Tag: US

October 8, 2026

Technotronic Feat Felly – Pump Up The Jam (US 12″) (1989)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Before the 1980s ended, a Belgian dance act called Technotronic unleashed one of the decade’s biggest club anthems. With its pounding bassline, infectious rhythm, and instantly recognizable rap vocals, “Pump Up The Jam” helped bring European house music into the American mainstream and became one of the defining dance records of 1989.

Technotronic was the creation of Belgian producer Jo Bogaert, who worked under the name Thomas De Quincey. Combining elements of house, hip-hop, and Belgium’s emerging new beat scene, Bogaert created a sound that was tailor-made for dance floors. However, one of the most interesting stories surrounding “Pump Up The Jam” involves the woman credited on the record.

Although the single was released as Technotronic Featuring Felly, the unmistakable vocals actually belonged to Belgian-Congolese rapper Manuela Kamosi, better known as Ya Kid K. Felly Kilingi was a model who appeared on the record sleeve and in the music video, lip-syncing to Ya Kid K’s performance. The arrangement was intended to give the group a recognizable public image, but the truth eventually emerged as Technotronic’s popularity grew. Ya Kid K would later receive the recognition she deserved as the group’s actual vocalist.

Released in August 1989, “Pump Up The Jam” quickly became an international sensation. In the United States, the single reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart, and No. 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Across the Atlantic, it climbed to No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart and topped the charts in several European countries.

CHART HISTORY (1989–1990)

Country	Chart	Peak Position
US	Billboard Hot 100	2
US	Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1
US	Billboard Hot Black Singles	10
UK	Official Singles Chart	2

The single’s success was especially significant because it introduced millions of mainstream listeners to a style of dance music that had previously been associated largely with underground clubs. Its combination of a hard-driving house beat, electronic bassline, and rap vocals helped establish hip-house as a commercially successful sound.

For today’s post, we have the original 1989 US 12″ single released on SBK Records. This pressing features four versions of the track, including the extended “Vocal Attack,” the “Jam Edit Mix,” the “Original Mix,” and the familiar 7″ Version.

The “Vocal Attack” gives DJs an extended take on the song’s relentless groove, while the “Jam Edit Mix” offers another variation on the arrangement. The “Original Mix” delivers the classic club sound that made the record a worldwide sensation. Together, these versions capture the excitement of a time when 12″ singles were an essential part of dance music culture.

More than three decades later, “Pump Up The Jam” remains an instantly recognizable party anthem. Its influence can still be heard in dance music today, and that opening beat is often all it takes to get people moving.

So turn up the volume, clear some space, and get ready to pump up the jam!

SIDE A:
A1. Pump Up The Jam (Vocal Attack) 5:23
A2. Pump Up The Jam (Jam Edit Mix) 4:57

SIDE B:
B1. Pump Up The Jam (Original Mix) 5:03
B2. Pump Up The Jam (7″ Version) 3:36

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: SBK Records – V-19701
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic
Style: Hip-House, Euro House

CREDITS:

Cover, Design – Grafiek • Patrick
Featuring – Felly
Mastered By – MJS*
Photography By – Michel Poels
Producer – Thomas De Quincey
Vocals [Uncredited] – Ya Kid K
Written-By – Manuella Kamosi*, Thomas De Quincey

NOTES:
Printed in the U.S.A.

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
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2
Phono Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
Audio Interface: MOTU M4
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Cleaning Solution: Turgikleen Record Cleaning Solution
Scanner: 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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

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October 7, 2026

Bigod 20 / TGT (The Genetic Terrorists) – Industrial Assault (US 12″ Promo) (1989)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Razormaid Digital Mixes by Art Maharg and Joseph Watt
A DJPaulT Custom 12″ Single.

Spooky Season Spins kicks off today with something a little different.

October does not always have to mean ghosts, vampires, and horror movie themes. Sometimes the right atmosphere comes from something colder, harsher, and far more mechanical. For this installment, we are heading straight into the factory with a custom 12″ that I have titled Industrial Assault.

This two-track single brings together Bigod 20 and TGT (The Genetic Terrorists), with both selections originally appearing on Razormaid Chapter R-25.

Opening Side A is Bigod 20 with “America,” re-edited by Razormaid co-founder Art Maharg.

Bigod 20 was part of the German Electronic Body Music and Industrial scene, and “America” has exactly the kind of atmosphere I wanted for an October post. It is dark, repetitive, confrontational, and driven by electronics that feel more like machinery than traditional instrumentation.

Maharg’s Razormaid treatment pushes that feeling even further. The track moves with a relentless pulse, using repetition and carefully placed edits to make the whole thing feel increasingly tense.

There may not be a monster hiding in the shadows here, but the track still feels threatening.

For Spooky Season Spins, that counts.

Flip the record over, and things become even more brutal.
“Machine Gun” by TGT, or The Genetic Terrorists, was re-edited for Razormaid by Joseph Watt.

The title gives you a pretty good indication of what is coming. Hard electronic percussion, samples, repetition, and a cold mechanical rhythm dominate the track.

Watt’s edit has that classic Razormaid DJ sensibility. Rather than simply stretching the original recording, the arrangement uses its strongest rhythmic elements to keep the track moving. It is sparse in places, aggressive in others, and never particularly interested in making the listener comfortable.

That is exactly why it works here.

Both “America” and “Machine Gun” were taken from Razormaid Chapter R-25, which also gives this custom single a nice connection. Side A represents Art Maharg, while Side B represents Joseph Watt, bringing both Razormaid co-founders together on one very Industrial piece of vinyl.
So for this edition of Spooky Season Spins, forget the haunted houses and graveyards for a moment.

Welcome to the factory.

Cold steel. Concrete. Smoke stacks. Machines running somewhere in the darkness.

SIDE A:
Bigod 20 – America 6:31
Edited By [Re-edited] – Art Maharg

SIDE B:
Genetic Terrorists* – Machine Gun 5:14
Edited By [Re-edited] – Joseph Watt

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Razormaid Records – RM-LP-r25
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic
Style: EBM, Industrial

CREDITS:
Custom Sleeve Artwork [Design] – DjPaulT

NOTES:
For Promotional Use Only

Both tracks taken from: Razormaid Chapter r-25

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.

October 6, 2026

Soul II Soul – Back To Life (Club Mix) (US 12″) (1989)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Released in 1989, “Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)” became one of the defining records of the closing months of the 1980s. Built around Caron Wheeler’s unforgettable vocal, the record combined soul, R&B, hip-hop rhythms, strings, and the laid-back club sound that made Soul II Soul stand apart from almost everything else on the radio at the time.

Led by Jazzie B, Soul II Soul had already scored a major hit earlier in the year with “Keep On Movin’,” also featuring Wheeler. “Back To Life,” however, took the group to another level.

One of the most interesting things about the song is that the version everyone knows was not originally included on the group’s debut LP, Club Classics Vol. One, in that familiar form. The album contained a mostly a cappella version of “Back To Life,” with the rhythm entering near the end as the track moved into “Jazzie’s Groove.” Jazzie B and producer Nellee Hooper later returned to the song and rebuilt it for single release, adding the shuffling beat, piano, strings, and other elements that turned it into the classic we know today.

The result was massive.

“Back To Life” reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1989 and remained there for four weeks. In the United States, the single reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B chart.

Chart (1989)	Peak Position
UK Singles Chart	1
US Billboard Hot 100	4
US Billboard Hot R&B Singles	1
US Billboard Dance Club Play	1
Eurochart Hot 100	1
Canada RPM Top Singles	11
Canada RPM Dance/Urban	1
Netherlands	1
New Zealand	4
West Germany	4
Ireland	6
Sweden	3
Switzerland	2
Belgium	4
Austria	13
Finland	14

The song also earned Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler the 1990 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocal. Soul II Soul also picked up a second Grammy that year for the instrumental “African Dance.”

For today’s post, I am featuring the US 12″ single released by Virgin Records, catalog number 0-96537.

This pressing is particularly nice because Virgin packed five different versions onto the record.

The centerpiece is the 7:37 “12″ Mix.” This full-length club treatment gives that familiar rhythm and bass groove plenty of room to breathe. Instead of simply stretching the radio version, the mix lets the arrangement unfold slowly, making Caron Wheeler’s vocal sound even more powerful when it enters.

The 3:29 “A Cappella Intro Version” is also included, an interesting link between the song’s a cappella beginnings and the finished single.

The 3:50 “LP Version” takes us back toward the original album presentation, making the contrast between the original concept and the hit single especially interesting when all of the versions are heard together.

Flip the record over and things get even more DJ-friendly.

“Jam & The Groove,” running 5:08, takes the familiar elements of the record and rearranges them into a more groove-centered workout, while the 4:38 “Bonus Beats” puts the rhythm section front and center. In 1989, mixes like these were made with DJs in mind, giving them extra material for mixing and extending a track on the dance floor.

SIDE A:
A1. Back To Life (12″ Mix) 7:37
A2. Back To Life (A Cappella Intro Version) 3:29
A3. Back To Life (LP Version) 3:50

SIDE B:
B1. Back To Life (Jam & The Groove) 5:08
B2. Back To Life (Bonus Beats) 4:38

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

The five-track configuration and running times are specific to this 1989 US Virgin 12″ pressing.

More than three decades later, “Back To Life” still sounds remarkably fresh. That deep rolling beat, the sweeping strings, the sparse arrangement, and Wheeler’s voice gave the record a sound that was unmistakably Soul II Soul.

And then there is that opening.

The moment you hear “Back to life, back to reality,” you know exactly what record is coming.

For those of us who love the 12″ format, Virgin 0-96537 is also a great example of why these singles are worth preserving. You are not getting one extended mix with a throwaway B-side. You get several different ways of hearing one of 1989’s most important records, including mixes that show how the track developed from its unusual a cappella beginnings into an international hit.

Enjoy!

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin – 0-96537, Virgin – 96537-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Contemporary R&B, Downtempo

CREDITS:

Design – Ranch Associates Limited
Photography By [Dancer] – Jamie Morgan*
Photography By [Jazzie B And Caron Wheeler] – Enrique Badulescu
Producer, Mixed By – Jazzie B, Nellee Hooper
Vocals – Caron Wheeler
Written-By – Romeo*

NOTES:
From the album ‘Keep On Movin” available on Virgin Records, Cassettes, and CD’s

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.

September 26, 2026

Naked Eyes – Always Something There To Remind Me (US 12″ Promo) (1982)

Burning The Ground Exclusive

Yesterday I posted the UK 12″ of “Always Something There To Remind Me,” featuring the 5:43 “American Remix” by John “Jellybean” Benitez. Today we’re staying with Naked Eyes for a companion release that helps complete the story of this classic single and its sometimes confusing assortment of mixes.

Today’s record is the U.S. promotional 12″ issued by EMI America, catalog numbers SPRO-9891 and SPRO-9892.

Unlike yesterday’s Jellybean remix, this promo contains the earlier extended version produced and mixed by Tony Mansfield.

The A-side is simply titled “Long Version” and runs 6:13.

This is the Tony Mansfield extended mix of “Always Something There To Remind Me,” the version that has sometimes been referred to over the years as the original UK 12″ mix. It predates Jellybean’s later remix and takes a different approach to extending the song.

Rather than radically rebuilding the track, Mansfield expands his original production and gives the arrangement more room to breathe. The familiar electronic textures, percussion, keyboards, and those unmistakable chimes are all given additional space without losing the character of the original recording.

For me, that is part of what makes this version so appealing. It sounds like an extended version from the era when a 12″ mix did not necessarily have to completely reinvent a song. Sometimes you simply wanted more of the record you already loved.

And at 6:13, that is exactly what you get.

The flip side contains the appropriately titled “Short Version,” running 3:40. With both versions on the same promotional disc, American radio programmers and DJs could choose between the longer mix and the more compact version depending on what they needed.

This promo also clears up another part of the mix confusion discussed in yesterday’s post.

SPRO-9891 contains the 6:13 “Long Version,” which is the Tony Mansfield mix.

A later U.S. promotional 12″, SPRO-9924, contains the approximately 5:41 “Remixed Version” by John “Jellybean” Benitez. That Jellybean remix was later issued in the UK as the “American Remix,” which is the 5:43 version I posted yesterday.

So if you’re trying to keep all of this straight, the easiest way is by running time:

The 6:13 “Long Version” is the Tony Mansfield mix.

The approximately 5:41 to 5:43 “Remixed Version” or “American Remix” is the John “Jellybean” Benitez mix.

Simple enough once you know what you’re looking for. Getting there is another story.

The confusion has not been helped by various compilations and reissues over the years assigning the wrong mix names or credits. That is one reason I wanted to post these two records together. Hearing them directly from the original vinyl makes the differences much easier to identify.

It also gives us another opportunity to celebrate the work of producer Tony Mansfield.

Mansfield was an important part of the early Naked Eyes sound. His production helped give “Always Something There To Remind Me” that combination of polished pop, electronics, and drama that still jumps out of the speakers more than forty years later.

Of course, at the center of it all is Pete Byrne’s vocal.

Following the sad news of Byrne’s passing on September 14, listening to these records has taken on added meaning. Yesterday’s post was dedicated to his memory, and I wanted to continue that tribute today with another important piece of the Naked Eyes catalog.

It is remarkable how a recording can instantly transport you back to a certain time. For many of us, “Always Something There To Remind Me” is permanently tied to 1983, MTV, radio, and that wave of British synth-pop that seemed to arrive almost overnight.

And with both the Tony Mansfield and Jellybean mixes now represented here on Burning The Ground, we can finally hear two very different extended interpretations of the record from the original vinyl.

Which one do you prefer?

The Tony Mansfield 6:13 “Long Version,” or Jellybean’s punchier 5:43 “American Remix”?

For me, there is room for both.

Rest in peace, Pete Byrne.

SIDE A:
Always Something There To Remind Me (Long Version) 6:16

SIDE B:
Always Something There To Remind Me (Short Version) 3:41

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI America – SPRO-9891, EMI America – SPRO-9892
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Mixed By – Tony Mansfield
Producer – Tony Mansfield
Written-By – B. Bacharach-H. David*

NOTES:
Recorded in England.

Promo
Not For Sale

(from the LP “Naked Eyes” ST-17089)

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

PLEASE READ

There are two 24-Bit links; if one does not work, try the other

**24-bit FLAC Only Available For SIX Days!

Password: burningtheground

You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal.

I appreciate your help.