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Donna Summer in the 80s Please tell me what you think of these albums, are they worth tracking down?
Donna Summer" (1982) 
"She works hard for the money" (1983) 
"Cats without claws" (1984) 
"All systems go" (1987) | |
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First two yes, second two definitely not. | |
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Icicle said:
"She works hard for the money" (1983) Didn't Quincy Jones produce this album? Or just the title track | |
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CinisterCee said: Icicle said:
"She works hard for the money" (1983) Didn't Quincy Jones produce this album? Or just the title track That was Donna Summer (1982). | |
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CinisterCee said: Icicle said:
"She works hard for the money" (1983) Didn't Quincy Jones produce this album? Or just the title track No, That one was produced and arranged by Michael Omartian This is the one produced by Quincy Jones.
It has the same overall sound than Thriller. I have them all  | |
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Sha Comma Di , Sha Comma Da ! http://www.youtube.com/wa...er%20state From the airy bridge to the end of the track with Louis Johnson doing some slapping , is my fave part . 
http://www.youtube.com/wa...mer%201982   
http://www.youtube.com/wa...mer%201983    | |
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Her albums in the seventies where consistenly good and a few where just plain amazing! "The Wanderer" up to the seventies standards, although a bit strange and new wavy. Now after that (or "I'm A Rainbow", had it been released) it all went downhill.
"Donna Summer" should not be her self titled album since only two of it's tracks are co-written by her and those tracks are not her ususal faire. One of the highlights is the Bille Jeanish upbeat "Love Is Just A Breath Away". After all, the album is filled with maudlin R&B attempts. Donna even said at the time she was pregaent and not interested in recording. It's a very eighties album and not in a good way. Donna's vocals are pretty strong, though, on the Bruce written rock track "Protection" and the slow, love song "The Woman In Me". "She Works Hard..." isn't much better. It suffers from stale production and safe Christain rock themes (the anti-feminist "Woman" is a laughable chant). However, it's not without highlights like the amazing title track, the bouncing "Unconditional Love" or the genuinely heartfelt "I Do Belive In Fell In Love". The rest of the album is filled with some modest attempts at pop dance but ends up mostly shamtzly. "Stop, Look and Listen" is a very typical track for the album....kind of poppy but giving a stern warning about the world and how bad it is. "Cats Without Claws" might my least favorite, after having spent a few years to think about it (I got all the albums around 2000). It's even more of a Christian pop album than the last two with the very judgy "Suzanna" (apparently named after a manager of Donna's) who has to watch her mouth because "bad things are coming out" (she swore a lot). The album attempts to be hip, with the title track, where she seems to be talking about prosistutes again, going from an ominious almost spoken song into a far too poppy chorus. People seem to like the synth covered "There Goes My Baby" cover but "Supernatural Love" is a dance track with some bite. Probably the most underestimated track is the upbeat almost reagee pop of "I'm Free". Should have been a single before the parnoid "God sees you" "Eyes". Despite being the lowest seller of the four (I think this album charted at something like 121 when the others made the Top 40) this album was probably the most consistent and maybe my favorite from her eighties output. It features strong writing, excellent vocal work and some decent production. It suffers slightly from two dance pop clones back to back (in theme and sound) but "Bad Reputation" and "Love Shock" foreshadow what her SAW tracks might sound like. She sounds great on ballads like "Jeremy" and "Only The Fool Survives", even if the songs are forgettable. However, on a grand slow number like "Voices Crying Out", which deals with those with no voice (what they are suffering from we aren't sure but I think its AIDs and Donna not only might have been ahead of her time but also judgeded wrongly by people who think she is anti-homosexual). On "Dinner With Gerswhin", Donna sings a smart pop song with a nice beat (it was written and recorded by Brenda Russsel, but Donna's is more pop friendly, if you ask me). The album is kind of high on the guilty pleasure meter, sounding a lot like a mid-eighites affair light dance pop, corny ballads but there is some depth here as well. While it would help if I had the albums here with me, but these are just what I remember about them. I can't say for sure if you should check them out...Probably for completists only. Since they are out of print, the CDs will set you back a lot (the prices have gone up a lot lately) but I've seen the LPs for cheap. Maybe, just maybe, they'll get rereleases but since the CDs where actually rereleased in the mid ninities (with no extra content and probably no fan faire), it seems unlikely. [Edited 7/23/06 19:45pm] | |
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Great reply VinnyM27 Thank you 
I`ve seen "cats without claws" and the self-titled cd on ebay, and yeah, they can be very expensive 
btw, do you know her 1991 album, "mistaken identity"? I`m so curious about the song "Fred Astaire" and her cover of "Say a little prayer"  | |
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Icicle said: Great reply VinnyM27
Thank you
I`ve seen "cats without claws" and the self-titled cd on ebay, and yeah, they can be very expensive
btw, do you know her 1991 album, "mistaken identity"? I`m so curious about the song "Fred Astaire" and her cover of "Say a little prayer" Where is Davideye....he'd really school you on DS! "Say A Little Prayer" isn't a cover (not the Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick song, if that's what you mean) but an upbeat R&B cut. The album is prehaps her most dated (and damn those eighties albums are dated...even the SAW producded and mostly written "Another Place and Time"). It's filled with New Jackish beats but also some very big pop ballads like the epic "Let There Be Peace", the haunting "Cry Of A Breaking Heart" and the Diane Warren meets lite jazz of "Friends Unknown". The album, more than any other Donna release (well, maybe more than "Another....") really tries to capture a new young audience with a very up to date (for the time...although some say it was dated when it came out) hip sound but keeps the ballads in so that fans of her strong voice will be hooked to. But at it's core, it's an R&B album with a slight hip-hop influence (Donna even raps in the first single,t he smoldering "When Love Cries"). I think maybe the best song on the album, though, is the most pop sounding ubeat track with a slight nod to Paula Abdual and Madonna's early hits in "Work That Magic". It's a lot like "This Time I Know It's For Real", only Donna's vocals are more varied and it's not as predictable. "Fred Astaire" is another upbeat R&Bish track with Donna commanding a man to get up and "be my Fred Astaire". BTW, I know the wig on the front cover is not flattering and Donna just looks odd in it but I think she was going for some sort of theme....The title track, another upbeat track, has Donna being accussed of a crime a white person commited. I would look up the lyrics to this one and it might make sense. I thinks fans either really love or hate this album. I love it! I know for a while it was in bargin bins and then couldn't be found anywhere but I recently saw it in bargin bins again (I was pissed....I bought a copy that was an import but probably priced the same as any other Ebay copy). If it's in the bargin bin, snatch it up. I think this one rarely gets acknowledged....it's also, sadly, her last pop studio album. I don't sadly because she is dead or something....she's just never released another album although I think she put an honest effort into releasing a pop album with Sony. Some of those tracks leaked (offically or unoffically), including the dance hits "I Got Your Love" and "You're So Beautiful". She has some clips on her website too and has had them up for a year...no news on this album (even if it is an album) which might have been recorded about five or six years ago. | |
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VinnyM27 said: Her albums in the seventies where consistenly good and a few where just plain amazing! "The Wanderer" up to the seventies standards, although a bit strange and new wavy. Now after that (or "I'm A Rainbow", had it been released) it all went downhill.
"Donna Summer" should not be her self titled album since only two of it's tracks are co-written by her and those tracks are not her ususal faire. One of the highlights is the Bille Jeanish upbeat "Love Is Just A Breath Away". After all, the album is filled with maudlin R&B attempts. Donna even said at the time she was pregaent and not interested in recording. It's a very eighties album and not in a good way. Donna's vocals are pretty strong, though, on the Bruce written rock track "Protection" and the slow, love song "The Woman In Me". "She Works Hard..." isn't much better. It suffers from stale production and safe Christain rock themes (the anti-feminist "Woman" is a laughable chant). However, it's not without highlights like the amazing title track, the bouncing "Unconditional Love" or the genuinely heartfelt "I Do Belive In Fell In Love". The rest of the album is filled with some modest attempts at pop dance but ends up mostly shamtzly. "Stop, Look and Listen" is a very typical track for the album....kind of poppy but giving a stern warning about the world and how bad it is. "Cats Without Claws" might my least favorite, after having spent a few years to think about it (I got all the albums around 2000). It's even more of a Christian pop album than the last two with the very judgy "Suzanna" (apparently named after a manager of Donna's) who has to watch her mouth because "bad things are coming out" (she swore a lot). The album attempts to be hip, with the title track, where she seems to be talking about prosistutes again, going from an ominious almost spoken song into a far too poppy chorus. People seem to like the synth covered "There Goes My Baby" cover but "Supernatural Love" is a dance track with some bite. Probably the most underestimated track is the upbeat almost reagee pop of "I'm Free". Should have been a single before the parnoid "God sees you" "Eyes". Despite being the lowest seller of the four (I think this album charted at something like 121 when the others made the Top 40) this album was probably the most consistent and maybe my favorite from her eighties output. It features strong writing, excellent vocal work and some decent production. It suffers slightly from two dance pop clones back to back (in theme and sound) but "Bad Reputation" and "Love Shock" foreshadow what her SAW tracks might sound like. She sounds great on ballads like "Jeremy" and "Only The Fool Survives", even if the songs are forgettable. However, on a grand slow number like "Voices Crying Out", which deals with those with no voice (what they are suffering from we aren't sure but I think its AIDs and Donna not only might have been ahead of her time but also judgeded wrongly by people who think she is anti-homosexual). On "Dinner With Gerswhin", Donna sings a smart pop song with a nice beat (it was written and recorded by Brenda Russsel, but Donna's is more pop friendly, if you ask me). The album is kind of high on the guilty pleasure meter, sounding a lot like a mid-eighites affair light dance pop, corny ballads but there is some depth here as well. While it would help if I had the albums here with me, but these are just what I remember about them. I can't say for sure if you should check them out...Probably for completists only. Since they are out of print, the CDs will set you back a lot (the prices have gone up a lot lately) but I've seen the LPs for cheap. Maybe, just maybe, they'll get rereleases but since the CDs where actually rereleased in the mid ninities (with no extra content and probably no fan faire), it seems unlikely. [Edited 7/23/06 19:45pm] You're exactly right, and that's why I've never bothered with anything other than vinyl copies of those albums. On the whole, I think her 80s output is really lacking. As much as she hated the "queen of disco" title, it really was fitting. She only shone sporadically after her hey day in the 70s. My thoughts are that her best 80s tracks are what you'll find on the various greatest hits sets. | |
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Icicle said: and this one... are my favourites.  | |
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CHIC0 said: Icicle said: and this one... are my favourites. Yeah, i like "Another place and time", "I don`t wanna get hurt" is stuck in my mind! oh, and we can`t forget this wonderful album:  [Edited 7/24/06 4:34am] | |
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Icicle said:
Donna Summer" (1982) my peronal fave Vanglorious... this is protected by the red, the black, and the green. With a key... sissy! | |
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VinnyM27 said: Where is Davideye....he'd really school you on DS!
his user profile is gone  Vanglorious... this is protected by the red, the black, and the green. With a key... sissy! | |
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Dancelot said: VinnyM27 said: Where is Davideye....he'd really school you on DS!
his user profile is gone If he`s gone, i`m leaving the org in protest 
It`s been a while since i`ve seen you on the forum too Dancelot, did you see the Randy Crawford clip? | |
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Icicle said: Dancelot said: his user profile is gone If he`s gone, i`m leaving the org in protest
It`s been a while since i`ve seen you on the forum too Dancelot, did you see the Randy Crawford clip? nope, what clip? on another thread? yes, I was more or less gone for a while, due to some some org burnout syndrome... but I*m heading for a full recovery now  Vanglorious... this is protected by the red, the black, and the green. With a key... sissy! | |
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Dancelot said: Icicle said: If he`s gone, i`m leaving the org in protest
It`s been a while since i`ve seen you on the forum too Dancelot, did you see the Randy Crawford clip? nope, what clip? on another thread? yes, I was more or less gone for a while, due to some some org burnout syndrome... but I*m heading for a full recovery now http://www.prince.org/msg/8/196110 I`m glad you`re back | |
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Just one more question....
I see there`s a song called "Any Way At All" that`s only available on the compilation "Endless summer" Is the song any good? | |
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1968 : Donna's very first appearance as Donna Gaines in a German version of the "Hair" musical. There are screen shots from the 1970 German TV miniseries , 11Uhr20. It was a spy drama in which Donna appeared as a nightclub singer . ( She was only in the one scene ) . Its told that she sang Black Power and If You're Walking Alone ', but the latter song was mostly just in the background while the main characters did whatever plotting they had to do. These screen shots were taken probably the most difficult way possible if you want good clear shots ; a digital camera was used to photograph the TV screen while the video was playing. So that's why they are a little blurry . 
 
( Donna on the far-right with a short doo ) Once upon a time, a long time ago..... Donna lived in Germany.While she was there, she worked for a brief time with a group called Family Tree. The group was an "11 person multi-color multi-voice pop choir" that could sing anything from folk to soul to jazz. I recently was found by the man behind the group, Guenter "Yogi" Lauke, and he very graciously shared these pictures with me, so that I could share them with you.  
 
 
Source : Carlo , Guenter & http://www.donna-tribute....llery5.htm | |
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RipHer2Shreds said: VinnyM27 said: Her albums in the seventies where consistenly good and a few where just plain amazing! "The Wanderer" up to the seventies standards, although a bit strange and new wavy. Now after that (or "I'm A Rainbow", had it been released) it all went downhill.
"Donna Summer" should not be her self titled album since only two of it's tracks are co-written by her and those tracks are not her ususal faire. One of the highlights is the Bille Jeanish upbeat "Love Is Just A Breath Away". After all, the album is filled with maudlin R&B attempts. Donna even said at the time she was pregaent and not interested in recording. It's a very eighties album and not in a good way. Donna's vocals are pretty strong, though, on the Bruce written rock track "Protection" and the slow, love song "The Woman In Me". "She Works Hard..." isn't much better. It suffers from stale production and safe Christain rock themes (the anti-feminist "Woman" is a laughable chant). However, it's not without highlights like the amazing title track, the bouncing "Unconditional Love" or the genuinely heartfelt "I Do Belive In Fell In Love". The rest of the album is filled with some modest attempts at pop dance but ends up mostly shamtzly. "Stop, Look and Listen" is a very typical track for the album....kind of poppy but giving a stern warning about the world and how bad it is. "Cats Without Claws" might my least favorite, after having spent a few years to think about it (I got all the albums around 2000). It's even more of a Christian pop album than the last two with the very judgy "Suzanna" (apparently named after a manager of Donna's) who has to watch her mouth because "bad things are coming out" (she swore a lot). The album attempts to be hip, with the title track, where she seems to be talking about prosistutes again, going from an ominious almost spoken song into a far too poppy chorus. People seem to like the synth covered "There Goes My Baby" cover but "Supernatural Love" is a dance track with some bite. Probably the most underestimated track is the upbeat almost reagee pop of "I'm Free". Should have been a single before the parnoid "God sees you" "Eyes". Despite being the lowest seller of the four (I think this album charted at something like 121 when the others made the Top 40) this album was probably the most consistent and maybe my favorite from her eighties output. It features strong writing, excellent vocal work and some decent production. It suffers slightly from two dance pop clones back to back (in theme and sound) but "Bad Reputation" and "Love Shock" foreshadow what her SAW tracks might sound like. She sounds great on ballads like "Jeremy" and "Only The Fool Survives", even if the songs are forgettable. However, on a grand slow number like "Voices Crying Out", which deals with those with no voice (what they are suffering from we aren't sure but I think its AIDs and Donna not only might have been ahead of her time but also judgeded wrongly by people who think she is anti-homosexual). On "Dinner With Gerswhin", Donna sings a smart pop song with a nice beat (it was written and recorded by Brenda Russsel, but Donna's is more pop friendly, if you ask me). The album is kind of high on the guilty pleasure meter, sounding a lot like a mid-eighites affair light dance pop, corny ballads but there is some depth here as well. While it would help if I had the albums here with me, but these are just what I remember about them. I can't say for sure if you should check them out...Probably for completists only. Since they are out of print, the CDs will set you back a lot (the prices have gone up a lot lately) but I've seen the LPs for cheap. Maybe, just maybe, they'll get rereleases but since the CDs where actually rereleased in the mid ninities (with no extra content and probably no fan faire), it seems unlikely. [Edited 7/23/06 19:45pm] You're exactly right, and that's why I've never bothered with anything other than vinyl copies of those albums. On the whole, I think her 80s output is really lacking. As much as she hated the "queen of disco" title, it really was fitting. She only shone sporadically after her hey day in the 70s. My thoughts are that her best 80s tracks are what you'll find on the various greatest hits sets. Yeah, a lot of highlights are showcased on hits sets but everyone of those spotty albums has at least one lost gem, IMHO. Donna: "Love Is Just A Breath Away" She: Do Believe I Feel In Love ALl: Voices Crying Out Cats: I'm Free (which is a strech....I like it, but it's not her strongest vocal performance and it is dated). Again, not worth buying unless you're a completist. Thinking back, though, I would say that "MIstaken Identity" might be worth a listen. It is dated, but it's got a lot of energy, awesome vocals and nice production. I would recommend it for fans of New Jack (is sexofit here?). About her "Queen Of Disco" title....it's funny that she hasn't released a full album in fifteen years but her one off tracks (mostly for hits sets and soundtracks) are filled with great clubs tracks. "You're So Beautiful" and "I Got Your Love" easily compete with her best disco songs. It's really surprising when an artist like that, again, who hasn't made an album in many years, is possibly releasing her best tracks 25 years past her heyday. | |
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Icicle said: Just one more question....
I see there`s a song called "Any Way At All" that`s only available on the compilation "Endless summer" Is the song any good? Well, I like it but it's an acquired taste. Huge Diane Warren-esque ballad with lyrics about being together no matter what. It's really Donna's vocals that make this song....one of her best vocal performacnes possibly ever. | |
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Dancelot said: Icicle said:
Donna Summer" (1982) my peronal fave This is my favorite Donna Summer album of the 80s.I love everything on it,except for the cheesy "Livin In America". | |
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here are my reviews of those four albums....
***Donna Summer(1982)---This is my favorite Donna Summer album of the 80s.Although most fans don't consider it one of her best,I love all the songs except for the cheesy "Livin In America".Produced by Quincy Jones,this is the most soulful album she ever made.The first single "Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)" is the funkiest Donna Summer jam ever....the arrangement is fast and fierce,forcing Donna to hang on for dear life (lol).Other standout tracks include the beautifully arranged "Mystery Of Love",the sexy slow jam "Woman In Me" and the insanely catchy "If It Hurts Just A Little",which I would have chosen as a single.There's even a haunting Eurodisco number "Love Is Just A Breath Away" that sounds alot like her work with Giorgio Moroder. ***She Works Hard For The Money(1983)---The title track is excellent,as is "Unconditional Love",a delightful collaboration with the Musical Youth.But there are a few crappy songs here....the pointless"Woman" and the awful "People,People".Skip past the bad songs and the highlights are plentiful."Tokyo" is nice,and the ballad "Love Has A Mind Of It's Own" is a highlight.Surprisingly,it bombed as a single.Overall,the album is bright and fun. ***Cats Without Claws(1984)---Donna's first flop,this one didn't even reach gold status.It's a strange little album and it's hard to know exactly what Donna and producer Michael Omartian were trying to do.A few tracks are superb..."Oh Billy Please" is a credible pop/rock number,and the funky "I'm Free" is a very good song.But the title track is weird,and the opening number "Supernatural Love" is garbage.Both tunes are over-synthesized and over-produced,like much of the rest of the album. ***All Systems Go (1987)---Half of it is good,half of it is mediocre.The first single "Dinner With Gershwin" is alot of fun...colorful lyrics and a funky arrangement,one of her finest 80s singles."Love Shock" is another great song,and the title track works well too,even if it is a bit repetitive.The album's best song is the dreamy,mesmerizing Quiet Storm number "Fascination".Unfortunately,the other tunes don't leave much of an impression. | |
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Icicle said: do you know her 1991 album, "mistaken identity"? I`m so curious about the song "Fred Astaire" and her cover of "Say a little prayer"
"Fred Astaire" is the best song on this album,imo.If released as a single,it could have been the "Last Dance" of the 90s.Great dance track that should have been a single! "Say A Little Prayer" is not a remake. | |
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Y'all must have been trying to lure David back to the Org with this thread. 
I actually own Cats without Claws on vinyl. It has a favorite song of mine on there-Forgive Me. | |
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Hobbitch said: Y'all must have been trying to lure David back to the Org with this thread.
I actually own Cats without Claws on vinyl. It has a favorite song of mine on there-Forgive Me. I didn't even know he was gone...It wasn't until I didn't see a response here that I knew something was up. Yeah, "Cats" is not without it's highlights. Despite some very questionable tracks, her vocals are almost always well showcased on the albums, especially the ballads. It's kind of surprising she never had a huge hit ballad. People really overlook "WOman In Me" hitting the Top 40...It never or rarely appears on compilations. | |
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SoulAlive said: here are my reviews of those four albums....
***Donna Summer(1982)---This is my favorite Donna Summer album of the 80s.Although most fans don't consider it one of her best,I love all the songs except for the cheesy "Livin In America".Produced by Quincy Jones,this is the most soulful album she ever made.The first single "Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)" is the funkiest Donna Summer jam ever....the arrangement is fast and fierce,forcing Donna to hang on for dear life (lol).Other standout tracks include the beautifully arranged "Mystery Of Love",the sexy slow jam "Woman In Me" and the insanely catchy "If It Hurts Just A Little",which I would have chosen as a single.There's even a haunting Eurodisco number "Love Is Just A Breath Away" that sounds alot like her work with Giorgio Moroder. ***She Works Hard For The Money(1983)---The title track is excellent,as is "Unconditional Love",a delightful collaboration with the Musical Youth.But there are a few crappy songs here....the pointless"Woman" and the awful "People,People".Skip past the bad songs and the highlights are plentiful."Tokyo" is nice,and the ballad "Love Has A Mind Of It's Own" is a highlight.Surprisingly,it bombed as a single.Overall,the album is bright and fun. ***Cats Without Claws(1984)---Donna's first flop,this one didn't even reach gold status.It's a strange little album and it's hard to know exactly what Donna and producer Michael Omartian were trying to do.A few tracks are superb..."Oh Billy Please" is a credible pop/rock number,and the funky "I'm Free" is a very good song.But the title track is weird,and the opening number "Supernatural Love" is garbage.Both tunes are over-synthesized and over-produced,like much of the rest of the album. ***All Systems Go (1987)---Half of it is good,half of it is mediocre.The first single "Dinner With Gershwin" is alot of fun...colorful lyrics and a funky arrangement,one of her finest 80s singles."Love Shock" is another great song,and the title track works well too,even if it is a bit repetitive.The album's best song is the dreamy,mesmerizing Quiet Storm number "Fascination".Unfortunately,the other tunes don't leave much of an impression. Great reviews
Thank you | |
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Wasn't she a coke whore? Oh, my bad, that was Vanity. All you others say Hell Yea!!  | |
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Icicle said: Please tell me what you think of these albums, are they worth tracking down?
Donna Summer" (1982)
"She works hard for the money" (1983)
"Cats without claws" (1984)
"All systems go" (1987) 
Another Place And Time | |
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