I had planned to return from vacation on Tuesday, September 8, but unfortunately, those plans have changed.

During our time away, my partner Jeremy’s father, William, was killed in a car accident. His death was sudden and completely unexpected, and we are still trying to process what has happened.

Right now, Jeremy and our family need time to grieve, take care of the many things that come with an unexpected loss, and simply be together.

Because this has just happened, I am unable to give a date for when I will return to Burning The Ground. For the time being, the site will remain on pause.

I know many of you were expecting me back next week, and I appreciate your understanding while we deal with this heartbreaking loss.

Thank you for your patience, your kindness, and for giving us the time and space we need right now.

Paul
Burning The Ground

The world lost one of its brightest lights today.

Dolly Parton, the legendary singer, songwriter, actress, and humanitarian, has passed away at the age of 80.

It is difficult to imagine a world without Dolly in it.

For more than six decades, she was a constant presence in American music and culture. That unmistakable voice. The big hair. The rhinestones. The wonderful sense of humor. And behind all of it was one of the finest songwriters popular music has ever known.

Dolly could break your heart with just a few words.

“Coat of Many Colors” told a story of childhood poverty with pride and tenderness. “Jolene” turned jealousy and desperation into one of the most recognizable songs ever recorded. And “I Will Always Love You,” written as a farewell to Porter Wagoner, became something far greater than its original story. Dolly recorded it herself more than once before Whitney Houston carried it to another generation.

Then there was “9 to 5.”

When Dolly crossed over into movies in 1980, she did it the way she seemed to do everything. Completely on her own terms. She starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, wrote one of the biggest songs of her career for the film, and proved that the woman many people had dismissed as simply a country singer could seemingly do just about anything.

Country. Pop. Gospel. Bluegrass. Movies. Television. Broadway. Dollywood.

Somehow, through all of it, Dolly remained Dolly.

She also understood something that fame can sometimes make people forget. Success means very little if you cannot use some of it to help somebody else.

Her Imagination Library placed books into the hands of millions of children. She supported education, health care, disaster relief, and countless other causes, often without making herself the center of the story.

That generosity became as much a part of Dolly Parton as the music.

Perhaps that is why her passing feels different.

There are famous people. There are superstars. There are legends.

And then there are those rare people who somehow become part of our lives, even though most of us never met them.

Dolly was one of those people.

Her songs were played at weddings and funerals. They came through car radios, jukeboxes, record players, cassette decks, CD players, and streaming services. Parents introduced her music to their children, who eventually introduced it to theirs.

Generations grew up with Dolly.

She survived changing musical tastes, changing fashions, and an entertainment business that repeatedly tried to decide what women were supposed to look like, sound like, and become as they grew older.

Dolly simply kept going.

She never stopped writing.

She never stopped dreaming.

And thankfully for us, she left behind an enormous body of music that will continue speaking for her.

Today there will be plenty of Dolly Parton songs played around the world.

But one will probably mean a little more than all the others.

“I Will Always Love You.”

Today, those words belong to Dolly.

And millions of us are saying them back to her.

Rest in peace, Dolly Parton.

1946–2026

-DjPaulT

Vacation Time!

After four weeks of Ladies Of The 80’s: Soundtrack Edition, I’m taking a little break.

Burning The Ground will be on vacation for the next two weeks while I recharge, relax, and give the turntable a well-earned rest.

Thank you again for all the incredible support during the series.

I’ll see you when I return!

-Paul

Well, here we are.

Four weeks.

A whole lot of movies.

A whole lot of vinyl.

Extended mixes, dubs, instrumentals, bonus beats, promo pressings, gophers, summer schools, weird science, and more soundtrack trivia than any reasonable person probably needs.

And now the closing credits are about to roll.

For the final entry in Ladies Of The 80’s: Soundtrack Edition, I wanted something big.

Something legendary.

Something with enough energy to send us out properly.

So how about the Queen of Soul taking on the Rolling Stones?

Today’s selection is Aretha Franklin and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” recorded for the 1986 Whoopi Goldberg comedy of the same name.

That should do it.

Directed by Penny Marshall, Jumpin’ Jack Flash stars Whoopi Goldberg as Terry Doolittle, a computer operator at a New York bank who unexpectedly begins communicating with a British intelligence agent trapped behind the Iron Curtain.

Remember when computers were mysterious enough that Hollywood could make almost anything happen through one?

Apparently Weird Science was not the only movie taking advantage of that.

Terry becomes caught up in espionage, secret codes, assassins, and government agents while trying to help the mysterious man using the code name “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”

Naturally, the Rolling Stones song becomes part of the puzzle.

The Stones’ original recording is heard in the film, but when the closing credits arrive, the microphone is handed over to Aretha Franklin.

And Aretha does not exactly tiptoe into the room.

Her version of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” was produced by none other than Keith Richards.

Yes, Keith Richards produced Aretha Franklin singing a Rolling Stones song.

The 1980s really could make some wonderful things happen.

Keith also plays guitar on the recording, joined by fellow Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. The session included Randy Jackson on bass, Chuck Leavell on keyboards, Steve Jordan on drums, and Aretha herself on piano.

That is quite a band.

Steve Lillywhite engineered the session, adding yet another major name to an already impressive list of credits.

And then there is Aretha.

She does not attempt to imitate Mick Jagger.

Why would she?

She takes the song, plants both feet firmly on the ground, and turns it into an Aretha Franklin record.

There is gospel in it.

There is soul.

There is rock.

There is attitude.

And there is that voice.

Keith Richards gives the record plenty of grit, but Aretha takes complete ownership of the song.

The connection to the movie continued with the music video, which was directed by Penny Marshall and features Whoopi Goldberg alongside Aretha, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood.

Whoopi even gets pulled into the action with Aretha, making the video feel like a playful extension of the film rather than simply another promotional clip.

With Aretha Franklin, Whoopi Goldberg, and two Rolling Stones all sharing the screen, subtlety was clearly not the goal.

And thank goodness for that.

Interestingly, despite being recorded for Jumpin’ Jack Flash and playing over the film’s closing credits, Aretha’s version was not included on the original soundtrack album.

There is another one for the soundtrack-collector mystery file.

The song instead appeared on Aretha’s 1986 album Aretha and was released as a single by Arista.

It became another solid chart success for her, reaching No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 20 on Hot Black Singles, No. 33 on the Dance chart, and No. 36 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

Yes.

Aretha Franklin on the Mainstream Rock chart.

I love that.

The single also charted internationally, including the UK, Germany, and Switzerland.

Then we get to the US 12-inch.

And this is where things become interesting for collectors.

The US promotional 12-inch was issued by Arista under catalog number AD1-9529, but there are two variations of the record circulating with the same catalog number.

Both sleeves list the Album Version among the tracks.

One pressing actually contains it.

Mine does not.

Even though the sleeve says it is there.

My copy contains four mixes of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” with the Album Version completely absent from the record itself.

You have to love vinyl collecting.

Sometimes even the record does not know what is on the record.

What my copy does give us is a terrific group of alternate mixes that take Aretha’s rock-and-soul performance into much more rhythmic territory.

Additional production and remix work was handled by Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero, a team whose names will be very familiar to anyone who spent time reading the fine print on 1980s 12-inch singles.

The Street Mix pushes the rhythm forward and gives the track a tougher, more contemporary mid-’80s feel.

There is also a shorter Street Mix Radio Edit, bringing that same treatment into a more compact form.

Then we get the Master Dub Mix and Beat Dub Mix, where the record begins to come apart in all the ways we 12-inch collectors love.

Drums move forward.

Vocals appear and disappear.

Guitars, percussion, and little pieces of the arrangement suddenly have room to breathe.

Aretha Franklin.

Keith Richards.

And a dub mix.

That alone might explain why I have been doing this series for four weeks.

This record also seems like an appropriate place to finish because it represents so much of what Ladies Of The 80’s: Soundtrack Edition has been about.

A major artist doing something unexpected.

A song connected to a movie in a slightly unusual way.

A 12-inch with mixes that tell another part of the story.

And, in this case, even a pressing variation that can make two supposedly identical copies something quite different.

That is the fun of collecting these records.

You think you know the single.

Then you flip it over.

Read the label.

Compare the sleeve.

Listen closely.

And discover there is still another story hiding in the grooves.

When I began this series, I originally planned to do it for one week.

Then you wanted another.

And another.

And another.

So here we are four weeks later.

I want to thank everyone who followed along, downloaded the transfers, shared memories, corrected details, added stories, discovered records they had never heard before, or rediscovered something they had forgotten.

Your enthusiasm turned a one-week idea into something much bigger.

Tomorrow I begin a two-week vacation, and the turntable will be taking a little break along with me.

But this is not goodbye to Ladies Of The 80’s: Soundtrack Edition.

There are still plenty of records left.

And as we established earlier…

This is the ’80s.

Everything gets a sequel.

So someday, the ladies will return.

For now, though, the lights are coming up.

The theater is emptying.

The final record is spinning.

Four weeks.

Dozens of records.

One last blast from the soundtrack.

And who better to take us home than Aretha Franklin?

It’s all right now.

The closing credits are rolling.

And Jumpin’ Jack Flash is a gas, gas, gas.

SIDE A:
Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Street Mix) 6:10

SIDE B:
Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Street Mix-Radio Edit) 4:39
Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Master Dub Mix) 4:35
Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Beat Dub Mix) 4:11

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Arista – ADI-9529
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Maxi-Single, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

• Art Direction – Maude Gilman
• Engineer – Steve Lillywhite
• Keyboards [Additional] – Ed Terry
• Mixed By – Steve Thompson And Michael Barbiero*
• Photography By – Ross Marino
• Producer – Keith Richards
• Written-By – Mick Jagger/Keith Richards*

NOTES:
The sleeve lists “Album Mix” as track A1, but that track is omitted from this pressing.

From Aretha’s album “Aretha”, and the Twentieth Century Fox film, “Jumping Jack Flash”

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

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

I appreciate your help.

Yesterday we went back to Summer School.

Today we are…

Running Scared.

And longtime readers of this series may be thinking, “Haven’t we been here before?”

Yes, we have.

Earlier in Ladies Of The 80’s: Soundtrack Edition, we visited the 1986 film Running Scared for Kim Wilde’s “Say You Really Want Me.”

Apparently one trip to Chicago was not enough.

For the second-to-last entry in the series, we return to the soundtrack for Klymaxx and “Man Size Love.”

Running Scared, directed by Peter Hyams, stars Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal as Chicago police detectives Ray Hughes and Danny Costanzo, two wisecracking partners who decide they have had enough of police work and plan to retire to Key West.

Naturally, there is one more case to finish first.

Because retirement in an ’80s buddy-cop movie is never that easy.

The film was released on June 27, 1986, and also stars Jimmy Smits, Steven Bauer, Darlanne Fluegel, Joe Pantoliano, and Dan Hedaya. It went on to earn more than $38 million at the US box office.

Then there is the soundtrack.

This was no collection of leftovers.

Rod Temperton played a major role in the project, with Temperton, Dick Rudolph, and legendary engineer Bruce Swedien producing the soundtrack album. Temperton also wrote several of its songs.

And look at the lineup.

Klymaxx.

Michael McDonald.

Ready For The World.

New Edition.

Patti LaBelle.

Kim Wilde.

Fee Waybill.

There is a lot happening on this record.

“Man Size Love” opens the soundtrack, and it was written by Rod Temperton, the man whose résumé includes Heatwave’s “Boogie Nights,” George Benson’s “Give Me The Night,” and, of course, Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” and “Thriller.”

So expectations are already pretty high.

Temperton produced “Man Size Love” with Dick Rudolph and Bruce Swedien, giving the record the kind of polished pop, R&B, and dance production you would expect from that team.

Big synthesizers.

A funky bass line.

Those unmistakable mid-’80s drums.

And Klymaxx coming at the song with plenty of attitude.

Subtle?

Not particularly.

But with a title like “Man Size Love,” subtle probably was not on the agenda.

Klymaxx were already enjoying a major breakthrough by this point. Their previous single, the ballad “I Miss You,” had climbed all the way to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Man Size Love” proved they could follow a big ballad with something completely different.

The single reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 43 on the R&B chart, and No. 18 on Billboard’s Dance Club chart. It also reached No. 55 in Canada.

Across the Atlantic, the single received another chance in early 1987 and reached No. 86 on the UK Singles Chart.

There was also an official promotional video for the song, giving Klymaxx plenty of visibility during the summer of 1986.

But, of course, we are here for the 12-inch.

And this one does not disappoint.

The US 12-inch takes “Man Size Love” far beyond the soundtrack version, with an Extended Remix and Instrumental on one side before things become considerably more adventurous with the Man Size Mix and Son Of Man Size Mix.

Whoever named these mixes understood the assignment.

The Man Size Mix stretches the track to nearly nine minutes, while the Son Of Man Size Mix gives us another alternate treatment. Louil Silas Jr. was involved with the extended remix work, with Taavi Mote engineering the remix.

Once again, the 12-inch becomes more than simply a longer version of the hit.

The rhythm gets pulled apart.

Vocals move in and out.

Percussion gets extra room.

Little pieces of Rod Temperton’s arrangement that pass quickly in the regular version suddenly get their own moment.

This is exactly why I love these records.

The soundtrack gives you the song.

The 12-inch lets you climb inside it.

“Man Size Love” was later included on Klymaxx’s self-titled 1986 album, but its original identity remains strongly connected to Running Scared.

And it was not the only hit the movie produced.

Michael McDonald’s “Sweet Freedom” reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, while New Edition’s “Once In A Lifetime Groove” became a Top 10 R&B and Dance hit.

For a buddy-cop comedy, Running Scared certainly knew how to fill a dance floor.

So here we are.

Four weeks.

Dozens of movies, singers, remixes, dubs, bonus beats, gophers, summer schools, and more 12-inch vinyl than any sensible person should probably own.

And now only one entry remains.

But before we roll the final reel tomorrow…

Klymaxx has one request.

No small love.

No medium love.

Today…

we’re going Man Size.

SIDE A:
Man Size Love (Extended Remix) 4:43
Engineer [Remix] – Bruce Swedien

Man Size Love (Instrumental) 4:39
Engineer [Remix] – Bruce Swedien

SIDE B:
Man Size Love (Man Size Mix) 8:41
Engineer [Remix] – Taavi Mote
Remix – Louil Silas Jr.

Man Size Love (Son Of Man Size Mix) 6:47
Engineer [Remix] – Taavi Mote
Remix – Louil Silas Jr.

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records – MCA-23642
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: Jul 1986
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Synth-pop, Electro

CREDITS:

• Arranged By [Horns] – Larry Williams
• Producer, Recorded By, Mixed By, Remix – Bruce Swedien
• Producer, Remix – Dick Rudolph*
• Producer, Written-By, Arranged By, Arranged By [Horns], Remix – Rod Temperton

NOTES:
Theme from the Motion Picture, “Running Scared”

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

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

I appreciate your help.

Before I take my own summer break on Friday, apparently I have to go back to school.

Summer School, that is.

Today begins the final three entries of Ladies Of The 80’s: Soundtrack Edition, and we are heading back to 1987 for E.G. Daily and “Mind Over Matter.”

This one was previously posted in 2017, but today’s post features a brand-new 2026 vinyl transfer. I went back to the original US 12-inch and recorded it again from scratch using my current equipment and restoration process.

This is not a remaster of the files posted in 2017.

Class is officially back in session.

Summer School was released in July 1987, directed by Carl Reiner and starring Mark Harmon as Freddy Shoop, a high-school gym teacher whose summer vacation plans are ruined when he is forced to teach remedial English. Kirstie Alley, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Dean Cameron, Gary Riley, and Patrick Labyorteaux are among the cast.

It is exactly the kind of premise that seemed perfectly reasonable in an ’80s comedy.

The soundtrack is also a wonderfully mixed bag of 1987 rock and dance music, with tracks by E.G. Daily, Elisa Fiorillo, Paul Engemann, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Billy Burnette, Tone Norum, and others. Daily actually appears twice, contributing both “Mind Over Matter” and “Seduction.”

But “Mind Over Matter” has the really interesting story.

The song was written by Michael Jay and Rick Palombi, and an earlier version had already been recorded by Nikki Leeger before Summer School came along. Debbie Harry then recorded the song for the film project, but record-label complications prevented her version from becoming the soundtrack single. E.G. Daily was brought in to record a new version instead.

And who produced it?

Stock Aitken Waterman.

Now we’re talking.

Daily flew to London and recorded the track with Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman, giving “Mind Over Matter” that unmistakable PWL energy.

Big drums.

Bright synthesizers.

A relentless beat.

And E.G. Daily throwing herself into the vocal like summer vacation depends on it.

Considering this was 1987, Stock Aitken Waterman were just about to become completely unavoidable. Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” was exploding internationally, and Kylie Minogue was right around the corner.

“Mind Over Matter” sits right in the middle of that fascinating period when the PWL sound was becoming one of the defining pop sounds of the late ’80s.

The song also received a music video featuring several members of the Summer School cast, helping tie the record directly back to the movie. The clip received MTV exposure during the summer of 1987.

The US only 12-inch released by A&M Records gives us the Remix on Side A and the Edit on Side B.

The Remix runs just over seven minutes, giving the already energetic production considerably more room to stretch out.

And this is exactly the kind of record the 12-inch format was made for.

The rhythm keeps driving.

The synths keep coming.

E.G. keeps pushing.

Nobody is getting dismissed early from this class.

The record became a substantial US dance hit, reaching No. 7 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.

It did not cross over to the Billboard Hot 100, but years later it has become one of those wonderfully recognizable pieces of late-’80s dance-pop that deserves another listen.

E.G. Daily herself is one of those artists whose career seems to turn up everywhere once you start looking. Music fans know her from records like “Say It, Say It,” “Love In The Shadows,” and her contributions to Better Off Dead. Movie fans know her as Dottie from Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. And an entirely different generation grew up hearing her as the voice of Tommy Pickles on Rugrats and Buttercup on The Powerpuff Girls.

That is quite a résumé.

But today we are staying in 1987.

One movie.

One US 12-inch.

One brand-new 2026 transfer.

And one lesson that apparently even summer school can teach us:

When the music is this good…

it really is Mind Over Matter.

SIDE A:
Mind Over Matter (Remix) 7:05

SIDE B:
Mind Over Matter (Edit) 6:22

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: A&M Records – SP-12246
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Hi NRG, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

• Producer – Stock Aitken Waterman*
• Written-By – M. Jay*, R. Palombi*

NOTES:
Taken from the soundtrack Album “Summer School”.

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

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

I appreciate your help.

Well, we have made it to the final week.

What originally started as a one-week idea somehow turned into four weeks plus of soundtrack singles, rare 12-inch mixes, forgotten gems, familiar favorites, and quite a few surprises along the way.

And I have loved every minute of it.

The response to Ladies Of The 80’s: Soundtrack Edition has been fantastic, and your comments, memories, stories, and enthusiasm are a big reason the series kept going much longer than I originally planned.

But all good soundtracks eventually reach the closing credits.

This week will be the final chapter… for now.

I will be posting three final entries this week:

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Then, beginning Friday, August 21, I will be taking a two-week vacation and giving both myself and the turntable a little rest.

Do not worry, though.

There are still plenty of soundtrack records sitting in the collection waiting for their moment.

So while this edition is coming to an end, I think it is safe to say…

Ladies Of The 80’s: Soundtrack Edition II will happen at a later date.

A sequel?

Of course.

This is the ’80s.

Everything gets a sequel.

For now, we still have three records left, and I have saved some fun ones for the finish.

Thank you to everyone who has followed the series, downloaded the transfers, shared memories, discovered something new, or simply stopped by to listen.

Now let’s roll the final reel.

Three more Ladies.

Three more soundtracks.

Three more trips back to the ’80s.

See you tomorrow.

-Paul

Yesterday we rocked hard with Suzi Quatro.

Today, lunch is served.

Hot lunch, to be exact.

For today’s Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition, we return to 1980 for a terrific UK 12-inch pairing from the original motion picture soundtrack to Fame.

On one side we have Linda Clifford with “Red Light.”

Flip it over and Irene Cara is waiting with “Hot Lunch Jam.”

Two ladies.

Two songs.

One soundtrack.

Not a bad way to spend twelve inches of vinyl.

Directed by Alan Parker, Fame follows a group of students through their years at New York City’s High School of Performing Arts, from auditions through graduation. Irene Cara stars as Coco Hernandez, alongside Gene Anthony Ray, Lee Curreri, Paul McCrane, Barry Miller, Maureen Teefy, and others. The film received its national US release on June 20, 1980.

Of course, the music became almost as important as the movie.

The soundtrack gave us Irene Cara’s “Fame” and “Out Here On My Own,” along with “I Sing The Body Electric,” “Dogs In The Yard,” “Never Alone,” and the two tracks featured on today’s 12-inch. The album itself reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200.

First up is Linda Clifford.

“Red Light” was written by Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford and produced by Michael Gore and Gil Askey. Linda was already well established in the disco world thanks to records such as “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” “Runaway Love,” and her dramatic disco remake of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

“Red Light” gave her another substantial hit.

The single reached No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 40 on the Hot Soul Singles chart.

But the dance floor liked it even more.

Billboard’s Disco chart grouped “Red Light” with Irene Cara’s “Fame” and “Hot Lunch Jam,” and the three tracks reached No. 1 together.

Now that is one crowded dance floor.

The version on this UK 12-inch is the full-length “Extended Version,” running considerably longer than the edited single version. It is essentially the version that lets Linda stretch out and do what Linda Clifford does best.

Sing big.

Dance big.

And apparently ignore the red light completely.

Then we turn the record over.

Lunch time.

“Hot Lunch Jam” is performed by Irene Cara and was written by Michael Gore, Lesley Gore, and producer Robert F. Colesberry. Michael Gore produced the recording.

The history behind the song is particularly interesting.

According to Alan Parker, “Hot Lunch Jam” grew out of an all-day session in which the young performers contributed ideas as the number took shape. In other words, the loose, spontaneous energy we hear in the finished recording was not entirely an illusion. The song really did evolve as something of a jam.

And it sounds like one.

Piano.

Percussion.

Horns.

Handclaps.

Voices flying everywhere.

Irene right in the middle of it all.

It feels less like a carefully assembled soundtrack recording and more like somebody opened the cafeteria doors and an entire performing arts school broke into music.

Which, come to think of it, is basically Fame.

The UK 12-inch labels Irene’s side “Hot Lunch Jam (Vocal And Melody Arrangement),” while other listings describe it as the Full Length Version. Unlike some of the records we have featured during this series, there is no newly constructed club remix hiding here. The appeal is having these two full-length soundtrack performances together on one 45 RPM 12-inch.

And what a pairing.

Linda Clifford brings the polished disco fire.

Irene Cara brings the spontaneous school-cafeteria chaos.

Somehow, it works.

Fame went on to become much more than another 1980 musical. Michael Gore won the Academy Award for Original Score, while “Fame,” written by Gore and Dean Pitchford, won Best Original Song. “Out Here On My Own” was nominated in the same category. The film was later selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2023.

But today we are moving away from the title song and digging a little deeper into the soundtrack.

That is what this series is all about.

Sometimes the real fun is hiding one or two tracks away from the obvious hit.

So when the red light comes on…

ignore it.

Lunch is ready.

And apparently…

it’s a jam.

SIDE A:
Linda Clifford – Red Light (Extended Version) 6:10
Producer – Gil Askey
Written-By – D. Pitchford*

SIDE B:
Irene Cara – Hot Lunch Jam (Full Length Version) (Vocal & Melody Arrangement) 4:11
Written-By – L. Gore, R.F.Colesberry

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

* Billboard’s Disco chart combined “Fame,” “Red Light,” and “Hot Lunch Jam” as a single chart entry.

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: RSO – RSOX 64
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1980
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Disco

CREDITS:

• Producer – Michael Gore
• Written-By – M. Gore*

NOTES:
From The Original Soundtrack Of The Motion Picture “Fame” – 2479 253

Made In England

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

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Yesterday we were playing with some very weird science.

Today we are going back to where the streets were dirty, the music was loud, and Times Square actually looked like Times Square.

For our next Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition selection, we travel all the way back to 1980 for Suzi Quatro and “Rock Hard,” from the original motion picture soundtrack to Times Square.

Directed by Allan Moyle, Times Square stars Trini Alvarado and Robin Johnson as two teenage girls from very different backgrounds who run away together and find their own form of rebellion on the streets of New York City. Tim Curry co-stars as radio DJ Johnny LaGuardia. The film opened in October 1980 and was shot on location around New York, including the wonderfully grimy Times Square that existed long before the neighborhood was cleaned up and transformed.

And then there is that soundtrack.

What a soundtrack.

The double LP reads like somebody raided one of the coolest record stores in 1980. The Pretenders, Roxy Music, Gary Numan, Talking Heads, Joe Jackson, XTC, the Ramones, The Cure, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Garland Jeffreys, and more all appear alongside music recorded specifically for the film.

And right there at the beginning of Side One is Suzi Quatro.

“Rock Hard.”

In fact, “Rock Hard” is identified in the film as a favorite record of Nicky and Pamela, which makes it more than just another song dropped onto the soundtrack. It actually belongs to their world.

Written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, “Rock Hard” was also the title track from Suzi’s 1980 studio album of the same name.

The song marked a return to the tough, guitar-driven sound that had made Suzi such a distinctive presence during the 1970s.

And she sounds fantastic.

The guitars grind.

The drums pound.

Suzi attacks the vocal like she has something to prove.

This is not background music.

This is Suzi Quatro reminding everybody why she was one of rock’s original tough ladies.

Mike Chapman produced the track, continuing a partnership that had already produced some of Suzi’s biggest records. The backing-vocal lineup is interesting too, with Michael Des Barres among the singers adding muscle behind Suzi’s lead.

Yes, that Michael Des Barres.

Actor, singer, later frontman for The Power Station, and apparently available in 1980 when somebody needed a little extra shouting behind Suzi Quatro.

I love these credits.

“Rock Hard” did considerably better in some countries than it did in Suzi’s native United States. The single reached No. 5 in South Africa, No. 9 in Australia, No. 19 in Zimbabwe, No. 26 in West Germany, No. 46 in the Netherlands, and No. 68 on the UK Singles Chart.

In the United States, however, Dreamland Records took a different approach.

And that brings us to the record I am featuring today.

My copy is the US promotional 12-inch labeled:

AOR SPECIAL

For anyone who remembers FM rock radio, those three letters tell the story.

AOR stood for Album-Oriented Rock, and this 12-inch was sent to American rock radio programmers in an attempt to get “Rock Hard” into rotation. Contemporary trade coverage shows the song receiving AOR airplay and being added by stations including KBPI, WABX, KLOL, WBAB, KZEL, and WSHE.

But if you are waiting for me to tell you about the Extended Version…

There isn’t one.

The Special Dance Mix?

Nope.

The Dub?

Keep dreaming.

This promo contains “Rock Hard” on one side.

Then you flip the record over…

and you get “Rock Hard” again.

That is dedication.

No remix. No alternate vocal. No bonus beats. No seven-minute breakdown designed for a club at two in the morning.

Just Suzi.

Rocking hard.

Twice.

And honestly, I love records like this.

The 12-inch single was not always about remixes. Sometimes it existed because a record company wanted radio stations to have a promotional copy of one particular track, and an AOR 12-inch like this is a little snapshot of how rock records were promoted in 1980.

It also makes an interesting addition to this series because Times Square itself was so closely tied to music.

The soundtrack was heavily promoted as a showcase for contemporary rock, punk, and new wave, and it eventually reached number 37 on the Billboard album chart.

The film may never have become the blockbuster its producers hoped for, but the soundtrack developed a life of its own.

And more than four decades later, that collection of records still captures a moment when punk, new wave, hard rock, and mainstream pop were all crashing into one another.

Suzi Quatro belonged right in the middle of it.

So no extended mix today.

No dub.

Not even a bonus beat.

Sometimes you do not need any of that.

Sometimes you just need to…

Rock Hard.

SIDE A:
Rock Hard (Intro: :17) 3:21

SIDE B:
Rock Hard (Intro: :17) 3:21

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Dreamland Records, Inc. – DPR – 1204, Dreamland Records, Inc. – DPR – 1204 AS
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1980
Genre: Rock
Style: Hard Rock

CREDITS:

• Producer – Mike Chapman
• Written-By – M. Chapman – N. Chinn*

NOTES:
Came in die-cut sleeve with hype sticker:
From the original motion picture
soundtrack “Times Square”
Labels read: Suzi Quatro AOR Special
Promotion Copy – Not For Sale

Manufactured By – RSO Records, Inc.
Marketed By – RSO Records, Inc.

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

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Yesterday Luba told us that “The Best Is Yet To Come.”

Today we are getting a little more private.

Private Joy, that is.

For our next Ladies Of The 80s: Soundtrack Edition selection, we head back to 1985 for Cheyne’s “Private Joy,” from the soundtrack to one of the decade’s most wonderfully ridiculous teen comedies, Weird Science.

Written and directed by John Hughes, Weird Science stars Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith as Gary and Wyatt, two teenage boys who use a computer, a doll, and a little lightning to create their idea of the perfect woman.

Naturally, they get Kelly LeBrock.

Because apparently computers worked much better in 1985.

The movie also features Bill Paxton as Wyatt’s nightmare older brother Chet, along with Robert Downey Jr., Suzanne Snyder, Judie Aronson, and Vernon Wells. Weird Science opened in the United States on August 2, 1985.

And, of course, there was a soundtrack.

Oingo Boingo supplied the unforgettable title track, while the album also included Kim Wilde’s “Turn It On,” Max Carl’s “The Circle,” Wall Of Voodoo’s “Deep In The Jungle,” Killing Joke’s “Eighties,” The Lords Of The New Church, Taxxi, and others.

Then there was Cheyne.

Her contribution, “Private Joy,” has another very important name attached to it.

Prince.

“Private Joy” was written and originally recorded by Prince for his 1981 album Controversy. It was one of those wonderfully playful Prince tracks filled with synthesizers, rhythm machines, attitude, and just enough weirdness to make it unmistakably his.

Cheyne was not the first woman to cover it. La Toya Jackson recorded “Private Joy” for her 1984 album Heart Don’t Lie.

But Cheyne’s version takes the song somewhere else.

Produced by Greg Phillinganes and Jimmy Iovine, with vocal production by Louil Silas Jr., the Weird Science recording gives “Private Joy” a harder, more electronic 1985 makeover. AFI’s official film credits confirm Phillinganes and Iovine as producers and Silas as vocal producer.

The result fits Weird Science beautifully.

It is bright.

Synthetic.

Playful.

A little strange.

In other words, perfect for a movie about two teenagers creating Kelly LeBrock with a computer.

Cheyne herself is another interesting part of the story.

Earlier in 1985, she had topped Billboard’s Dance Club chart with “Call Me Mr. Telephone (Answering Service).”

And here is a great piece of 1980s pop trivia.

Before Madonna recorded “Into The Groove,” the song was originally intended for Cheyne, who was working with producer Mark Kamins at the time. Madonna ultimately decided to keep the song for herself.

Considering what happened to “Into The Groove,” that has to qualify as one of pop music’s great “what if?” moments.

Later that same year, MCA released “Private Joy” as a single from the Weird Science soundtrack.

Billboard featured the record as one of its Dance Picks in October 1985, listing the 5:28 version and crediting Greg Phillinganes and Jimmy Iovine as producers.

Despite the push, “Private Joy” does not appear to have reached Billboard’s major national singles charts.

Another one that slipped through the cracks.

Fortunately for us, MCA gave the song a US 12-inch release, and this is where things get especially interesting.

The 12-inch gives us the Extended Version, an Instrumental, and something wonderfully labeled “Bonus Beats Plus Bass.”

Now that is a title designed to get my attention.

Louil Silas Jr. handled the remix, taking the already electronic production and giving it considerably more room to move. The Extended Version runs 5:28, while the Instrumental stretches even longer at 5:46. “Bonus Beats Plus Bass” clocks in at 4:30.

The Instrumental is particularly fun because without Cheyne’s vocal, you can really dig into the machinery underneath the record.

And then there are those Bonus Beats.

Plus bass.

What else do we need?

“Private Joy” is exactly the kind of record I hoped to uncover when this series began.

A Prince composition.

A singer who had already topped the dance chart.

Production by Greg Phillinganes and Jimmy Iovine.

A remix by Louil Silas Jr.

A cult-classic John Hughes movie.

And a US 12-inch filled with versions that rarely get mentioned today.

Yet somehow, the record has become little more than a footnote.

Not here.

Gary and Wyatt needed a computer, a government mainframe, a Barbie doll, and a lightning storm to create their fantasy.

All we need is a turntable.

Welcome to my Private Joy.

SIDE A:
Private Joy (Extended Version) 5:28

SIDE B:
Private Joy (Instrumental) 5:46
Private Joy (Bonus Beats Plus Bass) 4:30

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records – MCA-23583
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Electro, Synth-pop

CREDITS:

• Engineer – Taavi Mote
• Engineer [Assistant] – Fred Howard
• Producer – Greg Phillinganes, Jimmy Iovine
• Producer [Vocals], Remix – Louil Silas, Jr.*
• Written-By – Prince

NOTES:
Original version appears on the MCA LP MCA-6146, Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack, “Weird Science”.

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

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

I appreciate your help.