If you have the 'Thank God It's Friday' movie soundtrack,I'm sure you are familiar with the track "Take It To The Zoo" by some obscure group called Sunshine.What you probably didn't know is that this group was comprised of two of Donna Summer's sisters (Dara Bernarda and Mary Ellen Bernard) and her cousin (Carlene Williams).And I bet you also didn't know that this group recorded an entire album for Casablanca Records in 1978.But alas,the album was never released and the group never had a chance.They did,however,have a steady gig as Donna's backup vocalists on her late-70s tours.Let's take an in-depth look at their unreleased album,titled 'Watchin' Daddy Dance'.Here is the tracklist...



Sunshine 'Watchin' Daddy Dance' (unreleased,1978)


SIDE 1---
"Sunshine"
"Let's Dance"
"Step Step Away"
"It's Over" (written by Donna Summer)


SIDE 2---
"I'm The One"
"Where I Should Be"
"Savin' My Love For You" (written by D.Summer/R.Gaines??)
"Watchin' Daddy Dance" (produced by Donna Summer and Bruce Sudano)


Two other songs "What Are You Saying" and "Jealous Eyes" were left off the album.The album was reportedly shelved because Casablanca felt that they were already flooding the market with Disco albums (apparently,that didn't stop them from releasing all those awful Paul Jabara records).If you read the liner notes to Donna's 1978 'Live and More' album,she has a message for the girls..."Personal thanks to Sunshine and good luck with 'Watchin' Daddy Dance'.A year later,on her 'Bad Girls' album,she had another message for them..."To Sunshine,hold on,it won't be long".


For Donna Summer fans,this cancelled project is interesting because she has her hands all over it.She wrote the ballad "It's Over",a song she later re-worked in 1984 for inclusion on her own 'Cats Without Claws' album.She also co-wrote the song "Savin' My Love For You" with a certain R.Gaines (not sure if it's our Rosie).The title track was produced by Donna and her then soon-to-be-husband Bruce Sudano.


The first Sunshine recording "Take It To The Zoo" was written by Donna and Bruce,and it features Donna on background vocals.It appears on the 'Thank God It's Friday' soundtrack.This is the only Sunshine song that the world has ever heard.The rejected album sits in Casablanca's vaults collecting dust (actually,Polygram now owns Casablanca) but who knows if it will ever get released?



Finess,do you got a bootleg copy?
[This message was edited Wed Jun 4 5:41:15 PDT 2003 by DavidEye]

How did it sound?

as for Paul Jabara, Hey have some respect for the dead man u do know Paul Passed away from Aids right?.. and trapped in a stairway was such a cute track as well as disco queen, and he did write its raining men lol

Finess said:

Oh,I do have lots of respect for Paul...lol...after all,he's the guy who wrote Donna's "Last Dance",one of the best Disco songs ever.He was an incredible talent.But,with all due respect,his solo records were terrible,Finess.Sorry to say that.I did like his contributions to the 'TGIF' soundtrack ("Trapped In A Staircase" should have been a Top 10 smash!),but I can't get into his self-indulgent late-70s Disco music.