thedance said:

That Stock Aitken Waterman music.. oh no... yuck.. terrible..

Fuck that, this is a jam:

^^I liked when she worked with Stock Aitman Waterman.That collaboration resulted in her biggest hit song in years! In 1990,she entered the studio with them to record another album,but something happened and it was cancelled Does anyone have the inside scoop? Another album produced by them is exactly what her career needed at that time! She came back in late 1991 with the Mistaken Identity album,but that album is wildly uneven and became her biggest flop.

Y'all know, I think Donna Summer was one of music's trailblazer's Mary J. Blige called her a gamechanger and rapper, Q-tip referred to her as "an amazing trailblazer" in one of many celebrity tweets after her passing. She (along with Giorgio Moroder) defined an era of music, as Angela Bassett reiterated when she introduced her on Divas 2000: A Tribute To Diana Ross. I also recall watching a dvd on disco where, I think, a record company owner or maybe, a DJ, said he didn't think disco was going to be that big of a deal, until Donna Summer came along. Apparently, no other disco act convinced him to jump on board, until Donna came onto the scene. It also should be noted that Donna was very versatile genre wise (not to mention vocally). She wasn't a black female artist that just did R&B music. She did a great number of genres, which is one reason that made her so amazing to me. I'm sure, there are other black female artists that do not limit themselves to R&B, but there are not many that I've heard as of yet that approach a song like an actress with so many vocal characters like Donna did. When I compare Donna to someone like Whitney Houston, I put Donna on top, due to her versatile genre and vocal approaches to a song. Don't get me wrong, Whitney could sing like no other, but Donna always has held the top spot on my perosnal list because she changed it up musically and vocally. At times, there was anticipation of what a song would sound like and what kind of vocal character she was going to bring to the script/lyrics. It's all opinion, to some degree, but for me, Donna Summer was, indeed, a trailblazer and gamechanger.

[Edited 9/17/15 8:39am]

There really should be a Donna Summer biopic.I think there is one coming out that focuses on Casablanca Records,starring Justin Timberlake.I wonder who will play Donna?

SoulAlive said:

There really should be a Donna Summer biopic.I think there is one coming out that focuses on Casablanca Records,starring Justin Timberlake.I wonder who will play Donna?

The org already decided that if there is ever a Donna Summer biopic, Destiny's Child's Kelly Rowland would look and sound amazing.

[img:$uid]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/2430804840_2f2bdb0598_o.jpg[/img:$uid]

^^I think she's a good choice,but is that movie still being made?

The magazine in question was the New York Magazine... where supposedly Ms. Summer made these anti-gay remarks Those remarks never came from her lips, total fabrication. Ms. Summer sued the New York magazine in 1991 and they reached an out of court settlement. The facts for this story can be found on the web. It's like they say, people don't ever hear or read the retraction they just remember the headline(s).

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[Edited 9/21/15 18:44pm]

TD3 said:

The magazine in question was the New York Magazine... where supposedly Ms. Summer made these anti-gay remarks Those remarks never came from her lips, total fabrication. Ms. Summer sued the New York magazine in 1991 and they reached an out of court settlement. The facts for this story can be found on the web. It's like they say, people don't ever hear or read the retraction they just remember the headline(s).

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I remember this.In 1991,Donna held a big press conference to annouce her lawsuit.She was crying at one point.It's so terrible how this rumor got so out of hand.

SoulAlive said:

TD3 said:

The magazine in question was the New York Magazine... where supposedly Ms. Summer made these anti-gay remarks Those remarks never came from her lips, total fabrication. Ms. Summer sued the New York magazine in 1991 and they reached an out of court settlement. The facts for this story can be found on the web. It's like they say, people don't ever hear or read the retraction they just remember the headline(s).

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I remember this.In 1991,Donna held a big press conference to annouce her lawsuit.She was crying at one point.It's so terrible how this rumor got so out of hand.

Yeap..in 1987 the Enquirer reported that she had said "AIDS was god devine retribution or ruling on gays". That statement acutally came from Gloria Gaynor and not Donna. The sad part is she was black balled from pop radio in the mid 80's & early 90's.

ChickenMcNuggets said:

This is a completely random thought, but it's always annoyed me how some people say she 'lost it' after she 'became born-again'. Her '80-'83 output was some of the best of her career. I've never been fussed about the SAW album though - other than 'Love's About To Change My Heart', it feels kinda soulless, like a lot of SAW music.

I loved her 80's music.. Cats Without Claws and All Systems Go....had great cuts that were wasted by Geffen records.. Oh Billy Please, Eyes, and I' Free ..from Cats, and Fascination, Voices Crying Out, Thinkin' Bout My Baby from ASG. Geffen was not the right choice for Donna, as the president said " it was never our intention to focus on established superstars". They interferred with the music and released what they wanted to as singles, almost always in conflicted with what Donna had requested. Didn't promote the music either; that, and being black balled was a career poison for her. The SAW album was fine ... but it was a SAW album. The only reason TTIKIFR got played in America was becasue it made the radio playlist (by being a top 3 song across Europe), so it had to get air play. But the follow up single didn't get the same air play and didn't stay on charts for very long at all.

^^I agree,Geffen Records was not the right label for Donna.She was the first artist signed to the label,but she really needed to go with an established label.As Donna has pointed out,the label mainly focused on rock acts and had no real experience with dance (or R&B) artists.She should have went a label like Epic or Columbia.In 1980,Donna was the hottest female artist on the planet.Any other label would have signed her in an instant.

ChickenMcNuggets said:

I've never been fussed about the SAW album though - other than 'Love's About To Change My Heart', it feels kinda soulless, like a lot of SAW music.

This album always gets mixed reactions from fans I like it alot.I agree that the music throughout is very formulaic and sorta soulless,but I think Donna brings alot of warmth and soul to these songs.There are actually some moments on the album that remind of Giorgio and Pete.The album is like an 80s version of the disco sound that Donna had in the 70s....or at least it tries to be I think the results are very good.My favorite songs are "This Time I Know It's For Real","Sentimental","The Only One" and "If It Makes You Feel Good" (which I would have chosen for the second single).

SoulAlive said:

^^I agree,Geffen Records was not the right label for Donna.She was the first artist signed to the label,but she really needed to go with an established label.As Donna has pointed out,the label mainly focused on rock acts and had no real experience with dance (or R&B) artists.She should have went a label like Epic or Columbia.In 1980,Donna was the hottest female artist on the planet.Any other label would have signed her in an instant.

Well, almost all of the older artists left Geffen Records unhappy, Elton John, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell....etc. I would say the only one that got the right attention from the company and him personally, was Cher (his friend or girlfriend - he was still in the closet in 80's) - I don't think anyone was ever sure whether she pretended to date him (for a cover), or if it was real. But he had promised Donna alot of things - such as getting her into movies. But as she said when she left - they could barely get the music out. She only had 4 albums released with Geffen in 8 years.

ChickenMcNuggets said:

This is a completely random thought, but it's always annoyed me how some people say she 'lost it' after she 'became born-again'. Her '80-'83 output was some of the best of her career.

I agree.

random thought: if the rejected 'I'm A Rainbow' album had been released in 1981,I think this song should have been one of the singles.....

"Back Where You Belong"

^^great lyrics and a strong chorus:

so I'm gonna leave you....just because I want you

back where you belong...back home,right by my side is where you want to be

She's gonna leave her man...to make him see exactly what he's throwing away...to get him back on the right track....