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 Donna Summer!

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Hot off the presses:

[AUG 29] In chart news, To Paris With Love is the number 1 breakout for Billboard's September 11 Hot Dance Club Play chart.  :-)

[AUG 29] Speaking of To Paris With Love - it was performed live (finally!) in Boston the other night. A clip of it has made it to YouTube but be warned that the sound quality is pretty weak. (That's a flaw in the recording, not in the performance.)

[AUG 29] With the new shows, came some new interviews. (That's part of the fun of a tour!  :-) ) First up is a radio interview with WCBS-FM. You can listen to it here. Then there is an interview on Tri-State Defender Online, one on  PressConnects.com to promote the Binghamton show, a Metro Weekly interview to promote the Wolftrap show (the first half of that is about the rumor - I thought that should be ancient history by now), a Washington Examiner interview, and finally there is a review of the Florida show on the South Florida Times site. I know for a fact there will be a few more coming up to promote the Foxwoods show so keep your eyes on the News Times,  the Sun Times, and the Norwich Bulletin.

[AUG 29] In other tour news, I will have some fan reports and photos coming - I just need a little time to put that all together. In the mean time, there was Disco Diva Photo Contest to promote the Memphis show. The winner was Kirby Dobbs Floyd for this outfit (click it for a larger version):

(Hey, it's not everybody who can pull off that look!  :-) )

[AUG 29] In the Donna is everywhere category, check out this blast from the past: photos from Disney's 30th Anniversary special on the DisneyOnParole blog.  In something a little less scary  LOL, Bruce Roberts has updated his site with a plug for To Paris With Love and his 4 favorite songs. A certain diva appears twice on that list (and I'm not talking either of Cinderella's evil step-sisters!  LOL)

[AUG 29] I think that brings us to the web news for the week. Over at Donna Summertime, Sebastiano has posted a slildeshow/video for To Paris With Love. Look for a few clips from Morristown on Qik.com, over on YouTube look for a classic clip of A Man Like You, a couple of live clips from Atlanta from LilJazzy98 and deshining13, and a couple from Memphis from albohsmiley89.

[AUG 24] Greetings Washington DC area fans - as you know Donna will be playing Wolftrap on the 29th. The official Wolftrap fan facebook page is holding a contest where the winner will get 2 tickets, an autographed setlist and passes to the meet and greet before the show. All you have to do is post a picture of yourself in your favorite dance club outfit to their wall by Thursday.

[AUG 22] Hmmm - I don't know where to start this week. Let's go with the single first. As most of you know, To Paris With Love is available on iTunes - where it has been featured on the main music page as a "What's Hot Now" selection. For those of you who didn't buy it yet, the price has been adjusted to $5.99 which is more in keeping with the price of an EP. 

[AUG 22] There are some new mixes of To Paris With Love yet to come. You can check out samples on DJ Taj's Sound Off Music Blog. One of the comments in that same blog indicated a release date of September 14 for the new mixes. I guess we'll see if that's accurate.  :-)

[AUG 22] Let's move on to the tour. Donna rocked the Hard Rock in Florida the other night, kicking off the second leg of the tour. For those who have been wondering - she did NOT sing To Paris With Love. She kept the show a combination of Crayons tracks and classics.  As is usually the case, right after the show some great photos turned up on WireImage.com and at GettyImages.com. A couple of backstage photos even turned up on Emilio Estefan's Facebook site.

[AUG 22] And you know YouTubers got into the act too. :-)  Check out Florida clips from mascguy4upsl, and TheGrandevasco. (The latter are excellent quality but almost all are very short clips. I think he has something from just about every song though.) For a few clips from Biloxi, check out maheine16. And don't miss this local news report on the Florida show. (And for kicks, check out this promo piece with the news anchors singing along to YouTube. Click the play media link to get the video rolling.)

[AUG 22] Moving on to the world of print media... PBPulse.com has posted a review of the Hard Rock show, Idolator.com has a very short review accompanied by several photos, AccessAtlanta.com has an interview, and the California Chronicle has a new interview (that is also printed on GoMemphis.com). Look for an interview with the Washington Examiner in the very near future to promote the show  at Wolftrap next week.

[AUG 22] In other news, Thierry Mugler Parfums has come out with a fragrance called Womanity. (Some of you already pricked up your ears at the mention of that fragrance name, I know.  ;-) ) In an article discussing the fragrance and the brand concept, they mention that Donna will be recording a song called Womanity. Read the article here, check the Womanity website here, and buy the fragrance here.

[AUG 22] In the Donna is everywhere category, she gets a mention in a Guardian article about songs about euphoria. Love To Love You comes in on their list of 10 euphoria songs. 

[AUG 22] Over on YouTube, aside from the clips from the recent shows - you can also see Donna's performance of Living In America from Reagan's inauguration and a couple of new  video mixes from Fernando.

[AUG 22] Gold Legion shoppers - if you are looking for some classic dance music, use code DISCO to get 10 % off your order and code DISCO2 to get 20% off orders of $60 or more.

[AUG 15] So the big news this week is To Paris With Love. :-) It was as high as #3 on the US iTunes dance chart the other day. Since then it's been hanging around the top 10 in various positions. A couple of blogs have reviewed the single. Sweet Muzik likes it a lot, as does The Prophet Blog, WeArePopSlags.com and SheenaBeaston.com. (I love some of those blog names!  LOL) New York Magazine merely announced the single and has invited readers to comment, and Idolator has a list of some of the remixers working on the song.

[AUG 15] As I mentioned the other day, there are Wawa, Craig C and Mendy mixes of To Paris With Love.  Other mixers are also working on their own interpretations of the song and its possible we may see those in the future. We MAY also see more buying options down the road too -  I don't foresee the song being an iTunes exclusive forever.

[AUG 15] The other news is that the tour kicks back in this week with a date in Florida. BrowardPalmBeach.com has a short article promoting the show. And News Channel 34 has one promoting the Binghamton show.

[AUG 15] Billboard posted a Chart Beat article this week, mainly about Madonna's new song on the Dance chart (sorry Ken  LOL), but it did have another interesting little tidbit.  In the article they listed the artists who have appeared the most on the Dance chart since its inception in 1974.  Madonna leads with 56 appearances, followed by Janet Jackson (37), Pet Shop Boys (33), Donna Summer (30) and Marian Carey (26).

[AUG 15] In the Donna is everywhere category, there is an article online about Manifest Records and in it they talk a little bit about the 1995 I Feel Love remixes and the 1996 State Of Independence mix.

[AUG 15] I think that brings us to the web news for the week.  Over at Donna Summertime, Sebastiano has added a poll to the forum  about To Paris With Love.  While you are over there, why not vote for it for his Top 40 chart?  ;-) On YOuTube, CasablancaBookTV has posted a highlight reel from the Live & More promo reel and a second commercial for I Remember Yesterday.

[AUG 12] To Paris With Love is on  iTunes now. (All of them I think - even Canada! Is this the first time iTunes Canada has had anything the same time as the US?  LOL) There are 8 versions - the original, the original radio edit,  2 Wawa mixes, 2 Craig C mixes and 2 Mendy mixes. (The digital booklet is cute too.  :--) )

[AUG 9] Ok - the new single is called To Paris With Love. (Do I hear a whole bunch of cheering in French?  ;-) ) And there will be remixes.  (Was there ever any doubt?) Get the full scoop on Donna's official site. 

[AUG 8] First up - Phoenix if you missed the mid-week update, you better go look at the tour schedule.  :-) And for everybody, there is a short article from the Arizona Republic promoting the show.

[AUG 8] Okay, I mentioned last week that there will be a new club single released in Ibiza some time this month. Well Sebastiano over at Donna Summertime scooped me :-) and found out that it was co-written with Bruce Roberts and will be called Looking For Love. (By the way, if you haven't been over to Donna Summertime in awhile, you should go visit it again - and vote for the top 40.  ;-) ) There has been talk on DJ forums that remixes are being commissioned for the single - that is probably not news to anyone though. What club single doesn't get remixed?  LOL

[AUG 8] For a blast from the past check out the Setlist wiki.  They have 3 of Donna's setlists posted from 2009, 1996 and 1978. It is possible to add setlists for other shows if you want, and of course you have access to info on many other artists you might also like.

[AUG 8] The Boston Globe decided to compile a list of the top 25 music acts from... well, Boston of course!  ;-) They put Donna at #4 behind Aerosmith, the Pixies and James Taylor and thankfully well ahead of the New Kids On The Block. (Apologies to the New Kids fans - but I was emotionally scarred for life by an afternoon with one young fan back in their heyday.  LOL)

[AUG 8] That brings us to the web news for the week. Over on YouTube look for a couple of classic clips from SlickRickDog.

[AUG 5] PHOENIX - catch Donna on October 16 with the Phoenix Symphony for a fundraising gala. Tickets start at $250 and can be purchased now through the Phoenix Symphony website.

NEWS ARCHIVES

For those looking for Francois' calendar pages, here are the next 3 months:

PERSONAL APPEARANCES

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[CONCERT - USA] August 18 (Wednesday) at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood FL. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster.

[CONCERT - USA] August 20 (Friday) at the Imperial Palace Casino Resort and Spa in Biloxi, MS. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster.

[CONCERT - USA] August 21 (Saturday) Live At The Garden in Memphis, TN. Tickets go on sale April 19 at 10 AM through  Ticketmaster.

[CONCERT - USA] August 22 (Sunday)  at the Chastain Park Amphitheatre in Atlanta, GA. Tickets go on sale Saturday June 19 at 10 AM through Ticketmaster.

[CONCERT - USA] August 25 (Wednesday) at the  Mayo Center for the Arts in Morristown, NJ.  Tickets are on sale now to subscribers and will go on sale to the rest of us on April 20.

[CONCERT - USA] August 27 (Friday) at the Bank Of America Pavilion in Boston, MA. Expensive broker tickets are on sale now at Vividseats.com but regular priced tickets are available through Ticketmaster now.

[CONCERT - USA]  August 29 (Sunday) at Wolftrap in Vienna, VA (near Washington DC). Tickets are on sale now to members. Non-members can get tickets starting March 13.

[CONCERT - USA] August 31 at the Anderson Center in Binghamton, NY. Tickets go on sale May 3 through the venue website.

[CONCERT - USA] September 3 (Friday) at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods in CT. Tickets go on sale April 30 through Ticketmaster.

[CONCERT - USA] September 4 (Saturday) at Trump's Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ. Tickets will go on sale through Ticketmaster on May 6. Taj regulars may be able to cash in comps for tickets sooner than that. THIS SHOW HAS BEEN CHANGED TO SEPTEMBER 4. All tickets purchased for August 28 will be honored on the new date.

[CONCERT - USA] October 16 (Saturday) in Phoenix, AZ with the Phoenix Symphony for a fundraising gala. Tickets start at $250 and can be purchased now through the Phoenix Symphony website.

I will post more dates as I get them.

MEDIA:

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OTHER NEWS:

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Quote Of The Week:

[AUG 29]

TSD: How do you describe yourself as a performer?

DS: Let’s put it like this: I hope that I’m evolving…I think that the thing is that peoples’ tastes change and as a performer you have to grow. And I think that you try to morph yourself into the next you that you are gonna become, while all the time maintaining your true self. And I think that people get it. They get it when you can do that, and they love you for trying. So I think that would be the only way I can describe myself…as morphing.

- Donna Summer, Tri-State Defender Online  August 19, 2010

Summer Fever Pick
September 2010:

Click image

Family Matters:

[JUL 31] Johnnyswim fane, tickets for their show at Joe's Pub in NYC on September 11 are on sale now for $14 through the Joe's Pub website. The tickets are a bargain and the kids are good, so if you are in town that night try to catch them.  :-)

[JUL 26] Bruce fans - catch the new interview with him at SmoothJazz.com. And keep listening for A Glass Of Red And The Sunset on Smooth Jazz radio.

[JUL 26] Johnnyswim fans, catch them at Joe's Pub in New York on September 11. You can also see an interview with them on DipDive.com. (Johnnyswim is first up in the video clip.)

[JUL 18] Bruce fans, catch A Glass Of Red And The Sunset (LA version) on SmoothJazz.com. (It's on the NuJazz video bar - you might have to scroll if it doesn't show up when you first load the page.)

[JUL 11] Brooklyn fans - catch her in the upcoming action thriller Saints & Sinners dues out later this year. In the meantime, you can read the LA Times review of the movie here.

[JUN 27] In Bruce news, his song, Beyond Forever is starting to get added to Smooth Jazz radio stations. 

[JUN 27] Johnnyswim fans - if you missed them on Insider last week, well you can catch it online.  :-) (By the way, if you are wondering - that's their new song Bonsoir that you hear them singing.)

[MAY 23] Canadian Brooklyn fans - catch her in Turn The Beat Around on CTV May 30 at 8 PM (ET).

[MAY 2] Bruce fans, check out his new west coast video for a Glass Of Red And The Sunset. (No cab drivers were confused in the filming of this video!  LOL)  Listen for the song on the radio too. It's been picked up by a few lite jazz, adult contemporary, college radio stations here and there. (You know - the radio stations that cater to us grown-ups.  ;-) )

[APR 25] Taihisha fans - check out her new song How Do I Love along with a short article on SoulBounce.com.

[APR 25] Brooklyn fans - catch her in the new movie Five Star Day. You can read a review of the film here, or catch the trailer here. The movie was premiered at the Newport Film Festival.

[APR 11] Taihisha fans....  if you weren't at Feinstein's you missed one heck of a show! The "diva in training" has definitely graduated and if you ever get the chance to see her live, run - do not walk - to the box office and grab a ticket.  If you want to check out the tunes at home, her single Surrender Your Heart is on iTunes right now. She's got another one called Love coming out in Europe soon and that one you can preview on her MySpace page. (On a side note, after hearing Tai sing Enough Is Enough with Zelma Davis.... I'm nominating those 2 to go teach Jennifer Lopez how to sing it.  And I better stop now before I turn into Ken.  LOL)

[MAR 28] Let's start off with Taihisha Grant. As I have mentioned before she is playing at Feinstein's in New York on Monday April 5. There is still time to get tickets and I have it on good authority that Tai is gonna let her inner diva out.  ;-)  In the meantime, you can get her latest single, Surrender Your Heart, on iTunes. (I should probably warn you that they are planning to change the artwork on the single so it might disappear from the iTunes store for a little while when the make the change. If it does, don't worry - it will be back.)

[MAR 28] Johnnyswim fans - I got to see them in New York the other night.  They got to do about a half a dozen songs (it was a multi-artist event so that's all anyone got to do) including a couple from their 1-4 EP (available on iTunes). And they threw in some new stuff including  one Amanda wrote for her dad and one called Bon Soir. You can check that one out on the UnFiltered Music website - just be aware that the player throws you to a random song when the page loads, so you might have to scroll up to find the Johnnyswim tracks. Amanda and Abner put on a really good show - in person is even better than what you see on YouTube.  If you get the chance to catch them out on the road somewhere, do so. You won't regret it. 

[MAR 28] And finally, Brooklyn Sudano fans -  People Magazine had a few quotes from her in their March 22 Oscar edition (page 36 if you have it handy). It's a short little article so I'm going to cheat and quote it all here: 

<< It's All Relative!
Singer Donna Summer's daughter Brooklyn...

She's a disco diva too!

Brooklyn Sudano, 29, plays a choreographer in Turn The Beat Around, on DVD March 9.

LITTLE HELPER: My sister and I went on tour with my mom. We were the backstage wardrobe assistants.

MOM'S DISCO ERA DUDS: There are lingering outfits in closets. They've been a few of my Halloween costumes.

STILL MOM'S No. 1 FAN: I have as much fun as the fans do at her concerts. I know all the songs word for word. >>

(That is of course ©2010 People Magazine)

IN STORES:

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Crayons by Donna Summer

Stamp Your Feet (remixes) by Donna Summer

I'm A Fire (remixes) by Donna Summer

Life & The Romantic by Bruce Sudano

1-4 by Johnnyswim

You Made It by Mary Gaines Bernard

EDITORIALS AND THINGS:

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Cathy's Soapbox

[MAY 16]

After reading Ken's column I thought I would add one or two things to what he said (while the kittens are sleeping and allowing me to type that is.  LOL)

1.  Re: Johnnyswim - You can't say enough good things about the show.  They were literally performing from 5 PM to 8 PM with only a couple of breaks in the action.  That cannot be easy!  I think Abner said they prepared something like 30 songs for the night.  A bunch were their own originals, and of course there were a bunch of covers thrown in there too - but they were covers done the right way.  Instead of trying to be some copycat version of the originals, Johnnyswim reinterpreted all the covers in their sets into their own style so that the covers blended seamlessly with their original songs. 

2. Re: chit chat with Donna - I didn't know that "get the hell out of my vault and STAY OUT!" counted as "chit chat".  ;-)

3. Re: Whitney Houston - no, Whitney did not pay Ken to say nice things. Ken does have a heart....  sometimes.  ;-)

4. Re: Lena Horne - I want to be Lena when I grow up.  LOL  I ran into an interview with her when I was in my late teens and at the time I maybe knew Stormy Weather, but probably couldn't have put the artist's name with the song.  I don't even know how I happened to turn on this interview, but when I tuned in she was talking about what it was like early in her career when she was playing gigs in the then-segregated South. And I was enthralled. It's one thing to know on an intellectual level about things like segregation - it's another to actually listen to someone who lived through it.  Anyway, that led me to seek out more about her and I ended up catching a broadcast of her one-woman Broadway show. WOW! She blew me away, even though at the time she was "ancient" (she would have been in her 60s - funny how that doesn't seem "ancient" to me anymore.  LOL) She was lively, she was witty, and she could sing.  :-) When Lena Horne passed away last week, I dug out the soundtrack to that Broadway show. I like it even more now than I did back then. There will never be another Lena Horne.