Donna Summer - A Love Trilogy

Today (March 5th) marks the fortieth anniversary of A Love Trilogy, the third studio album from Donna Summer. This 1976 release spent twenty-seven weeks on the US Billboard
Album chart, peaking at number 21. It also climbed to number 41 in the UK, number 24 in Germany, number 18 in Sweden, number 16 on the US Billboard R&B chart, number 14 in Norway, number 8 in Austria, and number 1 in both Italy and Spain. Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte served as both producers and co-writers of all but one of the tracks on the record.

Donna Summer - The Wanderer

Today (October 20th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of The Wanderer, the eighth studio album from Donna Summer and her first release on the Geffen Records label. This 1980 release spent eighteen weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 13. It also went to number 55 in the UK, number 54 in Germany, number 18 in Australia and Norway, number 16 in New Zealand, number 15 in Sweden, and number 12 on the US Billboard R&B chart.

Donna Summer - Cats Without Claws

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Cats Without Claws, the twelfth studio album from Donna Summer. This 1984 release went to number 91 in Australia, number 84 in Canada, number 69 in the UK, number 39 in Germany, number 19 in the Netherlands, number 15 in Norway and number 10 in Sweden. Here in the US, it spent seventeen weeks on the Billboard Album chart with a top spot of 40, and it also went to number 24 on the Billboard R&B chart.

Donna Summer - Bad Girls

Today (April 25th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Bad Girls, the double-record seventh studio album from Donna Summer. It spent forty-nine weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, including six weeks at the number 1 spot. It also reached number 24 in the Netherlands, number 23 in the UK, number 9 in Japan, number 7 in Germany, number 6 in Australia, number 3 in Norway, New Zealand and Sweden, and number 1 in Canada and on the US Billboard R&B chart.

Donna Summer - She Works Hard For the Money

Ready to bounce back after 1982’s self-titled Donna Summer (click here for that review), the R&B singer released She Works Hard For the Money on this date (June 13th) in 1983. This eleventh studio album for Summer went to number 28 in the UK, number 27 in Japan, number 14 in Germany, number 12 in Norway, number 9 on the US Billboard Hot 200, and number 8 in Sweden.

Flashdance (soundtrack) (30th anniversary)

Welcome to another edition of Matinee Monday.

Thirty years ago today (April 15th), we were treated to more than just a tax deadline here in the US. That day in 1983 was the day that Flashdance hit theatres. To celebrate, let's revisit the chart-topping soundtrack from that film - click here for my review of that album.

Thank God It's Friday (soundtrack)

Welcome to another edition of Soundtrack Sunday.

Continuing on with my birthday weekend celebration, I thought I would dig back into the movie music vaults for another disco classic. This time, we are looking at the soundtrack to the film Thank God It’s Friday which hit the theaters on May 19th, 1978.

The movie tells several intertwining stories of the patrons and staff at a fictional Los Angeles disco club called the Zoo (a real LA club called Osko's on South La Cienega Blvd. was used for the set). It starred Jeff Goldblum, Debra Winger, Valerie Landsburg (who would later star on the TV show Fame), Terri Nunn (of Berlin), and singers Paul Jabara and Donna Summer.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (soundtrack) (30th Anniversary)

This week, we are doing Matinee Monday.

Today (July 30th) marks the 30th anniversary of the release of the soundtrack album to the seminal 80's teen film Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

For my review of this album, please click here.

So, let's all put on our checkered Vans and chill out with Spicoli, Brad, Stacy, Damone, and Mr. Hand.

Donna Summer - Donna Summer

Today (July 19th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of the self-titled Donna Summer. This 1982 release, produced by Quincy Jones, was the late R&B singer’s tenth studio album and contained a variety of musical styles across its nine tracks.

The record sold well and had good chart performance across the globe. It went to number 45 in Australia, number 37 Germany, number 32 in Canada, number 20 in Japan, number 13 in the UK, number 4 in New Zealand, number 3 in Norway and number 2 in Sweden. In the US, it reached number 20 on the Billboard Hot 200 and number 6 on the R&B charts.

Remembering Donna Summer

Today we have a bit of sadness to mark this edition of Seventies Saturday.

To paraphrase from the title of her 1979 song that featured the Brooklyn Dreams, Heaven knows that this week it welcomed an angelic voice to its eternal chorus. LaDonna Adrian Gaines, best known across the globe by her stage name of Donna Summer, passed away on Thursday at age 63 following a battle with cancer. She is survived by her husband Bruce Sudano, their daughters Brooklyn and Amanda, and her daughter Mimi from a previous marriage.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (soundtrack)

Welcome to another edition of Soundtrack Sunday.

In 1981, Rolling Stone magazine writer Cameron Crowe went undercover to a San Diego, California, high school to research a book. In 1982, that book was adapted into the coming-of-age teen comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The film, which opened in August of 1982, helped launch the careers of young actors Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Renhold, Robert Romanus, Phoebe Cates, Forest Whitaker, Eric Stoltz, Anthony Edwards and Nicolas Cage. At a cost of $4.5 million to make, the film earned more than $27 million at the box office and has since become a TV/cable and video favorite the world over. It even spun off a short-lived CBS sitcom in 1986 that starred young actors Courtney Thorne-Smith and Patrick Dempsey.

The double-disk soundtrack album, released on July 30th of 1982, did fairly well; it peaked at number 54 on the Billboard 200 and several of the songs were released as singles.

Flashdance (soundtrack)

Welcome back to "Soundtrack Sunday".

The 80's was known for producing a number of popular film soundtracks that climbed up the charts. And in 1983, one of those albums was the soundtrack to Flashdance, the story of female welder at a steel mill (played by Jennifer Beals) who aspired to be a professional dancer. The film opened in theatres on April 15th of that year.