Happy Birthday, Donna Summer. She would have been sixty-seven today. The best thing about Donna is that she recorded so much music, so many remixes that we are still discovering new music today. Through her work with Giorgio Moroder, she did so much for music, really pushing disco into the mainstream. Obviously the gays took her into their hearts as she made anthems. And we’re a forgiving bunch because despite what some might see as anti-gay remarks (‘I’ve seen the evil homosexuality come out of you people… AIDS is your sin. Now don’t get me wrong; God loves you. But not the way you are now.’), by the time she passed in 2012, we loved her again. How could you not?
Our own experience with Donna began when we heard Martine McCutcheon’s cover of ‘On The Radio’ where she wore those gloves. Then we had our tickets and we were pumped for Lovebox 2012 only for her to pass a few weeks before. There are so many moments we have to thank her for, here are just five…
Legs & Coq dancing to ‘Journey To The Center Of Your Heart’ at Lovebox 2012
Although we never saw Donna perform at Lovebox, her spirit was summoned when Legs & Coq took to the NYC Downlow stage. We were there with our friend Molly and so this performance was the greatest thing we had ever seen. We even hunted down the one in yellow after for a photo. But it’s an understatement to say we were not looking our best. So we’ll save you from it. But we love imagining the video to this as being some campy ‘Land of the Giants’ kind of affair.
‘If It Hurts Just A Little’
If EVER there was a gay anthem, surely this was it? ‘If it hurts just a little, be glad of it. Don’t get caught in the middle, thinking bout it.’ I mean come on! We first heard this track sampled in Cassius 99 and it was love. It’s now part of our DJ set because I mean, it would be rude not to.
‘Let It Be’ with Jools Holland
This was recorded in 2009. There’s nothing really to say. Just listen to the sermon.
Manila Luzon lip syncs for her life to MacArthur Park
Surely her signature by now. We screamed at the TV. Well, laptop as we still can’t watch it on TV. But this is one of the best lipsyncs on the show. We told her.
‘Last Dance’
And what else could we end it on but this? We play it every Monday as our last song at Compton’s in Soho.
