BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1982
Re-Rip Newly Remastered!
Originally I posted this one on May 24, 2011. But for those who may have missed it or if you are a new reader just discovering BTG. I decided to give this one a new rip with my newer Ortofon Super 30 stylus. This 12″ is also being posted in 24 bit flac for the very first time! The original 12″ that I posted in 2011 was the UK pressing at 45 RPM and did not have a picture sleeve. Since then I obtained the Netherlands pressing which is mastered at 33 ⅓ RPM and includes the original picture sleeve.
This is Wham!’s debut single in with its initial white cover featuring drawings of the bands heads. It features different mixes than the re-release and some lyrics of the “Social Mix” are quite different to other versions/mixes of the song.
“Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)”‘ is a 1982 song by British pop duo Wham! on Innervision Records. It was written by Wham! members George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley.
The song, which had been tentatively released in June 1982 when Wham! were unknowns and failed to make any impact, was re-issued in January 1983 after the duo had achieved their breakthrough with “Young Guns (Go For It!)”.
Although rap was still an underground and almost exclusively American phenomenon in the early 1980s, as the title implies, George rapped a number of verses about the joys of living every day to the fullest, which meant that being gainfully employed was not an option, and ‘having fun with the boys down the (welfare) line’. The chorus asked the question “Do you enjoy what you do?”, which brought about the bracketed section of the title. The video depicted George and Andrew Ridgeley in their leather jackets, combining their moody image with a bright, effervescent choreography.
Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do) – the full version of which was almost seven minutes long – reached #8 in the UK singles chart, the second of four hits from Wham!’s debut album Fantastic. The duo would go on to enjoy four UK #1 hits before splitting at their height in 1986. On the flip side of their farewell single The Edge of Heaven was an updated version of the song, entitled Wham! Rap ’86.
The song was explicitly political and slightly revolutionary. It flew in the face of the conventional British Left-wing who were talking about the ‘Right to work’ at the time.
SIDE A:
Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do) (Unsocial Mix) 6:33
SIDE B:
Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do) (Social Mix) 6:42
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Cover: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Wham Rap! | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | Did Not Chart |
| 1982 | Wham Rap! | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | Did Not Chart |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Epic – EPCA 12-2442, Inner Vision – A 12.2442
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: Netherlands
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic, Hip Hop, Pop
Style: Pop Rap, Synth-pop
Credits:Design – XL Design
Producer – Bob Carter
Ridgeley*, Panos (2)
NOTES:
Rear cover lists tracks as:
A. Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do) Special US 12″ Remix
B. Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do)
Label lists Side A as the “Social Mix” but plays the “Unsocial Mix” and vice versa.
Printed in Holland.
Find the 12″ on DISCOGS
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Speed Control: Pro-Ject Speed Box S
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 Removeal: ClickRepair (DeClick Level 3)
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
