CELEBRITY BLOG featuring THE BEST in INFOTAINMENT! Interviews, Reviews, Editorials & More! From Pop to Cult, Welcome Joan Crawford Fans, Grey Gardeners and DIVA Lovers!
Girls just want to have fun ~ in Brooklyn! Cher came to the outer borough and to Barclay's Center with her tour, bringing NYC native Cyndi Lauper (from Queens) along as her opening act. In the '90s, I saw La Lauper open for Cher at a concert at Jones Beach, NY. It was a fabulous and unforgettable night.
Perez Hilton wrote of the Brooklyn show: "the singer brought some of her favorite ladies on stage to sing with her: Liza Minnelli and Rosie O'Donnell." That alone made this one of the gayest evenings on Earth ever! And then there was Cher, who I last saw on the pier in Greenwich Village, performing on LGBT Pride Day. http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/07/on-pier-with-cher-and-hot-cox.html
The New York Times gave Cher a very positive review. "Her show equated inner strength with Las Vegas razzle-dazzle," Jon Pareles wrote. "No one has to put Cher on a pedestal. She did it herself to start her
show at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Friday night. When a curtain dropped, there she was on a pillar in a giant feathered
headdress and a silver-and-sheer dress that flaunted her flanks. 'I’m
strong, I’m strong enough to rise above,' she sang in her 2013 single, 'Woman’s World,' and no one who’s heard Cher repeatedly ascend the pop
charts since the 1960s would doubt it....
"Soon afterward, in something like an opening monologue at an awards
show, Cher, who will turn 68 this month, taunted, 'What is your granny
doing this evening?' She went on to call herself both a 'drag queen' and
an 'icon,' and to say that her current tour... is her 'farewell, farewell, farewell, farewell' tour. Then she gave an
arena-scale wink to the video camera. It seemed no one in the crowd
would object to Cher touring forever."
Cher returns to New York, Madison Square Garden, September 17 through 22, where her opening act will be diva Pat Benatar (from Brooklyn).
May 17 was the second anniversary of Donna Summer's untimely death. At the time, I wrote the following tribute:
Meanwhile, my favorite club, Icon, in Queens, recently announced that the divasational Inaya Day will perform on the eve of Queens LGBT Pride, May 31. More details to come shortly. Below is my exclusive Q&A with Ms Day:
Martin Degville graciously agreed to this interview courtesy of Sobel Promotions. The '80s icon is back via hot, brand-new remixes of "Love Missile F1-11" from Sobel and a fresh new European tour. Hopefully, he'll also arrive on our shores. It was wonderful to hear his responses and, believe me, he does not hold back. Thank you, Martin.
Dj Buddy Beaverhausen: Welcome, Martin Degville. It is a pleasure to be able to conduct this interview with
you. I understand
that, before Sigue Sigue Sputnik, you had a successful career as a
clothing designer in fashionable Kensington Market, London. Could you
describe your designs at the time?
Martin Degville: Yes they were extremely wild for that time; my early collections were based around great iconic movie stars like Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe with some Star Trek influences thrown in for good measure. I had a vision of all my women looking ultra glam and powerful-looking, very edgy with slut appeal; I also had a turnstyle at the shop entrance so that anyone over a size 10 could not get in.
DBB: Oh, my! How was it that you were approached about being in the band,
Sigue Sigue Sputnik? And do you recall your first gig at the time?
MD: Tony James, the founder of Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Magenta Divine, our p.r. at the time would hang out every Saturday at the shop. He mentioned he was looking for a vocalist for a new band he was creating and asked me if I knew any singers. Of course I jumped in and said you are looking at one. I lied all the way through to our first rehearsal which was a disaster but I had the look and attitude he was looking for. Our first gig was a small venue outside of London, it was awful as we were not all accomplished musicians and we got thrown offstage. [Laughs.]
DBB: "Love Missile F1-11." It was a huge New Wave hit in '86 and
Sigue Sigue Sputnik had three top 40 singles in the Uk total. Was it a
surprise to you that Sputnik took off and became such a very big
success?
MD: No, not really as, since the demise of punk the music scene became very safe and pop-orientated with the likes of Duran Duran and Culture Club, Sputnik exploded with a new electronic rock n roll sound with a unique image and attitude. It felt like being in the Sex Pistols. We also used one of the world's top producers, Giorgio Moroder, who took our original demos and turned them into worldwide hits.
DBB: I was a huge Ferris Bueller's Day Off fan. How did "Love
Missile F1-11" get chosen for the soundtrack and how did it feel for
you to have your song in such a major movie of that era?
MD: Yes, one of my fave movies also; I love the shower scene [laughs], I think it embodied and set the scene for the whole movie. I think the producers contacted EMI at the time for permission to use the track.
DBB: I'm also a big Giorgio Moroder fan, so I
have to ask you what it was like working with him on "Love Missile" and
to share, perhaps, any special memories of the occasion.
MD: Giorgio was so cool! A real gent, he still had the original synth he wrote for "I Feel Love," which happenened to be a mistake as the synth wouldnt work correctly and so created the famous disco riff. After we finished mixing the tracks at his L.A. studio, he held a huge party for us at his fabulous mansion where I met Donna Summer and Sparks. I seem to remember he was always with many beautiful women.
DBB: "Love Missile F1-11" is about to receive remixes via
Barbara Sobel and Sobel Promotions, and some of the biggest mixers have
signed on to mix it. Why do you think the time is right for bringing
"Love Missile F1-11" back to the dancefloors?
MD: Yes, all the mixes are sounding quite fantastic and I have to say a massive thank you to Barbara for making this possible. "Love Missile" is a very simple song with a great beat and bassline, of course it also has a great tune and melody and this transfers to a dance groove really well. The chorus shoots it up and is also very emotive and a great crowd-pleaser. I also think it's time to get this great classic tune over to a different generation.
DBB:What was it like touring internationally during the '80s, hearing your songs on the radio and at clubs? To be interviewed by NME, Rolling Stone,
and all the perks that go with fame?
MD: The tours were hectic and sometimes uncontrollable. Quite often we all were out of it due to the constant partying that goes with it; it was so hard to say no. We also felt on top of the world and somewhat invincible but it was worth every moment. It was also fabulous that our songs got heavy coverage in clubs and radio airplay. I guess, really, it went to our heads too quick and too often, the huge success opened gateways to meet other famous artists and musicians, plus free entries to clubs/ restaurants/ holidays and most things we asked for, really, of course it was, looking back, all fake and that everyone else wanted a piece of the action. I had a feeling then that it wouldn't last, our rise to fame came to quick and the star would burn out just as fast.
DBB: "Success": Sigue Sigue Sputnik produced by Stock
Aitkin Waterman. Seems an unlikely pairing (though I have to admit I
rather like it). Any memories, thoughts about that experience, working
with SAW at the time?
MD: Yes, I hated what they did to the song. It was supposed to be a kind of merge between the Beastie Boys, The Beatles and the Sound of SSS, but when we arrived at the studio, they played us a Donna Summer backing track and we walked out. A huge fight continued and at the very end, it was left to the sound engineer and us to finish the track. EMI also took out the guitar parts which we had to fight for to get back in the original release. It was a disater and signed the death toll for Sigue Sigue Sputnik; after all we were a futuristic electronic rock band, not a number on a conveyer belt churned out by the "Hit Factory."
DBB: Music is ~ has
been ~ such a big part of my life; I suppose it's that for most people. I'm always curious, interviewing artists,
particularly singers, what pop songs and/or musical artists influenced
them growing up. And now, naturally, I pose that question to you.
MD: Well, through my childhood I really only listened to Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra. Eddie Cochran and a host of other musical icons from the 50's. I then had a strong interest in Northern Soul, then it was Glam Rock, T Rex and Roxy Music; my biggest hero was Bowie and he changed my life. I was also very heavily into the Punk scene.
DBB: You have recorded several David Bowie songs. Can you please tell the
importance of David Bowie to you both personally and professionally?
MD: Well, David Bowie was, and still is, unique and it seemed he had just arrived from another planet to save rock n roll. His influences are everywhere; not just his music but his forever-changing imagery, his lyrics were also so brilliant and visionary, he also recorded a fantastic version of "Love Missile," which was such a great honor for me. I burst into tears when i heard it. [Grins.] He was also on the short list as one of the producers for "Flaunt It." I often wonder to this day what may have happened if this had gone ahead.
DBB: You are now called Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Electronic. Why? MD: Well, the sound is still very electronic sounding so I just added that at the end!
DBB: What do you think about the idea of pop music being a great
uniter for humanity that transcends national
boundaries, barriers and politics?
MD: Well ,music is one factor that holds no boundaries and has the ability to unite people regardless of color, sex or religion; Band Aid was a great example of this.
DBB: How has your fashion designer background
influenced your look? What other artists and/or designer's influence
your sense of style. What is your inspiration and how do you come up
with your unique ideas regarding fashion?
MD: Yes, I always felt this desire to look different and stand out from the crowd from an early age. I started to design my own clothes for club and weekend parties and it really took off from there. I used to get orders from friends and eventually, due to demand, I opened a shop to sell them. I created the look of Sigue Sputnik and also styled many other people like Boy George, Adam Ant and Siouxie Sue from The Banshees, plus lots of American rock bands and English boy bands, my inspirations came from the Bazaare looks from the 50's and 60's old hollwood. The 1920's 30's 40's. I also love Jean Paul Gaultier and Thierry Mugler, anything thats outlandish and original catches my eye. Vivienne Westwood is cool.
DBB: What is your
favorite song from your catalog of recordings either with SSS, SSSE or
solo?
MD: My personal track of all time is "Rocket Miss USA." I love the bass riff and its very dark
DBB: I know that you are
touring. Can you please tell us about your upcoming tour dates and how
is touring now different from in the 80's?
MD: Well, I play mainly in Europe and to smaller venues apart from the big festivals which I love doing; the shows are still as extravagant and colourful and wild as way back in the 80's but not on that scale. It is, however, great fun to play with different musicians and to see old fans and new alike at the shows, it's my passion to play live and i still get a huge buzz from doing so. Maybe one day the original band will reform for a one-off show. Who knows what life holds for anyone!
DBB: Martin, thank you so much for your time
doing this Q&A with me. It was such a
privilege. As I pride myself on reaching an international readership, what last shout-outs,
if any, might you have for all your fans around the world? MD: Long live the sound of Sputnik! After all, we invented the future!! God bless you all... Love, Martin Degville!
This week, it was evident on the Billboard chart end-dated January 18, and on some promos that came across my desk and Internet, that there are some major, power-house divas ready to reclaim the discos! 2014 is starting off with a divalicious bang.
Deborah Cox's "Higher" (featuring Paige) is now #2. Ms Cox, who performed last summer at NYC's awesome Gay Pride pier dance, opening for Cher, http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/07/on-pier-with-cher-and-hot-cox.html is always a welcome figure on the charts. Hopefully, she'll be taken even Higher next week to the heavenly #1 spot.
As for Cher, "Take It Like a Man," from her fab new album, is currently on the rise at #7, thanks to a bevy of robust remixes. The best of them is no doubt Tony Moran's Destination mix, a big-room rouser. I also particularly recommend UK's 7th Heaven EuroNRG revamp.
At #3, we have none less than Celine Dion, buoyed by the remixes of "Loved Me Back to Life." She is seriously loved back to life by club-goers with this one. Although I prefer an unreleased LFB mix I heard months ago, it seems the only official remix is Dave Aude's club version. Good, mainstream remix for sure; it's a guaranteed floor-filler.
Kristine W, a diva's diva, peaked at #2 with "So Close to Me." Nine weeks on the charts, it currently hangs onto the top ten in the 9th nook.
And Donna Summer is back for the dancefloors via new dj-promo remixes of "MacArthur Park" by Rosabel, Laidback Luke and Frank Lamboy. Rosabel's mix gallops along nicely for contempo clubgoers; one of the more successful efforts to come off the recent remix tribute album. Laidback Luke's re-do, however, is a tinny calliope-like mess while I found Frank Lamboy's version a busy and belabored one. "MacArthur Park" is currently #14 on Billboard's club chart. Joel Dickinson recently informed us he has a remix forthcoming in a second wave. Seriously looking forward to that!
Lady Gaga's "Do What U Want" is on the rise at #19. And Jody Watley seems to have peaked at #18 with "Nightlife," dropping now to 22nd place when it really deserves to go higher. But major diva power is the trend right now on US Billboard's dance/club chart for certain.
Meanwhile, not on the chart but hopefully headed there, the upbeat and quite winning club number from Spice Girl Mel B ("Scary Spice"), "For Once in My Life," given new life by Dj Pornstar from Sobel Promotions.
And I received 7th Heaven's club mix of Dario G featuring Dame Shirley Bassey's "We Got Music" ~ and it is as fabulous as you might hope! Always a pleasure when Bassey returns to the dancefloors. Lisa Stansfield is also back! Moto Blanco (who can virtually do no wrong) has a club mix of her "Can't Dance" that will transport you to the floor in soulfully divine disco style. "We're gonna crucify the dancefloor!" And Ms Stansfield is back in full vocal range and all her glory!
Lastly, Sanna & Petron do a nice job of remixing Australia's Tina Arena, whom we've missed, with "Reset All." The diva returns in fine voice, though the song, as written, may not be catchy enough to catch on, at least in the USA where she is not a household name.
But the divas are distinctly back in force at the top of the year. Let's hope this is the trend for 2014!
Just a few days after my own birthday in 2012, diva Donna Summer died. It was a shock to the public, who didn't know she was ill, and even her friends in the industry. Producer Bob Esty told me in an interview that he had no idea she had a terminal illness until he heard the news of her passing.
Other divas remembered Donna fondly. Gloria Gaynor called Ms Summer "a fine lady and human being," and said she was devastated by the news that her fellow disco-era songstress had succumbed to lung cancer. Cher exclaimed, "She was exquisite!" and that "I remember 'Last Dance' ended my nights at Studio 54! By that song, I was drenched! Hair too!" Liza said Donna was "The Queen of Disco, and we will be dancing to her music forever." Barbra recalled, "I loved doing the duet with her [No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)]. She had an amazing voice and was so talented." And Dolly Parton told the press that Donna had "one of the greatest voices ever. I loved her records. She was the disco
queen and will remain so. I knew her and found her to be one of the most
likable and fun people ever."
New Year's Eve day (December 31) is Donna Summer's birthday. She was born LaDonna Adrian Gaines in Boston Massachusetts. She performed in the German production of Hair, where she married and divorced Helmut Summer, keeping his name and moving on to become a major recording artist during the disco era of the '70s and continuing to have an outstanding career spanning four decades. She won five Grammys, was the first artist who charted #1 on the US Billboard with three consecutive double-albums and sold over 150 million records worldwide. Along with her producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, she went on to pioneer electronica with songs like "I Feel Love" and "Love to Love You, Baby." She was a defining voice of dance music and it is her voice we will always love and remember her by, and which is missed.
Donna was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year. It's a new year and we wish a Happy Birthday from Dj Buddy Beaverhausen and his readers, Donna, wherever you are!
...Horn, of course, like that Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. Well, anyhow, now that I have your collective attention, I just want to announce -- because I'm not sure everyone realizes at this point -- that I am not only a blogueur (or is it blogueuse? Damned French, it confuses moi! Zoot alors!) but also a member of the press these days! Yes, I am writing for Queens Our City Radio, part of the Our City internet radio network, as their Dance (Music) Promoter.
Ah, the glitz! The glamour! Why, you can hardly imagine and neither can I! But listen up, people! Here are some of my posts heating up QOC this cold holiday season. Check out Queens Our City Radio and circumnavigate like Magellan; explore, discover new worlds, go bi-coastal and enjoy yourselves in the process! For example, Chris Colby, Dance Music Personality at QOC, has a fabulous Friday night 10 pm mix show you party animals won't want to ignore, trust me. http://queens.ourcityradio.com/
Monumental thanks & lots of love to Barbara Sobel of Sobel Promotions with her own dance-music background who "discovered" me (again, the Magellan analogy) and transported me from Leave It to Beaverhausenland to Queens Our City world. I'm very thrilled to be a part of this internet station. In fact, I'm qvelling! It's more than just a radio station; it's a happening! It's a movement! Get into the groove. Here are some of my recent posts at Queens Our City Radio you won't want to miss (if you know what's better for you): France Joli ~ Exclusive Interview: http://queens.ourcityradio.com/music-news/queens-city-radios-exclusive-interview Victor Po - Exclusive Interview: http://queens.ourcityradio.com/music-news/exclusive-queens-city-radio-interview-victor-po
Maybe holiday-timed releases are loving Donna Summer a little too much. As in smells like exploitation spirit this season!
Love to Love You Donna is the much-anticipated release on the Universal/Verve label serving up 13 remixes of some of the deceased diva's legendary songs. It does offer an update of the Queen of Disco's legacy for today's dancefloors.
It kicks off with the divine "Love to Love You, Baby" mix by the fantastic Chris Cox that perfectly preserves the integrity of the Giorgio Moroder/Pete Belotte original while creating a more contempo, upbeat and exciting sound to put us in a gotta-dance frame of mine. No way club and partygoers are going to stay on their asses once this is played, djs.
The second track on the album is the Duke Dumont deconstruction of "Dim All The Lights." Not good. But it's followed by the Frankie Knuckles/Eric Kupper "Hot Stuff" with hot keyboards putting it across for some lounge action if not intended for big room dj'ing. Album version clocks in at 6 minutes.
Afrojack's "I Feel Love" offers us a nice, 6-minute bit of updated electronica against Donna's distinctive vocals from this iconic song. On the other hand, the Benga work-over of the same song is more than a tad bit dirge-like and boring. Believe you me, it takes some kind of talent to make this number a big bore but somehow Benga managed it. No excuse to have a 7:15-minute track on this collection of this dross.
Jacques Greene's handling of "On the Radio" is likewise glum. It actually offended me on an aesthetic level. Luckily, it's followed up with a freestyle version of "Last Dance" by Masters At Work that really works and restored my faith in this collection.
Chromeo & Oliver have their fingers on the trigger for a happy-house mix of "Love Is in Control," already out to djs in an extended mix. The album version is just a 4-minute version of this song but it's distinctly a highlight. Holy Ghost's "Working the Midnight Shift" re-do is also a fairly inspiring and upbeat job of delivering the song to 2013 clubgoers and Donna fans.
Gigamesh's "Bad Girls" remix is a commendable remix but will hardly supplant the original version of the song in anyone's mind. Still, give it a spin, toot-toot beep-beep. "MacArthur Park," as remixed by Laidback Luke sounds impatient and clumsy as it gallops along loudly. Hot Chip's dub edit of "Sunset People" lost me at the starting gate.
The album ends in class and style, however, with "La Dolce Vita" mixed by Giorgio Moroder.
The Boston Globe wrote: "Donna Summer was known as the “Queen of Disco,” but the Boston native
was successful in several formats... the focus of “Love to Love You Donna"... is squarely
on Summer’s triumphs under the glittering mirror ball." Yes, indeed.
Universal/UMC/ Spectrum in the U.K. have released Donna Summer: I Feel Love The Collection, as well. It gathers 19 of the diva's hits (radio edits) including the rarity, "Theme from The Deep" and '80 favorites like "Unconditional Love" and "She Works Hard for the Money." It also includes a second disc of seven extended 12" mixes, as well, that should impress fans.
First off, it's a chiller killer hi-NRG remix that will take you to the dancefloor from Joel Dickinson. Halloween is over but "Thriller" is timeless. Joel does a magnificent re-work on this Michael Jackson classic that I think will be irresistible for dj sets and club floors around the world. Nice work on the Vincent Price moments scattered throughout. You can download from Soundcloud. https://soundcloud.com/joeldickinsonremix/thriller-joel-dickinson-2013
Matt Consola & LFB Swishcraft does a monster job on Vicki Shepard's "When Love Comes Calling," bringing the diva's outstanding vocals to a boil. Great pianissimo bridge. Solid, floor-filler stuff!
The new Chromeo & Oliver "Love Is in Control" re-do from the Donna Summer remix album is a very sturdy and uplifting mix with la diva's vocals very much upfront. Bound to be popular on the floors but be aware it's a compact 4-minute mix in its original form.
Celine Dion's "Loved Me Back to Life" is currently sporting dj remixes. Just got a promo. I was not particularly impressed by the album version despite the diva's typical pyrotechnic vocals. JRMXMusic's remix, however, really delivers. I defy anyone to stand still to this. Magical match of mix and vox. Jump Smokers offer an uneven and hyperbolic re-vamp. Craig Vanity v. Rafael Frost is a bit of a misfired mess as well. The Dave Aude big room effort is very "processed," I found; kind of like Velveeta cheese for the ears. It might become the popular mix that delivers this to club crowds, at least in the USA, but I'll stick with JRMX, people.
When it comes to Icona Pop's "All Night," go directly to the Wayne G/LFB remix. The Swedish girl duo is most infectious with a genuine pop snappiness in a sort of retro SAW-like style. The aforementioned mix puts this across in an updated '80s retro-progresso fashion. If you don't dance to this, check your pulse.
Finally, thank God it's "Thursday," The song by Pet Shop Boys is the next song off their fresh album, and Eddie Amador delivers the goods to club people globally. Excellent rap bridge by Example.
Until next time, have fun, play safe and get out there and dance! Support club life and it couldl be your life support.
Bob Esty is truly a legend in his own time. A producer, songwriter
and arranger who worked with Casablanca Records from 1977 to 1980, he
has collaborated alongside major divas like Donna Summer, Cher, Barbra
Streisand, Martha Wash, Raquel Welch and many more. It is my sincerest
pleasure to have spoken with Bob over the phone when he generously
consented to give me the following, exclusive interview. I have divided
it into parts for easier reader consumption and digestion because it is
such a delicious treat.
In the 4th and final part of this interview which, again, it was a great privilege for me to conduct, our discussion involves Billy Preston, Whitney Houston, The Weather Girls, Paul Jabara, The Day of the Locusts, Dusty Springfield, Lesley Gore, Cher, Barbra, Michelle Aller, Sally Kellerman, Scott Snapp and more.
Bob Esty: We [Bob and Paul Jabara] wrote a song for The Weather Girls called "Success" about the fact that even though "It's Raining Men" is a success, it's not really. We used every trick in the book when we did this song and I did the track along with "Hope" [for the 1982 album, Success, that also includes the disco classics,
"Dear Santa (Send Me a Man for Christmas)," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man
Right Outta My Hair" and "Hungry for Love"], a song I previously did with Billy Preston.
In 1981, Paul put out"Hope" and "It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls on the Paul Jabara & Friends album. It also had Whitney Houston's breakthrough track on that album ["Eternal Love"].
Dj Buddy Beaverhausen: And to think, throughout the '80s and '90s, people were declaring Disco was dead!
BE: Ha! Exactly! When Paul's album was being made, I also told him that record stores would put it in a "Compilations" bin and nobody would notice "Hope" was on it.
DJBB: I read that, in 1977, you and writing partner Michelle Aller wrote "I Found Love with You" for Dusty Springfield, and that you opened at The Troubadour for Lesley Gore.
BE: Yes, Michelle and I opened for Lesley and we had a band. I don't know how we got that gig! I never saw Lesley Gore perform live before, but I loved her. I didn't know Dusty Springfield was in the audience. Anyhow, her producer of the It Begins Again album, Roy Thomas Baker, contacted us and said, "Dusty really loved your song. Do you want to record it with her?" I got to arrange and orchestrate the whole thing. And I just loved working with Dusty! And Michelle and I sang in the backgrounds with Dusty. And that was the first time we had one of our original songs recorded.
DJBB: The rumors are that Dusty Springfield was often difficult to work with. Not just rumors but it's been reported by others who have worked with her and was dramatized in the play I saw last year in New York, Forever Dusty.
BE: Dusty? Well, not for me. For me, she was great. Incidentally, Michael Childers did the photography for It Begins Again, and was the lover of [director] John Schlesinger. And that's when I met Schlesinger because I did an arrangement of "Hot Voodoo" for the movie, The Day of the Locusts. And that number was performed by Paul Jabara in drag.
DJBB: I love that moment in the movie! And what a great, underrated movie that is!
BE: Right? Yeah, it was, and I went to the filming of Paul's sequence.
DJBB: And sequins?
[Bob laughs.]
BE: Michael Childers now does a self-tribute photography show in Palm Springs called "One Night Only" with many artists from LA and NYC, and this year it included the music of Michael's friends including Paul Jabara. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it.
DJBB: Bob, when Donna Summer died, was that just as much a shock to you as to the general public? Or did you know she was ill at the time?
BE: No, I had no idea. Patti Brooks knew from the nurses in the hospital Donna was in. But it was a shock. It happened so fast! And she kept it secret from everyone.
DJBB: Cher is our new Pier Dance Diva for NYC Pride. You were the one who set her on her disco path, making her the dance diva she is today once you produced her ultra-successful and legendary "Take Me Home." How did that all come about? Up to that time, she was really not a Disco girl.
BE: I met her in a bungalo with my leg in a cast. I'd just broke my leg at the New York Disco Convention that year. She was just the "regular" Cher; no make-up. But to really talk about Cher, we'd have to do another blog piece.
DJBB: Streisand. What was it like making the disco smash "The Main Event" with her, and was it intimidating to work with her?
BE: Well, that would be something we'd need to devote another blog piece to, also. I can't go into that quickly.
DJBB: Bob, just one more question before we wrap this up: What would we find on Bob Esty's turntable, iPod or cd player today? What are the songs you most recently listen to?
BE: When you produce and do recordings, there's a tendency to not want to listen to anyone else. And now, especially because of Facebook, in order to post things, I have to re-listen to so many things I've done. Glenn Rivera and Jandry: these guys do such a great job of remixing! And I've helped Jandry on some of his medleys. Also love Jandry's artwork and posters.
DJBB: I love what those guys have done, too, all around.
BE: Yeah, amazing! And now I'm working with Sally Kellerman and Scott Snapp. Sally's been performing in L.A. and Palm Springs and has her book out now, Read My Lips. Plus, I'm working on a remastering of Ava Cherry's Streetcar Named Desire album.
DJBB: Bob, all good things must come to an end, and I just want to thank you a lot for your time and participation. Thanks so much for this interview. It meant so much to me to be able to ask you the questions about your career I've always wanted to know. I'm sure it means a lot to the readers of my blog and others on the Internet.
BE: Yes, certainly. Thank you.
DJBB: And thank you for commenting on my blog and Facebook. Most appreciate it.
BE: Sometimes I can't comment on the blog when I want. Don't know why, but....
DJBB: Believe me, they don't make it user-friendly. Bob, thanks ever so much for everything! And have a good night.
BE: Ah, a night off! Thank you, and to you, too.
***
Below, the disco classic disco hit written by Bob and Michelle Aller takes this interview home. But we'll be hearing more about Cher -- and Babs -- soon. Exclusively from Bob Esty!
Bob Esty is truly a legend in his own time. A producer, songwriter
and arranger who worked with Casablanca Records from 1977 to 1980, he
has collaborated alongside major divas like Donna Summer, Cher, Barbra
Streisand, Martha Wash, Raquel Welch and many more. It is my sincerest
pleasure to have spoken with Bob over the phone when he generously
consented to give me the following, exclusive interview. I have divided
it into parts for easier reader consumption and digestion because it is
such a delicious treat.
In Part 3, we talk about eBay, Roberta Kelly, the Sharon Tate murder guest house, his association with The Weather Girls (on Columbia Records) and, especially, the divine, beloved club diva, Miss Martha Wash, as well as Raquel Welch.
* * *
Bob Esty: I moved to Beverly Hills in 1975 in the guest house of the Sharon Tate murder house. It was owned by Rudy Altobelli, my manager at the time. And I discovered eBay, so I could gather some things I'd lost over time. And a friend of mine has a big, famous vinyl store on Hollywood Boulevard, As the Record Turns. And he would give me back some of my own records.
DJ Buddy Beaverhausen: Wow, so hard to imagine you on eBay trying to buy back your own stuff!
BE: Yeah! But I was able to get my recordings back together [that way].
When I returned from Munich, I had the tracks and vocals from Roberta [Kelly]. Still had to orchestrate the tracks and record the gospel choir. Sent it to Giorgio and side one, I guess, he didn't like my mix. He muted some of the orchestration. He put some synthesizers on the first side, which I hated originally but who cares!
DJBB: Now, is it true that "It's Raining Men" was originally written for Donna Summer? And that "Bad Girls" was written for Cher, but she passed on it?
BE: Yes on "Raining Men." I'm not sure on the second song because I wasn't yet acquainted with Cher at that time. But, basically, Paul Jabara wrote every song for Donna. The demo we made of "It's Raining Men" was for Donna Summer. [Bob supplied the guide vocals a'la Donna! ~~ DJBB]
BE: Yes. But Paul didn't come down to the session because he didn't really know The Weather Girls; he wanted Donna. I saw Martha & Izora in San Francisco, performing the previous year, maybe '78.
DJBB: Was that with Sylvester or after?
BE: With Sylvester! Paul Jabara called to say, "Somebody called and wants us to try out Two Tons of Fun for 'It's Raining Men.' But I don't know this group and never saw Sylvester.'" But I said, "Wow! They're perfect!" Paul thought they were so-so, so I had to go to the studio without him. (Obviously, I did a lot of things without him anyway!)
Now, when we were recording "It's Raining Men," Martha Wash happened to stumble on her way out of the studio control room. Izora was cackling! "What you doin', child?" Izora Whitehead yelled out, "We've got a song to do!" And Martha started laughing also.
DJBB: Have you heard Martha Wash's new album, by the way?
BE: No, I've heard just one track.
DJBB: Do you know which one that was?
BE: I don't remember.
DJBB: It's really an exceptional album. I play it constantly now. By the way, I actually got to meet and kiss Ms Wash on the cheek, after her show at BB King's, in New York last year
BE: She is a marvelous woman and terrific singer and very strong and opinionated. She was a little difficult to work with in some ways but she had such a great sense of humor! I know she's gotten easier over time. Did you hear "We're Gonna Win (One World)"?
DJBB: Love that song.
BE: Martha Wash sang that at an event in Northern California and Randy Jackson, who was producing that (and who just produced the musical about Janis Joplin that is fabulous)....
DJBB: I know that show's hot, out on the West Coast, and I hope it comes this way....
BE: Martha sang that song ["One World"] with a choir.
DJBB: I had, maybe, a little insight into what you say about her feisty yet sweet personality when I kissed her after her show at BB King's. My friend was supposed to snap a photo of my kissing her after she signed my cd, on my cell phone. She very generously agreed to this and I explained this was for my blog.
So, my lips were glued to her cheek. And my friend couldn't quite get the phone to take the picture at first. So, she was shouting out, "Werq it!" to him. It was an uncomfortable moment all around! But good humored, really.
[Bob laughs.]
DJBB: He did manage to take our picture right after she said that!
BE: Well, of course! She's Martha Wash after all!
DJBB: Now, the song, "Hot Love," that Cher did for the Foxes soundtrack, sounds like "Hot Stuff" mixed with "Bad Girls"....
BE: Because, I think, it was written by Donna.
And, by the way, going back to Thank God, It's Friday, I would just like to say that I did two tracks with D.C. LaRue, two tracks with Paul [Jabara] and "Last Dance." And I went to that movie's set to see a couple of set-ups. I met Jeff Goldblum, who was not only very nice but can play amazing jazz piano. So, it was very much fun to go to the filming but it was a low-budget disco film and Saturday Night Fever was already out, so the distributor just slapped it out there.
DJBB: Though it's now quite a cult favorite.
Want to talk a little bit about Raquel Welch and "This Girl's Back in Town?"
BE: Ok. Also written for Donna Summer. I have cassettes of her vocals and mine as well as my guide vocals for Raquel.
DJBB: Over the years, Raquel Welch's number has become quite a cult hit internationally.
BE: Well, you have to know this history. Paul Jabara wrote a musical, Rachael Lily Rosenbloom, that was produced in 1973 and starred Ellen Green, though Paul was hoping to get Bette Midler, but she turned it down at the last minute. It was about a Barbra Streisand wannabe from Brooklyn.
DJBB: That's so funny because I recently saw I'll Eat You Last on Broadway, starring Bette, and a lot of that show revolves around Barbra Streisand.
BE: Yes, of course! Everything does! [Laughs.] Paul was involved in the original production of Hair, and Donna was later in the German production, so that's how he knew her.... That's the reason he had more of a personal relationship with her. Now, Barbra and Neil Bogart and Cher and Aaron Russo (who was a monster) were in "the colony". I was living in New York at the time, before moving back out to L.A., which is when I met Paul Jabara. There was an audition for Hair, which Ellen Green was about to star in, and I went because we had the same manager. And I met Paul, and he explained the story of Rachael Lily to me.
Now, the legend of Rachael became Raquel [Welch] for Paul when he met her while co-starring in the movie, with Honky Tonk Freeway [in 1981]. That's how he imagined her. So, I had set up my tracks in Paul's living room, once I'd moved back to L.A. Raquel had her choreographer with her, who was going to work with her in Vegas, but who really didn't want to work with her, obviously. So, he spent the whole time basically battering Raquel verbally during rehearsal, making her cry every day, so she would fire him. Those were the circumstances under which I met Raquel!
She loved what I did on "This Girl's Back in Town," and at the time always wore black granny glasses with a long, black coat. She looked beautiful but tried to hide that, I think. And Paul was there, with the guide vocal we did, acting out the part for her for the video in his mind, pitching the song! And after she saw that, she whispered to me, as I was walking her to her car, "I hope you're producing it; not Paul. I mean, I know Paul and he's wonderful but he's drunk now."
I told her, "I just co-wrote it."
Below, Bob & Raquel, extended mix:
More to come with Part 4, the final chapter of my Bob Esty interview....
Bob Esty is truly a legend in his own time. A producer, songwriter
and arranger who worked with Casablanca Records from 1977 to 1980, he
has collaborated alongside major divas like Donna Summer, Cher, Barbra
Streisand, Martha Wash, Raquel Welch and many more. It is my sincerest
pleasure to have spoken with Bob over the phone when he generously
consented to give me the following, exclusive interview. I have divided
it into parts for easier reader consumption and digestion because it is
such a delicious treat.
In Part 2, Mr E talks more about Donna Summer, Paul Jabara, Giorgio, Germany, Roberta Kelly, Soul Divas and much more!
Dj Buddy Beaverhausen: Bob, could you tell us more about going to Munich to work with Giorgio?
Bob Esty: Paul Jabara also came to Germany to spend a week in Munich. And we had a good time. Paul took me to a gay bar. It was Oktoberfest and I speak a little German. Paul didn't have a date and I saw a guy who was straight out of a Tom of Finland illustration! That kind of body. Honestly!
DJBB: [Laughs] Oh, wow!
BE: He wore a t-shirt with a rolled up sleeve over a pack of cigarettes. And he didn't speak any English....
DJBB: Even better!
BE: Later, he guided me through Oktoberfest. Paul was beside himself; not very happy.
Now, as far as my work there, in Munich, the orchestrations were done; the only thing left were the back-ups. Donna sang the lead vocal, one side a night in four nights, in Giorgio's Musicland studios in a building called the Arabella House. I had my keyboard there, in my hotel room, so I could write and orchestrate.
At about 2 a.m. on the first night, I stepped into the studio and heard Donna's vocals for Once Upon a Time. Towards the end of the album, Donna sounded like a young girl. [Priceless Bob Esty impersonation of what that sounded like. We both laugh.] I thought: "What happened with her voice?"
I said to Giorgio Moroder, the next day: "I hope this was just a test."Giorgio said he thought the vocal was fine. "Two takes!" is all he said. And she didn't sing everything needed. We had to add more background vocals. By the time we finished the album and I heard the next three sides, Donna sounded like the Donna I knew from "Last Dance."
Donna, Giorgio
DJBB: So, it was really repaired in the mix?
BE: Yeah! Exactly! And Pete Bellotte came in to do a guitar overdub.
DJBB: Cool.
BE: Then Giorgio said to me, in his German/Italian accent, during the middle of Once Upon a Time: "Do you like gospel-disco?" I said, "What is that??" He replied, "Do you know 'Oh, Happy Day'?" I loved that song. I grew up with it! Giorgio said, "Oh, you have to meet Roberta Kelly because she wants to do gospel disco and you can be my co-producer." Roberta was born Catholic in L.A.! So, singing gospel was a stretch for her. I did a guide vocal that Ms Kelly mimicked. I love soul! So, I impersonated Aretha Franklin and all the soul divas I love.
DJBB: Bob, your guide vocals are classic! You could put an album together of those, I swear!
You won a Platinum Award for "Take Me Home," a Gold Award for "The Main
Event", Multi-Platinums for "The Very Best of Cher" and "A Night at
Studio 54," a Clio for "Pumping Up." Where do you keep all your awards?
BE: They were stolen.
DJBB: [Gasps] Oh, no!
BE: A friend of mine produced a show called Sisterella, and it was produced by Michael Jackson and company. It was performed in Pasadena, I think in 1996. They wanted me to be the musical director of the German version. And, because I love Munich and music, I thought, "How can I not go?"
So, I was away for a month and 1/2. I rented out my place in the Valley, with a studio in the back, while I was gone. Ultimately five months in Germany and Austria. Meanwhile, the person in my house was like a bull in a china closet! He had a "guest" over my place who stole everything!
DJBB: Oh my God! How awful!
BE: Yeah, and I came back to being evicted because he hadn't forwarded the rent.
Thank God he left my posters! And that's when I moved down to Key West.
More to come in Part 3 of my interview with Bob Esty. You won't want to miss what he says about Martha Wash, Cher and Dusty Sprigfield!
Below, Roberta Kelly & "Oh, Happy Day" courtesy of Bob:
Bob Esty is truly a legend in his own time. A producer, songwriter and arranger who worked with Casablanca Records from 1977 to 1980, he has collaborated alongside major divas like Donna Summer, Cher, Barbra Streisand, Martha Wash, Raquel Welch and many more. It is my sincerest pleasure to have spoken with Bob over the phone when he generously consented to give me the following, exclusive interview. I have divided it into parts for easier reader consumption and digestion because it is such a delicious treat.
In Part 1, Mr Esty discusses his early days with Casablanca, working with Donna Summer, Paul Jabara, Giorgio Moroder, Neil Bogart and more. Please also check out Bob's Facebook Page: "Disco Citizens -- The Work of Bob Esty!" His guide vocals and the special remixes there are amazing!https://www.facebook.com/pages/Disco-Citizens-The-Work-of-Bob-Esty/428987683811992?fref=ts
Dj Buddy Beaverhausen: Hi, Bob, and thank you so much for taking the time to do this Q&A with me. I am thrilled you're doing this.
Bob Esty: Thank you.
DJBB: I recently saw that someone posted at DiscoMusic.com: "Bob Esty
never seems to get deserved credit." I certainly believe that's true,
and people on that thread seemed to agree as well. I noticed that you
don't have a Wikipedia page, and I couldn't find a Bob Esty web page
either. Is this all by some grand design?
BE: I think it's because most of the people I worked with were [already] very famous. Giorgio Moroder had an exclusive contract with Donna and he may not have been completely happy with the fact that my name is on the 12" of "Last Dance." He went to Neil Bogart [founder of Casablanca Records]'s office and said he wanted my name removed.
Paul Jabara never credited me for co-writing "Last Dance." I did the hook and the bridge. The rest was by Paul. The original version of the song was recorded by Paul, on his piano, in Puerto Rico, with Donna Summer in the bathroom. She was [virtually] trapped, so she said, "Oh, I'll do it!" So Paul went to Neil Bogart. I had to create an arrangement because the original was not very good. I had arrange the hell out of it! And I modeled it on Diana Ross' "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" because I loved what Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson did with that arrangement.
So Casablanca liked what I did. We did a demo with me on piano and Donna singing the whole fucking thing! And at the end of it, she said, "Thank you very much!" Neil Bogart liked what I did but Giorgio didn't like the song. He was not there for the recording. It was recorded in one day. He barred me from the vocal session that night. And ultimately he took my name off the record. So, that was basically the first time I ever "produced" anything.
But, after that, Giorgio did hire me to do Once Upon a Time [the album] in Germany. That was the first time I [officially] produced. It was July 1977. He let me do what ever I wanted. And I do, so much, appreciate Giorgio -- who is an outstanding talent -- for thinking about me and having me aboard to work on Once Upon a Time.
Once Upon a Time's theme was about Cinderella but no one had written the lyrics yet. So I sang a "la la la" melody thing for the whole album for Donna who was then on the road. Giorgio spent just one night each for all four sides. When Donna recorded the first side, she was in her Donna voice, which I love. It was a transitional vocal album for her. "Last Dance" was not released yet.
The summer before I went to Germany, I had produced two more songs for Thank God It's Friday with Paul [Jabara], one of which was featured in the movie. It's called "Trapped in a Stairway," which I wrote with him in August 1977. At the time, Paul told me, "The director of this movie has never done a movie let alone a musical!" Paul had the idea he could do his number coming down the stairway like Fred Astaire. The director had never even heard of Fred Astaire! So that was X'd.
And when "Last Dance" was sung by Donna, they took out the ballad [portion] because they didn't know if the clubs would like it.
DJBB: Ballad openings and bridges in classic disco songs really became a trend during that period. And you spearheaded that at Casablanca. You set that trend!
BE: Yeah. We were hoping it would be successful but nobody knew. It hadn't been played by djs yet. When I first heard the single of "Last Dance," I went to Neil Bogart's office because he picked the wrong ending! The stronger ending, high note and everything else was on our second vocal. Neil said to me, "Oh, it doesn't matter! It's going to be a hit anyway!"
DJBB: While we're talking about Casablanca, have you read Larry Harris' And Party Every Day? [A scandal-filled tell-all about Casablanca Records.]
BE: I never read it. When I signed my contract with Casablanca on December 31, 1977, I'd already done many productions for Casablanca and Larry was their lawyer. I had a list of what I did before signing but Larry said, "Uh, you can't do that. We own everything." Back then, I didn't know jack.
That was a good introduction to my musical career!
More to come in Part 2 of my interview with Bob Esty. You won't want to miss what he says about Cher and so much more!Meanwhile, enjoy the official Casablanca video of "Last Dance" posted below:
Cheers! As our salute to Bob Esty concludes, we wish the awesome and influential producer/ songwriter/ arranger a very happy birthday today -- and hope he has many more!
Bob Esty originally made his mark with disco classics on the Casablanca label in the '70s, including such time-honored productions such as Donna Summers' "Last Dance," Cher's "Take Me Home," and Barbra Streisand's "The Main Event." (Incidentally, Bob told me, "People think I did 'Enough is Enough' too!! I say, 'Enough, already'!!!")
Bob's private "guide vocals" for his artists are truly outstanding works of art in and of themselves, showcasing his singing and chameleon-like ability to mimic each singer, giving a sense of what the finished product might sound like. Cher commented on how uncanny Bob's guide vocals can be. Carol Channing said Bob Esty basically did her job and she needn't actually record the disco version of "Is That All There Is?" (It was recorded but, unfortunately, unreleased, though Bob's uncanny guide might give you an idea of what it would have sounded like.) https://soundcloud.com/bobesty/is-that-all-there-is-guide
The Bob Esty poll on this blog has just closed and here are the results!
Cher's "Take Me Home" is the winner by one vote (16 total votes), just edging out Barbra's "The Main Event" (15 votes). There were 26 participants on the poll in all, and it was possible to vote for more than one song.
Donna Summer's "Last Dance" came in third place with 11 votes tallied.
Cher's roller-disco classic, "Hell on Wheels," was tied with The Weather Girl's "It's Raining Men" at 10 votes each. D.C. LaRue's disco classic "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" follows with 7 votes cast.
Raquel Welch's camp classic, "This Girl's Back in Town" received 6 votes while the late Andy Williams' "Love Story" theme (disco version) was favored with 5 votes. Ava Cherry's "Streetcar Named Desire" garnished 4 votes.
Thanks to everyone who voted, and to Bob Esty! Bob Esty Month continues, meanwhile, on this blog through April until Bob's birthday (April 20)! Stay tuned!
Dj Buddy Beaverhausen sends out Happy Valentine's Day wishes and love, love, love all over the world with Donna Summer & Bruce Roberts singing "Wherever There Is Love," masterfully remixed by the great Junior Vasquez!
"Nostalgia isn't what it used to be," it's been said, but I find that to be a misleading comment. A couple of weeks ago, I commented on the nostalgia craze on the Billboard Dance/Club Chart, for example. http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/01/retro-is-new-new-on-billboard.html But it is far from the sole example of people being positively aghast at the past.
Walking through the trendy Bloomingdale's Belt in Bloomberg's bountiful borough of Manhattan today, I have to admit the streets were loaded with fashion, hair and make-up styled with an eye towards the '60s and '70s. Both from people old enough to relive the era and the younger crowds. Yes, the styles have been adjusted slightly and, for the mature crowd, tailoring has been let out a little, but the patterns and basic "look" is distinctly based in the '60s & '70s.
Susan Sontag wrote that the camera is addictive, promoting nostalgia while
evoking "the sense of the unattainable in the industrialized world." Certainly, our current cultural imagery reveals that, through ad images and on the runway, we are celebrating hand-me-down fashion. Trash with flash! Pictured here is Ronnie Spector, Sixties styling on a 2012 runway in France! (For those who love the '60s girl group music, please check out http://www.facebook.com/groups/139551149525146/ .)
There was, it seems, no post-War nostalgia. Eyes were mostly set upon the future; the rebuilding; the new world order of the era. In the '60s, the inception of our modern concept of Nostalgia began. The faux-Depression fashions of Bonnie & Clyde, then imitated by a public hungry for something old that was could be made new again. The romantic longing for 19th-Century Lord Byron-like long hair; the return of sideburns; the embracing of the past and rejection of the modern by beatnik and hippie culture.
The '70s was a big time for nostalgia of the '30, '40s, '50s and '60s, spearheaded by Bette Midler. As she said at one of her performances at the Continental Baths in the early '70s: "The '60s were a decade. It's gone, right? We are none of us just 10-years-old, are we?" The '60s were swiftly reborn.
The new nostalgia isn't so much about the '30s through the '50s. It's about baby boomer memories and how they've been reinvented by younger generations. And it's a growing craze. The new and re-newed interest in '70s disco music was already on the rise, then grew even greater since the death of Donna Summer last year. http://www.facebook.com/groups/477960508906045/ The current desire for melodic songs is what has supported contemporary artists like Adele and the late Amy Winehouse.
Nostalgia may not be here to stay. It never is. It comes and goes with the times, often emerging when the economy is weak. But for now, it's where it's at musically, fashion-wise and in our pop culture. Can you dig it?
Below, Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" by Harper's Bizarre (a hit recorded in '67; this performance from '68, and used as the theme song for the movie The Boys in the Band).Nostalgia for nostalgia for nostalgia....
Donna Summer passed away this year on May 17. Today is her birthday; she would have been 64. To commemorate, here is a song about social justice and fairness and love and, most of all, hope; a message I think Ms Summer would very much like to have spread during the holidays and for her birthday. This is "Someday" and the mix is by Almighty.
2012 was, sadly, a year of major losses in pop music, a large number of whom are associated with classic disco and dance music. Not wanting to be maudlin, but attempting to show my respects to idols, legends, superstars, here is an overview of people we dance-music lovers will seriously miss in 2013.
Remember when weekend-afternoon television could entertain us with dynamic talent? There was a time, you know. Soul Train brought us many of the great artists of the classic disco era, and American Bandstand added disco singers to its roster during the genre's heyday. Host and producer of Soul Train, Don Cornelius, passed away early in the year, with Dick Clark of American Bandstand -- upon which Soul Train was modeled -- leaving this mortal coil just two months later.
There probably is no greater icon of classic disco than Ms Donna Summer who, shockingly, left us in May. Ms Summer, posthumously inducted into the 2013 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, appeared on both Soul Train and Bandstand back in the day. The Queen of Disco continued to have successes in the ensuing decades, always primarily a dance diva (despite her masterful ability to assay other musical genres like jazz or ballads), whether the style of her dance music had then evolved into hiNRG or house.
Another iconic diva, Whitney Houston, passed away in 2012, also sending shock waves throughout the world of pop music. Daughter of Cissy Houston (who had her own disco hits), she was a second-generation dance diva who energized the dancefloor with the remixes of a string of hits that were often the essence of fabulousness.
2012's other losses from disco days gone by include Jimmy Ellis of The Trammps ("Disco Inferno") and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees ("Stayin' Alive"), while Andy Williams was known to knock out a disco tune or two, and rapper Adam Yauch of The Beastie Boys was not a total stranger to music for the dancefloor himself ("Shadrach"). The contributions of all these people will genuinely be missed in the new year, but it's through their music that they will continue to live on.
Kicking off Monday on a high note with this fan mix of Donna Summer, Cher & Celine Dion. Tweeted Cher of Donna, after her passing last May, "She was exquisite!... One of the GREAT voices of our time." Have a rosie Christmas, everyone, with three of the iconic voices of our lifetimes! We miss you, Donna.
Donna Summer guest appears at this 2004 Barry Manilow concert in Nevada to duet on "Could It Be Magic," which he wrote and originally recorded as a ballad, and she turned into a disco smash-hit with Giorgio Moroder & Pete Bellotte. I love this and hope you will, too. Happy holidays! We miss you, Donna.
