Rock n Roll Hall of Fame 2012 !!!!
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buby1987 — 14 years ago(December 07, 2011 10:19 AM)
I remember when The Wanderer single came out, and it was a big hit. Cold Love was the next single, and it sounded to me like another big hit but it didn't get in the top ten. I don't know if it's because the label didn't promote it right, who knows. Cold Love was as good as anything Pat Benatar or Blondie was doing at the time. I think Night Life could have been a good single. It is hard to understand the public, because when I first heard Keep On Loving You by REO Speedwagon, I wasn't impressed, and it became a huge hit. Public taste changed in the 80's.
I don't understand why I'm A Rainbow was shelved, it is a good album.
I just read that Donna didn't get into the HOF this year. Hopefully next year. She deserves the recognition. -
HarlowMGM — 13 years ago(May 17, 2012 02:42 PM)
It is an absolute disgrace that the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame did not put Donna Summer in by now and now she is gone! She should have been elected years ago, she sure as hell outsold many people who are in there and had a far more strong impact on the music industry and the general public. The Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame should hang it's head in shame and offer a public apology.
"Cold Love" is one of my top five Donna tracks of all time, she absolutely could rock out as good as any woman from that period! -
williams_kendall — 13 years ago(May 24, 2012 02:35 PM)
Actually "Bad Girls" was not written for Cher, in her book Miss Summer says she always wanted to do this song because she loved the song and knew it would be a hit, the label wanted her to give Cher this song, but she did it herself, and nothing against Cher, but I'm glad she did this great song.
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3_Beekman_Place — 13 years ago(May 17, 2012 04:53 PM)
I always thought Guns-n-Roses was the most overrated band in the 80's. They put out 1 good debut, then couldn't follow it up. We got a half acoustic/half live album in Lies (basically a half effort). Then 4 years later they come up with music so good it has to be 2 individual albums released at once (not! but it would have been a decent single disc). Then an album of lame cover versions. The last album, Chinese Democracy (the most expensive album in history costing 13 million dollars) came 15 years after the covers album. So in 21 years GnR gave us 4 studio albums(1 great one), a live e.p. and an album of covers and they get in first year?!! Axl couldn't even be bothered to show up! I had dreamed of one day seeing Donna up the on the stage with real rock legends I know she grew up a rock fan and always wanted to be more than "the queen of disco". Sadly she will be inducted posthumously.
To the person that wants my singles picks from Donna's other albums I will be posting that soon! -
IdiotDomainer — 13 years ago(May 17, 2012 05:00 PM)
Actually I love GNR, from the first album to the Use Your Illusion albums but I am the first to say that Axl Rose is a complete 100% A-hole.
And Donna Summer is all class and should have been in The Rock n Roll Hall of Shame 10 years ago. -
pvd295 — 13 years ago(May 17, 2012 06:52 PM)
Yes, the Hall of Fame should hang it's head in shame. To think of some of the artists who have already made it in - many who were inspired by her music at some point. It's disgusting.
As for her Geffen singles, here's what I would have done differently:..
1980-81: After 'The Wanderer' I would have released 'Grand Illusion' as the follow-up. Why they chose 'Who Do You Think You're Foolin'?' (which barely scratched the Top 40) is beyond me.
1982: I wasn't crazy about the duet with Ingram. (He also did a trio with Kim Carnes and Kenny Rogers around the same time). I think 'Protection' should have been the lead single, with 'Control' as the follow up. 'Woman In Me' - the third single - was not Summer's best, but 'State of' should have been a solid hit third single. Hopefully, some day they will release the duet of 'Protection' with Bruce Springsteen, as well as 'Butterflies' which is a beautiful song (which Dusty Springfield had a hit with in UK).
1983: Nothing could match the urgency of 'Hard for the Money', so any of the second singles would had failed in comparison, but I think I would have gone with 'Tokyo' since there was a huge interest in Japanese culture during the 80s.
1984: 'I'm Free' should have been the lead single (and there is a club mix on youtube which is out of this world), while 'There Goes My Baby' should have been the follow up. Incidentally, "Maybe It's Over" was a difficult song for Summer to sing (according to sources) - at the time, she and her husband had been separated for a while and contemplating divorce. 'Oh, Billy Please' was also directed at him and reflecting on their marriage.
1987: "Dinner" was great, but too abbreviated (there were lyrics missing), 'Thinkin' Bout My Baby' was excellent. The 12" version of 'All Systems Go' should have been the lead off single (available on YT).
1989: "This Time" was a great lead single, and should have been followed by "Loves About To Change My Heart". "Breakaway" and "Sen7ectimental" were strong follow ups as well.
1991: "Work That Magic" was the best of this chaotic mess of an album, but for some reason they went with "When Love Cries" which makes no sense to me. "Cry of a Waking Heart" should have been the second single, 'Cries' should have been third.
1996: "Melanie", "Romeo", "End of the Week" - any one would have been great for a first, second and third. "I Need Time" could have made it as the fourth.
2008: "Queen is Back" is the strongest of the set, "Crayons" should have been second, "Stamp Your Feet" should have been third.
Paul Ryan's proposal is a budget that goes against the teachings of Jesus. -
3_Beekman_Place — 13 years ago(May 19, 2012 05:14 PM)
Nice choices I'll finish mine.
1989- ANOTHER PLACE AND TIME: The first single, This Time I Know It's For Real went top 10 in US and UK. UK second single was the top 10 I Don't Wanna Get Hurt, but in the US they went with Love's About To Change My Heart which stalled at 85! I love both songs so I'm wondering what would have been a hit. Sentimental for sure because it's very similar to I Remember Yesterday. Any of the other songs could have been pulled as singles because the formula is the same (Brit producers SAW who produced Kylie Minogue, Rick Astle5b4y and Bananarama). Only Breakaway and In Another Place And Time stand out and don't seem as dated, so they would be my singles picks.
1991- MISTAKEN IDENTITY: I had to go back and listen to this. I liked it when it first came out, but it's really a confusing album. The only US single When Love Cries wasn't bad, but it bombed. Alt rock was huge and Donna just wasn't in the music buying public's mind. Cry Of A Waking Heart was different enough to stand out, but not so different it couldn't have been a hit. Let There Be Peace was a stunning Gospel-tinged ballad that should have evolved into a concert fav.
1994- CHRISTMAS SPIRIT: I'm including this in case any singers looking to record a new Christmas classic, should look no further than either Christmas Is Here or Christmas Spirit. Both songs are written by Donna, her husband Bruce and producer Michael Omartian and are emotion stirring mid-tempo ballads. Also, her Christmas Medley of What Child Is This?/Do You Hear What I Hear?/Joy To The World is amazing! I LOVE these songs!
1999- LIVE AND MORE-ENCORE: In the actual concert video she sings this street-corner, hand clapping middle of the road rock song called I Don't Wanna Work That Hard. Check it out on youtube PROOF she deserved to be in the RNR HOF!
2006- CRAYONS: Typical Donna Summer album of many different styles not all work but after 17 years EVERYTHING sounded like a hit to me! Thought the1c84 first single Stamp Your Feet gave Lady Gaga a run for her money, but it bombed. I really think radio should have paid attention to the pre-release singles of I Got Your Love and I'm A Fire, they were right up there with her classic disco sound of the 70's. In fact, she released MANY amazing number 1 dance tracks in the last 2 decades. 1992's reunion with Giorgio Moroder "Carry On". 1994's Melody Of Love (Wanna Be Loved). 1999's I Will Go With You and Love Is The Healer, and 2004's You're So Beautiful. As far as other single choices I agree with Sand On My Feet (top 30 Adult Contemporary). The first 5 tracks all sound hit worthy. I also like Science Of Love and Driving Down Brazil.
All I will say about I'm A Rainbow is I can sort of see why it was shelved, it's a bit all over the place (even for Donna Summer) and sprawled out over 2 records it could have hastened her decline in popularity and we wouldn't have State Of Independence and She Works Hard For The Money! But I do really like the songs To Turn The Stone and Romeo.
I am still real sad about the death of Donna Summer, but I have been watching her concert film A Hot Summer Night With DONNA and Thank God It's Friday and dreaming that FINALLY the musical floodgates will open and ALL her music will be back in print for new fans to hear. AND Universal music better get it's S*%! together and give us that LONG awaited Donna Summer box set chock full of demos and unreleased stuff!
XOXO DONNA! -
buby1987 — 13 years ago(May 19, 2012 06:30 PM)
A lot of her music has been out of print. I got my CD of The Wanderer back in 1997, apparently it's out of print. I've gone to used record stores to get other CD's also ebay to get I Remember Yesterday.
Sadly, sometimes a musical artist has to die before she gets the recognition she deserves. I've always felt that Donna Summer, for all her hits and accolades and awards, has been underrated. For me personally, her death is as big a loss as John Lennon's murder. I feel the same emptiness and sadness I felt when Lennon died. -
HarlowMGM — 13 years ago(May 19, 2012 07:15 PM)
1980-81: After 'The Wanderer' I would have released 'Grand Illusion' as the follow-up. Why they chose 'Who Do You Think You're Foolin'?' (which barely scratched the Top 40) is beyond me.
1982: I wasn't crazy about the duet with Ingram. (He also did a trio with Kim Carnes and Kenny Rogers around the same time). I think 'Protection' should have been the lead single, with 'Control' as the follow up. 'Woman In Me' - the third single - was not Summer's best, but 'State of' should have been a solid hit third single. Hopefully, some day they will release the duet of 'Protection' with Bruce Springsteen, as well as 'Butterflies' which is a beautiful song (which Dusty Springfield had a hit with in UK).
1983: Nothing could match the urgency of 'Hard for the Money', so any of the second singles would had failed in comparison, but I think I would have gone with 'Tokyo' since there was a huge interest in Japanese culture during the 80s.
I agree "Who Do You Think You're Foolin'" was not a strong enough song to be a single, but then "Cold Love" was a sensational record and the second single from the album and it bizarrely fail5b4ed to go higher than #33.
"The Woman in Me" was one of the weakest songs on the DONNA SUMMER album and should have never been a single. I think "Love is in Control" was a great first single and got her back in the top ten so it accomplished it's mission. "Mystery of Love" would have been a great second single, followed by "Protection".
I think for the followup to "She Works Hard for the Money" they should have released a double-sided single since the reggae-flavored "Unconditional Love" was a top ten soul hit for her but lacked mainstream pop appeal so they should have released one side for the pop market and one side for the soul market like they would occasionally do for Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton for pop radio and a countrier song for country radio on the other side. "Stop Look and Listen" would be my choice. -
buby1987 — 13 years ago(May 19, 2012 11:05 PM)
I remember when Cold Love came out as a single. I thought it was going to be a smash, but it only got to #33. There are many potential singles on The Wanderer. I think Night Life or Looking Up could have been hits.
I also feel that if I'm a Rainbow were condensed to a single LP, it could have been successful. It may not be her best work, but it certainly should have been released in 1981. I don't understand why it was shelved. -
jefgg — 12 years ago(May 31, 2013 03:36 PM)
Donna Summer was posthumously inducted on April 18, 2013 into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. It would have been nice if she had been alive to accept the honor. I don't know why they waited so long. Summer wasn't really a rock artist. But the Hall Of Fame isn't only for rock. There are artists from several other genres there. It should be renamed the Rock And Pop Hall Of Fame.