Tag: Donna Summer

Donna Summer 1948-2012

Yesterday we lost an unforgettable voice, Donna Summer. I remember being just a young boy and roller skating down my street with an 8-track tape player in hand. The disco beat of Donna Summer was the soundtrack. She introduced me to my love of dance music and ultimately the 12″ single. “Hot Stuff” was one of my first 12″ singles, and I think I wore my needle out playing it. I was shocked yesterday when I heard the news.  It was so unexpected. Now somehow I understand that they must have needed her angelic voice in heaven.

Donna Summer was an Icon and Legend. She will never be forgotten. She will be missed.

I am planning more Donna posts in the coming weeks, once I am able to get some things prepared. In the meantime all of the archive links featuring Donna Summer have been restored.

Please feel free to share your memories of Donna.

– DjPaulT

Donna Summer – All Systems Go (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

REQUEST

Produced by Harold Faltermeyer “All Systems Go” was the final single from the Donna Summer album of the same name. Edited from its original album version, it became a minor hit in countries such as the United Kingdom, where it reached number fifty-four. In the US the single was only released as a promo 12″ single and failed to chart despite a remix by Bruce Forest.

David Geffen’s response to the commercial disappointment of All Systems Go was to assign Summer to work with the Stock, Aitken and Waterman production team whose dance pop singles were dominating the UK charts and who had had US success with Bananarama and Rick Astley. Ultimately Geffen, after misguiding her career and fatally misjudging her material since 1981, dropped Summer from the roster rather than release the resultant Another Place and Time. The album was picked up for release in the US by Atlantic Records in 1989. Ironically, Geffen Records had misjudged once again as the album would be a bigger success than her previous Geffen Records release All Systems Go. Another Place and Time had provided Summer with one final solid commercial success and her last top ten US single, fourteen years after the release of her first top ten hit “Love to Love You Baby” had hit the charts.

SIDE A:
All Systems Go (Dance Mix) 7:57
Remix – Bruce Forest
Written-By – D. Summer*, H. Faltermeyer*

SIDE B:
Fascination (LP Version) 4:28
Written-By – D. Tyson*, E. Schwartz*

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint (company)

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Geffen Records – PRO-A-3036
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Producer – Harold Faltermeyer

NOTES:
From the Geffen album “All Systems Go” (GHS 24102)
Promotional Copy.
Not For Sale.

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

Donna Summer – Eyes (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

“Eyes” is the third and final single from the album Cats Without Claws by Donna Summer. Edited in length from the original version on the album, the single peaked at No. 97 for one week on the UK charts.

A remix of the calypso-ish “I’m Free” from the Cats Without Claws album was included on the B-side of the UK release of the “Eyes” 12″ single. “I’m Free” was performed by Donna and her back-up band on a Dick Clark’s American Bandstand 1984 Christmas special and Soul Train, indicating that this had originally been intended to be the next single.

SIDE A:
Eyes (Extended Mix) 6:58
Engineer [Mix] – Michael Hutchinson
Mixed By – John “Jellybean” Benitez
Engineer [Assistant] – Sabrina Buchanek

SIDE B:
I’m Free 6:18
Engineer [Mix] – Michael Hutchinson
Mixed By – John “Jellybean” Benitez
Engineer [Assistant] – Sabrina Buchanek

It’s Not The Way 4:22

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records – U 9103 T
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: May 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Producer, Arranged By – Michael Omartian

NOTES:
Original version of “Eyes” and “It’s Not The Way” available on the Warner Bros. album “Cats Without Claws” (2 50806-1)

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

Donna Summer – Dinner With Gershwin (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Dinner with Gershwin” is song written by Brenda Russell. It was first recorded by Donna Summer in 1987, which Russell co-produced with Richard Perry.

“Dinner With Gershwin” was the first single off Summer’s All Systems Go album which was Summer’s first album of new material released in four years. “Dinner With Gershwin” returned Summer to the Billboard R&B Top Ten – at #10 – for a final time but became the first lead single off a Donna Summer album of new material since 1978 to fall short of the Pop Top 40, peaking at #48.

“Dinner With Gershwin” was better received on the UK charts entering the Top 30 in November 1987, with Summer’s 19 November appearance on Top of the Pops – her first – assisting the track to a #13 peak.

Brenda Russell later recorded her own version of the song for her 1990 album Kiss Me With The Wind.

DISCOGS LINK

RELEASE/PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Label: Geffen Records
Catalog#: 0-20635
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Co-producer, Written-By – Brenda Russell (2)
Design – Janet Levinson
Engineer [Additional] – Steve Peck
Engineer [Second] – Ken Felton , Scott Maddox
Mixed By – Jim Tract
Mixed By, Engineer – Glen Holguin
Photography – Tony Viramontes
Producer – Richard Perry

NOTES
Recorded at Studio 55, Los Angeles

SIDE A
(A) Dinner With Gershwin (Extended Version) 7:43
SIDE B
(B) Dinner With Gershwin (Instrumental Version) 4:52

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 20
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi