Donna Summer

[John Watt]

This isn't a notice about her passing away, happening a while ago.
But I'm sitting here in this rock forum thinking about her.
As a Hendrix inspired rock guitarist I liked playing her songs in showbands, having heavy rock guitar parts.
While a lot of disco music was funk based, Donna Summer had a rock background,
and I think the reason her music got to be the most popular in North America is because
her disco beat was pounding like hard rock drums. She always said she came up through rock bands,
with a gospel influence, and wanted her own sound.
Another thing I liked about Donna Summer was the fact she explained a lot in interviews,
talking about what it took for her to record. She originally wrote "Love to Love You Baby" as an ordinary song,
but when her producer heard it he decided to create something more, uh, expansive, and it got to be seventeen minutes long.
I still find myself singing "oooo, love to love you baby" out loud.
She liked the producer's suggestion, so she asked them to turn off the lights in the studio,
and laid down on the floor in the dark, and started singing.
A BBC studio analysis says she reached vocal climaxes 57 times in that seventeen minutes.
My high school fiancee bought this record and would play it, when we were necking, and despite my own, uh, concentration,
I'd still hear Donna's voice in the background.
That's right! I can talk about songs and guitar and production, but if she could add to my own romance,
I gotta love her.
Singing opera in Germany as a final career phase? I'm not surprised.

 

[White Knight]

From the moment I saw her, I fell in love; she was--and will always be--my ultimate Dream Girl.

 

[John Watt]

yeah! "Dream Girls" was a hot musical, and she would have been the perfect lead.
Even for musicians not that hot on disco, she was nice to do.
Most of her biggest hits started slow, what it took most young girls to get their boys on the dance floor,
and then she got the big beat happening, going over the song again in four-four.
That was nice, playing the song slow, and playing the same song fast.
Yeah! I'm going to do that for one of my own songs from now on.
Why didn't I think of that before?

 

[teddy]

Get those sound clips on here John

teddy

 

[John Watt]

I'm actually grabbing computer time after singing and playing at a group function,
going over really well.
"Maneater", "Harden My Heart", "Talking in your Sleep", "The Thrill is Gone", and an original.
I've got to finish my semi-solid-body electric. I'm tapping the body and hitting the bass on this acoustic,
what isn't my style as a lead guitarist.
It means so much to me to find a stronger reception, and finding teens asking and sitting to listen.
And, from 6:30 to 9:30 on a Thursday evening, people gave me a total of $42.50.
The last dollar came walking past a pizzeria, where a lone teen, looking downcast, was eating a slice.
He waved me over as I walked by and said, "Are you the guy who was playing left-handed guitar at the donut shop?"
When I said yes he said "I'll give you a dollar if you play a song for me".
The owner, who has a computer store I made signs for, came out and said kids are talking about me.
Hearing that was the best for me. I asked him what they were saying, and he said they get a feeling, they say they feel it.
So do I.

I hocked my camera at a shop I make signs for, and that's what I'll use to make some YouTube vids.
Yeah! Vid wit you later.

 

[John Watt]

Oooooooooooooooo.... love to love you baby!

I'm still singing this out loud.

Oooooooooooooooo.... love to love you baby!

And I'm still following every key change, getting it up with every line.

Oooooooooooooooo.... love to love you, baby!

Yeah, there's still enough love left for everyone, on the dance floor.