Donna Summer: She could sing anything, anywhere, with anyone, at any time.

[APR 18] Greetings all!  First things first - if next week's update is late, don't freak out. I am (FINALLY) getting my COVID vaccination next weekend! (Very excited about that!!) Anyway,  I know sometimes there are nasty side effects, so if I end up feeling awful then the update will be delayed. On the other hand, if I feel fine, then I will be celebrating with lots of Donna tunes! LOL

[APR 18]  In the Donna is everywhere category, She was part of a Jeopardy question (or maybe I should say answer seeing how the game is played) recently. The $1000 clue in a duet category was "She joined Neil Diamond on 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers' and sang 'No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)' with Donna Summer." The corerct response of course is Barbra Streisand.

[APR 18] In musical news,  look for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical to hit Proctors in Schenectady, NY Dece mber 7 to 12, 2021.  That is, of course, assuming that their projections are correct and they can oped at full capacity by December.  I would say, start looking for more announcements like this.  With the vaccines becoming more available all the time (at least here in the US - I hope everywhere else as well!) I think we will see more live entertainment become available.

[APR 18] Brooklyn Sudano fans - don't forget her new show, Cruel Summer, debuts on Tuesday April 20 on the Freform cable network, and then the next day on Hulu.  If you follow Brooklyn on Instagram (or even Amanda - she joined her sister for the Cruel Summer premiere) then you saw how they handled the big  press premiere in LA.  They put everybody in hotel rooms with balconies that faced out to a courtyard (or roof?) with a giant screen where they projected the first episode. I thought that was a really creative way to handle an event like that in COVID times.

[APR 18] Mary Gaines Bernard Fans - look for her to post a new story on Patreon on Wednesday April 21. It will eventually show on on Facebook as well.  :-)

[APR 18] I think that brings us to YouTube.  Remember a few weeks ago someone had posted the various tracks that make up MacArthur Park? Well that same user has done it to one extent or another for Bad Girls,  Love Is In Control, and Love To Love You. The links I gave you all go to playlists for the songs. Remixers - go have fun! Oh - I also see the drums for Hot Stuff. I'll make this a playlist too in case I find more.)

[APR 11] Happy Sunday all!  Let's jump right in with one for all you fashionistas out there.  i-D.vice.com recently posted their list of Donna's 7 most iconic outfits.  (They seem to be very fond of 1979.)

[APR 11] VinylMePlease.com is selling a blue vinyl copy of Bad Girls that was remastered from the original source tapes. A fan who purchased it said the sound quality is absolutely amazing, and the blue vinyl is gorgeous.  His only real complaint was about the quality of the cover - the front is a bit washed out, and the back is darker than it should be. He said you can also see pixels if you look closely enough.  The inner red sleeves with the lyrics are printed on a heavier paper than usual, but they do stick out of the main sleeve just a bit.  But it sounds to me like he is so impressed with the sound quality of this release that any issues with the cover are irrelevent.  :-) His exact quote was" Donna's vocals almost seem live now like you are listening in the booth with her."

[APR 11] Former "Diva Donna" from the musical, Ariana DeBose did a brief AMA (ask me anything) on Twitter today. In it she was asked what her favorite Donna Summer song is - the MacArthur Park Suite, and she was asked if she could have lunch with any of the characters she's portrayed, who would she pick. Her choice was Donna Summer.  :-)

[APR 11] I think that brings us to YouTube.  I'm in the mood for some covers tonight. First up, Nights In White Satin live.  Then we have Pearls live in Westbury NY,  Georgia On My Mind (audio only), Natural Woman live (audio only),  Superstar live at the Hollywood Bowl (accompanied by Richard Carpenter),  and Nature Boy live at the Hollywood Bowl.

[APR 4] Happy Easter to all of you who observe it. Happy Sunday to everyone else!  First up - it's a new month so it's time for the new Summer Fever Pick. Spring is in the air, so it's time for Love To Love You Baby.  :-)

[APR 4] On to Donna.... The Grammy website posted an article celebrating women singers who shaped dance music.  Of course you know they had to talk about I Feel Love.   :-)

[APR 4] Johnnyswim fans - our favorite duo has something sneaky up their sleeves in honor of the 1 year anniversary of their first Song with Strangers.  It just might be... more songs with strangers.  ;-)  Watch their Instagram for more info.

[APR 4] Brooklyn Sudano fans -  don't forget her new series Cruel Summer debuts on April 20 on Freform (ot the next day on Hulu).

[APR 4] Musical theater fans... Here in the US, things are starting to look hopeful.  There is talk of theaters being allowed to open this fall (if not sooner) with the appropriate pandemic protocols in place.  Broadway in Boston has already started selling subscriptions for a season  slated to start this coming November. Included in their lineup will be Summer: The Donna Summer Musical slated for February 22 to March 6, 2022.  Obviously this could all change depending on how things go with the pandemic, but I feel like we actually might have a light at the end of the tunnel!

[APR 4] And that brings us to YouTube.  In keeping with the holiday, let's look at Donna's spiritual songs.  First up, Amazing Grace. Then we have a gospel medley from the Mac Davis Show,  How Great Thou Art,  Forgive Me,  Riding Thru The Storm, and He's A Rebel.

[MAR 29] Greetings all.  First things first - I just bought a new computer so that's why this update is late. I had the update all written out, and then I couldn't publish. I found out that the problem was that I am a dumbass.  LOL

[MAR 28] On to the news.  Johnnyswim was live in the backyard the other day. You can now watch it on YouTube.

[MAR 28] Spring cleaning season is here and The Atlantic posted a playlist to keep you motivated while doing the work. Donna made the list with a surprising choice - Pandora's Box.  Not many casual fans would know that one.  :-)

[MAR 28] Bruce fans - check out his interview with Glide Magazine.

[MAR 28] And because I need to get back to beating my head against a wall with the new computer - this will bring us to YouTube.  Let's do some interviews to keep things easy. First up A&E's Biography.  Then we have another documentary here, and the Signed Media interview here.  Fingers crossed - I'll be back to normal next weekend!

[MAR 21] Greetings all!  Let's start off with a reminder that Johnnyswim will be Live In The Backyard this coming Tuesday (March 23). They are going with a 90s Spring Break theme, so look for some beachy limited edition merchandise to hit their webstore tomorrow morning. They will have cups, shirts, hats, etc all starting tomorrow at 8AM PDT. Get there early if you want to buy - their stuff sells out fast!

[MAR 21] And speaking of Johnnyswim, they wrote a new song called The Best Thing Ever that will be in the Netflix release, A Week Away that debuts Friday March 26.  The soundtrack  is already available on streaming services like Spotify. (Hey the new song sounds like it would fit in with Live In  The Backyard!)

[MAR 21] In honor of the Grammy Awards, CMT.com posted its list of 5 Essential Historic Country Music Grammy Moments. Right off the bat, they start with Donna and Kenny Rogers' duet of Grammy nominated songs.  :-)

[MAR 21] I think that brings us to YouTube. First up, a video I haven't seen for awhile - the edited version of Donna hosting American Bandstand.  (Bandstand was a 1 hour show, but at one point VH1 started airing half hour edits of the shows under the title The Best Of American Bandstand.) Donna was the only person other than Dick Clark to ever host.  That was 1978. She also did the show as a guest in 1976 where she sang Love To Love You and Try Me,  and she was on the Christmas 1984 Episode where she did Supernatural Love and I'm Free, which you can see in the VH1 edited version of the show.  She also sang some Christmas songs on that show, but that video seems to have disappeared off YouTube for now. Donna also did aninterview with GMA and Dick Clark in which they showed a clip of Donna hosting Bandstand t hat didn't make the edited VH1 version.

[MAR 14] Happy Sunday all! And Happy Pi Day. (This concludes the math portion of the update.  LOL)  On a personal note, I was finally able to schedule appointments for COVID vaccinations for me and my parents, so I feel like there might be a light at the end of this long quarantine tunnel! Maybe some live shows this summer? Is it too much to hope for?

[MAR 14] On to the news! On the Donna front, we have a couple of webpages that turned up recently. The first is on Amo Mama and is  a biography of sorts focusing on Donna's family. It give a little background on Donna, then it talks about Bruce, and then each of the girls. I don't think there is much there that most of us didn't already know, but it's a fun read anyway.  The other page is on Who's Dated Who, and it's just what you'd think from the site name.  There isn't much there, and at least some of what is there is just silly gossip.  The fun of this site is the 6 degrees of separation search.  Type in any celebrity name and the site will see if it can find connections between Donna and that celebrity.  Naturally (if you are me  LOL), you type in a ridiculously improbable celebrity name in the hopes of stumping their computer.  You'd be surprised at what it comes up with sometimes.  And as long as we are talking silly things.... some of you might have seen some animated photos of Donna on Facebook. There is a site that does that.  It's the Deep Nostalgia app on the My Heritage website. It's meant for uploading old photos of your deceased ancestors to give you an idea of what they were like when they were alive. It's sort of a creepy version of the moving photos from the Harry Potter films.  It's fun to play with, but I wouldn't use it on a photo of anybody I cared about just because it is kind of creepy.

[MAR 14] Ok - let's move on to something that's not silly.  As you know, Bruce was on Plymouth Rock TV's  Sunday Story Tellers last week.  Those shows to become available on demand eventually.  The latest episode they put on demand was from about 2 weeks ago I think, so we may see Bruce's episode up next weekend.

[MAR 14] Also, Bruce was interviewed by Dave Marsh this morning on SiriusXM channel 106 on Kick Out The Jams With Dave Marsh.  If you have SiriusXM, you can probably catch a replay on demand on the Sirius XM website next week.  They have previous episodes posted on demand now, but the most recent one was from last Sunday.

[MAR 14] Bruce's fellow Brooklyn Dream, Joe Bean Esposito, was interviewed recently by New Jersey Stage. It's a pretty good overview of his entire career and yes, he does talk about working with Donna.  LOL

[MAR 14] Johnnyswim fans - catch them live in the Backyard on March 23 at 5:30.... I just realized that that they said PST, but I believe that should be PDT now?  They are going with a Spring Break theme, and I know they are working on new merch for the show.  :-) Keep an eye on their Instagram for updates, and of course the show will be aired on both Instagram and YouTube.

[MAR 14] You can also catch Johnnyswim doing an AMA on the Magnolia Network's Instagram. And they FINALLY give the true story of how they came up with the band name! (Or did they?  LOL)

[MAR 14] Oooo- BREAKING NEWS on YouTube! Harry Langdon literally just published a video on The Wanderer photoshoot.

[MAR 14]  So that does bring us to YouTube finally. I'm feeling the need for live music, so let's have some concerts this time. First up, Crayons 2008.  Then we have Brazil 1995, Mistaken Identity 1991,  Spain 1990, and finally an audio from Japan 1979 that is longer than the usual video that's been on YouTube forever.  This audio is 1:17 instead of 45 minutes.

[MAR 6] Greetings all! It's pretty quiet this week so let's start off with a new remix. This one is the 2021 Impassioned Lockdown mix of Love To Love You made from the original multitracks.

[MAR 6] In the Donna is everywhere category, Broadway World posted an article in honor of Women's History Month about Broadway shows based on real women in history. And Yes Summer: The Donna Summer Musical was on that list.  Which brings me to item #2 -  this week Jeopardy featured this question (wait... I mean answer. You know how the game works.  LOL ) "In the roles of Diva Donna, Disco Donna and Duckling Donna, 3 actresses played this 1970s singer in a 2018 show." Apparently the 3 contestants gave 3 different answers - Cher, Mama Mia and finally the correct answer, Donna Summer.

[MAR 6] Mary Gaines Bernard fans - she has a new video up on Patreon. This one is called Prankster Duet. If you don't have Patreon, you will be able to see the story on the Facebook group probably next weekend.  :-)

[MAR 6] Bruce Sudano fans - look for him on The Sunday Story Tellers Series tomorrow night at 6pm on the Plymouth Rock TV channel on Roku, Distro TV, AppleTV, Amazon Fire TV and the PRTV app for iOS and Android. Also catch Bruce in the new video from Christian John Wikane where he asks 8 people to talk about their greatest challenge.  The video is here and Bruce is the second guest in the video.

[MAR 6] Johnnyswim fans: check out their latest interview for Relevant Magazine talking about their life during lockdown.

[MAR 6] That brings us to YouTube. Let's have a few laughs this week. First up, a 20 min compilation of clips with varying levels of humor.  Then we have a 2008 clip of Donna (and Bruce) being silly,  Donna on Regis & Kathie Lee having fun, a Vimeo clip with Donna being VERY silly, and Donna with Barry Manilow having way too much fun with Could It Be Magic.

[FEB 28] Greetings all! Tomorrow starts a new month, so we have a new Summer Fever Pick. This time we go back to Lady Of The Night.  Also, here in the US, February is Black History Month and March is Women's History Month.  Since Donna fits into both categories, it is your  assignment to spend the rest of today and tomorrow listening to all your favorite Donna songs.  ;-)

[FEB 28] We have a couple of new YouTube documentaries on Donna that were posted recently. One is Why Are They Iconic: Donna Summer, and the other is The Tragic Tale Of Donna Summer.  Diehard fans are not going to find any new info there - particularly if you read Donna's autobiography.  (And if you haven't, Amazon has it available for the Kindle at a normal price, or as a hard cover at many wildly different prices.)

[FEB 28] Brooklyn Sudano fans - her new TV series Cruel Summer debuts on April 20 on the Freeform network. It will be also on Hulu, with new episodes airing there the day after they debut on Freeform. You can read more on IndieWire, and on TVLine. (The latter also has a video trailer.)

[FEB 28] Bruce Sudano fans - Vents Magazine has an article about Bruce's latest single, It Don't Take Much.  Also, keep an eye on Bruce's Instagram. He posted a contest recently and said to stay tuned for more.

[FEB 28] Johnnyswim fans - catch them in EW.com's article on the Magnolia Network. The article also features a video with a short clip from Amanda & Abner's second series - At Home With Johnnyswim which then flows into a conversation between our favorite duo and Chip & Joanna Gaines.

[FEB 28] Here's a silly thing for you. If you haven't done it yet, stream episode 3 (Charleston) of Home On The Road with Johnnyswim with the subtitles ON . (That's available on Discovery+). Here's the thing. Someone somewhere put the wrong subtitle file on the episode, so instead of seeing what Johnnyswim is saying, you see the subtitles from some gardening show. And that creates some interesting juxtapositions at times.  For instance, as Abner talks about the venue they are scheduled to play, the subtitles say something to the effect of "this used to be a big compost heap..."  LOL  I'd love to find the gardening show and see if it has the Johnnyswim subtitles.

[FEB 28] OK, I think that brings us to YouTube.  Let's celebrate our Summer Fever Pick this time.  So first up, an excellent quality clip of Lady Of The Night from a European TV appearance.  Then we have another great clip for The Hostage, also from European TV.  After that we have a lyric video for Wounded, another one for Let's Work Together Now, and one for Virgin Mary.  And finally a bonus lyric video for Can't Understand.

[FEB 21] Happy Sunday all! Last time I mentioned the Donna Summer documentary that's in the works. Well, Brooklyn posted an Instagram story on her account where she talks about the documentary and how she and the family would love for the fans to be a part of it. So she reiterated the call for  film, photos, memorabilia, stories about how Donna impacted your life, etc. If you have things you would like to share, send an email to  thedonnadoc@gmail.com explaining just what you have.  :-) And then they will get back to you.  Brooklyn's post is gone now (because that's how Instagram stories work - they vanish after awhile), but you can follow Brooklyn on Instagram so you don't miss any future posts.  (I will warn you, Brooklyn is not as prolific on social media as her younger sister is.  It's possible that makes her smarter than all of us.  LOL)

[FEB 21] Mary Gaines Bernard is also working on a project with the help of her daughter the Marvelous Xe. To find out more about that, you gotta join the Facebook group!   :-)

[FEB 21]  Johnnyswim fans -  Their Love In The Backyard concert is now available on YouTube for your viewing pleasure.  You can also catch their watch party for Home On The Road with Johnnyswim (now streaming on Discovery+). That is broken into 3 parts and is basically just Amanda & Abner's Quaran-Team (who do all their live in the backyard stuff) watching the show and commenting on things as they go along. In between they answer a few questions and sing a few songs.  For each episode (there are 6) they give you a countdown so you can hit play the same time they do.  Catch part 1 here, part 2 here and part 3 here.  Now whether you stream the watch party or now, when you watch the show on Discovery+, look for a guest appearance by Bruce Sudano in the Long Island episode (#5).  There is also some discussion about Donna in that one so Donna fans will be interested too.  :-)

[FEB 21] One bit of info that slipped out during the watch party is that their next series of At Home With Johnnyswim (which takes place during lockdown) is expected to come out July 15.  That's when the Magnolia network officially launches on cable, so check with your cable provider for more details. (Or if you have cut the cord - just go with Discovery+.  I was surprised when I signed up for the trial just how many channels are in the Discovery network. This is a streaming service I might actually keep!) Oh, I almost forgot, there are a couple of t-shirts available at Johnnyswim.com to celebrate the watch party.

[FEB 21] Also in Johnnyswim news, they have a book coming out on June 8 called Home Sweet Road: Finding Love, Making Music & Building A Life One City At A Time. It's a collection of stories, photos, poetry, recipes (they are major foodies!  LOL) and more from their live on the road.  It's available for pre-order at places like Amazon now. And there will be autographed copies available on Johnnyswim.com at some point.

[FEB 21] Bruce Sudano fans -  his new single, It Don't Take Much (starring Honey the cat  LOL) is now #124 on the BDS Building chart. If you haven't checked out the video yet, it's on YouTube.

[FEB 21] And speaking of YouTube... let's see what Donna goodies I'm in the mood for tonight.  Well it snowed here the better part of the last couple of days, so every thing I see around me is white. Let's do some tracks that go with that. So of course there is White Christmas.  Then there is White Boys from Hair,  and Donna's cover of Nights In White Satin.  Umm....  then I guess we can go with Dim All the Lights (because she's turning her brown body white? Yes It's a stretch  LOL), and Reflections from Divas 2000 (because it did snow that morning - I had to drive to the train station in it.  LOL) And I have to end with Enough Is Enough because I'm pretty sure I said that after the 3rd or 4th time I shoveled out my driveway!  LOL Is it Spring yet??

[FEB 12] Happy Friday all!  I'm back early this week because I have some news for you (and because I plan to be watching Johnnyswim Live In The Backyard on Sunday - more on that in a bit.)

[FEB 12] Some of you have seen this on Facebook or the Fan Club site already,  but I am now officially authorized to make this announcement:

"The long awaited authorized documentary of one of the greatest vocalists is in production, and we are looking to you for help!

Donna Summer is calling on her loyal fanbase to check those attics, dust off those boxes and dive into any treasured materials you may have been holding onto for a moment just like this!

We have been working with Donna’s family to uncover untold treasures that will bring this film to life, but now we need YOU to show Donna’s story in a way that has never been done before!

Donna’s fans were family to her – her extensive journals speak to this – which is why we are asking you to help us portray the amazing, sometimes even life changing experiences that this legendary performer’s shows could have on those who were there at the time, and you can do this by sharing your beloved personal materials of Donna Summer including:

*Donna Summer performance footage/photos/ticket stubs/t-shirts/vintage merchandise
*Photos / home videos of you / your friends at a Donna Summer show (snap-shots, S8mm film, VHS video, etc.)
*You in a present day video telling us what Donna meant to you and how her music influenced you
*Ephemera/posters advertising the performances
*Newspaper clippings from your local print publication highlighting/advertising the shows

Please contact us if you may have something to contribute to this project but do not send any photos or videos initially -- only send us a short note telling us what you have available, including the show date and a general description of what you have (example: “June 17, 1978 at the Universal Amphitheater, 8mm silent footage shot and owned by myself.”)

Please make clear what year(s) the material was shot, what format it was shot in, and the format it is currently in. (i.e. 8mm, 16mm, digital, etc.)

Send the descriptions of your photos, audio, and/or films to us at thedonnadoc@gmail.com, and we will follow up about reviewing your material. Thank you, and stay in touch!"

This came to me from a gentleman named Daniel who is working with Donna's family and who is definitely interested in making this documentary great.  So if you have anything that you think might be of interest, please  email a LIST of what you have to thedonnadoc@gmail.com. Once they figure out what is out there and what they can use, they will be in touch with individuals with info on how to send them the actual stuff.   :-)

[FEB 12] So let's get back to Johnnyswim Live In The Backyard, or as they are calling it this time, Love In The Backyard. The merchandise is already available for sale on Johnnyswim.com as of this morning (and some things are sold out already - you have to be quick with them!  LOL) The concert itself is Sunday at 6:30 PST and should make for a nice COVID era date night. Just picture a quiet romantic dinner at home followed by a Johnnyswim concert right there in your living room.  :-) Also, don't forget you can catch the entire season of Johnnyswim Home On The Road on Discovery+ on Friday February 19. Watch their Instagram for more details.

[FEB 12] Bruce Sudano fans - his new video is out right in time for Valentine's Day. The song is It Don't Take Much (Because I Do) and stars animated Bruce with his animated band the Brucettes. It's an homage to his animated cat Honey, and features appearances by the Super Bruce Bobblehead, and the magic chair from Keep Doin' What You're Doin'.  You can catch the video along with an article about the song on Parade.com. Oh - if you actually have a cat, don't make my mistake. I watched with one of my cats and now I think she's getting ideas..... sigh

[FEB 12] I think that brings us to YouTube.  It's Valentine's weekend.... since Donna doesn't have any songs about chocolate, then I guess we have to go with the theme of love. Gee, I wonder if she recorded any songs about that?  LOL So we have I Feel Love from The Midnight Special,  I Love You from Johnny Carson,  Donna's cover of The Power Of Love, No Ordinary Love Song (written for Ordinary Girl),  To Paris With Love, I Will Live For Love (the ballad), and of course we have to include Love To Love You Baby, this one live in 1977. Happy Valentine's Day all!

[FEB 7] Greetings all! It's another snow day here in NY - I guess that's Mother Nature's way of making me exercise? (That snow doesn't shovel itself!  LOL)

[FEB 7] Let's start off with Johnnyswim.  On Sunday the 14th, they will be Live In The Backyard for a Valentine's Day concert, and Abner has already started teasing the merchandise. Something about mixtapes? I guess we'll find out later in the week.  :-)  You can catch the show on YouTube (which has the better quality feed) and Instagram. Merchandise will be on their website probably Friday or Saturday, and the show is Sunday at 6:30 PST (and then on demand on YouTube thereafter.)

[FEB 7] That's not the only Johnnyswim news.  As you know the first episode of their TV Show for Magnolia is available on the Discovery+ streaming service.  But you don't have to settle for just one episode. On February 19, Discovery+ will air all the episodes and Johnnyswim plans to have a live watch party on Instagram.  Now here's the thing - Discovery+ is $4.99 or $6.99 per month (depending on if you want to deal with ads or not) - but you can also get a 7 day free trial.  So, if you time things right, you can watch Johnnyswim for free and then still have time to explore Discovery+ to see if you want to keep it.

[FEB 7] Also in Johnnyswim news, they hooked up with Acura to perform some songs for a virtual watch party. I shared 1 clip last week, but there were several performances and Acura had put them all together in one video now/ You can see it here.  The duo also appeared on the  PreachersNSneakers podcast where they talked about a number of things - including a SECOND upcoming show for Magnolia.

[FEB 7] Bruce Sudano fans, the new issue of Goldmine is out and in it is an article where Bruce lists the 10 albums that changed his life.  Bruce posted it on his Instagram, or you can grab a copy of the magazine in stores.

[FEB 7] Moving on to the Donna is everywhere category - RuPaul's Drag Race did a disco themed episode recently and of course Donna was mentioned. Someone collected the relevant parts of the show and posted them on Vimeo.  The photos they showed are pretty cool and I loved listening to Ru work all the disco song titles into his intro. I wasn't very happy with the contestant who tried to explain the difference between Diana Ross and Donna though. I think someone needs to lock him in a room with some Donna music until he is fully educated!  :-) 

[FEB 7] The Ten-Minute Record Reviews vlog has a review of Love To Love You Baby.  The reviewer gives a ton of background info before he gets into the actual review. (Spoiler alert - he gives it 4 out of 5 stars.  :-) )

[FEB 7] I think that brings us to YouTube.  In honor of cleaning up after 2 snowstorms in a week's time, I'm going to go with a theme of work. So of course we have to start with  She Works Hard For The Money, this one live on a TV show.  Then we have a liveandmore video for the Womack rework of Working The Midnight Shift,  I Don't Wanna Work That Hard from Live & More Encore,  Work Than Magic (the official video),  and Riding Through The Storm from Live & More Encore.

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