, Specialty Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

NOTES:
From the LP “Liverpool”

Promotional Copy Not For Sale

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus:  Ortofon 2M Black PnP MkII
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 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 donating using PayPal. I appreciate your help.



Frankie Goes To Hollywood – The Power Of Love (UK Cassette Single)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1984

“The Power of Love” is a song originally recorded and released by British band Frankie Goes to Hollywood. It was written by Holly Johnson, Peter Gill, Mark O’Toole and Brian Nash, four of the five members of the band. It was released by the group as their third single.

Initially issued as a single in November 1984, and taken from the debut album, Welcome to the Pleasuredome (1984), “The Power of Love” followed its two predecessors, “Relax” and “Two Tribes”, to the top of the UK singles chart. It scored the band an early December number-one. “The Power of Love” was also a top 10 hit in several European countries, in Australia and New Zealand, and in Canada. “The Power of Love” is often regarded as a Christmas song, despite having no reference to Christmas within the song lyrics. However, the accompanying video features the Nativity of Jesus, and the single cover was The Assumption of the Virgin. The single spent just one week at Number One in the UK, outsold by the charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid, which until 1997 was the best selling single ever in the UK.

Holly Johnson, who co-wrote the song, later reminisced: “I always felt like ‘The Power of Love’ was the record that would save me in this life. There is a biblical aspect to its spirituality and passion; the fact that love is the only thing that matters in the end”.

**I have chosen to leave this cassette un-edited to keep the integrity of the original cassette. I did clean up the audio manually removing clicks/pops along with adding fade-in at the beginning and end of the cassette. This was recorded with DOLBY NR enabled.

SIDE A: 22:43
The Power Of Love
The World Is My Oyster (Scrapped)
Holier Than Thou (The First)
The World Is My Oyster (Trapped)
Holier Than Thou (The Second)
The Power Of Love (Instrumental)

SIDE B: 22:43
The Power Of Love
The World Is My Oyster (Scrapped)
Holier Than Thou (The First)
The World Is My Oyster (Trapped)
Holier Than Thou (The Second)
The Power Of Love (Instrumental)

CASSETTE GRADE:
Cassette: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: ZTT – CTIS 105
Series: Action Series – 5, Incidental Series – 153
Format: Cassette, Single, Partially Mixed, Rough Edge
Country: UK
Released: Nov 1984
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop, Ballad

CREDITS:

NOTES:
Issued in a standard case with a double-sided fold-out j-card inlay.
Shell is grey with a rough edge pattern and red on-body printing.
Recorded in Dolby.
Plays same on both sides.
Track listing in the liner notes is vague.
“This cassette is not a ‘cassingle’ anybody who calls it such will be shot. In combination with ZTAS 5 and 12 ZTAS 5 it forms number 5 in ZTTs movement-less Action Series. On it’s own it is number 153 in Zang Tuum Tumb’s sunshine Incidental Series.
What would you put in it’s place.”

Buy the Cassette at DISCOGS

CASSETTE TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Cassette Deck: Nakamichi BX-300 Discrete 3-Head Cassette Deck
DAC/Phono Pre-amp Line In 
Alpha Design Labs GT40a USB DAC
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:
Cassette transfer was recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at

**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.



Godley & Creme – Cry (Extended Remix) (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1985

“Cry” is a song released by the English music duo Godley & Creme on 11 March 1985. It was included on the duo’s album The History Mix Volume 1.

The song reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Godley & Creme’s lone Top 40 hit in the US apart from their former band, 10cc. It reached No. 19 on the UK Singles Chart. The duo also directed the song’s music video, which featured faces blended into each other using dissolving and wiping effects.

After Godley & Creme left their former band 10cc after the group’s fourth album, they began writing songs for their own albums, but became better known for producing music videos for other bands. Within the music video producing process, they met producer Trevor Horn, ex of the Buggles and now heading his own label ZTT Records. Godley & Creme asked Horn to produce their album, but had very little material that was recording studio ready. After their first track failed to produce the required effect, Horn asked what else they had. The pair had already written the first verse of “Cry”, and much as though the song came from a position – a man in a relationship where his partner lies and cheats on him – unlike 10cc’s “I’m Not in Love”, it didn’t come from real-life experience. The three hence sat down and started writing down words and phrases which could be associated with the first verse, and then Horn put Godley in the recording booth to record them. Godley later described the song’s creation process as “patchwork like”, but it worked due to its envisaged simple production.

The basic sound of the track was provided by electronic music specialist J. J. Jeczalik who used a Fairlight CMI synthesizer. Godley & Creme then created the full backing track, which was mixed and produced by Horn.

SIDE A:
Cry (Extended Remix) 7:25
Remix – J.J. Jeczalik

SIDE B:
Cry (Single Version) 3:56

Cry (Extended Version) 6:30
Remix – Nigel Gray

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1985 Cry U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #16
1985 Cry U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play #22
1985 Cry U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales #21
1985 Cry U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks #6
1985 Cry U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary #5

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Polydor – 881 786-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:

NOTES:
Mastered At – Sterling Sound
From the LP “History Mix Volume 1”

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus:  Ortofon 2M Black PnP MkII
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 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.