Donna Summer Album: “On the Radio”

While listing to this cd, I forgot that along with being the queen of disco, Donna had (has) an amazing voice. With that sheer vocal power, true tone and amazing range, she could have easily settled for a career singing AOR, R&B or broadway tunes, but she obviously knew where the big bucks were at that time, which is good for us. Generally speaking, after a while too much disco music can be too much and headache driven for me, so what I like about this collection is it gives me just enough to enjoy it and want more of it, and I don't mind listing to it when it's presented as well as it is here. Vocally speaking, one of the standouts for me would be MacArthur Park; each time the song modulated to a higher key, Donna went right up there with it and managed to not get drowned by the music. Another standout is of course her duet with Barbra Streisand (Enough is Enough). This is the greatest diva duet I heard in my life. Both women are singing at the top of voices and their obvious attempt to outsing each other only adds spark and drama to the song. Donna's one of the few people who can hold a torch to Streisand (sorry Celine). Altogether, you get the best of both worlds with this cd; good disco music, and music that's vocally outstanding.

I am so incredibly sad over the loss of Donna Summer; I didn't even know she was ailing from cancer! With the recent tragic loss of Whitney Houston and others, sadly yet another voice has joined the heavenly choir this year. Fortunately for us, of course, Donna lives on through her music; and the music on this album is incredible at that. True, they probably should have included more songs or made this a double CD set; but at least what we get here is nothing short of five star, high quality music from "The Queen of Disco" who obviously could sing whatever else she wanted to sing, too. Moreover, the quality of the sound is impressive.

There's not a bad track in the lot here. There are two versions of "On the Radio;" an "album version and a longer one that really takes flight and becomes instantly memorable. "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" is that classic duet with Barbra Streisand and it still sounds every bit as wonderful today. I love it! The musical arrangement is flawless, too. "Love to Love You Baby" couldn't have been done any better; and other stellar numbers clearly include "I Feel Love" with that outstanding arrangement as Donna sings this flawlessly; "Our Love;" the poignant and evergreen "I Love You" that I always love to hear; "Heaven Knows;" "Last Dance," a song that still ranks very highly with people everywhere; a superb rendition of "MacArthur Park;" "Hot Stuff," another one I could never forget; "Bad Girls;" and the outstanding Donna Summer hit "Dim All the Lights." In addition, "Sunset People;" "Try Me, I Know We Can Make It;" and "I Remember Yesterday."

This is a must-have album for her fans; and anyone who enjoys the best in disco music from the `70s won't be disappointed. Actually, this is all so good that even a newcomer just discovering Donna's beautiful artistry would do well to get this CD as a fine starting point for what will surely become their Donna Summer collection.

Donna Summer, we will miss you!

Oddly, I never got round to reviewing this Donna Summer collection. Better late than never! "On the radio" came out when I was a kid and all I could afford to buy were sweets and Marvel comics, so I had to listen to it on the radio (pun intended), and lustfully eye my aunt's vinyl copy until I was big and "rich" enough to get mine. Much later on, it was the first CD I ever bought.

There have been hundreds of compilations of Donna Summer's music (she deserves an entry in the Guinness book of world records for that, lol!), but this was the first official hits collection from Summer's then record label Casablanca, with creative input from Summer (in the form of two new studio tracks). It comprised her (then) 10 US top ten million selling singles edited and segued into one another, much the way her seventies albums were. "Love to love you baby" (#2), "I feel love" (#6, though this electronic classic was mercilessly truncated here), "Last dance" (#3, winner of a Grammy and winner of the Academy award for best song), "McArthur Park" (#1), "Heaven knows" (#4), "Hot Stuff" (#1, first ever winner of the Grammy for best rock song by a female), "Bad girls" (#1), "Dim all the lights" (#2), and the pair of newcomers, "On the radio" (#5, and theme song from the Jodie Foster movie "Foxes" available here in long and short versions), and the superstar duet with Barbra Streisand "No more tears (Enough is enough)" (#1, available here in the 11 minute extended version).

Also included were songs like "Try me", "I remember yesterday" (a UK top 20 hit), "I love you" (UK #10), and two album cuts from her landmark "Bad girls" album, "Our love" and "Sunset people" (in a very nice edit). Every song is a gem and the feel one gets playing this album is of being at a non-stop disco party.

The cover photography (by Harry Langdon) is simply stunning, and was meant to make Donna look like some glamorous fifties movie star. This album became Summer's third #1 double disc in a row (a feat nobody else has managed) and was certified double platinum. There have been other, more extensive catalogues of her work (I especially recommend

from 1993, or

from 2006, both are double CDs, each with over thirty songs in their unedited original form and excellent booklets) but this one holds a magical place in my heart, and is the only hits collection of Summer's I have in its entirety on my iPod.

Summer releases her first studio album in 17 years,

, on May 20th.

In October of 1979, Donna Summer released her ninth album entitled, ON THE RADIO: GREATEST HITS VOLUMES I & II. This album is to be first-ever greatest hits compilation, as well as being her last album of the 1970s. This is a great album, featuring fourteen of Donna's greatest hits, as well as a new studio track.

ON THE RADIO

New song. From the original motion picture, FOXES (1979). The first & final single from the album. This is an awesome song, and I pretty much tear up the dance floor when this song is played at parties.

LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY

From the album LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY (1975). Great song.

TRY ME, I KNOW WE CAN MAKE IT

From the album A LOVE TRILOGY (1976). Great song.

I FEEL LOVE

From the album I REMEMBER YESTERDAY (1977). Another classic.

OUR LOVE

From the album BAD GIRLS (1979). Classic.

I REMEMBER YESTERDAY

From the album I REMEMBER YESTERDAY (1977). Great.

I LOVE YOU

From the album ONCE UPON A TIME... (1978). Classic.

HEAVEN KNOWS

From the single HEAVEN KNOWS (1978). This song has finally made it's debut on a Donna Summer album, where back in 1978, the song was released as a single, and was never on a Donna Summer album...well, on its own, with not having to be in the "MacArthur Park Suite". This is a classic song.

LAST DANCE

From the original motion picture & motion picture soundtrack THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY (1978). Classic song that is always played as the last song at parties.

MacARTHUR PARK

Original version from the single MacARTHUR PARK (1978). This here is the radio version of Donna Summer's classic 1978 cover. When the song was released in 1978 as a single, the song ran over 8:30 (eight and a half minutes). That full-length eight and a half minute version has even started off "MacArthur Park" suite. Towards the end of the song, the track flowed into "One Of A Kind". After "One Of A Kind", the track flowed into a slightly mixed version of "Heaven Knows" (where the song was not in its entirety). After "Heaven Knows", the track slipped in to the reprise of "MacArthur Park". The reprise consisted of only one chorus, and that chorus was picked from this hear radio version. I don't care which version of this song I hear: The full-length version, the medley, or this radio version, I cannot get on with my day if I do not listen to this song.

HOT STUFF

From the album BAD GIRLS (1979). Great song, but I like to hear either the album version (5 minutes and 15 seconds) or the 12" Single version (6 minutes 45 seconds). But still a great song.

BAD GIRLS

From the album BAD GIRLS (1979). Classic song, talking about woman who "Work on 42nd Street" or "Hollywood Boulevard", if you know what I mean.

DIM ALL THE LIGHTS

From the album BAD GIRLS (1979). Classic.

SUNSET PEOPLE

From the album BAD GIRLS (1979). Classic.

NO MORE TEARS (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH) (performed by Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer) (Extended 12" Version)

Original version from Barbra Streisand's album WET (1979). This is a classic Diva duet between Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer. Right after Donna Summer released BAD GIRLS, Barbra Streisand began working on her album entitled, WET, a concept album describing Water in different variations. When Barbra and Donna hooked up for this duet, the title of the song was only called "Enough Is Enough", and the ballad introduction did not exist. When it came down to choosing what song will go on to the album, the producers did not want the duet between Barbra and Donna on the album, for the title did not fit in with the "Water" concept. Barbra, however, wanted the duet on the album, and she meant to have it that way. So she changed the title to "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)", and decided to add on the ballad introduction, where both she and Donna are saying "It's raining, it's pouring", and so forth. The finalized track that is now featured on Barbra Streisand's 1979 album runs to eight minutes and twenty-two seconds, but the single/radio version only runs to four minutes and forty-three seconds, not giving the single any justice. When Donna put this album togetehr, she decided to use the three minute, twenty-two second version, but she also decided to add on another Three minutes and twenty-one seconds, making it run to a full eleven minutes and forty-three seconds. Not only did she add the 3+ minutes, she even added a Disco mix to it, making the song even...dancier. Great song.

ON THE RADIO (Long Version)

While the album/single/radio version runs only four minutes long, this here long version runs to five minutes and fifty seconds, just one minute and fifty seconds longer than that of the original version. What makes this one longer is the extended instrumental bridge, as well as having a hidden third verse that plays right after the instrumental bridge, where Donna sings it in a ballad passage, just like the first verse. Great way to end the album.

This is another one of Donna Summer's greatest albums, featuring nothing, but the very best of Donna Summer's greatest hits of the '70s. This is a great album that should most definitely be owned already by every single Donna Summer fan around the world.

"On The Radio - Greatest Hits (Vol. 1 & 2)" summerizes Donna's work of disco of the 1970's. Her well-known hits are included from the breathy "Love To Love You Baby" to the futuristic dance song of "I Feel Love" to her "Bad Girls" hits!

Perhaps what's missing is that there are no songs from "Four Seasons Of Love" [like "Spring Affair" and "Winter Melody" (my all-time favorite Donna ballad)]! In addition, when the album was put on CD it was missing up-to-date liner notes, but at least there was a never before seen picture of Donna, sitting in a car!

However, this album remains entertaining! If you enjoyed her "disco era hits" but was dissappointed in her 1980s and 1990s music, then this album is just for you! If you are a casual fan and want just one Donna CD, then you may want "Endless Summer" which contains her 80s music hits "She Works Hard For The Money" and "This Time I Know It's For Real".