Once Upon A Time, the album

I guess this is the most brilliant Donna Summer album ever. It's oniric, hedonistic and does reveal the geniality of the magic trio Moroder-Bellotte-Summer.

Once upon a time
There was a girl
She lived in the land of never never
Where everything real is unreal
And only fairy tales come true
Something like me and you

But she believed
That what she dreamed of
Could be real
So she strived on
To make it come true

Fighting odds
Not knowing
What would come of her
Never giving up
The hope
Within her

She carried on and on
Because she believed
That once
Once in a time
In her lifetime
The things so unreal
Would be real

And in the morning,
one day when she awoke
To find herself surrounded
By the same old room
She was disappointed

So she dreamed
And she dreamed
And she dreamed
and she dreamed
and she dreamed

And she said that fairy tales do come true
'Cause I believeI believe
And she kept trying
And she kept right on fighting
Till one day
She met a man
Who held her tight
And she fell in love

Once upon a time
In the land of never never
Where all things real are unreal
There lived a girl
Who believed that all things
Could be possible

And one day she did awake
And found herself
Somewhere else
Beside her
A brand new face
Of someone that she loved

Thank god I'm not insane....... ok, make that: thank god I'm not insane about the missing post. LOL

You have to hear Rainy Day Soul - it blows away Fugitive Kind! As far as I know it's only being sold through his site, but he accepts payment through PayPal and now by post as well. (I just hope everyone realizes that the mailing addrsss he gives is for the Purple Heart office and not for the Sudano home. I could just see guys mailing themselves in a box - hoping that Donna would open it! LOL)

To OD: Thanks for the post about Bruce Sudano's new Cd. Only now I had the chance to listen to some of the audio clips on his site. He's such a great singer (which I of course knew already from songs like "Pretender", for instance). It's strange that someone so talented can remain for so long time backstages. I would say the same about Joe Esposito. Where's him after all?
Back to Sudano, the songs I've listened so far are so cool. I think I'll get the CD one day. It isn't listed at Amazon. Does that mean it will only be available at his own site? :o)

Hiya OD!
LOL! Actually you're not insane ;o) I've decided to - momentarily - delete my last post (about Donna's Top 20) because the table on it just didn't fit the HTML format properly. I think it has something to do with Blogger. I'll try fixing it and post again soon.
But... okay! Let me post something new (Hmm, maybe it isn't that new. But, still, it's a very interesting interview with Donna, published on Billboard Magazine on September 3, 1994) Hugs. :o)

An Interview With Donna Summer

On Nashville, Christmas Barbara And Image-Breaking

-------------------
By Craig Rosen
-------------------

Billboard recently caught up with Donna Summer while she was putting the finishing touches on her Christmas album in Nashville. "Christmas Spirit" is due Oct. 4 on Mercury. Some of Summer"s classic material will hit the bins on "The Casablanca Records Story," set for a Sept. 13 release. In our conversation with Summer, she spoke about songwriting, her long awaited Christmas album and her early days.

BILLBOARD: What brings you to Nashville?

DONNA SUMMER: I"ve been in the process of looking for property down here; looking for a house and Finishing up my Christmas album, which I recorded in part with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.

BB: Although you are primarily known for your dance and pop hits, you have experimented with country music in the past. I"ve heard rumors you"re working on a country record.

DS: When anyone comes to Nashville, people assume you come down to make country music and jump on the bandwagon, but that"s not exactly why I came down here. I came down here to work on my writing. My husband, Bruce Sudano, and I wrote "Starting Over Again," which was a No. I country record for Dolly Parton {in 1980}. So it"s not something that started this week or Just week. We have been writing a lot of country songs. When I say country songs, a great song is a great song. I don"t think it has a gender or a denomination, so to speak. That"s the place we"re I"m trying to get to. To the place where I write songs that work across the board. I find that a great many country songs are songs that anyone can sing, like Whitney Houston or All-4-One or Ray Charles. In Nashville, they just care about the songs and they have a lot of respect for songwriters.

BB: Have you been performing any of your new material?

DS: One of the things I have been doing since last year is singing some of the country songs that I have written. They have been going over very well. I sing them in more of a country vein than in a pop vein, with a little vocal twist.

BB: Does the fact that you are an artist with a successful track record on the pop charts help you in the Nashville music scene?

DS: I don"t took at my celebrity as an entree to anything. I think it is important that people hold their own in everything that they do. I"m willing to bend down and be humble to get to the level I need to be at in another area. I have no problem playing in a small place. In Nashville, nobody forgets their roots. They are able to go play in a small club and nobody makes a big deal out of it. I like being here. It gives you a chance to be human.

BB: Do you feel like your songwriting talents have been overlooked?

DS: I think, because some of the songs were really big, people focus more on singing. They didn"t consider a great number of those songs I wrote or co-wrote. When you"re a songwriter and singer, it"s always a toss-up between what is going to wind up on top. It"s a wonderful feeling having another artist sing a song of yours.

BB: Are there any artists who you would like to see record your songs?

DS: Whitney Houston, Trisha Yearwood, Linda Ronnstadt. Anyone with a great voice. I love to hear people sing great songs. I would like to get to the point where those great songs are coming out of me.

BB: You"re recording your own Christmas album. Do you have a favorite holiday season recording? Will that influence your album?

DS: One of my favorites is the Nat "King" Cole Christmas album, which I listen to yearly. I also love Barbara Streisand"s Christmas album. Every year, we will listen to almost all the Christmas albums and then we will revert to one or two of them, because they are the most atmospheric records and make us feel like Christmas. I"ve tried to analyze as much of that as I could and go with that feeling.

BB: What songs are you including on your Christmas album?

DS: Amy Grant"s Christmas album had a wonderful song on it called "Breath Of Heaven," which I have recorded. I also recorded "The Christmas Song," "White Christmas," "O Come All Ye Faithful," a medley of three other Christmas songs, and "O Holy Night." That song starts off fairly conservatively, then it goes into a fairly funky, gospel choral in the end. This album has something for everyone. I co-wrote three new songs, as well.

BB: Why are you recording a Christmas album at this point in your career?

DS: I have longed to make a Christmas album. Every year I start off planning to do one, but then February and March roll around and it doesn"t happen-my life takes off and I never get a chance to do it.

BB: It must have been a thrill to finally cut this album you have been planning for years.

DS: Yes, it was. Michael Omartian did a wonderful job producing, and I absolutely adored playing with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. When they first started playing "White Christmas," tears just welled up in my eyes and I had to leave the room, because it sounded so beautiful and it had taken so long to finally start this project. It was just a wonderful feeling, and I think that comes across on the record.

BB: Was it hard to get into the Christmas spirit when you were recording the album earlier in the year?

DS: We. did a lot of the final cuts right around Easter, so that was pretty peculiar.

BB: Aside from the Christmas album, I understand that you have been doing some work with Clivilles and Cole?

DS: We"re doing two cuts to start. We"ve had a few writing sessions. Right now, their album"s just out; next, we are going to finalize these cuts ... After that, I"m going to start looking for songs and writing with
DS: We"re doing two cuts to start. We"ve had a few writing sessions. Right now, their album"s just out; next, we are going to finalize these cuts ... After that, I"m going to start looking for songs and writing withpeople for studio album next year.

When "Love To Love You Baby "first hit in the States, Donna was in Munich where she had been living for eight years. Although she"d had some success there, she was still a relative unknown. Neil {Bogart} and I flew over to Munich and, with Donna"s family, went on to Amsterdam, where she was performing several New Year"s Eve shows in a hotel ballroom.

It was a lovely room with a friendly crowd and a large orchestra of talented European musicians. But it soon became apparent to us that Donna had never done this before. She had one costume, no band leader, no orchestral charts and no one to direct sound or lighting cues. But she did have this fabulous voice!

Neil conducted the orchestra, and I handled sound and lights. No one spoke the same language, but it didn"t matter it was New Year"s Eve. The audience adored her, and by the end of the show they were wild. They wanted an encore, and then another and another... 10 in all. Only problem was, Donna didn"t have any more songs prepared. So she sang what she knew: 10 encores of "White Christmas." JOYCE BOGART TRABULUS

BB: We"ve talked about the present and the future. Let"s go back to the past. Your first big break was landing a role in the production of "Hair" in Munich, Germany. What were you doing before "Hair"?

DS: I was still in high school. It was the end of my last year, but I wasn"t doing too well in school. I was in a rock "n" roll band called the Crow, not be confused with Counting Crows. You can guess who the Crow was. I was the only black one in the group.

BB: Some people might be surprised that you were in a rock band. How did the Crow sound?

DS: We were kind of in the vein of Janis Joplin. We wrote songs with very hippy, kind of psychedelic lyrics. We were kind of in the Boston scene at that point. Then we went to New York. It was there I was discovered. I auditioned in New York, for "Hair," but I was accepted for the show in Germany.

BB: Was it tough for you to leave your family and move to a foreign country?

DS: My father had lived in Germany and had been in the service, and he spoke fluent German. He and my mother used to speak German around me and it used to make me mad, because I couldn"t understand them. So I went, because I thought it was a good chance to learn how to speak another language.

BB: Was it difficult to make the transition from acting in musicals to performing live as a pop singer?

DS: When you"re in a musical, the emphasis isn"t only on you. You have all this support happening. The biggest adjustment was learning to fill up the stage, on my own. There are band members up there, but the the main focus is on you as a person. You are given an hour or two on stage and you have to keep the people busy.

BB: You and producer Giorgio Moroder worked very closely for much of your career. How did you first meet?

DS: I came into the studio to record some sound bites for a TV commercial. I was with a couple of other girls. Giorgio heard me sing and he liked my voice, so he asked me if I would put some vocals on some of his demos. Eventually, we became very friendly. We never dated or anything, but he was like a mentor to me. He was like a big brother. He was very protective, and he really looked after me.

BB: Tell me the story behind your first big hit, "Love To Love Baby."


DS: I told Giorgio that I had an idea for a song, and I sang the melody to him and he put down a track. I came into the studio the next day and he wanted me to put down my vocal, but I wasn"t really prepared, so I ad libbed, and that was left on the song. I was goofing around. I was lying on the floor moaning and we were all hysterical. It was just too funny.

BB: But no one really took it as a joke. it became a hit and you were saddled with this sex-goddess image. How did you feet about that?

DS: I was very down-to-earth and still am. I"m not saying I am not a woman with a certain amount of physicalness, but I certainly was not that particular type of woman. That woman had to be created. Casablanca worked very hard at creating that image around me, but I was never very comfortable with that image, because that is not me. I wanted to be taken seriously.

BB: How did you break away from that image?

DS: I think "Bad Girls" turned it around. I was becoming more sassy. The original image was a victim of femininity. When the "Bad Girls"album came out, I was able to make other statements and be other women.


We waited so long for Donna to come on the show- I had known Neil Bogart for years-that we laughed about the moment when she finally did the show-and became a TV sensation!

Donna just did our live annual New Year"s Eve Special from my Resorts " Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. When she came out singing "On The Radio," the crowd leaped from their seats. The moment was a true testament to the excitement that this girl can generate! Donna would be a giant whether disco happened or not-in fact, the "disco" arena may even have limited her in some ways. Donna could be a singing sensation on Broadway if she wanted. MERV GRIFFIN

Thinking that we were athletes, {Donna"s husband} Bruce Sudano and I and a bunch of L.A. musicians formed a football league in the late "80s.
Donna allowed us to use a section of their ranch for a playing field, so we could have regular games on Saturdays. We would meet, suit up, play for several hours and then hobble off the field to nurse our injuries. Donna would shake hear head, roll her eyes and mutter things like "Grown men ..immaturity ..didn"t {we men} know how old {we} were?"" Then she would bring out dozens of pizzas that she"d made with her own hands (she"s not just a great singer-, you know) in her- pizza oven. After a couple of months, we all had so many injuries that we could hardly walk and decided to stick to music. I only heard Donna say, "I told you so" a few times, which I always admired her-for. Now when my back is sore, I always think of Donna"s pizza. MICHAEL OMARTIAN

BB: Over the years, you have had more success on the pop charts than R&B. flow do you feel about that?

DS: I probably left the U S. as an R&B singer and wound up being a Europop singer. Somewhere along the way, everthing got a little mixed together. So I was an oddity for most people. I wasn"t considered a black artist. I wasn"t white in my skin, but my music was more in that pop genre, so I established a place for myself, which was good on one level and bad on the other.

BB: How?

DS: When people in the business don"t know where- to where to put you, they sometimes put you out.

BB: Did you feel that it was necessary to record the 1978 "Live And More" album to prove that you weren"t just a studio creation?

DS: It was always rumored that disco singers can"t sing. It was all hype from studios, the engineers and the producers. It"s all producers" magic. I just felt that having come from a real history of theater and music, it was time for me to get up there and sing. I had been touring for a while, and my record company really felt it was important for me to do a live album to show all the colors that they felt were there.

BB: It must have been interesting for you to go back and listen to all your old material to compile 1993"s "The Donna Summer Anthology."

DS: You don"t realize what a body of work you have until you have to go back and listen to it all. It brought back a lot of memories. It was kind of like reliving my life. It was fun, it was sad, it was poignant and a revelation all at the same time.

Twelve years ago, I was in Bretano"s autographing copies of my songwriting book, "If They Ask You, You Can Write A Song." I was looking down when a friendly voice asked me to autograph her copy. "Just sign it "To Donna and Bruce," " she said, adding that my songwriting advice had helped her to compose many hits. When I looked up to hand her the book, I was shocked to see Donna Summer standing there. In fact, I was literally tongue-tied! Donna was one of my favorite singers and writers, and the idea that I had had any influence was a devastating and delightful surprise. My wife Ceil and I became inseparably close friends with Donna, who sent us copies of her newest demos and albums and involved us in her creative process. It was a process that went past music: as the country"s most distinguished art galleries will confirm, Donna is now a nationally renowned painter. AL KASHA

BB: What was it like working with Barbara Streisand on "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) "?

DS: It was fun. She"s a funny girl. She did a lot of funny things. There was a lot of comedy going back and forth between us. I had just finished eight nights at the Universal Amphitheatre. The next day, we had this recording session. Barbara and I were in the Studio singing and we were holding the high note on "Enough is Enough" and I didn"t breathe right. I just held the note too long and I fell off my stool. Barbara kept holding her note and then at the end of note, she said, "Are you all right?" It was hysterical, because by the time she asked me, I was coming to. I hit the floor and it jolted me. She didn"t stop holding her note. It was the height of professionalism. She thought I was playing around.

BB: "Anthology" contained some previously unreleased material from the aborted "I"m A Rainbow" album. Why was that album shelved?

DS: David Geffen didn"t think there was enough dance music on the record. It wasn"t what he was looking for. It was like having a miscarriage. I don"t go into the studio to have an album canned.

BB: "Don"t Cry For Me Argentina," which was originally to be released on "I"m A Rainbow" and finally issued on "Anthology," was sort of going back full circle for you to your roots in musical theater.

DS: It"s like the song belongs to me now. It"s almost like it"s my song. I know it may sound presumptuous, but I don"t mean it to. I just feel such a connection to that song. I feel like so many things have transpired in my life and my career, and I wind tip back with the audience, where it all begins.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Top 20 Donna Summer Hits

1. Hot Stuff June, 1979
2. Bad Girls July, 1979
3. MacArthur Park November, 1978
4. She Works Hard for The Money August, 1983
5. Love To Love You Baby February, 1976
6. Last Dance August, 1978
7. Heaven Knows March, 1979
8. I Feel Love November, 1977
9. No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) November, 1979
10. Dim All The Lights November, 1979
11. The Wanderer November, 1980
12. On The Radio March, 1980
13. Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger) September, 1982
14. This Time I Know It"s For Real June, 1989
15. There Goes My Baby October, 1984
16. The Woman In Me February, 1983
17. Cold Love January, 1981
18. Walk Away October, 1980
19. I Love You February, 1978
20. State Of Independence November, 1982



Donna Summer"s top 20 singles from the Hot 100 were computed by Chart Beat columnist Fred Bronson, using a point system he developed for his book, Billboard"s Hottest Hot 100 Hits. Dates listed are month and year in which single peaked. All singles are by Donna Summer except for "Heaven Knows," credited to Donna Summer with Brooklyn Dreams, and "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)," a duet by Barbara Streisand and Donna Summer.

(c) BPI Communication

Am I insane? Or is there a post missing?

It's so quiet in here! Where is everyone?

This is probably off-topic, but since I can't think of anything else to say at the moment....

I highly recommend the new Bruce Sudano cd to those reading who'd like a nice mellow cd to unwind to. It's definitely an album that's written from the heart and as such it's about the art instead of about being "commercial." Though Bruce's voice can't compare to Donna's (not that anyone's can!), the writing it first rate and in my opinion it is some of Bruce's best writing to date. There are clips posted at brucesudano.com, but they really don't do the songs justice.

Hmmmm - I think I better stop in here next time I need a quote of the week. There are several that are ripe for the picking.... ;-)

Original Bio From Thank God It's
Friday Press Kit (1978)

"Nicole Sims"

If ever a role was tailor-made for a performer, the ambitious young singer that
Donna Summer portrays in "Thank Got It's Friday" is definitely it. For
in her film debut, the internationally acclaimed Casablanca songstress lights up
the screen with a touching and funny performance that clearly rings true.

"This role is an extension of me...she's got to sing," says Summer of
Nicole Sims, the determined singer who seizes the spotlight in "Thank God
It's Friday"s disco, The Zoo. From her own experience, Donna knows what
drives her character, and can tap the humor in the role. Her own climb to
success taught her the meaning of taking chances, and never taking
"no" for an answer.

The proof of Summer's philosophy lies in the numerous international awards and
seven Gold Records she's received for her Casablanca Record and FilmWorks
catalogue- Love To Love You Baby, Love Trilogy, Four Seasons Of Love, I Remember
Yesterday, and Once Upon A Time. And Donna's stunning concerts in countries the
world over have established her as a performing artist of the highest caliber.
So it comes as no surprise to her legion of fans that Donna Summer is a magnetic
screen presence as well.

Performing always came naturally for this native of Boston who, at eighteen,
ventured to Munich, Germany for a role in "Hair", and built a career
as one of the continent's brightest stars. Then came the sultry smash single,
"Love To Love You Baby," and the association with Neil Bogart's
Casablanca Records, and the Donna Summer phenomenon took America by storm. Her
loyal following among disco devotees has grown to include rhythm and blues and
pop music fans who've recognized the versatility of Summer's style.

"I'm funny. I'm dramatic. I'm slapstick. I'd be foolish not to explore
these facets of my life," observes this forthright lady, and her role in
"Thank God It's Friday" provides an excellent opportunity. As Nicole,
Donna displays a delightful comedic flair, and she's the perfect foil for Ray
Vitte's DeeJay, around whom Nicole maneuvers for a chance to sing at the disco.
And when the magic moment arrives, Donna delivers an absolutely electrifying
performance of "Last Dance," a song especially written for her by
fellow actor and Casablanca artist Paul Jabara.

For Donna, film acting is a natural progression, a chance to show 'the other
side of Summer.' "I always wanted to be an actress. I want to play lots of
other parts, and show my other colors." With her auspicious debut in "Thank
God It's Friday," Donna Summer demonstrates that she's a performer of many
hues, with the promise of many more colors to come.

In reply to Ordinary Diva's message of July 4: You're welcome! ;o)

The following article is about a Donna Summer
concert, which took place at the Universal Amphitheatre, in 1995. Publiished on
Los Angeles Times newspaper, the article raises interesting subjects about the
so-called "Vegas-lounge" type of Donna's concerts. Such discussion has
been a constant among her fans. Check this out:

Disco Diva Summer Proves Hot as Ever

Los Angeles Times
August 7, 1995

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Robert Hilburn

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Times POP MUSIC CRITIC
Donna Summer's name was a powerful magnet on the marquee in the late 1970's, when she turned out some of the most appealing and well-crafted dance-minded records of the era
But is there still an audience for the one-time "Queen of Disco" at a time when pop music is dominated by grunge and hip-hop?
Absolutely.
Summer's music remains such a lure that even Alicia Silverstone, the au courant sensation of "Clueless," joined the capacity audience Friday night at the Universal Amphitheatre-an audience so enthusiastic that, at times, you didn't know whether you were attending a concert or an exercise class.
Four-time Grammy winner Summer, who is touring for the first time in the '90s, recieved a standing ovation as she walked onstage wearing a gown as sparkling as a disco-era mirror ball.
As soon as fans heard her commanding, evocative voice and the lilting, therapeutic dance beat of such songs as "Dim All the Lights" and "On the Radio," they cheered and danced and sang along so energetically that many collapsed in their chairs at the end of each number to catch their breath.
Invariably, however, the next song--be it the melodramatic swirl of "MacArthur Park"or the sensual heat of "I Feel Love"--was enough to get the crowd back on its feet.
And so it went with the audience for 90 minutes: up and down, up and down through such bouncy Top 10 memories as "Hot Stuff," "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)"and --ultimately--the rousing finale "Last Dance."
Unfortunately, the show itself was also up and down, starting with the evening's opening act, comedian Tommy Davidson.
Like Davidson's humor (which touched on everything from boyhood memories to the Simpson trial to the sidelights of square dancing), Summer's production touches lacked any sense of cohesive vision.
The staging of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," with its hastily assembled balcony touches, seemed tacky, and a lengthy diva skit was simply interminable.
By contrast, the most affecting moment (apart from her hits) was the intimate version of "Amazing Grace." Backed only by piano on the gospel standard, Summer displayed a vocal purity and character that showed she is by no means limited to the upbeat materials associated with her.
At the end of the evening, it was clear that Summer's singing remains exquisite and the hits-- served up by with considerable flourish by an army of musicians, including an 18-piece orchestra--still lift your spirits.
In re-establishing her credibility with contemporary audiences, Summer should focus on those strengths and leave the Vegas-lounge instincts to disco nostalgia
acts.

Thanks for the ASG presskit article - that's one of the ones I'm missing. :-)

OFFICIAL REVIEW OF "ALL SYSTEMS
GO", INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL PRESS KIT

Year: 1987
Track List:
1. All Systems Go (4:13)
2. Bad Reputation (4:14)
3. Love Shock (4:16)
4. Jeremy (4:40)
5. Only The Fool Survives (4:42)
6. Dinner With Gershwin (4:39)
7. Fascination (4:30)
8. Voices Cryin' Out (5:20)
9. Thinkin' Bout My Baby (6:20)
Record Company: Geffen
Product Code: 3145229452
Country: USA
Media Type: Compact Disc

Since her 1975 recording debut through the present, Donna Summer has been among music's most consistently versatile and popular artists. She has lent her richly expressive voice to a range of style -- from disco do rock, modern R & B and gospel -- while retaining a highly individual talent. Few contemporary performers can match her resume of international hit singles and LP's, which have earned critical praise, an Oscar and numerous Grammy's, and enormous commercial success.

Its been some three years since Summer's last LP, Cats without claws, was released. The September "87 appearance of All Systems go, her fourth Geffen album, is a genuine musical event -- and proof that the wait has been worth it. Vibrantly upbeat and heartfelt; the album is an impressive addition to the Summer catalogue.

All Systems go reunites Summer with Harold Faltermeyer, part of the German production team which helped to launch her career more than a decade ago. A hit-making artist in his own right ("Axel F" from the "Beverly Hills Cop" soundtrack LP topped the U.S. charts two years ago), he gives Summer to her artistic roots and a highly contemporary creative statement.

"I've known Harold for more than 20 years", she notes. "He was one of the first people I met when I initially came to Munich. There's a club there called "The Tamborine", and Harold used to play there when he was 16 and I was 18. They used to have Sunday jam sessions, and Harold was playing the organ one day while I was singing, and that's how we met. Then we started jamming together in the studio and subsequently he started to work with Giorgio Moroder. We did the Bad Girls album together, and the rest is history."

Summer returned to Munich to record part of All Systems go. "The last LP I recorded in Germany was Once upon a time, which must have been more than ten years ago," she says. "Going back to Munich was great -- it was similar to the same exiting feeling I had the first time I worked there."

Summer collaborated with both old and new friends for the LP. She co-wrote much of the material herself, collaborating with Faltermeyer, husband Bruce Sudano and keyboardist Michael Omartian (produce of her 1983 LP "She works hard for the money"), among others. A new studio partner this time was Richard Perry, who produced the LP"s first single "Dinner with Gershwin". Other standout songs on All Systems go go incluce "Only the fool survives" (a moving duet with Starship"s Mickey Thomas), "Voices cryin out" (featuring an inspirational summer lyric) and "Thinkin" bout my baby" (simmering and sensual, Summer's favorite track on the LP).

All Systems go gives Summer exceptional songs to interpret and surrounds her with a state-of-the-art production. Most of all, it displays her ever - growing gifts as a singer. When it comes to delivering a tune with conviction and grace, she has few equals.

From "Love to love you Baby" onwards, Summer has challenged herself creatively. Her singing talents have extended, her writing has matured and her status as an artist has been confirmed time and again.

All Systems go continues this constant progress, as well as adding new elements to her sound. Simply put, Donna Summer is on the rise once more.

Original press kit from "Geffen Records"

White Tie & Tiara Ball

Here's some XL versions of the pics from the
event

I have a vague recollection of that article. It's amazing what you find when you start looking at old disks. Which reminds me - I'm due to backup my site!

The following article on Donna was rescued from my oldest floppy disks of "Forever True" backups. It used to be posted on the early "Articles & Interviews" section. Does anyone remember it? It's a translation (made by myself) of an original article from a brazilian music magazine.

SHINING STAR

ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE EXTINCT "POP" MAGAZINE (EDITORA ABRIL, PUBLISHER) IN 1979

When she started, in 1975, most demanding critics had not taken her seriously.

To them, that Donna Summer fever would be ephemeral.

Four years and six LPs later, acclaimed by critics in general and by the public from all over the world, Miss Summer proves that she's not only the queen of "discothéque", but a mature singer, fetching for new horizons. In the article on following page, critic Ezequiel Neves tell us how was it the ascension of this star who used to listen to Mahalia Jackson and Janis Joplin during her adolescence in order to learn how to sing.

"Sensual Goddess, queen of Disco... One day, I realised that I just wanted to be myself."

"I do not want to stay in the past like Aretha Franklin and Barbra Streisand did. My biggest desire now is to go ahead, even if Disco era should end". At first sight, that could sound as a very pretensious statement. But everything changes, since it was said by Donna Summer. At the moment, Miss Summer couldn't be more sincere. After all, her latest double album, Bad Girls, top of success now in the United States, needed only two weeks to reach the first place in the charts. More: whereas the great majority of pop music stars used to released only an album per year, this stunning black lady was daring enough to release three double LPs in the short period of eighteen months. Such accomplishment wasn't reached even by the Beatles in their golden days (around 1964/65).

"My Story? It's the same of Cinderella's... "

30 years old, ten of them as an actress and singer, Miss Summer, that is, Donna Gaines, can now dream of waking up under millions of dollars that fall on her head as rain." Well, I simply break into laughter when people say that my personal story fits into a fairy tale like Cinderella...My father worked as a butcher, I had a hard childhood in Boston. I can still remember that I used to spend my little money buying records of Mahalia Jackson and Janis Joplin. I used to dream of becoming a singer, but, by that time, I thought that it was only a dream. Today, I haver to pinch me all the time just to check if I am awake still dreaming..." Exactly as Cinderella, Donna Summer has her Magic Prince too. He's called Giorgio Moroder, a music producer celebrity from Munich, Germany. They met each other in 75 (Note: that wasn't the real year. As we all now, they met each other one or two years before), when La Summer was casted in the "Showboat" musical comedy. "For months, I'd been looking for a singer to sing my compositions", remembers Giorgio. " When I listened to Donna singing, I was certain that my quest had finally ended. She was the right one to sing "Love you the Love You Baby."

" Instead of being a singer, I had changed myself into a "sensual robot..."

When "Love you the Love You Baby" was released in the United States, critics fell in love with her. Everybody wanted to know who was that sensual goddess that was driving listeners and dancers crazy. Those howlings of pleasure were enough to make Donna Summer the undisputed queen of disco. New hits followed up: A Love Tri/ogy, Four Seasons of Love, 1 Remember Yesterday and the theme of the film "The Deep". Despite all the success, Donna Summer felt unsatisfied. "I felt myself like a doll, nothing more. Giorgio imposed me his songs to sing and all I had to do was to repeat the same vocal clichés. Instead of being a singer, I had changed myself into a ridiculous "sensual robot".

Everything changed when double LP "Once Upon the Time" was released. That album was about Cinderella's (Summer herself) story during disco days. Released in November, 77, the album caused a biggest astonishment, since all lyrics was co-signed by the singer. In addition, La Summer revealed herself a complete interpreter, even better than singers Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross, Roberta Flack and competent Martha Reeves. In her next LP, she went even far. Recorded live, Live and More included all her hits plus wonderful new versions of American classics penned by Duke Ellington, Gershwin and Shelton Brooks. Before recording the brilliant Bad Girls album, La Summer also won an Oscar for Giorgio Moroder for the song Last Dance, included on the soundtrack to the movie "Thank God It's Friday"(note: well, it was Paul Jabara the actual winner as the composer of the song). "I'm totally aware that disco is sort of transitorial", she said to New York Times newspaper. "But I'm not worried about it, because I'm not stuck on any kind of style. I can sing disco, rhythm and blues, ballads and even rock. Bad Girls, by the way, is a rock album. Just listen to it and you'll see. In fact, I think that disco can only survive if it incorporate rock's richness of sound." By that one can conclude that Miss Summer, besides being the most solid vocal that recently appeared in the show business, is also a very wise singer.

DISCOGRAPHY:

LPs released in Brazil:

Love you the Love You Baby;

The Trilogy of Love;

Four Seasons of Love;

I Remember Yesterday;

Once Upon the Time;

Live and More;

Bad Girls

Singles:

Love you the Love You Baby;

I Feel Love;

Last Dance;

MacArthur Park;

Heaven Knows

Hot Stuff.

Address;

Miss Donna Summer –

C/O Casablanca Record and Film Works, Inc.;

8255 Sunset Boulevard –

Los Angeles. California 90046 - USA

 

 

>>Sandro has deflowered us both! LOL<<

And you can tell: that was a truly pleasant honor, sweeties! ;o)

Sandro has deflowered us both! LOL

I thought Donna's hair and makeup looked great in the pictures, but I wasn't sure about the dress. It did make her look big in some pictures, but I couldn't tell if it was her, the dress, or just the way it photographed. I think part of it has to do with the way the dress photographed, but full-sized it might be easier to tell.

As for the boobs - I know from personal experience that when you put on weight, they get bigger too. The right suooprt will make them look perfectly "perked and rounded".

I just want to know why VH1 can't latch onto an event like that and broadcast it for us!

It's so quiet in here! So I guess I should throw this in to keep things going:

WHITE TIE & TIARA PARTY

Barry Manilow had sung a short set including 'Copacabana', which had everyone on their feet including Kylie Minogue, Lisa Marie Presley, Victoria Beckham and Elizabeth Hurley. Donna Summer then came on to a huge round of applause as the pianist played the intro to Macarthur Park. Her voice was incredible and as strong as ever. She then sung Bad Girls, Hot Stuff and Last Dance. We were all up in our seats and calling out for more. Donna then asked Elton to join her on her last song - as Barbra wasn't there. Then they did a once-in-a-lifetime duet of No more tears(enough is enough). The crowd didn't want her to stop and so Barry Manilow took to the piano for 'Could it be Magic'. After the first chorus with just Barry & the piano the band picked up the tempo and then Elton & Donna joined in with the dance version of the song. It was quite a night.....

I wish I could have seen that!

Love Machine sounded really promising at the time. But then someone from the Giorgio Moroder mailing list admitted that it was an April Fools joke. But even though the album didn't exist, there are now Love Machine fan mixes out there. The weird thing is - at least one person emailed me saying that they had the album. But naturally they never replied when I tried to ask questions! LOL

Love Machine (1975)

I've found this article about "Love Machine" in my ooooold archives. So, what's the real story about this album. Could this only be a "fake" thing? Hmm, truth or lie, this is really exciting!

"This unreleased album has attained the status of the holy grail amongst the many devotees of Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder's disco music. Recorded late in 1975 (shortly after Summer's first international hit 'Love To Love You') in Musicland Studios, Munich in a matter of weeks, the album drew heavily on Moroder's fascination with synthesizers and Summer's growing reputation for risque lyrics. The six tracks were written by Giorgio Moroder and Peter Bellotte with input from Summer, who was herself becoming increasingly involved with the songwriting after the unexpected success of 'Love To Love You Baby'. The album was produced by Moroder & Bellotte and synthesizers were programmed by Robby Wedel. The only other musician to appear credited on the album was Keith Forsey for 'electronic drums and percussion'. 


The intended album sleeve, featuring a barely clad Summer skipping gaily between the printed circuitry of a monstrous machine, proudly stated that 'only the human voice and electronic musical instruments were used in this recording'. Sadly, the album was never to see light of day. Moroder's record label in the US, Casablanca Records, decided that the songs were too 'downbeat' and not 'commercially suitable'. This view was prompted, no doubt, by the poor critical response to Moroder's own synthesized 'Einzelganger' album for Casablanca a few months previously. The 'robot sex' theme contained in several of the songs was also subject to criticism and it was felt that it might not go down well with some of the large US retail outlets, who had previously balked at 'Love To Love You'. 


Such rejection for Summer was not unusual - her 1974 pre-disco album 'Lady Of the Night' was not released in the US and, nearly ten years after that, her 'Rainbow' double album was also abandoned. (This now seems ironic given the huge success of Summer's 'I Feel Love' one year later, but even this massively successful song was nearly omitted from Summer's 1977 'I Remember Yesterday' album by Casablanca. On that occasion Moroder vociferously complained and pointed to the chart success of synthesizer hits such as 'Magic Fly' by Space and 'Oxygene' by Jean-Michel Jarre. Needless to say, on this occasion Moroder's view prevailed and 'I Feel Love' went on to become both a commercial and critical hit.) 


Upon cancellation of the intended album Moroder set to work on a direct sequel to 'Love To Love You Baby' and within a few weeks he, Bellotte and Summer had written 'A Love Trilogy' which was much more to the liking of Casablanca, particularly with its soft-disco cover of Manilow's 'Could It Be Magic'. 


Surprisingly, nobody at Casablanca noticed that one of the other tracks from this replacement album was entitled 'Wasted' - a thinly-veiled reference to both the rejected 'the Love Machine' and the hedonistic drug culture now in control at Casablanca. 


Although 'The Love Machine' was never officially released, some advance pre-pressings were accidentally distributed - mainly to radio stations in Europe. Aside from these few hundred discs - which are now worth considerable sums of money - no further copies were produced.


Sadly, as with 'Einzelganger' Moroder now has little interest in seeing the album re-released. Fortunately (for disco aficionados) few of the album's songs were completely lost as some were later recycled on other Moroder/Bellotte-produced albums of the period.


Abridged from the American Music Almanac © 1985"

But 99% is not good enough! LOL I want them to be 100%!!!!

Very appropriate, my sweet Ordinary Diva, very appropriate! ;o)
Oh well, I decided to post the RS review because it's 99% pro Donna. I of course disagree with the bad things said about the marvellous Bad Girl's Side 3. For a long time, that was my all-time favourite side of any Donna Summer LP. In fact, it was "On My Honour" the very song Donna sang exclusively for me in a private show... (okay, it was in a dream, but looked sooo real).