Tag: US

June 29, 2023

Cheryl Lynn – Got To Be Real/Star Love (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1978

NEW 2023 Transfer!
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Originally posted December 7, 2011

The Harlem drag ball scene — described by the social activist and writer Langston Hughes as “the strangest and gaudiest of all Harlem’s spectacles in the 1920s” — fragmented along racial lines in the early 1960s when Black queens became tired of having to “whiten up” if they wanted to have a chance of winning any in-house beauty contest. By the early 1970s, Black drag houses started to multiply and soon outstripped their white counterparts in terms of glamour, style and popularity. As contests expanded, categories multiplied and competition intensified, with prizes awarded to entrants whose drag was the most believable, the most real. Released in 1978, Cheryl Lynn’s feisty, upbeat disco track “Got to Be Real” became an instant ballroom classic.

In 2020 The Bew York Times named “Got To Be Real” one of the 15 Songs That Shook New York’s Queer Dance Floors in the 1970s and ’80s.

“Got to Be Real” is the debut single by American singer Cheryl Lynn. Written by Lynn, David Paich and David Foster, and produced by Paich and Marty Paich, the song was recorded for Lynn’s 1978 self-titled debut studio album. Columbia Records released the song as the album’s lead single in August 1978.

For the recording, David Shields played bass, David Paich played keyboards, James Gadson played drums and Ray Parker Jr. was the session guitarist.

In the United States, “Got to Be Real” peaked at position number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot Soul Singles chart in early 1979. Along with the album cuts “Star Love” and “You Saved My Day”, “Got to Be Real” peaked at number 11 on the National Disco Action Top 40 chart. In the United Kingdom, “Got to Be Real” did not chart upon its original release – it was used for a TV advertising campaign for Marks & Spencer in 2010 and it entered the main charts for the first time at position number 78 for the week ending April 4, the next week peaking at number 70.

“Star Love” was released as the second single from Lynn’s self-titled debut album reaching a peak position of number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 16 on the R&B chart in the spring of 1979.

SIDE A:
Got To Be Real 5:07
Written-By – C. Lynn*, D. Foster*, D. Paich*

SIDE B:
Star Love 7:24
Written-By – J. Footman*, J. Weider*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

CHARTS:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1978	Got To Be Real	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#12
1978	Got To Be Real	U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles	#1
1978	Got To Be Real	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Disco	#11
Year	Single	Chart	Position
1979	Star Love	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#62
1979	Star Love	U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles	#16
1979	Star Love	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Disco	#11

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Columbia – 23-10869
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single, Pitman Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1978
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Disco

CREDITS:

Producer, Arranged By – David Paich, Marty Paich

NOTES:
Special Disco Versions From The Columbia Lp: “Cheryl Lynn”
℗ 1978 CBS Inc.
Printed in U.S.A.

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.

June 22, 2023

Cathy Dennis – Touch Me (All Night Long) (US Cassette Maxi-Single)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1991

“Touch Me (All Night Long)” is another song that packed the dance floor in many gay clubs in America the song was so popular that it reached the #1 spot on the U.S. Dance chart in the spring of 1991 “.

“Touch Me (All Night Long)” is a song originally released in 1984 by American singer Fonda Rae. In 1991 British singer and songwriter Cathy Dennis covered the song, and released it on January 14, 1991, as the third single from her debut studio album, Move to This (1990). Her version contains some rewritten lyrics in the verses. It was a number-one hit on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.

Dennis performed the song on the season three episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, “A Night to Remember”, in 1993.

“Touch Me (All Night Long)” peaked at number one in Zimbabwe, number nine in Canada, number five in the United Kingdom and number three in Ireland. In the United States, “Touch Me” reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 on the week of May 18, 1991. In addition, “Touch Me” spent one week at the top of the US Dance Club Songs chart in March 1991, becoming her biggest hit in that country.

Dolby B NR was used for this transfer.

SIDE A:
Touch Me (All Night Long) (Club Mix) 7:24
Touch Me (All Night Long) (All Night Long Mix) 6:51
Touch Me (All Night Long) (7″ Mix) 3:32

SIDE B:
Touch Me (All Night Long) (Touch This) 7:53
Touch Me (All Night Long) (Rhodesapella) 4:05
Touch Me (All Night Long) (Dub All Night Long) 5:27

CASSETTE GRADE:
Sleeve: Near Mint
Cassette: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1991	Touch Me (All Night Long)	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#2
1991	Touch Me (All Night Long)	U.S. Billboard Dance Club Songs	#1
1991	Touch Me (All Night Long)	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales	#1

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Polydor – 879 467-4
Format: Cassette, Maxi-Single
Country: US
Released: 1991
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop, Garage House

CREDITS:

Edited By – Tony Shimkin
Keyboards – Peter Schwartz
Mixed By – Goh Hotoda, Shep Pettibone
Producer – Cathy Dennis, Phil Bodger, Shep Pettibone

NOTES:
From the LP “MOVE TO THIS”

Buy the Cassette at DISCOGS

CASSETTE TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

EQUIPMENT USED:
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!

Username: btg
Password: burningtheground

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

June 16, 2023

Kim Wilde – You Keep Me Hangin’ On (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1987

NEW 203 Transfer
NEW Meticulous Audio Restoration

Originally posted December 15, 2016

During the week of June 6, 1987, Kim Wilde ruled the dance floor in clubs across America with her chart-topping cover of the Supremes classic “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” which has since become a gay club classic and should be on every Pride playlist.

“You Keep Me Hangin’ On” is a song written and composed by Holland–Dozier–Holland. It was first recorded in 1966 by the American Motown girl group the Supremes.

“You Keep Me Hangin’ On” was covered in an updated version by English singer Kim Wilde in 1986. Wilde’s version was a total re-working of the original, completely transforming the Supremes’ Motown Sound into a hi-NRG song.

It was released as the second single from Wilde’s fifth studio album, Another Step (although “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” was the LP’s first worldwide single, as the first single had been released only in selected countries). The song reached number two in Wilde’s native United Kingdom and number one in Australia. It also became Wilde’s second and last top-40 entry in the United States following “Kids in America” (1981), as well as her most successful song in that country to date, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week in June 1987. It later ranked as the 34th best-selling song of 1987 on Billboard’s Hot 100 year-end chart that year. “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for UK sales in excess of 250,000 copies.

SIDE A:
You Keep Me Hangin’ On (Extended Mix) 9:02
Remix – Ian Levine

SIDE B:
Loving You 4:52
Written-By – Kim Wilde, Ricki Wilde*

You Keep Me Hangin’ On (7″ Edit) 4:11

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1987	You Keep Me Hangin’ On	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#1
1987	You Keep Me Hangin’ On	U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary	#30
1987	You Keep Me Hangin’ On	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	#6

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records ‎– MCA-23717
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Hi NRG, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

Photography By, Design – Simon Marsh (2)
Producer – Ricki Wilde*
Written-By – Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland, Jr.* (tracks: A, B2)

NOTES:
Original version available on the MCA album “ANOTHER STEP”.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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.

June 14, 2023

Elton John – Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters (Part Two) (US 12″)

Burning The Ground Exclusive 1988

Gay Icon Elton John made sure to send a message to people who were cast out like him. He reassured people who were not fitting in that they would eventually find their place. Over the years he has been working for AIDS prevention. He also established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992, which has raised more than $400 million. As well as an annual high-profile Oscar party which also raises money for AIDS prevention.

“Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)” is a song by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin from the album Reg Strikes Back. It was released as a 12″ single in 1988 only in the United States.

Although not a particularly popular song, some critics judged it as a “most intriguing” song or the “brightest moment” of the album. John said: “That’s probably my favorite track on the album. It just has a great New York feel”. He played both versions of the song sequentially in concerts from the release of “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)” in 1988 through to 1993.

The song is about New York City and is a continuation of the song “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” from the 1972 album Honky Château. Although the song follows the same meaning of its predecessor, it has a very different tempo and instrumental arrangement and is in many ways a more complex song, with a variety of key changes and unusual chords throughout the song. A brief homage to the Beatles’ song “Drive My Car” can be heard during the trumpet solo, where Elton and the backup singers interject “beep beep, beep beep, yeah!”.

SIDE A:
Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters (Part Two) (The Renaissance Mix) 6:18
Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters (Part Two) (The Da Vinci Version) 4:47

SIDE B:
A Word In Spanish 4:38
Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters (Part Two) (The Self Portrait Instrumental) 4:56

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records – MCA-23917
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Pop
Style: Synthpop

CREDITS:

Design – Wherefore Art*
Management – Connie Hillman, John Reid (8), Steve Brown*
Mastered By – Ted Jensen
Producer – Chris Thomas
Remix – Shep Pettibone (tracks: A1, A2, B2)

NOTES:
Original version appears on the MCA LP, “Reg Strikes Back”.

Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

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.