Tag: US

May 9, 2016

The Art Of Noise Featuring Tom Jones – Kiss (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1988

“Kiss” is a song written by Prince and originally recorded by Prince and The Revolution in 1986.

In 1988, British synthpop group Art of Noise released a cover of the song, featuring British singer Tom Jones on vocals. The song became the band’s biggest hit to that point, reaching number eighteen on the US dance chart and number five on the UK Singles Chart, higher than the original in that country. The guitar and horns break in the middle of this cover musically references the themes to Dragnet and Peter Gunn (two songs the Art of Noise covered with much commercial success) as well as their own breakthrough hit, “Close (to the Edit)” and “Paranoimia”, their 1986 collaboration with Max Headroom. This cover was later included as part of an episode of the series Listed on MuchMoreMusic, which was on the Top 20 cover songs. It can also be heard during the main title sequence of the movie My Stepmother Is an Alien. Tom Jones later recorded a version of the song for his 2003 Reloaded: Greatest Hits album.

TOP SIDE:
Kiss (Art Of Noise Mix) 8:10
Vocals [Featuring] – Tom Jones

FLIP SIDE:
Kiss (Battery Mix) 8:17
Mixed By – Nigel Green
Vocals [Featuring] – Tom Jones

Kiss (7″ Version) 3:30
Vocals [Featuring] – Tom Jones

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1988	Kiss	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#31
1988	Kiss	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	#14
1988	Kiss	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#18

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: China Records ‎– 871 039-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Arranged By, Producer – The Art Of Noise
Design – Ryan Art
Photography [B/w] – Anna Hodgson
Photography [Colour] – Paul Wakefiled
Written-By – Prince

NOTES:
Special Thanks to David Kershenbaum without whom…
Tom Jones appears courtesy of Jive Records
Kiss, featuring Tom Jones, taken from the forthcoming China/Polydor album “Best Of The Art Of Noise”, to be released in November.

Printed in U.S.A.

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

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

April 29, 2016

The Time – The Bird (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“The Bird” was the sixth and final track on The Time’s third album Ice Cream Castle, and, in the Summer/Fall of 1984, The Bird was released as the album’s second single. The Bird was written by Morris Day and Prince under the pseudonym Jamie Starr.

While reflecting on the track’s history on Facebook in 2014, Jesse Johnson wrote “I wrote a 4 track version on 1999 tour, Prince kinda like the hook, he threw the rest of what I did in the trash can as he commenced to write and performed a straight heater.” Johnson’s name was initially included in the credits when submitted for copyright in May 1984, but after he left the band, his name was removed from the credits when the track was released. It was co-produced by Morris Day and Prince under the name The Starr Company. The song also features in the movie Purple Rain.

The released recording is a live recording from The Time’s concert at First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA, on 4 October 1983, and features no musical input by Prince; it is, in fact, the only track on the album to feature the entire line-up of The Time, as the studio tracks were recorded almost entirely by Prince and Morris Day.

Prince and Morris Day did record a studio version of this song also, however, three months after the live recording, on 4 January 1984 (three days after additional recording on We Can Fuck (later released as We Can Funk), and the day before Oliver’s House and The Belle Of St. Mark), but the decision was made to release the live version on the album instead, closing the album in a similar way to Purple Rain, perhaps because of the inclusion of the song in the movie Purple Rain.

The single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 23, 1985 spending thirteen weeks on the survey peaking at #36.

SIDE A:
The Bird (Remix) 6:25

SIDE B:
My Drawers (Edit) 3:43

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	The Bird	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#13
1985	The Bird	U.S. Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Singles	#11
1985	The Bird	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#10

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records ‎– 9 20315-0 A, Warner Bros. Records ‎– 0-20315
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Funk

CREDITS:
Producer [Produced By] – Morris Day, The Starr * Company
Written-By – Morris Day , Prince [Uncredited]

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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

April 27, 2016

André Cymone – The Dance Electric (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

Originally posted January 15, 2011

“The Dance Electric” is the first track on André Cymone’s third studio album A.C., and, four weeks before the album’s release, The Dance Electric was released as the album’s first single. This track is the only studio collaboration between Prince and André Cymone during Cymone’s solo career following his departure from Prince’s band.

Initial tracking for Prince’s initial version took place on 17 August 1984 (two days before The Screams Of Passion) at the Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse, Eden Prairie, MN, USA (listed on the album as “Paisley Park Recording, Somewhere in Minnesota”).

Prince reportedly gave the song to André Cymone after Cymone’s mother asked Prince for a song (Cymone himself was too proud to do so). André Cymone recorded lead vocal overdubs between late 1984 and Summer 1985 at one of four studios (which one is not known): Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood, CA, USA; Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA; Celestial Sound, New York, NY, USA; or Metro Studio, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Prince also referred to “the dance electric” in the song God, recorded three days later.

“The Dance Electric” became a hit single on the U.S. Dance chart peaking at #8 and #10 on the R&B chart.

Cymone later married Jody Watley going on to co-write and produced several hits for her, including “Looking for a New Love”, “Still A Thrill”, and “Real Love”.

SIDE A:
The Dance Electric (Long Version) 5:41
Producer – André Cymone, Prince
Written-By – Prince

SIDE B:
The Dance Electric (Edited Version) 4:08
Producer – André Cymone, Prince
Written-By – Prince

Red Light (Edited Version) 4:57
Producer – André Cymone
Written-By – A. Cymone*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	The Dance Electric	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#8
1985	The Dance Electric	U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles	#10

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia ‎– 44 05249, Columbia ‎– 44-05249
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Electro, Funk

CREDITS:
Art Direction – Lane/Donald
Design – Cindi Z. Stark
Executive-Producer – Wayne Edwards (2)
Photography By – Randee St. Nicholas

NOTES:
Also available: “ANDRÉ CYMONE” on Columbia
Records and Cassettes.

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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

April 21, 2016

Bardeux – Magic Carpet Ride (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Magic Carpet Ride” is a 1987 single by synth-pop duo Bardeux, masterminded by Jon St. James of SSQ and Stacey Q fame. The single went to #5 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Singles Sales chart and #81 on the Billboard Hot 100. The group performed the song on Club MTV.

SIDE A:
Magic Carpet Ride (Dance Club Mix) 4:50

SIDE B:
Magic Carpet Ride (Radio Mix) 3:30
Magic Carpet Ride (Instrumental) 5:16

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1987	Magic Carpet Ride	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#81
1987	Magic Carpet Ride	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	#5

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Synthicide Records ‎– 71302-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Hi NRG, Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Art Direction – Regis Patoff
Coordinator [Production Coordinator] – Romi Marie
Music By – Jon St. James
Photography By – Sheryl Noday
Producer – Jon St. James
Vocals – Acacia*, Jaz (9)
Written-By – Smith*, St. James*

NOTES:
Recorded at Formula 1 Music On
Big Midi Systems ™

Taken From The Album
“BOLD AS LOVE”

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

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