Madleen Kane ......Giorgio at his best ???

[remicks]

*****






Well maybe not .....but still pretty damn good .
This LP is loaded with songs that got lots of club play :

FIRE IN MY HEART
YOU CAN
PLAYING FOR TIME
THE LONELY ONE

plus :

TREAT ME LIKE A LADY
DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU
MON AMOUR
TAKE ME TO YOUR HEAVEN

By having the 12"ers for the club songs .... I never invested in the album .

So now I've finally come upon it (2.99 !) ... and was especially looking forward to hearing the title cut DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU since typically when albums are named for a particular cut ... the cut tends to be the one they feel is the best one on it .... the "hit" that will prompt the consumer into forking out the seven/eight bucks for the entire package. .

Albums like YMCA The Village People ... THE BOSS Diana Ross ... BAD GIRLS Donna Summer

so considering the other great cuts that were to be found on this LP ......how much better must the title cut be .... :icon_mrgreen:


well ......... :icon_rolleyes: :icon_rolleyes: :icon_rolleyes:

It is perhaps the most radio friendly cut for post-disco oriented airplay ..... but it's not the most exciting one here for the disco enthusiast .

On this song she sounds more than ever like Olivia Newton John ... & on this outing being backed up vocally as if by the Bee Gees . Great intro in which the other instruments come in first ...then the percussion is slowly brought up until it dominates in typical Moroder style... and is then held there . Unfortunately also in typical Moroder style the lyrics here are way too weak. " I don't wanna lose you "... is repeated and repeated and repeated but with nothing to back it up ....A poem with a point but without the prose to give it its meaning ....

So when Madleen sings :

I don't wanna lose you
Don’t wanna break up now
Don't wannna lose you
We gotta make up now

not very convincing ....

Not sure the whole concept was too good .... radio wasn't necessarily hungering for yet another ONJ song since she was putting out hit after hit on her own about then (her GREASE / XANADU era) ....as were of course the Bee Gees...

One more odd part ....at its closing a strong male vocal takes over the lead phrase don't wanna lose you .... while Madleen's weaker voice falls back so she's just doing a back up line refrain .... ...:icon_question:.

The title song is not terrible ... quite listenable overall .... nice little Giorgio gallop to it ...and one more that represents his guitar focused period ...

But the album itself is more worthwhile for the obvious cuts ... I'd say the proper ones received attention back then ... beautiful cover (above scan cuts off her face to the right and my copy gives her a more golden hue ) ... but with few credits listed anywhere (" Bee Gee" vocals by ?? ) ... pressed on thick vinyl ...


******

[neonlights]

I should have mentioned this album in the "Disco that is considered fabulous by most people..... BUT YOU HATE IT~!!" thread... :icon_razz:

I remember getting hell once (not on this forum, btw) for suggesting this, but I thought the Madleen + Giorgio pairing sounded better on paper than record.. That said, I thought there were some good songs on the album like "You Can," the title track, "Playing For Time" and, in particular, "The Lonely One". Although, IMO, those tracks (along with the rest of the album) would have sounded much better in the hands of a stronger singer..

I like most of Madleen's recordings, especially her first few albums; they seemed to make the most out of her charming, albeit limited, voice.. As much as I love Giorgio's work, here she just sounds weak and awkward in comparison.. But then again, apparently she got some good mileage in the clubs from this record, so what do I know? :icon_razz:

But the album itself is more worthwhile for the obvious cuts ... I'd say the proper ones received attention back then ... beautiful cover (above scan cuts off her face to the right and my copy gives her a more golden hue ) ... but with few credits listed anywhere (" Bee Gee" vocals by ?? ) ... pressed on thick vinyl ...

Did your copy come with an inner sleeve/lyric sheet? The Canadian pressing I have has a slightly different cover shot, so I'm not sure if it was missing from your copy or just included on certain pressings, but the inner sleeve has all the credits along with a bunch of photos of Giorgio and the other studio cats (Keith Forsey, Jurgen Koppers, Greg Mathieson).. One of the photos has the three backing singers used on the title track: Carmen Grillo, Bill Champlin and Tom Kelly.. Two big, bearded guys and one little lady, which probably explains those "Bee Gee-esque" vocals..

[remicks]

*****

Did your copy come with an inner sleeve/lyric sheet?

no ... :icon_cry: :icon_cry: :icon_cry: ..... no wonder it was 2.99 !!!:icon_razz::icon_razz:


*****

[FranceJoliFan]

I like the fact that Moroder didn't bury her voice. I love Madleen's earlier hit, Forbidden Love. But there's so little of Madleen on it. She's just part of a chorus.

On the Don't Wanna Lose You album, Moroder exposed more of the weaknesses of Madleen's voice. But he also highlighted more of its character. And on You Can, he even got her to hit a high note.

I admire Madleen as one of the few disco divas who made the transition into the 80's. And kept putting out dance music. She worked with good producers. Crafted a chic image. It didn't matter that she was a crooner, and not a belter. There's always room for a Madleen Kane. (But why did she stop making records so abruptly?)

[kdavid13]

I just came across this review for DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU in the RECORD WORLD Oct.17,1981 issue.
It states that it is high-quality eurodisco considering she's in the hands of Giorgio Moroder.

They call the album "not groundbreaking" but considered a treat since such material was not exactly flowing around the time.
The reviewer also reveals that it might be the last time Giorgio produces anything in that style,too.