VinnyM27 said:

Haha, that's why I'm glad she changed her mind, dig?

Timmy84 said:

Me too. No album in 17 years and she is going to come back not just with covers, but ones that might not sound good even on paper!

SoulAlive said:

I love Donna already but reading this gives me even more respect for her. Just because she may be "long in the tooth" where her career is concerned, doesn't mean she should have to do cover albums. Besides, I'm sick of them. I hope this CD is a big hit for Donna. I will spread the word about this CD as much as I can.

VinnyM27 said:

Yeah that would've been atrocious especially Donna covering Marvin, which IMHO, is a no-no, you just can't COVER a Marvin Gaye joint unless you change the song around (Luther).

JackieBlue said:

"4 Minutes" is a good song,but most of the other songs are superior.I actually predicted that.These days,Madonna's first singles aren't usually the best songs on the album.

VinnyM27 said:

Yeah,I remember Donna saying that.I don't think it would have been a good idea I love Donna,but I don't think she could have pulled that off.

She also mentioned that,in the early 80s,she and Marvin talked about recording a few duets together.Now that might have been interesting.Too bad it didn't happen.
[Edited 4/29/08 3:18am]

Not sure if anyone posted the full Billboard article, but here it is nonetheless...


By Kerri Mason

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Seventies flashbacks aside, Donna Summer is not Rod Stewart.

When executives at her label saw the massive success that Stewart was having with his oldies albums a few years back, they suggested that the 70s disco diva do the same thing.

Summer had different ideas, and played them a new song she co-wrote with Lester Mendez (Shakira, Santana) and Wayne Hector. The tune, "Be Myself Again," was inspired by James Blunt's smash ballad "You're Beautiful."

"I was thinking to myself, 'I would love to do a song like "You're Beautiful," where I don't sing very many lyrics, where there is just the simplicity of a broken heart, no frills,"' Summer recalled.

The lyrics sketch a life lived in the public eye, lamenting the resulting loss of self ("I gave everything to play the game/My soul fell apart at the seams"). And at the bridge, when Summer opens up that throaty, yet crystal-clear voice, as familiar to millions as the sound of running water, it's a moment.

"They never mentioned that oldies thing again," Summer said. "Not once."

The track appears on the May 20 release "Crayons (Burgundy/Sony BMG), her first album since 1991's "Mistaken Identity." Not that she was taking it easy in that time.

The 59-year-old is mother to three daughters, two of whom are "in the business"; wife of 27 years to musician Bruce Sudano; and grandma, not to mention painter, amateur interior designer and consistent touring artist (she was at home in Nashville a total of eight short weeks last year).

But the diva -- who is estimated to have sold 130 million albums worldwide -- is also a consummate songwriter, and that was what finally pushed her back to the studio.

"I've been extremely blessed, and I am obviously aware of it. That was one of the reasons I felt that I shouldn't even bother to be out there again, because there are so many people who haven't even had a chance yet, and it just clutters up the market," she said. "But at some point, I just got bored. There were songs that were in me, and the little head kept popping up. I felt like, 'You know what, I'm supposed to do this.' "

"Crayons" brings the unmistakable Summer sound into the 2000s, with the help of a slew of of-the-minute writers and producers, including Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, Pink), Danielle Brisebois (Natasha Bedingfield, New Radicals), JR Rotem (Sean Kingston, Rihanna) and Evan Bogart, who co-wrote Rihanna's "SOS." Bogart is the son of Casablanca Records head Neil Bogart, who discovered and nurtured Summer before succumbing to cancer in 1982, at the age of 39. Working with the younger Bogart, who "looks just like his dad," was "interesting and very joyful," Summer said.

Bogart's two tracks, "The Queen Is Back" and "Mr. Music," wear their modern influences -- Rihanna, Ciara --on their sleeves, but don't betray what made Summer great in the first place.

"She's still got it," Bogart said. "Her voice is so powerful; she still has that Donna diva swagger. I knew she wanted to stay away from most of the disco elements. She really wanted to come into today's sound. It was finding a compromise -- what's a Donna Summer kind of melody, what's a Donna Summer kind of concept -- and melding them with today's melodies and concepts."

The rest of the material genre-hops without leaving the pop realm. First single "Stomp Your Feet" rocks a big room like a hipper Celine Dion anthem; the Latin-flavored "Driving Down Brazil" has a breezy, windows-down pulse; and "I'm a Fire," the lone electronic dance entry, has "a mellow softness to it that makes it sound unlike a thumping typical dance tune," Summer says. And definitely unlike disco.

"I think her old fans are going to be really excited to hear ("Crayons"). And I definitely think she'll be pulling in new people," Bogart said. "This isn't what Donna Summer sounds like; this sounds like something new."

Summer will hit the road starting in July. She is also scheduled to perform on NBC's "Today Show" on May 30.

Reuters/Billboard

Hear snippest, and I do mean snippets, of "Crayons" tracks via the link below:

http://music.barnesandnob...1&track=10

Here is a video sneak peek into "Crayons". I think Donna's looking good and sounding good!


http://link.brightcove.co...1529437597

leecappella said:

Thank you for that!!!

leecappella said:

WOWWWWW!
that's hot stuff ,baby.
she goes in all directions on this album from david bowie rock style to rihanna!
way to go, respect that she didn't choose the easy way

Damn! I know I'm getting it now! It's like a smorsgabord of genres matched into one. That's how Donna rolls, son! Thanx.

i don't like it. I dislike the whole production for example.

graecophilos said:

not everybody has to like it ofcourse, but she shows balls by letting people know that she doesn't want to be limited to just one style or genre...
i admire that, she goes from rock to latin to ska/reggae on this album.

and the production, well it's being produced by some of today's top-producers

graecophilos said:

To each his own.

chaz85 said:

Donna went where only a few black artists had dared to go by going through different genres. She's done that throughout her career. Of course some people are not gonna dig it.

Hey, Thanx for the info. I have most of the tracks from originals but there are others I simply had to dwload...

BTW I found this 'Ordinary Miracle"...

While I wait for the new release I can have this great compilation.

Thanx again...
Peace
[Edited 5/5/08 21:22pm]

those brief clips sound promising!

tritoncin said:

Where did you find Ordinary Miracle? I have it too, but quality is not that great. Is your quality good?

Timmy84 said:

I love what you said. There are too many artist that do just one genre of music. That in and of itself is not bad. Just depends on what you personally like. I like ALL kinds of music, so this attracts me to Donna greatly. If you only like one type of music, r&b for example, then you're not going to branch outside of what you like. Music is music to me. Whatever it is, I like it regardless because like Donna says in "Mr. Music", I love music!!!!! LOL.

leecappella said:

Hey! I found it through Emule, at 192.. It sounds pretty IMO.

Any other question, orgnote me

tritoncin said:

Whats Emule at 192?

leecappella said:

hey anybody heard jason nevin's mradio-remix of stamp on KTU, it ROCKS!!!!!
check their website they have the song there for downloading

http://www.ktu.com/main.html

chaz85 said:

DJ ESCAPE REMIX of STAMP


http://profile.myspace.co...id=6612238

leecappella said:

The reason the qaulity for whatever verision of "Oridinary Miracle" you found is not great is becuase it is probably directly from the movie (complete with the backgroun noise of kids sort of talking over each other right before the scene fades into the credits). Most likely it was taped from TV...thus not real quality. I once I heard a mix of it that was better and probably fan made/ remixed. I don't think there is any kind of offical or even promo release for this song which is a shame since it's a fun dance pop track.

"It's Only Love" (Bonus track available on the Circuit City special edition)

http://www.4shared.com/fi...aming_html

SoulAlive said:

Yes....thank you...

I think she's going to be on one of those crappy magazine shows tonight like Access Hollywood or Entertainment Tonight talking about the new album and how great she looks.

JackieBlue said:

She already did that but it was focused on an attempt at suicide and other stuff probably written her book years ago. She is supposed to do a New York mini concert for a morning show and Letterman (which is very cool...means she is hip and/or not tacky!).

Less than a week away and I'm very excited.

"It's Only Love" is apparently supposed to appear not only on the Circuit City edition but is the bonus track on the UK version (which comes out in about a month).
[Edited 5/13/08 22:39pm]

There is a good cd review found here:

http://soultracks.com/don...er-crayons

And you can hear ALL tracks, except the bonus track, here:

http://www.vh1.com/sitewi...na&format=

Click "play all tracks" to the right of the music player. It's under the photo section of the page.