Donna Summer Dies

I was a big fan of Donna Summer twice over.
The first time I came across this diva's work was in the mid-80s. At the time, Marc Almond and Bronski Beat had released an amazing track called I Feel Love. I couldn't stop playing it on my record player (all you youngsters are now sniggering, I imagine) But then a school friend told me that this was actually a cover version of a track by someone called Donna Summer.
I looked it up - not as easy as you might think. It was not like today, where you can go onto YouTube or countless download sites and have any track you want in seconds.
I had to scour the second-hand stores at the time and eventually found a scratched 7" copy of the original.
Wow.

Such a hypnotic sensation, so different from the cover version. Some weeks later, it was re-released, on the back of the success of the Marc Almond version and it became one of my most-played records of the day.
As the 80s progressed, I became more and more into the pop sensation that was SAW (Stock/Aitken/Waterman) Their acts possessed everything I valued at the time - energy, high camp, cheese - acts like Dead or Alive, Bananarama, Kylie, Brother Beyond, etc. Who could forget Mel & Kim and Respectable? (Mel - we miss you)
And then the impossible happened - they signed Donna up for an album. This spawned the sublime This Time I Know It's For Real and a slew of follow-ups. My love affair with the woman began all over again. I dare you to listen to this SAW offering and not tap your feet - the beat is so infectious and her vocals just make you feel so good about life.
I later read about her religious beliefs (which had apparently gotten her into hot water on the odd occasion) and several of her obituaries today have stated that her faith was everything to her. Amazing to think that an artiste who moaned her way through Love To Love You Baby, whilst seemingly reaching the heights of orgasm, was also a deeply spiritual being.
You will be sadly missed, Ms Summer.

Donna Summer (December 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012)