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

[JUN 13] Happy  Sunday all! Let's start off with Johnnyswim. Their book, Home Sweet Road, is available now.  To celebrate, the couple did a .... well it was going to be Live In The Studio concert, but then they changed it to Live In The Livingroom.  They did a new song, some old songs, and they read from their book.  You can check it out on YouTube.

[JUN 13] But that's not the big Johnnyswim news. The real news is that they are going back out on the road this fall!  The dates are here, and if you want the inside scoop on new dates, etc, you need to sign up the Johnnyswim's newsletter. You can do that on their website.  Live shows are back!!!

[JUN 13] All Media Broadcasting has posted the "Ultimate Stock Aitken Waterman Top 40". Donna appears in 3 of the 4 parts.  In Part 2 you can see her at 16:55 With Love's About To Change My Heart at #26.  In Part 3, you see her at 33:12 with  I Don't Wanna Get Hurt at #12. (It looks like they recut the music video for that so it now includes footage of Donna singing the song mixed in with the original video footage. ) And finally in Part 4 you can see Donna at about 44:00 in the number 1 spot with This Time I Know It's For Real.  This clip also includes a bunch of people talking about Donna after the video ends.  I should mention that this list was voted on by fans and is definitely geared towards the UK. (The chart data that gets quoted here and there is all UK chart data.) Now if you want to see the entire list of songs without having to watch the whole videos, just zip to the end of each part and you can see a list of all the songs covered in each part.

[JUN 13] Speaking of Donna, I finally got to read the 33 1/3 Once Upon A Time Book by Alex Jeffrey that came out last month.  It was pretty interesting. It's broken into chapters that analyze the Cinderella story the album tells, and puts it in context of other Cinderella stories,  what was going on in Donna's life at the time the album came out, what was going on in society when the album came out, and of course this is all viewed through the lens of the author's personal experience of listening to the album.  As I said, it was very interesting to read. You may find yourself agreeing with the author, or you may find yourself disagreeing with the author.  But I can pretty much guarantee that after you read the book, you will want to pull the album out again and listen to it start to finish.

[JUN 13] Brooklyn Sudano fans - the finale of Cruel Summer is on Tuesday. And to get you in the mood, check out this interview with Brooklyn on YouTube.  And UK fans - Cruel Summer will hit Amazon Prime for you on August 6.  (2 tips for you guys when you watch: pay attention to everything and try to avoid spoilers!)

[JUN 13] I think that brings us to YouTube.  I think to celebrate live shows coming back, we should take a look at some live concerts.  First up, one I actually watched last night - Live & More Encore 1999. (What memories that brings back!!) Then we have Crayons from 2008,  Mistaken Identity 1991,  Brazil 1995, Japan 1987, and Italy 1977.

[JUN 6] Greetings all, and Happy Pride Month! I think it's actually safe to celebrate this year!   :-)

[JUN 6] Johnnyswim fans -  there book comes out in 2 days, but that's not all. They are announcing a TOUR as well. Look for that announcement in 2 days. If you head over to their website and sign up for their newsletter, the dates will come right to your email box.  Abner has said on Instagram, that they are creating special merchandise for the concert (like they do with the Live From The Backyard events) that you can buy in advance to wear to the shows. Concert season is back!

[JUN 6] In the Donna is everywhere category (or at least her style is), River City Fashion paid tribute to Donna's iconic looks last year (in an article that I only just found out about).  The article talks a bit about Donna's style and then features photos of a model dressed in outfits inspired by Donna's looks.

[JUN 6] Brooklyn Sudano fans - the penultimate episode of Cruel Summer debuts Tuesday.  We should be getting some more answers to the  questions that have been haunting viewers since the show began. Questions like: Who is lying?,  What secrets are being hidden?, What is the significance of the snow globe they showed last week?, Why isn't Brooklyn in more scenes and will she sing again? And the most important one - can this show have a satisfying conclusion while still leaving room for a (potential) season 2? We'll find out soon!

[JUN 6] On to YouTube. I guess for Pride it's only appropriate that we play a couple clips of Donna playing Gay Days in Orlando back in 2007.  (Sorry, the quality if these is not going to be all that great.  They were all filmed by fans - in the rain no less.) First up is MacArthur Park.  Then we have On The Radio,  and Last Dance.  This one has a bit of She Works Hard For The Money and Last Dance and the fireworks at the end.  And this one is Hot Stuff, but the sound is absolutely horrible.  And just to make up for the bad sound, here is Donna live for the Night of the Proms in Belgium 2005 (it's so much easier to listen to!  LOL) And since part of Pride is dressing up for the parades - well, here you go. Donna and Prince Poppycock dressed up for America's Got Talent.

[MAY 30] Happy Sunday all! And I hope my American friends are enjoying the holiday weekend. (And if you are, or even if you aren't, take a minute to remember the reason for the holiday.  Thank you to all the service people, vets and especially to those families who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.)

[MAY 30]  I'm going to start off this week with Brooklyn's show Cruel Summer because I told you last week that last week's episode was the season finale. Apparently I was reading the wrong sites.  LOL  There are actually THREE more episodes left - and thank god for that because I still have a bunch of questions I need answered!  (Like - when is Brooklyn's character gonna break out the karaoke machine again?  LOL) And according to the articles I've read fans will be on the edge of their seats until the very end.  :-)

[MAY 30] In Donna news, MusicRadar.com is doing a series of articles on the greatest synth sounds of all time.  #3 on their list is I Feel Love and they have lots of techy stuff about how to recreate the sound.

[MAY 30] Vinyl collectors - mark your calendars!  On July 9 we are looking at a Demon Record colored vinyl release of The Wanderer,  Cats Without Claws, All Systems Go, Another Place And Time, and Mistaken Identity. RetroPopMagazine.com has the announcement along with photos of the albums. As always, the colored vinyl looks gorgeous!

[MAY 30] Memorial Day weekend is traditionally a time when radio stations count down summer songs, and SiriusXM's Studio 54 channel is no different. They counted down the top 54 Disco songs as voted by the listeners. .  Bad Girls came in at #8, I feel Love at #6... and at #1?  None other than Last Dance!  :-) If you are a subscriber, you can catch the countdown on demand on the SiriusXM website.

[MAY 30] In the Donna's music is everywhere category, there is a song called Mr. Haze by Texas. It uses samples of Love's Unkind. (That's pretty cool - that one doesn't usually get much attention outside  the Donna fan community!)

[MAY 30] Since June 1 is just around the corner, I'll post the new Summer Fever Pick now and it is Four Seasons Of Love. I think that's an appropriate choice. I don't know about the rest of you, but around here Mother Nature has been a little weird and I swear I've experiences all 4 seasons just this week!  LOL

[MAY 30] And I think that brings us to YouTube.  Let's start off with God Bless America and The Star Spangled Banner.  Then we have Amazing Grace live in Nashville,  Celebrate Me Home live in Japan,  and finally Let There Be Peace.

[MAY 23] Happy Sunday all!  Next weekend marks the official start of the summer season here in the  US, and things are starting to open up more around here (and I hope it's getting better all around the world too.)  So I suggest we all put on our dancing shoes, blast some Donna tunes and celebrate until we just can' dance anymore. (At my age, that probably won't take too long.  LOL)  Oh and let me apologize now the the recent flood of typos on the site. My spellcheck was accidentally turned off and I didn't realize it until now.  So now you all know what a crummy typist I am.  (My brain can spell - just not my fingers!  LOL)

[MAY 23]  In the land of Donna, I forgot to mention that I got my copy of 33 1/2 Once Upon A Time last week. I've been busy so I haven' t had time to do more than read the intro - but it looks fascinating.  The book itself is a small paperback (about the size of my hand) with about 120 pages of text.  From what I can tell. it looks like an academic look at the Once Upon A Time album.  Think back to school when you would discuss famous books in class - I think this is sort of the same idea.  I'm looking forward to sitting down with it later.

[MAY 23] In the Donna is everywhere category, Pitchfork.com has an article about the Sparks album No. 1 In Heaven that includes a discussion of Donna's I Feel Love.

[MAY 23] Rolling Stone just published an interview with Warren Ham who you may remember was part of Donna's touring band at one time. (You can see him in the Hot Summer Night concert.)  In it he talks about a lot of things including his time with Donna.  (He also talks about his time with Cher -  I know some of you guys are Cher fans too.)

[MAY 23] Johnnyswim fans -  Their book Home Sweet Road comes out June 8.  In honor of that, the duo is thinking of doing a Live From The Livingroom event where they will sing and maybe read some excerpts from the book.  They are looking at the first week of June, but they don't have a specific date set.  Keep your eyes on their Instagram.

[MAY 23] Bruce Sudano fans - I forgot to tell you last week that he is giving you the chance to win a Super Bruce Bobblehead. Details are on his YouTube channel, but I'll tell you now that the first step to win is to subscribe to his channel. (Click the bell too so you are notified when he posts something new.)  And if you haven't already subscribed to Bruce's channel, why not?  Don't be like my dad who just clicks random (and usually weird) things on YouTube and then doesn't know how to find them again. Subscribe to the stuff you like so you can always find it again!

[MAY 23] Brooklyn Sudano fans - the season finale of Cruel Summer debuts on Freeform on Tuesday night (Wednesday if you watch it on Hulu.)  Brooklyn's character has been more involved in the last couple of episodes (she has a really impressive scene in the last one in particular) so I expect to see her in the finale as well.  And for those who have been following the storyline, a recent interview with one of the stars confirms that while answers to the main plot will be gives, there will still be things to explore in potential future seasons.  So here's hoping that the series is renewed and we get to see plenty more of Brooklyn (maybe even with her karaoke  machine! LOL)

[MAY 23]  I think it's YouTube time.  In honor of the Once Upon A Time book, let's look at some music from that album.  First up, a  promo video for the title track.  (I feel like that aired on The Midnight Special at one time, but I might be misremembering.) Then we have Fairy Tale High/Faster And Faster live in Japan,  A Man Like You live on the Midnight Special,  I Love You live on The Tonight Show,  an alternate version of If You Got It Flaunt It, and a liveandmore video for Queen For A Day.  Finally, since it was 9 years ago today that Donna was laid to rest,  I want to mark the occasion  with one of Donna's final public performances of Last Dance.  We still miss you Donna.

[MAY 16] Greeting all! My second COVID shot is done and I celebrated by sleeping ALL DAY yesterday. (That's not an exaggeration, the shot really did knock me on my butt! )  But today I am feeling energetic enough to celebrate all things Donna on the eve of the 9th anniversary of her passing.  In honor of that, Suecase Hall has made a new tribute video to Donna that you can watch here.

[MAY 16] In the Donna is everywhere category this week,  We have Series 3 episode 3 of Pose being heavily influenced by Donna (look and music).  And then episode 3 of the Netflix series Halston features a scene set in Studio 54 where you can here Spring Affair.  It just goes to show that Donna's music will always be with us.

[MAY 16] Bruce Sudano fans, Bruce posted his video for Walking Down The Road on Facebook the other day, and in his post he teased a new song and video from a new project coming in about a month.   :-)

[MAY 16] Brooklyn Sudano fans - last week (FINALLY) featured some more Brooklyn and she even got to sing. (Wait don't get too excited - it was just karaoke. It's not like she hired a band and took over the whole show or anything.  LOL)  BUT - it did make me figure out everything finally.  Those of you who have been watching, see if this makes sense to you. Jeannette was completely complicit in Kate's kidnapping because it was part of her master plan to get to someday sing karaoke with Brooklyn Sudano....  (And if that's NOT the actual answer to the mystery, then I will be really mad.  LOL)  But seriously, episode 6 debuts Tuesday on Freeform (Wednesday on Hulu) and I believe there are only supposed to be a total of 7 episodes, to they better start answering some questions SOON.  The teaser for episode 6 does show Brooklyn, so we will get to see more of her this week.  If you haven't been watching the show yet, start binge watching now to catch up!

[MAY 16] I think that brings us to YouTube.  Well, I have to start off with this one -Donna and Barry having way too much fun with Could It Be Magic.  Unfortunately this is only a small pieces of the original, the longer versions seem to have vanished (for now).  And speaking of videos that won't last long, there is this full length video from Broadway.  Then another favorite of mine, the ballad for I Will Live For Love.  And looking to tomorrow, I have another Suecase Hall video with celebrities remembering Donna,  and finally 2 songs that I feel Donna left for us as a way of saying goodbye - Omega Red's Angel and her cover of Netherlands.

{MAY 16] And finally - my MS walk was officially yesterday, but since it is virtual again this year I can do it any time I like so hopefully the weather will allow me to walk next weekend. My usual walking buddy will be back and I won't need to sleep off the COVID shot anymore. I'll see if I can film something fun for the occasion.  :-) Thank you to all who contributed - and even though WalkMS might not count the December 2020 donations  as going towards this walk, I do count them.  :-) You guys ROCK!

[MAY 9] Happy Mother's Day all!  Let me start off with an announcement for next week's update. I'm scheduled for my second COVID vaccine on Friday, and the word is that sometimes the second shot hits you harder than the first.  So if this shot knocks me on my butt, then the update will be late.  But no matter how I react to the shot - at least I will be that much closer to normal life!  :-)

[MAY 9] Speaking of things returning to normal - Broadway is scheduled to reopen later this year, along with tons of local theaters.  So keep an eye on your local theater community news.  Some of you will find that you won't just get the joy of seeing any show, but you may find that Summer: The Donna Summer Musical is heading your way.   :-)

[MAY 9] Brooklyn Sudano fans - Cruel Summer is still doing really well. I only wish I could just binge it instead of having to wait a week for each new part of the story!  LOL I did get an alert in my email  about the show from a source speculating on whether there was going to be a second season.  Basically, all the article said was "We don't know and nobody associated with the show is talking."  In my opinion, I don't think we could possibly know for sure if there will be a second season until we find out how the first season ends.  And I will put forward my predictions on the ending right here. Either the butler did it, or the ship sank, or Rosebud was the sled.  (Or perhaps I am mixing up my story endings?  :-)  )

[MAY 9] Johnnyswim fans -  Don't forget they have a book coming out June 8 called Home Sweet Road.  You can pre-order an autographed copy on BooksAMillion.com.  And if you go to the Random House website, you can read an excerpt from the book. Also, Rolling Stone picked their new song, Best Thing Ever, as one of their Country Music Picks for the week of May 3.

[MAY 9] I think that brings us to YouTube.  First up an interview clip with Donna and her parents.  Then we have Mimi's Song from the Music For Unicef concert, an audio clip for Brooklyn, State Of Independence live from the Hot Summer Night Concert,  a Suecase Hall video for Part Of My World (featuring Brooklyn & Amanda),  and a video celebrating Summer: The Musical featuring Donna's daughters' introduction at the Tonys.

[MAY 2] Happy Sunday all!  First things first - it's a new Month, so it's time for a new Summer Fever Pick. This month we celebrate A Love Trilogy.

[MAY 2]  Let's start off with The Oscars.  In a very strangely formatted show (Thanks COVID), they took a break in the middle to to do a music trivia quiz.  In it they played a clip of a song and asked someone in the audience to guess if the song was an Oscar winner, a nominee or none of the above.  They played a snippet of Donna Summer, and the celebrity audience member got it wrong - but that led to Donna being name checked several times.  :-)  You can watch the segment on Pitchfork.com - and as a bonus you can watch Glenn Close dance to Da Butt.  LOL

[MAY 2] Bruce Sudano fans - he did a Facebook Live concert for Farm Fresh Radio.  You can still catch it on Facebook if you missed it.

[MAY 2] Johnnyswim fans - our favorite duo has a new video out now for the song Best Thing Ever (from the Netflix film A Week Away.)  I have to say, the more I hear the song the more nostalgic I get for the times when we could go out and have fun on a beautiful summer day. I really hope those days are coming back SOON!

[MAY 2] And finally for Brooklyn Sudano fans - Freeform's Cruel Summer is Freeform's biggest multi-platform premiere ever.  So far 3 episodes have aired, and I am totally sucked into the mystery of these characters. Now I will say that Brooklyn hasn't had much to do yet, but don't wait for her episodes to tune in because you will be hopelessly lost if you do.  This a show you have to see from the beginning and pay close attention to.

[MAY 2] I think that brings us to YouTube. In honor of our Summer Fever Pick, I think we'll head back to 1976.  First up is Try Me from American Bandstand. Then we have Could It Be Magic from German TV,  Come With Me live in Venezuela, and a TV performance of Wasted with lots of bubbles.  LOL

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