after all the loves of my life, I'll be thinking of you and wondering why

I was saddened to hear of the death last week of Donna Summer 'The Queen of Disco' at the age of only 63

I have never been a huge fan of Disco music and the  somewhat risque songs 'Love to Love You Baby' and 'I Feel Love' which provided her big breakthrough are not among my favourite Donna Summer songs but she did have several others of which I am very fond

It is not often that I like a cover version of a song special to me but her version of the wonderful Macarthur Park was up there alongside Richard Harris and indeed brought the song to a much wider audience

I recall buying her albums 'I Remember Yesterday', 'Once Upon A Time' and 'Bad Girls' in the late 70s. These albums contained hits like 'Love's Unkind', 'Rumour Has It', 'Bad Girls' and 'Hot Stuff' which was so famously used in the movie 'The Full Monty'

Around that time she also produced 'Last Dance' which was about the only redeeming feature of the truly awful movie 'Thank God It's Friday'

In 1979 she dueted with Barbara Streisand for a UK Number 1 with 'No More Tears (Enough is Enough) and in 1980 she released my favourite Donna Summer song 'On The Radio' which even today usually finds it's way onto any Playlists I am compiling

"Someone found a letter you wrote me, on the radio

And they told the world just how you felt
It must have fallen out of a hole in your old brown overcoat
They never said your name
                 But I knew just who they meant"

 

Great song!

Given my years in retailing her song 'State of Independence' also holds a special place in my heart. I think we may even have pinched the name from the song. Again this was an excellent cover of an already standout song by Jon and Vangelis

Her song 'She Works Hard For The Money' became an anthem for working women all across The United States

In 2009 she sang at The Nobel Peace Prize concert in Norway in honour of Nobel laureate U.S. President Barack Obama which seems to me like a fitting climax to a glittering career

As a tribute to Ms Summer and in the hope of some better weather to come, I leave you this week with my Top 10 Summer related songs


1. Boys of Summer.............Don Henley
2. Summer In The City........Lovin' Spoonful
3. Summer Breeze..............Isley Brothers
4. All Summer Long............The Beach Boys
5. Summer of 69................Bryan Adams
6. Summer Holiday............Cliff Richard
7. Here Comes The Summer...Undertones
8. Farewell My Summer Love...Michael Jackson
9. Summer (The First Time)......Bobby Goldsboro
10. Summer of 42....................Biddu Orchestra

Right, I am off to practice my 'Hot Stuff' routine before my visit to the Job Centre tomorrow