Donna Summer Resurrects "Love to Love You Baby"

[Westwood]

Hey guys, sorry to resurrect this.
It's the first time I hear she was singing Love To Love You Baby again.
I think she's getting desperate...
Even though it's a bit annoying if what she said is true, i don't mind too much. I guess I wasn't there too much.
What annoied me, when I was there, is when I saw her on Oprah when she was promoting I Will Go With You, Oprah asked her something about drag queens doing her. That was the most gay-themed question she made. And Donna basically did not answer that. She kinda steered the question somewhere else, as though as if she was uncomfortable about even speaking of gays! Now THAT was bad for me. We're the ones who've kept her afloat these last years.
If she sang as a gay pride even, it does not mean she wanted to, that she was ok with gays etc. It might as well been something she just HAD to do for promotion, it doesn't mean she never said those things or is a christian and does not mind gays.
And I would like to read the whole thing on where she said that she lost so many people close to her to AIDS. Because that quote didn't hint or include anything that shows she was sad about it or any opinion on gays.
Has she actually EVER made any statement on her views on homosexuality?
I think that, and her excluding LTLYB from her repertoire because of her bornagain bs, is ridiculous.
I personally think that religion is what makes people fight, and war.
I cannot stand people with extreme religious views. And I agree with teh switching on and off thing.
I am sorry that Donna got into this who thing.

[Pierre Declercq]

The problem was maybe David Geffen. Her relationship with him, that friendship souring with the years, seems to be the heart of everything. When he signed her, he thought he could profit from her, making her a gay activism weapon. Her being reluctant can be unterstood because that was limitating her. An important part of the gay bashing is in a way a revenge, orchestrated by some people that exceed their moral rights.

The most important element is that her 80's albums are very very bad ones (Geffen responsabilty again). During the 80's she sang material that can't be compared with her disco songs. What she said or said not can't change this simple fact.

Singers are not the brightest people in the world. So what? They just have to sing. We love them for their singing, not for what they say in interviews or elsewhere. They are not Nobel prizes.

Personally I loved Summer until 1979. After that I moved away from her, each album being a confirmation I was doing the right thing. Living in France and being a teenager, I wasn't aware that she had said something about gay people during a concert in the US.

[kdavid13]

Brand new Donna Summer article in HX magazine.

The 2008 Donna Summer is much more relaxed and open than the 80's DS.
Donna now sings LTLYB as a tribute to her fans ; the love is more universal.

She's been my idol ever since I first heard her in 1976 - and my love & admiration never wavered.

HX - The One and Only

Peace y'all.

[Westwood]

Hmmm that's a very good article, I mean the subjects touched upon.
It's a bit too, hmmm, nice coincidence, you know what I mean?
Aynway, good for her.
However, I don't think you can just say her 80s albums were bad. I think she always says that once she broke free from the commitments of doing disco albums and went to do more rock and r&B albums she was more happy and prefers those??? Am I wrong?

Aynway, sure, I don't like them as much as I love the disco ones, but I would nto call them bad. I can still remember I like She Works Hard For The money.

[kdavid13]

Originally Posted by Westwood

However, I don't think you can just say her 80s albums were bad. I think she always says that once she broke free from the commitments of doing disco albums and went to do more rock and r&B albums she was more happy and prefers those??? Am I wrong?

Aynway, sure, I don't like them as much as I love the disco ones, but I would nto call them bad. I can still remember I like She Works Hard For The money.

I've always found something I liked on any given DS album ; some more than others.
Some filler but Donna-filler is still light years above most of what is on the radio today !!

Some of my favorite 80's Donna Summer songs :
I DO BELIEVE [I FELL IN LOVE],TOKYO,OH BILLY PLEASE,FASCINATION,LEAVE ME ALONE,VOICES CRYING OUT,LOOKING UP,THE ONLY ONE,THE WANDERER,NIGHTLIFE,SENTIMENTAL...and I could go on & on.

[Pierre Declercq]

Originally Posted by kdavid13

Brand new Donna Summer article in HX magazine.

HX - The One and Only

Maybe the best part would be:
«- Finally, if a Barbra Streisand drag queen battled a Donna Summer drag queen, what advice would you give the Donna drag queen?
- Go for the nose! [Laughs]»
A nice way to put things...

Buy the way it's a pity that Streisand seems to have forgotten «No More Tears».

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

I rarely get as angered as I am right now. So... for all of you know-it-all-even though-wasn't-even-there & in some cases not-even-born-yet geniuses...

I know Donna & Bruce personally, I am NOT speculating, nor relying on some age old passed-from-queen-to-queen gossip when I say that:
1) Donna NEVER made an Anti-Gay statement.
2) She stopped performing "Love To Love You" for two reasons... Her Mother and her daughter Mimi.
3) She was never "Born Again". That is such a load of sh$t!!! She has always had a very strong Faith. She never lost it. The fact that she recorded Disco doesn't make her some sort of Heathen, DOES IT????

Every last one of you who smirk and wallow in your judgmental essays on "what Donna did wrong", when none of you ever witnessed anything! and even more-so those of you who have the absolutely grotesque Ego's, to tell us all "what she's thinking" as if you actually have the power to go inside her head, need to stop spewing these misguided and hatefull, imaginary truths.

Take your Ego-stroking needs for self-indulgent, acid-tinged, highly assumptive, attention-getting bitchiness and go dissect someone else's life. And get off Donna's back!

[Dayna]

Originally Posted by STEPHEN L FREEMAN

I rarely get as angered as I am right now. So... for all of you know-it-all-even though-wasn't-even-there & in some cases not-even-born-yet geniuses...

I know Donna & Bruce personally, I am NOT speculating, nor relying on some age old passed-from-queen-to-queen gossip when I say that:
1) Donna NEVER made an Anti-Gay statement.
2) She stopped performing "Love To Love You" for two reasons... Her Mother and her daughter Mimi.
3) She was never "Born Again". That is such a load of sh$t!!! She has always had a very strong Faith. She never lost it. The fact that she recorded Disco doesn't make her some sort of Heathen, DOES IT????

Every last one of you who smirk and wallow in your judgmental essays on "what Donna did wrong", when none of you ever witnessed anything! and even more-so those of you who have the absolutely grotesque Ego's, to tell us all "what she's thinking" as if you actually have the power to go inside her head, need to stop spewing these misguided and hatefull, imaginary truths.

Take your Ego-stroking needs for self-indulgent, acid-tinged, highly assumptive, attention-getting bitchiness and go dissect someone else's life. And get off Donna's back!

I knew after reading all THAT in the thread that I would have to have CAROL ANN bring you some tea with a shot of Brandy in it and BTW..TINA..BRING ME THE AXE~!!

[Westwood]

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO EVERYONE, Stephen I think you took this a bit too personally but reacted too harshly.
Why? Because I think if the 3 statements you made had been made before, I don't think we would be having this discussion, and because while you are friends with her, we are not. You can't blame us for not knowing what you seem to hint at was somewhat confidential information (otherwise I can't see why it wasn't said before?, or by someone with authority and told it to the whole world-for example, the reborn stuff I have read in every single DS bio I have read, I think fans, who are usually behind those, would know this had been addressed to in the past and corrected the mistake and eradicated the matter?).
Also, and keep in mind everything i said and usually say is conjectures because one should never take something for face value, and just because someone does something, does not mean automatically the reason is the most reasonable one. And because we cannot know for sure. One should always question things.
However, and don't take this as me questioning your statement, but i guess that if an official statement like yours had been clearly made in the past, about ALL those subjects, someone would have reminded us of it here?
Ok, some of them might be personal, and you might argue, it's her prerogative to not give reasons, not to thoroughly explain why, so to fully put rumours to bed, but then I can say, we have a prerogative too. We're the ones who have bought every single thing she's released, so in addition to having freedom of speech, we are entitled to an opinion, especially when I don't think anyone of us (or at least I) said anything hurtful? We lack substantial information and we can only make hypothesis. You can't hold that against us.
We are merely (at least I am) trying to get to the bottom of the story that we feel has made her wrong. It might be some queen-to-queen thing, but it's always been there lurking in the background and can you blame us for wanting to find out what truth lies beneath that? For wanting to know what her reasons for those 3 things that have been big moments in her life and life/career-altering events?

I feel that your message was aimed at me, maybe it's my ego thinking that, however I think my messages were misunderstood, as I cannot spend hours explaining exactly what I mean, however I think in the end they were not cause enough for this kind of response, and I am terribly sorry for having angered you.

[needlefingers]

I would like to say I agree with Westwood on this one. But in a way, you are both right, and, maybe, even a little of both wrong.

I am a tremendous supporter of Donna Summer. She is my favorite vocalist. And I was DJing in Germany from 1977-79, so no one can accuse me of not being there.

I have seen her in concert many times, but my favorite has to be in 1998 when she did a benefit concert for GMHC (Gay Men's Health Crisis) at Carnegie Hall. It was more intimate, due to the space, but said a lot about her attachment to the gay community.

GMHC News Release

The next day, I remember talking to some friends about the concert when a gay man heard my review and proceeded to berate me for those "unsubstantiated" comments attributed to Donna. I told him that I was discussing my night with Donna and that he could "drop dead". In fact, he is dead now.

But we can't also forget that Donna's father was a preacher. How many gays have mixed feelings about their sexuality due to religious upbringing and parental expectations? And how many black R&B and Disco artists have a gospel background or deep religious beliefs?

If you know the history of Love To Love You Baby, she didn't want to do the song with the moaning and groaning. And she did not like singing in her head voice, even though it worked for her. She recorded it thinking it would be a demo, but was talked into releasing and remixing it with the moans. I'm not saying that is the definitive story, but that is the story that is out there. Do a google search.

I don't believe she made the comments, but the younger interested fans today are simply intrigued by the rumour. And it seems to me that they were having a fair open discussion.

And Stephen, yours is a voice that is not only respected, but because of your knowing her, could help to set the record straight (as it were).

Still, you can have all the expertise in the world, but if you don't know how to convey the message, all your points become moot.

I hope that the younger fans see that the true old-school generation holds her in high revere, myself included. And that we will always defend her, sometimes at any cost.

And that the older fans will state thier opinion and first-hand knowledge and then step back and let it take its course.

Because, in the end, that is all we can do.

[Dayna]

Very good point needlefingers...............Remind me never to piss you off so you dont tell me to drop dead
I myself was under the assumption that Donna might have stated "the Rumor"..but then Stephen whom know's her,I myself have never worked with her only met her ..Told me it was completely untrue.
and I think the fact that she did a benefit concert for GMHC (Gay Men's Health Crisis) at Carnegie Hall speaks for itself..
I would NEVER assume Stephens thoughts or speak for him "even though we are friends" but I know he is usually very calm and lets water roll off his back,..It is hard when you have as much knowledge as he and have ignorance"ignorance meaning Untrue facts, unknowing of" around you all the time .I believe the anger came from a place inside that was pent up.."not aimed at anyone imperticular but from correcting so much wrong information as he has done or at least offered to do on the site by members no longer with us and seeing discombobulated things written about people that he has VERY strong ties and loyalties to .Especially on a public LEARNING site like this one where people come to get CORRECT information.. I myself have been ignorant about many things but am always open to learning as I would hope everyone is..
So let's be glad we have someone to let us know what really is and really isn't ,that goes for other members on the forum as well,most everyone brings something to the table..."of which YOU are not leaving untill you FINISH eating that RAW steak young lady"..sorry had to throw in some MD humor...

[Bernie]

Stephen,

This combative and abusive reply is completely NOT appropriate. I know you are capable of making a point without having to resort to conduct such as this and ask that you restrain yourself. If this had been someone else responding to you in this manner, I know you would have been the first to chew my ear off about it. You really owe everyone an apology especially the younger members who were put off by your tirade. I'll also be sending you a PM about this as well.

Originally Posted by STEPHEN L FREEMAN

I rarely get as angered as I am right now. So... for all of you know-it-all-even though-wasn't-even-there & in some cases not-even-born-yet geniuses...

I know Donna & Bruce personally, I am NOT speculating, nor relying on some age old passed-from-queen-to-queen gossip when I say that:
1) Donna NEVER made an Anti-Gay statement.
2) She stopped performing "Love To Love You" for two reasons... Her Mother and her daughter Mimi.
3) She was never "Born Again". That is such a load of sh$t!!! She has always had a very strong Faith. She never lost it. The fact that she recorded Disco doesn't make her some sort of Heathen, DOES IT????

Every last one of you who smirk and wallow in your judgmental essays on "what Donna did wrong", when none of you ever witnessed anything! and even more-so those of you who have the absolutely grotesque Ego's, to tell us all "what she's thinking" as if you actually have the power to go inside her head, need to stop spewing these misguided and hatefull, imaginary truths.

Take your Ego-stroking needs for self-indulgent, acid-tinged, highly assumptive, attention-getting bitchiness and go dissect someone else's life. And get off Donna's back!

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

Originally Posted by Bernie

Stephen,

This combative and abusive reply is completely NOT appropriate. I know you are capable of making a point without having to resort to conduct such as this and ask that you restrain yourself. If this had been someone else responding to you in this manner, I know you would have been the first to chew my ear off about it. You really owe everyone an apology especially the younger members who were put off by your tirade. I'll also be sending you a PM about this as well.

Dear Bernie,
You know I respect you and most everyone on this site.
I won't make a bigger deal of this than has already been accomplished.

Love to all... It's been a slice. xoxo

[needlefingers]

Hi Dayna,(and everybody else)

I agree with what you said about the anger coming from somwhere else and was a little astonished that it came out.

And there was also that man who joined on Friday and proceeded to tell us that I Feel Love is not disco and Donna was wrong to record it. As if!
(It was an abnormal point of view, to say the least.)

And yesterday was Gay Pride Day.

I am glad that Westwood didn't walk away. And while I (and maybe you too) don't want to get inbetween, I hope what I said would help calm down the tone. I feel the same for what you said and for what Westwood said.

I like Stephen's knowledge and point of view. And his, along with Graham Start, are usually very well put. My other favorite was MixMachine, but he chose to leave. But there are also a lot of other great contributors here too.

I always think of discomusic.com as a fan-based website that includes purists, novices and those inbetween. But does everyone else see it that way?

The world of dance DJ's is a male dominated world, full of Discwasher and testosterone. And it is true on this website. I don't say that looking for blame or fault. Just a fact that sometimes adds to the bullying that flares up here.

No one person has all the pieces of the puzzle. But the more we all add, the clearer the picture is.

As I said before, for me, the worst part of disco is when the lights come on.

Oddly enough, it's also the worst part of sex.

Love to love you baby,
love to love you baby,
love to love you baby,
love to love

PS I just read your message Stephen. I guess I was typing while you were posting. Hope I'm not making anymore of it either. Just want you to know that your expertise is appreciated.

[Boogie Child]

"The featured artist on the recording was a fairly unknown singer, Donna Summer, but the American release of the single ('Love to Love You') kick-started an extremely successful run of hits, which turned the singer into the undisputed Queen of Disco. As she stated herself at one point: 'God had to create disco music so that I could be born and be successful.'" (Liner Notes of Time/Life's Disco Fever - I also saw the same quote in a 70's edition of 'Rolling Stone'.)

Say what you will about Donna Summer, but anyone who states that God created Disco Music to make them a star certainly isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. I'm not saying that the "rumor" is true, but it's obvious that Donna Summer does not always think before she speaks when it comes to religion.