The music of Donna Summer helped shape and define the sound of the 1970s with her collaborators Giorgio Moroder and Pete Belotte. She was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach No. 1 in the US, was the first artist to achieve four No. 1 singles in a thirteen-month period and became one of the most successful recording artists of the entire decade, now having sold more than 130 million records worldwide.
As Donna entered a new decade, she was looking for a new sound, and with her new label, Geffen, she found that sound with the 1982 classic “DONNA SUMMER”, which saw production duties handed over to Quincy Jones. This proved to be a masterstroke, as the next album that Quincy and most of the team that worked on “DONNA SUMMER”, produced was Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’.
The album featured a ‘Who’s Who’ of the music industry, from the album’s lead single ‘Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)’, written by the legendary Rod Temperton and Quincy Jones, to the All-Star Chorus on the Jon & Vangelis written ‘State Of Independence’ which featured Lionel Richie, Dionne Warwick, Dianna Ross, Michael Jackson, Brenda Russell, Christopher Cross, Dyan Cannon, James Ingram, Kenny Loggins, Patti Austin, Michael McDonald and Stevie Wonder.
The album also features the Bruce Springsteen-penned and performed ‘Protection’ and ‘(If It) Hurts Just A Little’, which was heavily sampled by Cassius in ‘Cassius 1999’. The album’s second single, ‘State Of Independence’, which was a much bigger hit in Europe than in the US, has gone on to be one of Donna’s most enduring and classic tracks. In 1995, Brian Eno described it as one of the high points of twentieth-century art, and it is the most streamed track from the album by a margin of over ten million. The song has also found relevance today, by featuring in last week’s episode of the Series 2 of the HBO’s, ‘Industry’.
This CD format of this special 40th Anniversary Edition is packaged in an A5 Mediabook, which also contains 7” single versions of the singles, a non-album ‘b’-side, the 12” Dance Mix of ‘Love Is In Control....’ and a newly authored 8,000-word essay, with a foreword by Donna’s husband Bruce Sudano, by noted US writer Christian John Wikane, featuring new and his archive interviews conducted with David Foster, Phillip Ingram, Le Flex, Steve Lukather, Bill Meyers, Richard Page, Greg Phillinganes, Bruce Roberts, Brenda Russell, Dionne Warwick, and the late James Ingram.
To celebrate the album’s 40th Anniversary, the standout album track ‘Mystery Of Love’ featuring memorable James Ingram vocal harmonies has been given a contemporary twist by producer Le Flex.
CD
TRACKLISTING
1. Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)
2. Mystery Of Love
3. The Woman In Me
4. State Of Independence
5. Livin’ In America
6. Protection
7. (If It) Hurts Just A Little
8. Love Is Just A Breath Away
9. Lush Life
EXTRA TRACKS
10. Mystery Of Love [Le Flex “Summer Mystery” Remix]
11. Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger) [7” Version]
12. State Of Independence [7” Version]
13. The Woman In Me [7” Version]
14. Sometimes Like Butterflies
15. Mystery Of Love [Le Flextended “Summer Mystery” Remix]
16. Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger) [Dance Remix]
2LP – Transparent Blue and Red Colour Vinyl
SIDE ONE
1. Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)
2. Mystery Of Love
3. The Woman In Me
4. State Of Independence
SIDE TWO
1. Livin’ In America
2. Protection
3. (If It) Hurts Just A Little
4. Love Is Just A Breath Away
5. Lush Life
SIDE THREE
1. Mystery Of Love [Le Flex “Summer Mystery” Remix]
2. Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger) [7” Version]
3. State Of Independence [7” Version]
4. The Woman In Me [7” Version]
5. Sometimes Like Butterflies
SIDE FOUR
1. Mystery Of Love [Le Flextended “Summer Mystery” Remix]
2. Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger) [Dance Remix]
