Oh, Donna Summer.
So sad to hear she died this week, reportedly of cancer at the age of 63. Her biggest hits were the disco anthems of “Love to Love You Baby”, “Hot Stuff”, “Bad Girls”, “No More Tears”, “MacArthur Park”, and my very favourite, “I Feel Love”. She had an incredible mezzo-soprano voice. Like so many of her peers she was raised on gospel and gave her first performance in her church. It is easy to under-estimate disco music, but “I Feel Love” was like no other song of its time and represents the beginnings of techno. Summer has been a huge influence on artists ranging from Grace Jones to Beyonce.
Shw managed to survive the death of disco and went on to make a feminist anthem with, “She Works Hard For The Money” in the 1980s. There was a horrible moment of controversy in her career around this time when she was alleged to have said some homophobic remarks about AIDS while becoming a born-again Christian. In huge numbers, fans handed their records back to the label. It was forgiven over time. Elton John, among others, has called for Summer to be recognised in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and has also noted her as a big supporter of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
And, If you haven’t been dancing in a gay nightclub at 3 a.m. and watched a row of half-naked boys dancing in perfect unison to this then you haven’t lived.
Ooh it’s so good, it’s so good
It’s so good, it’s so good
It’s so goodOoh I’m in love, I’m in love,
I’m in love, I’m in love
I’m in loveOoh I feel love, I feel love
I feel love, I feel love
I feel loveI feel love
I feel love
I feel loveOoh fall and free, fall and free
Fall and free, fall and free
Fall and freeOoh you and me, you and me
You and me, you and me
You and meOoh I feel love, I feel love
I feel love, I feel love
I feel loveI feel love
I feel love
I feel love
I feel love
Boo to embedding being disabled! Why would youtube even give you the option if it doesn’t work?
I’ve edited the post to embed a different version of the song, Phillomath – hope it works for you now!
That is exactly the song I would have chosen if I’d written this post. RIP Donna.
Also Peter Jones, local drummer extraordinaire (Harem Scarem, Tess, Crowded House, Deadstar, Lisa Miller…) of cancer, also. :(
Now the second Gibb brother. Taken from us too soon.
FUCK CANCER.
And Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (although he had a pretty good innings, almost 87).
I have to say, I did not appreciate “I feel love” much when it came out – it was too different from the songs I liked, although the techno thing is so obvious now. It’s really grown on me, and I’d have to agree it’s the Donna Summer song.
I was also too young to appreciate the intimate sexuality of it. Now that just seems at odds with the backup singers in their gospel-style dresses :-).
Thanks for getting another video link, tigtog.
Thanks for this guys. I first encountered Donna Summer on an 80s Streisand Compilation with the No More Tears duet. What a talented performer.
It’s a good photo- bad babes always wear slinky black numbers and shave under their pits!
She was 63; Maurice Gibb 62. Looking over my shoulder, I have to say I find this quite alarming, given my own state of advancing decrepitude.