New Donna Summer album coming soon...

[EricHG23]

Maybe Donna shoulda just done a covers album of her fave disco songs like I Will Survive...

I admit I may be a wrong fan to ask--my top three Donna albums are Once Upon a Time, Bad Girls and The Wanderer an album many disco fans think was her turning her back on them (LOL the very idea). I also was born in 1980 and have been told before that means I could never be a true disco fan--even though I'd liek to think my complete collection and love of nearly every 75-80 production by Moroder, Midney, Cerrone and Costandinos shows some knowledge...

Another Place and Time is a fun album. It's some of SAW's best material (and they intended to work with her again--Lonnie Gordon's Happenin All Over Againw as written for Donna but Donna's lack of publicist at the time caused a lack in communication). But liek all SAW products (and I'm a HUGE fan) what's lacking is a sense of it being an ALBUM the way her disco records were--a complete work. It's more a collection OF songs--which is how SAW worked. I'm glad to see this new album for all its differences was approached as a complete whole with a theme. (And you woe it to yoruself i you like her dance work to hear It's Only Love).

Burgundy is a boutique label that's focused on promoting older artists and concentrating on ONE album at a time which is partly why Donna is getting the press and notices she deserves for once. I think it's also the right time--people are respecting her talents now--as a vocalist and as a songwriter of many of her disco best songs (something people often forget).

Anyway I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I jsut think the Cher Believe comparison is misguided--it's a very very different situation (just like the extent and type of fame Cher has is...) If we're comparing divas this album already sounds much more interesting, well thought out and welcome then anythign Diana Ross has recorded, for one example, in ages, not to mention obvious disco divas liek Gaynor, Thelma Houston....

[EricHG23]

Oh and anyone in Chicago--this sounds incredible. Finally Donna talking not about her fame or religion or whatever but about the MUSIC--and so cheap to go (includes her new cd though the interview is about her whole career).

[Cdnbob]

No offence to anyone on the board, but I hate it when fans and the media keep trying to pidgeon hole a singer by saying things like they should stick to performing/recording/singing what made them famous. Sure Donna was her biggest and most famous from around 76-81 and was largely known for doing disco. Since that time, like any artist, they move on like all of us do. We change, evolve over time. I don't think there's any of us who can say we are the same person we were 10, 15, or 20 years ago. So with that, Donna can't continue to do disco. She's moved on.

I love her old stuff too but I also love her SAW material, Dinner With Gershwin, I Will Go With You and her remake of the classic Vandross song The Power of Love, and I for one am looking forward to hearing the new material. It's like another performer I like, Donny Osmond. He recorded Puppy Love in 72 and it was his biggest hit, but now at 50, he's moved on/changed and you can't expect a man of 50 singing Puppy Love forever. His new stuff is great - R&B, pop, dance, show tunes, classic 70's music, and more - and I think a lot of the new stuff is better than what he did at his biggest selling period of his career. (And yes Donny did disco too - 1976's Disco Donny and the Brian Holland of Holland Dozier Holland fame produced Donald Clark Osmond in 1978.)

What I'm trying to say is artists move on, evolve and change just like us and we should try and open arms to new material. Its exciting to know that people like Donna still are interested in recording, and it'll be great to hear her again.

There... my rant for the day.

[Graham_Start]

I have to agree. Donna Summer doesn't owe us anything. If people don't like her new album, they have every right not to buy it.

The Cher analogy is a flawed one IMHO. That album might've spawned a monster hit, but it really could've been anyone singing that. Cher wasn't the artist, merely the "brand". She decided that she was going to have a big hit, and simply hired the people to make it happen.

Donna has made it clear that she resents being pigeonholed in a genre that she never felt really represented her. Perhaps "Crayons" will be the first time the world hears the real Donna Summer.

I might like it or I might not. But I will respect her for doing what she wants to do, and not what everyone expects of her: i.e. the obligatory standards album, or some popular but forgettable dance-sound-of-the-moment record that will be more dated in ten years than anything from the 70s. As much as I enjoy the work she did with Moroder & Co., I am thankful that she is not turning into some self-parody by trying to imitate it 30 years later, or shamelessly cashing in on nostalgia by playing the same songs for aging fans, like all those rock bands that should've packed it in 25 years ago.

[EricHG23]

Exactly--I agree with you guys (no surprise I guess).

A few things. It's not like Donna has avoided the dance crowd all these years. She has had massive club hit after club hit aimed pretty squarely at the gay clubs since Carry On and Melody of Love in the early 90s. And this album still has elements of that (and as a friend pointed out the whole album swings more towards dance pop than any other genre). If she were doing this album solely to try to be "the new Rhianna" then believe me she wouldn't include a blues song on it. I think Donna really wants to show what she can do writing and singing wise, her diversity, and I understand that after all this time--it makes sense to me and I am proud she has the chance. But she's not turning her back on her fanbase (in fact many of the songs' lyrics address her gay fans in a way she hasn't for years--the coyness in Queen is Back with lines like "I've been your dear fairy godmother", the whole gorgeous ballad Be Myself Again which seems to be almost an explanation, apology for her hardcore Born Again days and about how she's grown comfortable with herself now and appreciates her fans waiting for her) music wise at all even if she is diversifying.

The Cyndi, Cher comparisons don't work. Cher wasn't a dance artist but a sort of icon who also sang--in different genres. She wanted a hit. She picked a song that had been floating around (it was written by Xenomania for Dannii Minogue's Girl album but not used, then Brian Higgins of Xenomania didn't knwo how to produce it so gave it to Metro who did it with Cher--Cher did rewrite *one* line in the bridge) and a direction. I love Cher and love both of her Metro heavy dance pop albums and I do think her vocals add a Cher quality--it was the right voice for the right material at the right time. But Cher was also 10 years younger than Donna is now, not out of the public spotlight, not a songwriter, not gone years without a record label, bla bla bla... Cyndi is great but has said this dance project is a "one off" and not the direction she's heading after it--it's a lark, a really well done and fun lark she's working for all she can but... (Similarly Cher has said if she does a new album it'll be rock).

Madonna was brought up for returning to form and giving "fans what they wanted" with Confessions. Fine. But she's also had albums since the early 90s that have dabled in nearly every other music genre she wants to. Confessions was almost the exception than the rule--Donna hasn't had that chance yet. (Besides like Donna, everything Madonna releases will be mixed for club consumption).

Like I said I LOVE the Wanderer album and never got the fan backlash from disco fans from it... I don't think whenever a non disco singer does another genre it means they're leaving their fans. People have brought up Moroder--he showed little interest in this project and frankly his more recent work has, as genius as the man is (i'm a HUGE fan, equally as big a fan of his as I am of Donna) his work in the past 10 years has not been up to Donna's. And, again, Crayons is much more of a dance album than Wanderer even was (though personally I found it a natural extension of Bad Girls dance rock sound). And I need to emphasise that lately Donna has very much embraced her disco past and has said so many times, how proud she is of her material, her work with Moroder et all, etc.

As was mentioned the original deal was that Donna record a covers album for Burgundy. I'm glad they realized that she still was viable as a songwriter doing new material-- I admit, I probably would have tried my hardest to like this album no matter what it was, being a fan, waiting so long for a new album, etc. I've been pleasantly surprised by the quality of this material, the quality of her songwriting, the quality of the production, the quality of the art for the project (even I'm a Fire a digital single had that gorgeous eyelash shot taken for it--reminiscent of the clever ideas for covers Casablanca had), the promo... The media seems to finally be up to accepting the idea of Donna as a true legend and talent and welcoming a comeback. It was implied on here Donna being on letterman etc was just trying to market her as a "hip" pop star... I really don't see it that way, I see it as them realizing what a legend and name she is and appreciating that.

Burgundy is a tiny label, they couldn't even afford a basic video, but it's a great fit--they know how they want to promote Donna and they focus SOLELY on her album. I know i'm repeating myself, and obviously not going to change people's minds, especially those who skipped the ballad sides of Once Upon a Time and Bad Girls' LPs... But i'm very excited, this whole project has exceeded my expectations.

[Videoskooter]

Donna Summer.com

Great discussion people, love reading all the replies.

I don't know if this is already posted:

From: Donna Summer colors tour with 'Crayons' >> Tour dates and concert ticket info >> LiveDaily

"Donna Summer colors tour with 'Crayons'
April 16, 2008 04:04 AM
By Kym Kilgore
LiveDaily Contributor
Donna Summer [ tickets ] is back with her first collection of new material in 17 years, and she'll support it with a North American tour.

The outing, set to launch June 24 in Nashville, sticks close to the East Coast in July and jumps to the West Coast in August. It includes two-night stands in Rama, Ontario; Atlantic City, NJ; Richmond, British Columbia; Windsor, Ontario; and Los Angeles. Details are listed below.

Summer's forthcoming album, "Crayons," is scheduled to drop May 20. The set marks the pop icon's first full-length studio album of new material since 1991's "Mistaken Identity," and her first new release since the 1999 live CD/DVD "VH1 Presents Donna Summer: Live & More - Encore!," which was taped at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom.

The 12 tracks on "Crayons"--all co-written by Summer--cover everything from pop to world music to retro-modern dance.

"I wanted this album to have a lot of different directions on it; I did not want it to be any one baby," Summer said in a statement. "I just wanted it to be a sampler of flavors and influences from all over the world. There's a touch of this, a little smidgen of that, a dash of something else ... like when you're cooking."

The lead single, "I'm a Fire," is currently holding the top spot on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart. Several sample versions of the song are streaming at Summer's MySpace page.

The five-time Grammy winner rocketed to superstardom in the mid-'70s, when she was dubbed "The Queen of Disco." In 1975, she scored her first international hit, "Love to Love You Baby," which paved the way for chart-toppers including "MacArthur Park," "Bad Girls," "Hot Stuff," "Dim All the Lights," "On the Radio," "Last Dance" and "Enough is Enough" with Barbra Streisand.

Summer, who holds the record for most consecutive double albums to reach No. 1 on the Billboard charts (three), has sold an estimated 130 million records and charted 21 No. 1 singles, according to her bio. In 2004, she became one of the first inductees to the Dance Music Hall of Fame."

Please also visit Donna's page on MySpace, listen to the samples and befriend her!

"Stamp Your Feet" is the official single

www.myspace.com/donnasummer

[Dayna]

MY simple humble reply is
I DONT LOVE IT...And I SO wanted to.......
I dont hate it...The last thing Donna did that I LOVED was the Mistaken Identity Album..

[EricHG23]

Funny! Even most fans are not into the Mistaken Identity album. It's my least favorite of ALL her records though I like about three songs. It just sounds so cheap--the Keith Diamond production sounds like a demo and the songs sound unifnished, plus I'm not too keen on that early 90s New Jack Soul style. But it DOES have some fans so you're not alone. I was worried this new album would be another Mistaken Identity and am so glad it's not...

Videoskooter thanks for posting the info! I'm pretty excited for her tour--it's meant to be more extravagant than he rpast tours.

[Dayna]

Originally Posted by EricHG23

Funny! Even most fans are not into the Mistaken Identity album. It's my least favorite of ALL her records though I like about three songs. It just sounds so cheap--the Keith Diamond production sounds like a demo and the songs sound unifnished, plus I'm not too keen on that early 90s New Jack Soul style. But it DOES have some fans so you're not alone. I was worried this new album would be another Mistaken Identity and am so glad it's not...

Videoskooter thanks for posting the info! I'm pretty excited for her tour--it's meant to be more extravagant than he rpast tours.

I'm a sucker for Donna's ballads like
(Friends Unknown) "if you listen to it ,It's almost like an unspoken apology to her gay fans about the whole Adam and Steve thing"..
Heaven's Just a Whisper Away and Let There Be Peace ..
Plus I LOVE the up tempo"Work That Magic..and The funky "Fred Astaire" it has that Staple Donna Ballad start then goes into the dance mode..
all in all I Dont care who produced it ,It doesn't sound unfinished or cheap to me ..I dont just listen to a song, a song speaks to me .. and these did..
some songs speak more loudly to others

[markydefad]

Re: "Mistaken Identity".....the track I loved was "When Love Cries" ...haven't listened to this cd in maybe a decade...but I think that was the title I chose to put on a tape...isn't it slow and kinda different for her?

[EricHG23]

When Love Cries was the single someplaces and Work that Magic others... Both had superior (mor epolished0 single remixes--the When love Cries one is on the great cheap Donna 2 disc compilation Donna Summer Gold. It was acutally kinda an update of Love ot Love You baby--slower groove, she uses her high voice, etc and it's one of the three songs I mentioned liking. the other was Work that Magic and the balld Heaven's Just a Whisper Away (Cry of a Waking Heart is ok too the rest unlistenable :P ). Dayna I appreciate the sentiment to her fans with Friends Unknown but I find it SOO oversung--somethign Donna usually keeps control of, she's not Mariah....

Anyway sorry for soundign so bitter--I don't liek the CD and stand by what I said, but I love enough variety of music to know that someone can love what someone hates and it's warranted.

Mistaken identity didn't get much marketing and promo partly because Donna suffered several family deaths and tragedies at the same time and partly as the label lost interest. (It was Atlantic who had hastily signed her anyway when Another Place and Time in 1989 became a hit in the UK and didn'thave a US release).

Work That Magic had a VERY cheap music video, but instead I think this is one of the campiest, funniest Donna Summer performances of all time. here she is doing Work That Magic on a UK show surrounded by cheesy half naked male dancers whose choreography seems to be "posing"--and Donna seems completely unaware

YouTube - Donna Summer Work That Magic 1991

[Dayna]

Originally Posted by markydefad

Re: "Mistaken Identity".....the track I loved was "When Love Cries" ...haven't listened to this cd in maybe a decade...but I think that was the title I chose to put on a tape...isn't it slow and kinda different for her?

It's a mid tempo track that has a lot of flute in it and it goes bay aay bay baby..bay aay bay baby.. in the beginning.. Lovely song..It's not different for her because it's very sexy and soothing..Very effortless vocals for her..
It's prety much VERY Donna..

[markydefad]

Originally Posted by markydefad

Re: "Mistaken Identity".....the track I loved was "When Love Cries" ...haven't listened to this cd in maybe a decade...but I think that was the title I chose to put on a tape...isn't it slow and kinda different for her?

OK, I'm home now...and the tune I was referring to was actually ".Cry Of A Waking Heart"...I used this on a smooth jazz THE WAVE-ish type tape for a guy who used to play them in his hair salon back in SF....

She uses her high voice...that's what I was thinking was different...cuz I was notorious about not adding the track list to my copies the actual tapes...[I had them in a notebook]...and maybe 8 years ago, I played the tape and couldn't place the voice until she sang in her lower register....then I remembered it was Donna. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

[Dayna]

Originally Posted by markydefad

OK, I'm home now...and the tune I was referring to was actually ".Cry Of A Waking Heart"...I used this on a smooth jazz THE WAVE-ish type tape for a guy who used to play them in his hair salon back in SF....

She uses her high voice...that's what I was thinking was different...cuz I was notorious about not adding the track list to my copies the actual tapes...[I had them in a notebook]...and maybe 8 years ago, I played the tape and couldn't place the voice until she sang in her lower register....then I remembered it was Donna. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Yes she did use a falsetto for that track...
I got ya..

[Dayna]

Originally Posted by EricHG23

Maybe Donna shoulda just done a covers album of her fave disco songs like I Will Survive...

I admit I may be a wrong fan to ask--my top three Donna albums are Once Upon a Time, ....

Once Upon a Time is my all time Fav Donna Lp as well. Good taste.. hehe..second is Four Seasons of Love