14.3.16

"Love to Love You Baby" by Donna Summer (1975)



In hindsight, title track cleverly bridges quasi-pop-symphony format that Isaac Hayes and Barry White used to spread all over their LP albums with the music that would eventually became big in the future - although it was Summer's moaning that actually made this success, for me it is producer Giorgio Moroder who is more interesting as he masterminded the whole project and ushered new era in pop music that will not only culminate in disco but will continue to inspire and influence musicians to this day. Hypnotic, almost spacey repetitiveness will eventually became order of the day but no one could predict it back than when this was perceived as latest gimmick. 

That this unexpected collaboration between German producer and fledgling young American singer would became such seismic phenomenon was at the time overshadowed by the sheer novelty and daring eroticism of the music itself - all the radio bans in the world couldn't stop this from becoming huge worldwide hit and you just need to imagine what effect it had on the listeners unused to such unrepentant aural exhibitionism. It was scandal that probably attracted wrath from every corner but it must be said that singer gamely went along with it and no matter what she thought privately about it, it made her overnight success after years in business. Since by now we all know about the classic title track, I find the rest of the music here much more interesting - yes it was obviously just a filler but it is not a bad filler. Moroder had a vision where he needed seductive, cooing siren purring anonymously and it was his extremely good luck to find singer who could easily adopt to any of his demands ("Whispering" is a perfect example of this approach) although she could easily sing circles around most of the people and her natural, strong voice can be finally heard on the very last track ("Pandora's Box"). Summer actually opened Pandora's Box with this album and it turned her life around to the point that she later perhaps regretted it and it took her years to tone down this image and change audiences perception of her. Although there will be big hits in the future, this early chapter of her career with visionary Moroder is perhaps the most interesting because with songs like "Love to Love You Baby" and "I Feel Love" they paved the way for futuristic sound that echoes to this day in current pop music. 


No comments: