Favorite Donna Summer track/recording

[JimBagley]

Would greatly appreciate it if forum members would share their favorite Donna Summer single/album track/recording.

Mine is This Time I Know It's For Real



Thanks,

Jim

[kenneth]

Best album to me - by far - is the Cinderella disco pop opera "Once Upon a Time." Beautifully sequenced and "orchestrated," [[I hesitate to say that since there are few real "instruments" on it).

After thinking how much time it must have taken to record, because it's so beautifully polished, I read on Wikipedia that they recorded it from a "no idea" to completed product in 3 days!

Best songs, all of Act 1, "Now I Need You," "Sweet Romance," "Rumour Has It," "I Love You."

Next to that LP, I really love "Bad Girls," "Hot Stuff," and "Macarthur Park."

[copley]

Over the past 24 hrs I have been playing a lot of Donna's songs. Here are a few of my favs:

The Hostage
Love's Unkind
I Love You
Rumour Has It
Hot Stuff
Bad Girls
Our Love
Sunset People
Dim All The Lights
On The Radio
The Wanderer
State Of Independence
She Works Hard For The Money
Dinner With Gershwin
The Queen Is Back

[carlo]

If I had to pick only one, it would be "This Time I Know It's For Real".

[Hotspurman]

I don't think I could pick just one. Here are a few that I still rave over:

Love To Love You Baby
I Love You
Rumour Has It
My Baby Understands
Sunset People
Bad Girls
I Feel Love
This Time I Know It's For Real
On The Radio
Heaven Knows
Macarthur Park
State Of Independence
Dinner With Gershwin
Last Dance

[tom_moulton]

So Far two of you have picked my favorite......This Time I know Its For Real

[marv2]

If I had to pick only one, it would be "Last Dance" for several personal reasons and memories. Donna did her thang!

[soulster]

Try Me, I Know We Can Make It
Could It be Magic
This Time I Know It's For Real
Hot Stuff
Bad Girls
Dim All The Lights
Love Is In Control [[Finger On the Trigger)
Mystery Of Love
[[If It) Hurts Just A Little
Spring Affair
Winter Melody
Love's Unkind
I Feel Love
Love To Love You Baby
I Feel Love
Once Upon A Time
I Love You
Rumor Has It
Stamp Your Feet
Fame [[The Game)
Walk Away
One Night In A Lifetime

[smark21]

I Feel Love
Try Me I Know We Can Make It
Heaven Knows
State of Independence
I’m a Rainbow
This Time I Know It’s For Real
Once Upon a Time
Carry On
Our Love
Lucky

[franjoy56]

I Remember Yesterday
Last Dance
I feel Love
Black Lady
My Baby Understands
Back in love Again.
Bad Girls
Can't we just sit down and talk it over

[paladin]

Lush Life
Bad Girls
Love to Love You
I Feel Love

[jdwheat]

"Forgive Me," the gospel ballad that closed out the Cats Without Claws album [[1982). It has meant a lot to me over the years.

[[I like many of her other songs, too.)

[jobeterob]

My favorite would be This Time I Know It's For Real.

But also Last Dance, Heaven Knows, Love to Love You Baby, I Love You, Bad Girls, Hot Stuff, I Feel Love, Try Me I Know We Can Make It, MacArthur Park.

[daddyacey]

Can't We Just Sit Down And Talk It Over , one of her most under rated and less mention songs. It shows how great a singer she really was.

[the_classic_master]

my top 5 are spring affair, mac arthur park suite, love to love you baby, this time is for real[[i was so happy for her when then song broke)try me [[bonus) on the radio

[Kamasu_Jr]

Try Me I Know We Can Make It
Love's Unkind
Spring Affair
Dim All The Lights

[skooldem1]

Last Dance

[glencro]

if i had to pick only one, it would be "this time i know it's for real".

love that song!!!!!!!!!

[glencro]

So many but that nearly 17 minute version of "Love To Love You Baby" takes me to another place

[stephanie]

I never cared for This time I Know its For Real my friend Leslie and my mom were crazy about that song. I liked one of her earlier songs on the Love to Love you Baby called Pandoras Box and of course Bad Girls. That whole Winter Melody and Spring Affair theme was brilliant! One thing about Donna and Casablanca records was they didnt dumb down her sound and make her sing in the tone of Ring my Bell they let her BLOW and SING and thats what made her different from so many other disco divas. She was one of a kind. Power came out of her songs not only with her voice but the hypnotic trance in her music.

[kenneth]

I never cared for This time I Know its For Real my friend Leslie and my mom were crazy about that song. I liked one of her earlier songs on the Love to Love you Baby called Pandoras Box and of course Bad Girls. That whole Winter Melody and Spring Affair theme was brilliant! One thing about Donna and Casablanca records was they didnt dumb down her sound and make her sing in the tone of Ring my Bell they let her BLOW and SING and thats what made her different from so many other disco divas. She was one of a kind. Power came out of her songs not only with her voice but the hypnotic trance in her music.

When you say they didn't dumb down her sound, do you mean by having her sing in kind of a "baby" voice, like on "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward? Some on this forum have said they didn't care for the LP "Once Upon a Time," because there were too many songs sung in a falsetto style. Is that the kind of thing you're referring to, Stephanie? Just curious, thanks.

[nomis]

3 S/A/w cuts - Breakaway,Loves About To Change and Whatever Your Heart Desires
Carry On
Try Me I Know We Can Make it
Rumour Has It
Dinner With Gershwin
I Remember Yesterday
Once Upon A Time
State Of Independence
Enough Is Enough

[smark21]

What I like about Donna Summer’s vocals was that she used her voice in service to the song. Sometime she could belt and rock out, but other times she could take a more subtle approach, or use falsetto, or a breathy voice as in Love to Love You Baby. I believe she thought of herself more as an actress who could sing.

[nomis]

Her impression of Rod Stewart on "Dim All The Lights" at the VH1 concert was outstanding..

[Glenpwood]

Jim,

It's just too hard! So here's my list of 10 very underappreciated gems in Donna's back catalog instead....

1) Cold Love - This song should've kept her Top 10 streak alive at Pop radio. It's a New Wave meets rock "Bad Girls." I always figured Geffen was focusing on selling John Lennon albums and singles not Donna when this dropped.

2) Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Very hard song to put the right emotional stamp on but Donna does it with ease. The definitive version in my book.

3) If It Makes You Feel Good - The whole SAW album is one of her strongest but that should've been an A Side not wasted as the flip to This Time I Know It's For Real.

4) Lush Life - Quincy's idea to have Donna record this was a masterstroke. She really gives a brilliant performance on it.

5) I Will Go With You [[Con Te Partiro) - This should've piggybacked off Cher's "Believe" comeback and put Donna back on top of the charts, not stalled in the seventies on the Hot 100.

6) Love's Unkind - One of the best records to catch the angst of those early sixties girl group pop hits.

7) Romeo - This was the should've been smash on "I'm A Rainbow." At least it got out early via the Flashdance soundtrack.

8) I Love You - A minor hit that should've been a major one. Casablanca should've sent out more perks to DJ's to get this one into the pop Top 10.

9) I Believe In Jesus - Donna's first overtly religious track after being saved remains her best.

10) Dream-A-Lott's Theme: [[I Will Live For Love) - Her last Giorgio Moroder production shows the spark they share never died.

[marv2]

love that song!!!!!!!!!

"This time I Know its For Real" reminds of the times driving the 401 & QEW from Detroit to Toronto in 1989 to PARTY! LOL!

[nysister]

Last Dance

[glencro]

I love SUNSET PEOPLE. Just realized I have two Best Ofs/Greatest Hits with a bunch of songs and "Sunset People" isn't on either

[smark21]

The two CD Donna Summer Anthology that came out around 1993 has Sunset People. Final song on Disc One.

[skooldem1]

Donna had a fantastic voice. I love this performance of Donna singing my favorite song by her. I also think that may be her sister singing backup.

[nomis]

yup the Anthology set was released in 93..best compilation of all the Summer "best Ofs" out there

[theboyfromxtown]

Heaven Is Just A Whisper Away

Breakaway
The Deep
Dinner With Gershwin