1982 Donna Summer – Donna Summer
Donna Summer is the tenth studio album of American singer Donna Summer, released in 1982, and is currently out of print. It featured the Top 10, Grammy-nominated “Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)” single.
Since the disco era, Summer’s work had covered a variety of musical genres and this album was no exception. It had quite a strong soul influence, and featured a couple of gospel-styled tracks, namely “(If It) Hurts Just a Little” and a version of Jon and Vangelis’ “State of Independence”, which featured an all-star choir. Rock music was also found in the form of the Bruce Springsteen-penned “Protection”; the track had been planned as a Donna Summer/Bruce Springsteen duet but that concept was abandoned as unworkable. The album concluded with Summer’s take on the Billy Strayhorn torch standard “Lush Life”.
Several very popular songwriters were used on this album. As well as the aforementioned Springsteen and Vangelis, Quincy Jones himself contributed to the writing, as did other names such as Rod Temperton, Merria Ross, John Lang, Richard Page, Bill Meyers, Michael Clark, John Bettis, Jon Anderson, David Foster, Steve Lukather, Michael Sembello, Dan Sembello and David Batteau. This made it the largest number of songwriters ever to contribute to a Donna Summer album.
A period of six months elapsed between the first session for the Donna Summer album and the completion of the tracks. Summer has since stated that this was one of the hardest albums ever to record – some of the songs were quite challenging, plus she was pregnant with her daughter Amanda Grace at the time. It has also been reported that she found producer Quincy Jones to be rather boisterous and controlling and soon after the album’s release she opened up to the Los Angeles Times: “Sometimes I feel it’s a Quincy Jones album that I sang on”.
Tracks
1 Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger) (Merria Ross; Quincy Jones; Rod Temperton) 04:19
2 Mystery Of Love (John Lang; Bill Meyers; Richard Page) 04:25
3 The Woman In Me (John Bettis; Michael Clark) 03:55
4 State Of Independence (Jon Anderson; Vangelis) 05:49
5 Livin’ In America (Quincy Jones; Steve Lukather; Rod Temperton; David Foster; Donna Summer) 04:43
6 Protection (Bruce Springsteen) 03:39
7 (If it) Hurts Just A Little (Michael Sembello; Daniel Sembello; David Batteau) 03:54
8 Love Is Just A Breath Away (David Foster; Donna Summer; Rod Temperton) 03:55
9 Lush Life (Billy Strayhorn) 06:26
Biography
Musicians
1 Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)
| Drums | Leon Chancler |
| Guitar | Michael Sembello |
| Keyboards | Greg Phillinganes |
| Synthesizer | Michael Boddicker |
| Synthesizer | Greg Phillinganes |
| Horns | Bill Reichenbach |
| Horns | Gary Grant |
| Horns | Jerry Hey |
| Horns | Ernie Watts |
| Sax | Ernie Watts |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Background Vocals | James Ingram |
| Background Vocals | Phillip Ingram |
| Background Vocals | Howard Hewett |
| Voice | Michael Boddicker |
| Vocals | Donna Summer |
2 Mystery Of Love
| Bass | Louis Johnson |
| Bass (synthesizer) | Greg Phillinganes |
| Drums | Leon Chancler |
| Guitar | Michael Sembello |
| Keyboards | Greg Phillinganes |
| Programming | Don Dorsey |
| Programming | Steve Porcaro |
| Programming | Michael Boddicker |
| Horns | Bill Reichenbach |
| Horns | Ernie Watts |
| Horns | Gary Grant |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Piano | David Paich |
| Synthesizer | David Paich |
| Background Vocals | Bill Champlin |
| Background Vocals | James Ingram |
| Background Vocals | Richard Page |
| Background Vocals | Steve George |
| Vocals | Donna Summer |
3 The Woman In Me
| Drums (programming) | Steve Porcaro |
| Guitar | Steve Lukather |
| Keyboards | David Paich |
| Background Vocals | Bill Champlin |
| Background Vocals | James Ingram |
| Background Vocals | Richard Page |
| Background Vocals | Steve George |
| Vocals | Donna Summer |
4 State Of Independence
| Bass | Louis Johnson |
| Drums | Leon Chancler |
| Drums (programming) | Michael Boddicker |
| Synclavier | Don Dorsey |
| Synthesizer | Greg Phillinganes |
| Synthesizer | David Paich |
| Programming | Steve Porcaro |
| Programming | Michael Boddicker |
| Programming | Don Dorsey |
| Sax | Ernie Watts |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Background Vocals | Bill Champlin |
| Background Vocals | James Ingram |
| Background Vocals | Richard Page |
| Background Vocals | Steve George |
| Choir | Brenda Russell |
| Choir | James Ingram |
| Choir | Dionne Warwick |
| Choir | Kenny Loggins |
| Choir | Lionel Richie |
| Choir | Stevie Wonder |
| Choir | Chris Geppert |
| Choir | Dara Bernard |
| Choir | Dyan Cannon |
| Choir | Peggy Lipton |
| Choir | Michael Jackson |
| Choir | Stevland Morris |
| Vocals | Donna Summer |
5 Livin’ In America
| Drums | Joe Porcaro |
| Drums | JR Robinson |
| Drums | Larry Bunker |
| Drums | Harvey Mason Sr |
| Drums (programming) | Steve Porcaro |
| Drums (programming) | Michael Boddicker |
| Guitar | Steve Lukather |
| Guitar | Michael Sembello |
| Synthesizer | Greg Phillinganes |
| Programming | Steve Porcaro |
| Programming | Michael Boddicker |
| Horns | Bill Reichenbach |
| Horns | Ernie Watts |
| Horns | Gary Grant |
| Horns | Jerry Hey |
| Percussion | Rini Kramer |
| Background Vocals | Howard Hewett |
| Background Vocals | Phillip Ingram |
| Background Vocals | James Ingram |
| Vocals | Donna Summer |
6 Protection
| Bass | Louis Johnson |
| Drums | Jeffrey Porcaro |
| Guitar | Steve Lukather |
| Guitar | Bruce Springsteen |
| Piano | Roy Bittan |
| Synthesizer | David Paich |
| Synthesizer | Greg Phillinganes |
| Programming | Steve Porcaro |
| Sax | Ernie Watts |
| Vocals | Donna Summer |
7 (If it) Hurts Just A Little
| Drums | Leon Chancler |
| Guitar | Michael Sembello |
| Synthesizer | David Paich |
| Synthesizer | Greg Phillinganes |
| Programming | Steve Porcaro |
| Programming | Michael Boddicker |
| Horns | Bill Reichenbach |
| Horns | Ernie Watts |
| Horns | Gary Grant |
| Horns | Jerry Hey |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Background Vocals | James Ingram |
| Background Vocals | Liza Miller |
| Background Vocals | Cruz Sembello |
| Vocals | Donna Summer |
8 Love Is Just A Breath Away
| Drums (programming) | Steve Porcaro |
| Guitar | Steve Lukather |
| Synthesizer | David Paich |
| Synthesizer | Steve Porcaro |
| Synthesizer | David Foster |
| Vocals | Donna Summer |
9 Lush Life
| Bass (synthesizer) | Greg Phillinganes |
| Drums | Leon Chancler |
| Electric Piano | Dave Grusin |
| Programming | Don Dorsey |
| Programming | Michael Boddicker |
| Sax | Ernie Watts |
| Vocals | Donna Summer |
Other Musicians
Choir – Bernard Walton, Cynthia Spears, Dara Bernard, Debra Green, Deirdre Dantzler Ribeiro, Deirdre Spears, Dina Rich, Faith D. Wong, Heather Mason, Kidada Jones, Lynn T. Walton, Michael Davis, Patrick Crotty, Jr., Rashida Jones, Shanté Lewis, Tonya DeWalt, James Ingram, Greg Phillinganes (Track 5)
Liner Notes
Producer – Quincy Jones
Arranged By – Harvey Mason Sr (Track 5)
Arranged By – David Paich (Track 8)
Arranged By – David Foster (Track 8)
Arranged By (Horns) – Jerry Hey (Tracks 1, 2, 7)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Rod Temperton (Tracks 1, 4, 5, 7)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Quincy Jones (Tracks 1, 4, 5, 7, 9)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Greg Phillinganes (Track 2)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – David Paich (Tracks 2, 4)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Bill Meyers (Track 2)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – David Foster (Track 5)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Michael Sembello (Track 7)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Dave Grusin (Track 9)
Arranged By (Strings) – Michael Omartian (Track 2)
Arranged By (Strings) – Johnny Mandel (Track 9)
Arranged By (Synthesizer) – Quincy Jones (Tracks 2, 4, 5, 7)
Arranged By (Synthesizer) – Greg Phillinganes (Track 2)
Arranged By (Synthesizer) – Bill Meyers (Track 2)
Arranged By (Synthesizer) – David Paich (Tracks 2, 3)
Arranged By (Synthesizer) – Greg Mathieson (Track 4)
Arranged By (Synthesizer) – Rod Temperton (Tracks 5, 7
Arranged By (Synthesizer) – David Foster (Track 5)
Arranged By (Synthesizer) – Michael Sembello (Track 7)
Arranged By (Synthesizer) – Dave Grusin (Track 9)
Arranged By (Vocals) – Quincy Jones (Tracks 1, 4, 5, 7)
Arranged By (Vocals) – Rod Temperton (Tracks 1, 4)
Arranged By (Vocals) – Richard Page (Track 3)
Arranged By (Vocals) – Michael Sembello (Track 7)
Conductor (Choir) – Dennis Cosby, Guy Spells (Track 5)
Directed By – Billie Barnum (Track 5)
Engineer (Assistant) – John Van Nest, Matt Forger, Steve Crimmel
Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
Mixed By – Bruce Swedien
Recorded By – Bruce Swedien
Supervised By (Choir) – Billie Barnum (Track 5)
Art Direction, Design – Christopher Worf, Jeff Lancaster
Photography – David Alexander
Mastered At Sheffield Lab Matrix
Mixed At Westlake Audio
Recorded At Allen Zentz Recording
Recorded At Ocean Way Recording
Recorded At Westlake Audio
Phonographic Copyright The David Geffen Company
Copyright The David Geffen Company