Love to Love You Baby is the second album by Donna Summer, and her first to be released internationally and in the US. Her previous album Lady of the Night was released only in the Netherlands. Love to Love You Baby was released in the US on December 16, 1975.

History

In the summer of 1975, Summer approached Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte with an idea for a song. She had come up with the lyric "love to love you, baby" as the possible title for the song. Moroder in particular was interested in developing the new disco sound that was becoming increasingly popular, and used Summer's idea to develop the song into an overtly sexual disco track. He had the idea that she should moan and groan orgasmically, but Summer was initially reticent. Eventually she agreed to record the song as a demo for other singers to hear an possibly record and release. She stated she was not completely sure of some of the lyrics, and parts of the song were improvised while recording. She later stated on a VH1's Behind the Music program that she pictured herself as Marilyn Monroe acting out the part of someone in sexual ecstasy. Moroder liked Summer's recording and insisted it should actually be release. Summer reluctantly agreed and the song, titled "Love to Love You", was released to modest success in Europe.

The song, however, still did not have a US release after modest success in Europe. Summer and Moroder took it to Casablanca Records and label president Neil Bogart evetually decided to release it, but requested Moroder produce a version near twenty minutes. Summer, Moroder, and producer Pete Bellotte returned with a seventeen minute version. Casablanca signed Summer and issued the single in November 1975 as "Love to Love You Baby". Casablanca distributed Summer's work in the US while other labels distributed it in different nations during this period.

"Love to Love You Baby" was Summer's first single and first hit in America, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in early 1976. It also became her first number-one Hot Dance Club Play Chart hit. The album (side one of which was completely taken up with the full-length version of the title track) was also released in late 1975 and was soon certified gold for sales of over 500,000 copies in the US. The song was branded "graphic" by some music critics and was even banned by some radio stations for its explicit content. Time Magazine later reported that a record twenty-two orgasms were simulated by Summer in the making of the song. In some areas of the music press, Summer would later began to be dubbed "The First Lady of Love." The album made the Top 20 in both the US and the UK.

The other songs on the album had a more soul/R&B feel to them. Side two consisted of four more original songs, plus a reprise of one of them. Two of the songs, "Full of Emptiness" (which was taken from her previous album Lady of the Night) and "Whispering Waves" were ballads, while "Need-a-Man Blues" was in a slightly more pop/disco vein, and "Pandora's Box" was more mid-tempo.

The track listing for side B differs in some European nations. In the Netherlands the album was released with the single "Virgin Mary" replacing the first version of "Full of Emptiness." On some releases in Germany, "Whispering Waves" and both versions of "Full of Emptiness" were removed. They were replaced by "Lady of the Night" and "The Hostage," both taken from the Lady of the Night album. In France, "The Hostage" was added as a bonus track at the end of side B. It appears that neither "The Hostage," "Lady of the Night," or "Virgin Mary" appear on any CD releases of the album.

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Personnel

*Donna Summer: lead vocals

*Pete Bellotte, Molly Moll, Nick Woodland: guitars

*Giorgio Moroder: keyboards, percussion

*Michael Thatcher: keyboards

*Dave King: bass

*Martin Harrison: drums

*Bernie Brocks: percussion

*Strings and horns arranged by Michael Thatcher

Production

*Arranged by Giorgio Moroder

*Produced by Pete Bellotte

*Recorded and engineered by Mack and Hans Menzel

*Mixed by Giorgio Moroder

*Mastered by Joseph M. Palmaccio

Charts

Album

Single

Certifications

Cover versions and appearances in other media

This song has been sampled by Digital Underground for their song "Freaks of the Industry" and the refrain was sung by Beyoncé on her song "Naughty Girl".

No Doubt did a cover of the song for the Zoolander soundtrack.

Tom Tom Club did a cover of the song for their album The Good, the Bad, and the Funky.

The BBC banned the playing of the Donna Summer version because of its "orgasmic moans", so in the BBC play Abigail's Party (1977), a cover version by Clare Torry was used.

In part one of the season five finale of Friends, Rachel is singing this song as she is dancing around naked because she has the apartment to herself.

In the Will & Grace Season Five episode Sex, Losers and Videotape, Grace sings the song whilst making a sexy video. She is later heard singing it in the shower while unknowingly filmed by Jack. Later in the same episode, she watches the video of herself singing the song in the shower.

Kiki Kikova (A.K.A. Sam Taylor-Wood) released a limited edition of this song in 2003 which was produced by Pet Shop Boys.

References

Category:1975 albums

Category:Albums produced by Giorgio Moroder

Category:Albums produced by Pete Bellotte

Category:Donna Summer albums

Category:Casablanca Records albums

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Artist/Band Information

LaDonna Adrian Gaines (born December 31, 1948), known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s, earning the title "The Queen of Disco". A majority of her work was produced by the team of Giorgio Moroder and Pete Belotte. Summer is a five time Grammy winner and has sold approximately 35 million albums and singles worldwide.. Abcnews.go.com (2008-06-13). Retrieved on 2011-02-22.. Articlesnatch.com (1948-12-31). Retrieved on 2011-02-22.

Summer was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number one on the US Billboard chart, and she charted four number-one singles in the US within a thirteen-month period.. Discomusic.com (1948-12-31). Retrieved on 2011-02-22.

Early life and career

Born on New Year's Eve 1948 in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, Summer was one of seven children raised by devout Christian parents. Influenced by Mahalia Jackson, Summer began singing in the church at a young age. In her teens, she formed several musical groups including one with her sister and a cousin, imitating Motown girl groups such as The Supremes and Martha and the Vandellas in Boston.

In the late 1960s, Summer was influenced by Janis Joplin after listening to her albums as member of Big Brother and the Holding Company, and joined the psychedelic rock group the Crow as lead singer. Beforehand, Summer dropped out of school convinced that music was her way out of Boston, where she had always felt herself to be an outsider, even among her own family who ridiculed her for her voice and her looks. The group was short-lived, as they split upon their arrival in New York. In 1968, Summer auditioned for a role in the Broadway musical, Hair. She lost the part of Sheila to Melba Moore. When the musical moved to Europe, Summer was offered the role. She took it and moved to Germany for several years. While in Germany, she participated in the musicals Godspell and Show Boat. After settling in Munich, she began performing in several ensembles including the Viennese Folk Opera and even sang as a member of the pop group FamilyTree – "invented" and created by the German music producer Guenter "Yogi" Lauke & the Munich Machine. She came to the group in 1973 and toured with the 11-people pop group throughout Europe. She also sang as a studio session singer and in theaters. In 1971, while still using her birth name Donna Gaines, she released her first single, a cover of "Sally Go 'Round the Roses", though it was not a hit. In 1972, she married Austrian actor Helmuth Sommer and gave birth to their daughter Mimi Sommer in 1973. Citing marital problems caused by his frequent absences, she divorced him but kept his last name, changing the "o" to a "u".

Early success and notoriety

It was while singing background for the hit-making 1970s trio Three Dog Night that Summer met producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. She eventually made a deal with the European label Groovy Records and issued her first album, Lady of the Night, in 1974. Though not a hit in America, the album found some European success on the strength of the song "The Hostage", which reached number one in France and Belgium and number two in the Netherlands. Summer's early material consisted of pop rock and folk rock material. She stated years later that had she not recorded disco, she would have been a black rock singer, but considering there was not a market for black rock singers, Summer thought it would be hard to get promoted as such.

In 1975, Summer approached Moroder with an idea for a song he and Bellotte were working on for another singer. She had come up with the lyrics "love to love you, baby". Moroder was interested in developing the new sound that was becoming popular and used Summer's lyric to develop the song. Moroder persuaded Summer to record what was to be a demo track for another performer. She later said that she had thought of how the song might sound if Marilyn Monroe had sung it and began cooing the lyrics. To get into the mood of recording the song, she requested the producers turn off the lights while she sat on a sofa inducing moans and groans. After hearing playback of the song, Moroder felt Summer's seductive version should actually be distributed. Released as "Love to Love You" in Europe, some radios stations refused to play it, but the song found modest chart success in several countries there.

The song was then sent to America and arrived in the office of Casablanca Records president Neil Bogart in hopes of getting a US release. Casablanca was known around the industry for throwing lavish parties. At one of these parties, Bogart, still undecided about releasing the song, had the DJ play "Love To Love You" so he could gage the reaction of people on the dancefloor. The crowd took to the song (which was less than five minutes) so strongly that they kept asking for it to be played over and over consecutively so they could continue dancing in the same groove. Soon after that night, Bogart informed Summer and Moroder he would release the song but requested that Moroder produce a longer version, about 15 to 20 minutes in length. Moroder, Bellotte, and Summer returned with a 17 minute version that included a soulful chorus and an instrumental break where Summer invoked even more moans. Bogart stated the name would be slightly changed to "Love to Love You Baby" for the American release. Casablanca signed Summer and it released the single in November 1975. The shorter version of the single was promoted to radio stations while clubs received the 17 minute version (the 17 minute version would also appear on the album). When Casablanca released the 17 minute version as a single, it became one of the first record companies to help make popular a format that would later be known as the 12 inch. By early 1976, "Love To Love You Baby" had reached #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while the parent album of the same name sold over a million copies. The song generated controversy for Summer's moans and groans and some US radio stations, like several in Europe, refused to play it. Time magazine would report that 22 orgasms were simulated in the making of the song. Other upcoming singles included "Try Me, I Know We can Make It", US #80; "Could It Be Magic", US #52; "Spring Affair", US #58; and "Winter Melody", US #43. The subsequent albums Love Trilogy and Four Seasons of Love both went gold in the US.

In 1977, Summer released the concept album I Remember Yesterday. This album included her second top ten single, "I Feel Love", which reached number six in America and number one in the UK. These Hot 100 entries on the singles chart would help get Summer deemed in the press as "The First Lady of Love", a title which she was not totally comfortable with.

Another concept album, also released in 1977, was the double album, Once Upon a Time, which told of a modern-day Cinderella "rags to riches" story through the elements of orchestral disco and ballads. This album would also attain gold status. In 1978, Summer released her version of the Richard Harris ballad, "MacArthur Park", which became her first number one US hit. The song was featured on Summer's first live album, Live and More, which also became her first album to hit number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, and went platinum selling over a million copies. Other studio tracks included the top ten hit, "Heaven Knows", which featured the group Brooklyn Dreams accompanying her on background and Joe "Bean" Esposito singing alongside her on the verses. Summer would later be involved romantically with Brooklyn Dreams singer Bruce Sudano and the couple married two years after the song's release. Also in 1978, Summer acted in the film, Thank God It's Friday, playing a singer determined to perform at a hot disco club. The song from the film, entitled "Last Dance", reached number three on the US Hot 100 and resulted in Summer winning her first Grammy Award. Its writer, Paul Jabara, won an Academy Award for the composition. Despite this success, Summer was struggling with anxiety and depression and fell into a prescription drug addiction for several years.

In 1979, Summer was a performer on the world-televised Music for UNICEF Concert. The United Nations organization Unicef had declared 1979 as the Year of the Child. Summer joined contemporaries like Abba, Olivia Newton-John, the Bee Gees, Andy Gibb, Rod Stewart, John Denver, Earth, Wind and Fire, Rita Coolidge and Kris Kristofferson for an hour's TV special that raised funds and awareness for the world's children. Artists donated royalties of certain songs, some in perpetuity, to benefit the cause.

Bad Girls and the break from disco

Following her recovery, Summer worked on her next album with Moroder and Bellotte. The result was Bad Girls, an album that had been in production for nearly two years. Summer based the concept of the album on a prostitute, as was made clear in the lyrics. The album became a success, spawning the number one hits "Hot Stuff" and Bad Girls, and the number two ballad "Dim All the Lights" With MacArthur Park, Hot Stuff, Bad Girls, and the Barbra Streisand duet "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)", which appeared on Streisand's album, Summer achieved four number-one hits within a thirteen month period. Those aforementioned songs, along with Last Dance, Heaven Knows, Dim All The Lights, and On the Radio (from her upcoming double-album) would give her eight US Top 5 singles within a two year period. "Hot Stuff" later won her a second Grammy in the Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, which was the first time that category was ever brought to the award's show. That year, Summer played eight sold-out nights at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles.

Summer released her first greatest hits set in 1979, a double-album entitled On The Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes 1 & 2. The album reached number one in the US, becoming her third consecutive number one album. A new song from the compilation, "On the Radio", reached the US top five. After the release of the greatest hits album, Summer wanted to branch out and record other formats in addition to disco. This led to tensions between her and Casablanca Records. Sensing that they could no longer come to terms, Summer and the label parted ways in 1980, and she signed with Geffen Records, the label started by David Geffen. Summer's first release on Geffen Records was The Wanderer; it replaced the disco sound of Summer's previous releases with more of the burgeoning new wave sound and elements of rock, such as the material being recorded at this time by Pat Benatar. The first single, the title track, became a hit and peaked at #3 in the US, subsequent singles were moderate hits. The album achieved gold status in the US, but met limited success on the UK charts.

Summer's projected second Geffen release, entitled I'm a Rainbow, was shelved by Geffen Records (though two of the album's songs would surface in soundtracks of the 1980s films Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Flashdance). Summer reluctantly parted company with Moroder after seven years working together as Geffen had recruited Quincy Jones to produce her next album. The result was the 1982 album Donna Summer. The album had taken a lengthy six months to record as Summer and Jones had argued constantly during the recording process. After the release of the album, Summer would say she found Jones too controlling and boisterous in the studio and felt like she really had sang on a Quincy Jones album. The album's first single, the dance-funky "Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)", became an American top ten hit on the Hot 100. The next singles, "State of Independence" and "The Woman In Me", were moderate hits. Problems then increased between Summer and Geffen Records after they were notified by Polygram Records, the parent company of Summer's former label Casablanca, that she needed to deliver them one more album to fulfill her agreement with them. Summer delivered the album "She Works Hard for the Money" and Polygram released it on its Mercury imprint in 1983. The title song became a hit reaching number three on the US Hot 100, and Summer would receive a Grammy nomination for this song. The album also featured the reggae-flavored top 20 UK hit "Unconditional Love", which featured the group Musical Youth who were riding high from the success of their single "Pass the Dutchie". The third US single, "Love Has A Mind of Its Own", reached the top forty of the Billboard R&B chart. With the album She Works Hard For the Money being certified gold, spawning a US and a European hit, and receiving a Grammy nomination for the title song, David Geffen was reportedly upset that the album was a success but had not been released by his label, with whom Summer was currently contracted.

In late 1984, with no more albums due to Polygram, Summer returned on Geffen Records with her next release. Geffen, wanting to keep the momentum going, enlisted She Works Hard For the Moneys producer Michael Omartian to produce Cats Without Claws. The album, however, was not as successful as She Works Hard For the Money or The Wanderer. It included a moderate hit in "There Goes My Baby", which just missed the US Top 20, peaking at #21. But the album failed to attain gold status of 500,000 copies sold in the US, becoming her first album since her 1974 debut not to do so.

Summer experienced success in the 1980s with several hit singles and gold albums, but she was mainly seen as a disco artist from the 70s, along with acts such as Gloria Gaynor, the Bee Gees, and KC and the Sunshine Band. In the 1980s, other acts began to make their impression on the music charts. The New Wave sounds of the Second British Invasion was very high profile, which included Culture Club, Wham, and the Eurythmics among others. Laura Branigan found success in a dance power-belt singing style reminiscent of Summer. Established American Soul singers like Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, and Chaka Kahn experienced pop chart success in this period, and new American singers such as Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, and Whitney Houston had redirected the tastes of the record-buying public in the 1980s.

Gay Controversy

In the mid 1980s, a controversy arose concerning Summer. She had allegedly made anti-gay remarks such as saying God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve, and that AIDS was a punishment from God for homosexuals immoral lifestyle. The fallout from this had a significantly negative impact on Summer's career, which saw thousands of her records being returned to her record company by angered fans.

The AIDS controversy apparently began after a 1983 concert in Atlantic City. After the concert ended, Summer was talking to some fans about being a born-again Christian. She allegedly said something along the lines that AIDS was a punishment from God for the immoral lifestyles of homosexuals. The situation reportedly turned heated with many outraged patrons shouting as they left the auditorium. During this time in Summer's life, she was no longer riding as high on the charts, and she had recently been addicted to anti-depressant medication. Summer, however, denied making any such comments. But her calls for innocence seemingly fell on deaf ears as she was regularly appearing on Christian TV shows (seen as the far right enemy in the 1980s).

In 1989, in response to the controversy, Summer told The Advocate magazine that "A couple of the people I write with are gay, and they have been ever since I met them. What people want to do with their bodies is their personal preference.