'Lady of the night' was the first album by American singer Donna Summer. The album, which was produced by Pete Bellotte, was released in 1974 only in The Netherlands, and spawned the minor European hit singles 'The hostage' and 'Lady of the night'.
The latter was released in the autumn of 1974, and reached number 4 in the Dutch Top 40. The track was written by Pete Bellotte and Giorgio Moroder but didn't sound at all like Donna Summer's next hit, 'Love to love you', released the next year.
My collection: 7" single no. 4538 Found: Any old time, Amsterdam, January 30, 2010 Cost: 0,1 euro Tracks: 'Lady of the night' / 'Wounded'
Paul Jabara wrote 'Last dance' in the mid-Seventies. It was recorded by Donna Summer for the soundtrack of the movie 'Thank God it's Friday', in which she also had a small part, singing the song. It was one of the first disco songs to also feature slow tempo parts. It starts off slow and the full-length version found on the film soundtrack also has a slow part in the middle.
The song has sold over 5 million copies in the U.S. alone, peaking at number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the Dutch Top 40, 'Last dance' reached number 8, while it stalled at number 51 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 3116 Found: Record fair, 1999 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Last dance' / 'With your love'
'The wanderer' was written by Donna Summer together with her producer Giorgio Moroder. She'd worked with Moroder while she was signed to Casablanca Records. When she left that label in 1980 after a dispute, she signed to the new Geffen label and continued to work with Moroder.
By 1980, disco had experienced a backlash. Rock music was becoming popular and Donna Summer's 1980 album reflected this: the songs were very new wave and rock-flavoured. This first single from the album became a big hit for Summer in the United States - peaking at number 3 in the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, while reaching number number 48 in the UK singles chart and number 26 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 4416 Found: Kringloop, Den Haag, January 9, 2010 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'The wanderer' / 'Stop me'
After Donna Summer left Casablance Records and signed with Geffen Records, her old record company released a series of singles from her 1979 double album 'Bad girls' as well as the compilation album 'Walk away - The best of 1977-1980'. After this, disco and high energy producer Patrick Cowley was asked to remix one of Summer's best known tracks, 'I feel love'. This remix was released as a single in 1982, around the same time when Donna Summer scored a big hit with her new record company, 'State of independence'.
The full length 12" version clocked in at over 15 minutes and became a club favourite. The edit version on 7" single reached number 21 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 3093 Found: House of Rhythm, London, May 13, 1999 Cost: 50p Tracks: 'I feel love (part 1)' / 'I feel love (part 2)'
'Could it be magic' was written by Adrienne Anderson and Barry Manilow and recorded by Barry Manilow on his 1973 debut album, 'Barry Manilow I'. The song was released as a single two years later. The song is based on Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C Minor, Opus 28, Number 20, and Manilow's singing in the last verse fades into a straight performance of the last few bars of the Prelude.
Just one year after Manilow's original version was released as a single Donna Summer recorded a disco version of the track and included it on her second international album 'Love trilogy'. She added her own trademark moans and groans in the mix, which caused it to number 40 in the UK singles chart and number 2 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 2114 Found: June 11, 1994 Cost: 1 guilder Tracks: 'Could it be magic' / 'Whispering waves'
'Love's unkind' was produced by Giorgio Moroder, just like the album whence it came from, 'I remember yesterday'. The lyric of the song is a tribute to high school crushes and love triangles. It was a big hit in the UK singles chart, peaking at number 3, whereas it only reached number 32 in the Dutch Top 40.
Donna Summer looks decidedly pregnant on the sleeve of this single, but I think she's just wearing a very strange dress.
My collection: 7" single no. 4293 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Love's unkind' / 'Black lady'
Donna Summer's 1979 single 'On the radio' was written for the soundtrack of the movie 'Foxes' and also included as a new track on her first international compilation album 'On the radio: greatest hits volumes 1 & 2'.
When the track was released as a single, it peaked at number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 32 in the UK singles chart and number 20 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 4227 Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 21, 2009 Cost: 0,5 euro Tracks: 'On the radio' / 'There will always be a you'
Donna Summer's 1979 album 'Bad girls' continued to produce successful singles. Donna Summer had fulfilled her contract with Casablanca records with this albums, and while she was moving on with Geffen Records, recording and releasing a new album with them, Casablanca continued to release singles from this album.
'Sunset people' was one of them. It was released in May 1980, and reached number 46 in the UK singles chart. Three months later, Summer would release her first album with Geffen.
My collection: 7" single no. 4140 Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Sunset people' / 'Our love'
Brenda Russell wrote 'Dinner with Gershwin', which was recorded in 1987 by Donna Summer. It was the first single from her album 'All systems go', Summer's first album of new material in four years. The single reached number 13 in the UK singles chart and number 34 in the Dutch Top 40.
Brenda Russell recorded her own version of her song for her 1990 album 'Kiss me with the wind'.
My collection: 7" single no. 4139 Found: Backtrack, Antwerpen, November 7, 2009 Cost: 1 euro Tracks: 'Dinner with Gershwin' / 'Dinner with Gershwin (instrumental)'
In the summer of 1975, Summer approached Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte with an idea for a song. She had come up with the lyric 'Love to love you, baby' as the possible title for the song. Moroder in particular was interested in developing the new disco sound, and used Summer's idea to develop the song into an overtly sexual disco track. Summer was initially hesitant to go along with this idea, but eventually agreed on recording a demo so someone else could record the song after that. Moroder was so astounded with Summer's orgasmic vocals and her imaginative moans and groans that he insisted she should release the single herself. Summer reluctantly agreed and the song, titled 'Love to love you', was released to modest success in Europe.
when the song reached American record company executive Neil Bogart, he was so impressed that he requested Moroder to produce a longer version of the track. Moroder, Bellotte and Summer recorded a 17 minute version, renamed it 'Love to love you baby', and had an American number 2 hit before they knew it. Sex sells.
My collection: 7" single no. 2231 Found: January 10, 1995 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'Love to love you' / 'Need-a-man blues'
'The woman in me' was the third and final single from Donna Summer's self-titled 1982 album. It was a ballad produced by Quincy Jones, following after the worldwide hit 'State of independence'. While on that song Michael Jackson sang backing vocals, here the background vocals are performed by James Ingram. The single stalled at number 62 in the UK singles chart but reached number 7 in the Dutch Top 40.
I've got two copies of the single: one Belgian pressing (pictured above) and one German pressing. When I bought the German one, I didn't recognise the sleeve so I thought I didn't have the song. I've no idea when I bought the German single, because when I already have a single it doesn't get into my administration...
My collection: 7" single no. 2594 Found: Grammofoonwinkel, Utrecht, December 30, 1995 Cost: 2 guilders Tracks: 'The woman in me' / 'Livin' in America'
'She works hard for the money' was released as the first single from Donna Summer's 1983 album of the same name. During a contract dispute with Geffen Records over creative control, Summer released the album on a different label, Mercury. The song was written by Summer herself and was based on an encounter she had with an exhausted bathroom attendant.
The version found on the 7" single was edited from the over 5 minute version on the album. The single peaked at number 25 in the UK singles chart and number 17 in the Dutch Top 40.
My collection: 7" single no. 3919 Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 31, 2009 Cost: 0,25 euro Tracks: 'She works hard for the money' / 'I do believe (I fell in love)'
In 1979, Barbra Streisand, famous for her easy listening songs, and disco queen Donna Summer got together to record a duet. Entitled 'Enough is enough', it almost never made it onto Streisand's album 'Wet', because the lyric did not contain any reference to water (the theme of the album). Streisand really wanted the song on the album and thus changed the title of the song to 'No more tears (Enough is enough)', upon which the ballad introduction was written, to give more of an explanation of water to the song. 'It's raining, it's pouring, my love life is boring me to tears after all these years'.
During the recording of the song, Summer is said to have passed out and fallen off her chair having been out partying the night before. Streisand supposedly carried on singing her long note and waited until she had finished it before stopping and asking Summer if she was okay. Another rumour regarding the song is that Streisand's son, Jason Gould, is the one who talked his mother into recording the duet as he was a fan of Summer's work. The single became a number one hit in the USA and Canada, peaking at number 3 in the UK and number 20 in the Netherlands.
My collection: 7" single no. 3896 Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, July 20, 2009 Cost: 0,25 euro Tracks: 'No more tears (Enough is enough)' / 'Wet' (Barbra Streisand)
In 1981, David Geffen approached Jon Landau, Springsteen’s manager and producer, and asked if Springsteen would be interested in writing a song for Donna Summer. Summer had just recently signed for Geffen Records. Springsteen agreed to write a song and he gathered the E Street Band to record a demo. However when Landau heard the result, 'Cover me', he persuaded Springsteen to keep that song for himself. Springsteen then wrote 'Protection'.
The song became a track on Donna Summer's self-titled album from 1982. On the track, Springsteen played the guitar solo and can clearly be heard on fadeout vocals. It was released as a single in Belgium and Japan only.
My collection: 7" single no. 3779
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, June 20, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Protection' / '(If it) Hurts just a little'
'Bad girls' was taken from Donna Summer's 1979 album of the same name. Donna Summer wrote the song herself, after being inspired by an incident: a police officier mistook one of her assistants for a street prostitute.
The song was a chart success in many countries. In America it was a number 1 hit, in the UK it peaked at number 14 while in the Netherlands it went to number 7. The 'toot-toot, beep-beep' chant would be sampled by various hip hop artists.
'Down deep inside' is the theme song from the 1977 film 'The Deep'. The film's score was written by British composer John Barry and the lyric to the main theme were written and performed by disco singer Donna Summer. The single peaked at number 6 in the Netherlands and number 5 in the UK.
The film soundtrack LP also contained a slower tempo version of the song, and an extended version of the original later appeared on a cd version of Summer's 1978 'Live and More' album.
My collection: 7" single no. 2106
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, June 4, 1994
Cost: 3 guilders
Tracks: 'Down, deep inside' (Donna Summer) / 'Theme from The Deep' (John Barry)
Donna Summer was born as LaDonna Adrian Gaines on December 31, 1948. Prior to her introduction to the music industry, she was a gospel singer. Aged eighteen, Gaines left home and school to audition for a role in the cast of the Broadway musical 'Hair'. She didn't get the part, but was offered the European Tour when the show moved to Germany. She settled in Munich and also performed with the Viennese Folk Opera and the pop band Munich Machine. She released two singles, 'Sally go round the roses' (1971) and 'If you walkin' alone' (1972), before she met and married Austrian actor Helmut Sommer.
She took on the stage name Donna Summer and signed a contract with the Dutch record company Groovy. Her debut album 'Lady of the night' spawned two singles: the title track and 'The hostage'. This single became a number 1 hit in Belgium and reached number 2 in the Netherlands. The song was performed on an absurdist television show in the Netherlands (see it here), which must have helped its popularity somewhat.
During the great shopping spree of 1979, which I wrote about earlier, this was one of the other finds. This single came in a custom 'Casablance' sleeve, and featured a track by Donna Summer. At the time I knew all about her, thanks to 'funny' songs like 'I feel love' and 'Down deep inside'. Little children always have to laugh about groaning women, at least that's what I think. 'Hot stuff' was a bit more 'serious'. It was a good dance track, but I deemed it a bit 'boring' in the long run. That's why I never played this single much.
My collection: 7" single no. 14
Found: London, July 1979
Cost: 10p
Tracks: 'Hot stuff' / 'Journey to the centre of your heart'
'Lady of the night' was the first album by American singer Donna Summer. The album, which was produced by Pete Bellotte, was released in 1974 only in The Netherlands, and spawned the minor European hit singles 'The hostage' and 'Lady of the night'.
