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

[SEP 12] Happy Saturday all! Wanderer fans (in North America)  -  the US Amazon store now has the pink vinyl available for pre-order.  Now if Amazon isn't your thing, Barnes and Noble has it listed too,  along with ImportCDs.com.  I am told that Import CDs will slap a customs fee on anything shipped out of the US.

[SEP 12] So, The Wanderer isn't the only album coming out soon in colored vinyl.  In November we can expect to see Bad Girls in beautiful blue and red translucent vinyl.   :-) FNAC.com has the images posted already.

[SEP 12] Johnnyswim fans: our favorite duo filmed episode 2 of their Live In The Backyard concert series and you can now watch it on YouTube.  During the show, they debuted the video they made (and directed themselves) for Til We Get Back Again. You can also watch that on YouTube.

[SEP 12] Bruce Sudano fans: Bruce has a new video out for his new song American Sunset from his forthcoming EP, Spirals vol. 2. It is very much a song for the times we find ourselves in now.  Bruce got to talk a little about the song to American Songwriter. Song Facts also talks about the song.  And of course you can find the new song on all of your favorite music sources.  :-)

[SEP 12] I think that brings us to YouTube. This week... well, it's been a weird week (like every week in 2020 LOL). I feel like we need some songs of encouragement. So we'll start with Riding Through The Storm. Then we have the unreleased We're Gonna Win, the also unreleased ballad for I Will Live For Love, a performance of Carry On, and of course I can't leave out Stamp Your Feet.  And as a bonus, here's a live performance of Amazing Grace.  I saw Donna do that one a couple of times in concert in response to terrible events. (In particular I remember her doing it in Boston to honor the victims of the bombing in the London Underground.)

[SEP 6] Happy Sunday all! I hope my American friends are enjoying the holiday weekend!  So let's start off with The Wanderer. One of the new mixes is available for sale now - the Figo Sound mix of Looking Up (and the extended version as well.)  The mix was posted first on Facebook as a lyric video,  but then Suecase Hall got his hands on it and made a fan video which you can see on YouTube.   :-) By the way - if you have Spotify, you can find the new mix there as well too.  It's so nice to see The Wanderer tracks getting so much love these days.  I've always looked at that album as an old friend. :-)

[SEP 6]  Bruce Sudano fans -  catch Bruce performing on a live webcast Election night (November 3) for the I Voted concert series. That will be so much more fun to watch than the talking heads on TV trying to analyze the election results. (You know how they are - "With 0.0001% of the votes counted, we can confidently predict that one of the candidates will win. And the others will lose."  LOL)

[SEP 6] Johnnyswim fans - as you already know, episode 2 of live from the backyard is slated for September 10. And they have just announced that Chip and Joanna Gaines will be among their special guests. Also, (and this is important) there will be special merchandise available for the show including tie-died shirts, crew jackets, and other special surprises. The merchandise "table" opens Wednesday September 9 at 8 AM PST and will remain open for 72 hours.  It is the sales from the merchandise that finance these backyard concerts, so  if you want to keep seeing the shows make sure you grab some merchandise.  :-) Also note - the shirts were tie dyed by hand by Johnnyswim - so when you watch the show Thursday, see if they ever got the dye off their hands.  ROTFLOL

[SEP 6] I think that brings us to YouTube.  I have a sort of random mix of clips that came my way this week. First is the Suecase Hall video for Grand Illusion. Then we have a Donna vs Michael Jackson mix called Bad Girls (Can't Let Them Get Away), an acapella  recording of Bad Girls (which is Donna and the backing singers  with the music mostly removed from the track), an acapella recording for Love Is In Control, the Groovefunkel alternate vocal mix of Last Dance, and finally a 1999 commercial for McDonald's featuring She Works Hard For The Money with alternate lyrics recorded just for the campaign. Did somebody say McDonna's?  LOL

[AUG 30] Happy Sunday all!  The new month starts on Tuesday, so I am posting the new Summer Fever Pick now. We are welcoming the fall with Another Place And Time. (On a side note - what the heck happened to summer?  Even in quarantine, time flies!)

[AUG 30] Okay, on to Donna. First up, BBC radio 4 posted the episode of Great Lives: Jessie Ware on Donna Summer. It runs for about a half hour and includes commentary from Pete Bellotte. (That's extra cool since we don't get to hear from him often. They also use some clips from archived BBC interviews with Donna, and they have commentary from the Danielle Smith, author of an upcoming book called Shine Bright: A Personal History of Black Woman In Pop. It sounds like it might be an  interesting book. :-)

[AUG 30]  North American fans - good news about the forthcoming anniversary edition of The Wanderer. The CD version is available for pre-order from Amazon.com.  As of right now, they don't have the vinyl available, but that is something to keep an eye on. The release date for the CD is October 6 - same as in the UK.

[AUG 30] We may be looking forward to a Kygo mix of one of Donna's songs. He did an interview recently where he mentioned that he was doing a project that he wasn't sure he could talk about yet, and his hint was that it would be for the Queen Of Disco. When one of the hosts Googled "Queen Of Disco" (don't get me started on that! LOL) and guessed "Donna Summer", Kygo said "Maybe..." Oh yeah... it's her! LOL

[AUG 30] Spotify users - there is a new playlist out there called Donna Summer: Top Tracks.  It kicks off with Love's About To Change My Heart (from our Summer Fever Pick!)  and includes  an eclectic bunch of tracks from Love To Love You all the way up to Crayons. There are some mixes, some remasters , some hits, and some deep cuts. At 57 tracks, this playlist will keep you company for a long time!  :-)

[AUG 30] Johnnyswim fans - they are live in the backyard again on Thursday September 10 at 6 PM PST. They are planning to have at least one special guest, and there will be exclusive merchandise only available for 72 hours starting the day before the show. Even better - they are hand tie-dyeing the shirts THEMSELVES.  If you follow them on Instagram, you will see in their stories some of the adventures in tie-die.  Their backyard concerts have been lots of fun so be sure to tune in on either Instagram of YouTube. (The YouTube feed is much higher quality though.)

[AUG 30] Also in Johnnyswim news, look for a new video for one of their Songs With Strangers EP soon. Our favorite duo sneaked off  for an afternoon to shoot and direct their own video for Till We Get Back Again, and they will debut it during their upcoming Live In The Backyard broadcast. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

[AUG 30] I think that brings us to YouTube. Let's celebrate our Summer Fever Pick.  First up, This Time I Know It's For Real and I Don't Wanna Get Hurt from Top Of The Pops.  Then we have an ABC News feature to promote Another Place And Time,  and an appearance on Arsenio Hall also to promote the album.  And finally, there is the rarely seen official video for When Love Takes Over You.

[AUG 23] Greetings all!  Well, we now have order links for The Wanderer 40th Anniversary edition.  It is available in vinyl or CD at Amazon UK (which is unfortunately NOT shipping to the US at this time.) Resident-Music.com also has it (and that looks like it will ship to the US but I didn't look up the shipping costs) and TownsendMusicStore.com also will ship to the US... but shipping costs almost as much as the item itself!  LOL I'm sure as we get closer to the October 16 release date there may be other options for purchase, or Amazon UK may start shipping overseas again. In the meantime use the Townsend Music link above, or this Facebook link to see what the vinyl looks like.  (It looks really nice, although the pink vinyl is paler than I expected.)

[AUG 23] In the Donna is everywhere ... or not.. category, there is a kebab place in the UK called Doner Summer. And there is an item on the menu called the Bad Girl Berlin.  :-)  I have no idea how the food is (the menu looks good)  but if you find yourself in Leeds or York, go check them out.

[AUG 23] Johnnyswim fans - guess what? The duo are planning to be live in their backyard again on September 10.  They are also planning some surprises for that night. Keep an eye on their Instagram for updates.

[AUG 23] I think that brings us to YouTube. Let's celebrate The Wanderer this week in honor of the upcoming pink vinyl.  :-) So first up is the official video for the title track.  Then we have the new Le Flex Poolside mix of Grand Illusion, the live version of The Wanderer from Tom Snyder's talk show, Cold Love from the same show, and a stampyourfeet video for the studio version of Cold Love that incorporates clips from Art On Ice.  And finally we have liveandmore's video for Grand Illusion that uses footage from the Whenever There Is Love video to really great effect and a Suecase Hall video for Running For Cover that makes great use of both the 1980 TV Special and A Hot Summer Night.

[AUG 16] Happy Sunday all!  I can't believe summer is almost over and we had to waste so much of it in quarantine.  So listen, if there is any other virus out there looking to cause a quarantine - I am hereby decreeing that you can only do so in horrible weather when nobody wants to go out!  LOL  (Wouldn't it be nice to have god like powers like that?  LOL)

[AUG 16] So on to Donna.   :-)   BBC Radio 4 has a series called Great Lives where they spend a half an hour talking about - well whoever the subject is that week. They cover everybody from Maya Angelou to Mussolini and everything in between so there is a decent variety of subjects.  Anyway, on Tuesday August 25 at 4:40 PM UK time, they will feature Donna.  Here's the best thing.... unlike BBC television, BBC Radio is not locked into UK residents only.  So we here in North America (and I am assuming most other places as well) can listen in live online. And shortly after the broadcast it will be available to stream on demand.  So check out the BBC 4 website.

[AUG 16]  In the land of politics,  the Vote Proud campaign here in the US is using Enough Is Enough to help bring out the LGBTQ+ vote.  The ad has gotten enough attention that BroadwayWorld.com has an article about it (and a link to the video) , Variety has an article about it (also with the video), and so does CNN. And this is probably a good time for what may be the first of many public service announcements for my American friends. (Everybody else - skip ahead.  lol)  Election Day is rapidly approaching and this year... well this is probably the weirdest year I've ever lived through.  Between the post office being all messed up and the pandemic, voting may be more difficult this year. But don't let that discourage you!  As a citizen, it not just your right, but your RESPONSIBILITY to educate yourself on the issues and VOTE for the candidates you feel will do a good job.  So if you are not already registered, go register now. If you are planning to vote by mail - do it as soon as you possibly can in your state, and if you are planning to vote in person, see if your state allows early voting and do that to avoid some of the lines.

[AUG 16] In the Donna's music is everywhere category,  I Feel Love is used in the latest commercial for Amazon Alexa. (Watch it until the end.  :-) )

[AUG 16] Johnnyswim fans - as you know, our favorite duo performed live in their backyard the other day to celebrate Amanda's birthday.  You can catch the show here on YouTube.

[AUG 16]  Bruce Sudano has also been performing live on the internet.  He filmed a short clip for Ditty TV that you can see on Facebook.  And he also did a half hour set for the Philadelphia Folk Festival  which had to go online this year.  Now if you bought a ticket and watched online last night like I did, you will know there was a problem with the feed.  That has been corrected for the archive which is available on line - probably only to ticket holders though.  If you want to catch the archived performance, use this link then scroll to about 9:25 - well, unless you want to check out all the other talented acts too.  :-)

[AUG 16] Mary Bernard fans - as you know she and her daughter created a Facebook Group for the diehard Donna Summer fans where she can share stories from all those years of touring.  She posted another video just the other day, so group members should check that out if they haven't already. And those interested in joining the group should check out Mary's public page for info.

[AUG 16] I think that brings us to YouTube.  All these live performances this week puts me in the mood for more concerts.  So let's see some of Donna's concerts.  First up the Crayons tour at Jones Beach, NY 2008, then we have Brazil in 1995,  the Mistaken Identity tour in Japan 1991,  and live in Japan 1979.

[AUG 8] Happy Saturday all! If you are looking for some music to play while you check out the update,  Try this megamix from De Manger. I was playing it while writing this.  :-)

[AUG 8] Let's start with The Wanderer's 40th anniversary.  :-)  To celebrate, a special anniversary edition of the CD is coming out with extra mixes plus liner notes by Christian John Wikane.  There will be new interviews with Pete Bellotte, Harold Faltermeyer, Bruce, Tom Kelly , Figo Sound and Le Flex. Plus they are throwing in some archived interviews with Carmen Grillo and Donna.  The mixes include 2 Figo Sound mixes of The Wanderer, 2 Figo Sound mixes of Looking Up,  2 Le Flex mixes of Nightlife and the Le Flex Grand Illusion mix we've already heard.  :-)  (All the ones with 2 mixes are  basically an extended version and a radio edit of the mixes.) RetroPop Magazine has an article about the release.  Oh and you vinyl hounds will like this.... the album will also be released in a 2 LP pink and black vinyl set.  (I bet it will be gorgeous!)  :-)  Look for that October 20. Order links are not available yet, but I assume you can get it from all the usual sources.

[AUG 8] SIriusXM's Studio 54 Radio is celebrating it's 9th birthday on August 15.  In honor of the occasion, they will be counting down the listeners' Top 54.  If you want to vote, the list of choices is here.  You can vote ONCE between now and August 12, then tune in at 4PM on August 15 to see how your songs placed.  :-)

[AUG 8] Johnnyswim fans -  first of all, don't forget that they are doing a live concert from their backyard on Instagram and YouTube on Tuesday August 11 to celebrate Amanda's birthday.  There will also be special merchandise available on that day AND if people tune in and buy the shirts, they will keep doing these shows.  One note, if you  have the choice of which service to use for the stream - YouTube is the higher quality one.  And no time has been posted yet, so stay tuned to their Instagram for an announcement on that. I know the last one they did ran a little late for the east coast, so I think they were going to try for an earlier time.  But they also have kids to feed and get to bed, so who knows?

[AUG 8] As you know, Johnnyswim is slated to have a show on the new upcoming Magnolia Network.  (The network was supposed to debut this fall, but it has been pushed back due to the COVID virus situation. So stay tuned for a new date for that.)  Anyway, CountryLiving.com has an article teasing the various shows slated to air on Magnolia and the article features a video from Johnnyswim singing Home inter cut with clips of the Ramirez family at home.

[AUG 8] I think that brings us to YouTube.  I feel like doing some Donna medleys tonight. So first up, her country medley with Eddie Rabbit.  Then we have a gospel medley with Mac Davis, Dolly Parton and Tom Jones,  a Motown medley with the Brooklyn Dreams,  the 1980 Grammy medley with Kenny Rogers, the My Man Medley from her 1980 TV Special, and a short hits medley from 1999.

[AUG 1] Happy Saturday all! Sorry last weekend's update was late. I had some technical difficulties with the upload.  This week let's start with the new Summer Fever Pick which is All Systems Go.  :-)

[AUG 1] Something else new this week is... the Le Flex Poolside mix of Grand Illusion.  This the first of 4 mixes that are being released to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Wanderer.  (Yes we are all old!  LOL)  Now I am going to give you one small tip for when you play this mix.  When I first heard it, I thought it was the weirdest thing ever. And then after about 10 seconds, I realized that I had another open tab in my browser that was playing something else at the same time.  Oops!  LOL (It's not so weird when you play only one thing at a time. )

[AUG 1] In this day and age of everyone wearing face masks, you might want  to make a statement with yours.  If you head to RedBubble.com,  they have a ton of Donna Summer masks. (Like lots of the t-shirts out there now, these are not authorized by the estate.) Now as someone who has had to become a connoisseur  of face masks (I work in a pharmacy), I bought a RedBubble one for a friend and the fabric is comfortable, but there is no metal piece to tighten it over your nose, so it might be prone to slip.  The earloops are not adjustable either, but you can buy the adjuster beads online if that is an issue.  (If you are crafty, you can probably also add some bendable metal for the nose too. And of course as with most face masks these days, you have to be patient with the shipping.  Seriously.... I never thought I'd have to become an expert in face masks.  2020 is weird!

[AUG 1] Moving on to Johnnyswim. August 11 is Amanda's birthday so the duo have decided to celebrate with another live streamed concert from their backyard.  :-)  They will stream it on their Instagram and YouTube   accounts and I can tell you from my experience with the last one that Youtube is a much higher quality stream. They haven't picked a time yet, so stay tuned to the Johnnyswim Instagram page for more details as they come.   Abner is already promising surprises. :-)

[AUG 1] And that brings us to YouTube.  This week, let's celebrate the Summer Fever Pick.  First up is the official video for All Systems Go.  Then we have the official video for Dinner With Gershwin,  then an interview done on the set of the original unused video for Dinner With Gershwin,  a 1987 UK interview promoting the album,  All Systems Go live in the UK,  Dinner With Gershwin from a TV appearance,  Jeremy live in Japan,  and Love Shock from a TV appearance.

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