Donna Summer - On the Radio

The queen of disco--known now for her fundamental conservatism but then known for her extended sex romps that pulsated as minutes turned to hours--Donna Summer recorded a series of hits that playfully courted decadence and consistent chart success. The versions here are the shorter 7" versions. So if looking for the full 16-minute version of "Love to Love You Baby," look elsewhere. But what is here is '70s disco at its peak: "Hot Stuff," "Bad Girls," "Last Dance," "On the Radio," "I Feel Love." The kind of stuff that makes weddings and frat parties what they are. --Rob O'Connor Amazon.com Music Reviews

Essential compilation

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RQGH7839Q98Z1 My name is Jeremy Gloff. I am a musician (check me out on Amazon!)and retro music enthusiast. If you enjoyed this review make sure to check out my Amazon user profile to check out my other reviews. I am always up for making new friends and discussing the music I love!!! July 5, 2008

More Classic Rock than Disco - A true musical kaleidoscope for the ears

Just ana amazing collection of amazing songs. Though inappropriately critized as being the "queen of disco" this collection of great songs has very few of the tried and true Disco tracks. This album would be better described as Classic Rock, with artistic dance tracks included. The only criticism would be that with the exception of 3 selections, the versions for this 1979 released double LP are the shorter radio versions. My wish would be that this classic release would soon be re-released as a remastered (and hopefully extended) version, replete with extensive liner notes and photographs. But the sound quality is quite good as is. This is a must have release for anyone who enjoyed the late 1970's music. June 15, 2008

On the radio, Oooh oh oh oh oh!!

Oddly, I never got round to reviewing this Donna Summer collection. Better late than never! "On the radio" came out when I was a kid and all I could afford to buy were sweets and Marvel comics, so I had to listen to it on the radio (pun intended), and lustfully eye my aunt's vinyl copy until I was big and "rich" enough to get mine. Much later on, it was the first CD I ever bought.

There have been hundreds of compilations of Donna Summer's music (she deserves an entry in the Guinness book of world records for that, lol!), but this was the first official hits collection from Summer's then record label Casablanca, with creative input from Summer (in the form of two new studio tracks). It comprised her (then) 10 US top ten million selling singles edited and segued into one another, much the way her seventies albums were. "Love to love you baby" (#2), "I feel love" (#6, though this electronic classic was mercilessly truncated here), "Last dance" (#3, winner of a Grammy and winner of the Academy award for best song), "McArthur Park" (#1), "Heaven knows" (#4), "Hot Stuff" (#1, first ever winner of the Grammy for best rock song by a female), "Bad girls" (#1), "Dim all the lights" (#2), and the pair of newcomers, "On the radio" (#5, and theme song from the Jodie Foster movie "Foxes" available here in long and short versions), and the superstar duet with Barbra Streisand "No more tears (Enough is enough)" (#1, available here in the 11 minute extended version).

Also included were songs like "Try me", "I remember yesterday" (a UK top 20 hit), "I love you" (UK #10), and two album cuts from her landmark "Bad girls" album, "Our love" and "Sunset people" (in a very nice edit). Every song is a gem and the feel one gets playing this album is of being at a non-stop disco party.

The cover photography (by Harry Langdon) is simply stunning, and was meant to make Donna look like some glamorous fifties movie star. This album became Summer's third #1 double disc in a row (a feat nobody else has managed) and was certified double platinum. There have been other, more extensive catalogues of her work (I especially recommend The Donna Summer Anthology from 1993, or Gold from 2006, both are double CDs, each with over thirty songs in their unedited original form and excellent booklets) but this one holds a magical place in my heart, and is the only hits collection of Summer's I have in its entirety on my iPod.

Summer releases her first studio album in 17 years, Crayons, on May 20th.
April 15, 2008

Good Starter for your Disco/Dance Collection

From album, to cassette, to cd and beyond, this is one collection of hits I always want available for listening. Beyond all the other reviews, you must remember that disco still exists today, but it called dance. Donna Summer has influenced so many different artists, in all genres. If you don't know much about Donna Summer, this is a good starter collection. March 12, 2007

Donna Summer: ON THE RADIO: GREATEST HITS VOLUMES I & II (1979)

In October of 1979, Donna Summer released her ninth album entitled, ON THE RADIO: GREATEST HITS VOLUMES I & II. This album is to be first-ever greatest hits compilation, as well as being her last album of the 1970s. This is a great album, featuring fourteen of Donna's greatest hits, as well as a new studio track.

ON THE RADIO
New song. From the original motion picture, FOXES (1979). The first & final single from the album. This is an awesome song, and I pretty much tear up the dance floor when this song is played at parties.

LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY
From the album LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY (1975). Great song.

TRY ME, I KNOW WE CAN MAKE IT
From the album A LOVE TRILOGY (1976). Great song.

I FEEL LOVE
From the album I REMEMBER YESTERDAY (1977). Another classic.

OUR LOVE
From the album BAD GIRLS (1979). Classic.

I REMEMBER YESTERDAY
From the album I REMEMBER YESTERDAY (1977). Great.

I LOVE YOU
From the album ONCE UPON A TIME... (1978). Classic.

HEAVEN KNOWS
From the single HEAVEN KNOWS (1978). This song has finally made it's debut on a Donna Summer album, where back in 1978, the song was released as a single, and was never on a Donna Summer album...well, on its own, with not having to be in the "MacArthur Park Suite". This is a classic song.

LAST DANCE
From the original motion picture & motion picture soundtrack THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY (1978). Classic song that is always played as the last song at parties.

MacARTHUR PARK
Original version from the single MacARTHUR PARK (1978). This here is the radio version of Donna Summer's classic 1978 cover. When the song was released in 1978 as a single, the song ran over 8:30 (eight and a half minutes). That full-length eight and a half minute version has even started off "MacArthur Park" suite. Towards the end of the song, the track flowed into "One Of A Kind". After "One Of A Kind", the track flowed into a slightly mixed version of "Heaven Knows" (where the song was not in its entirety). After "Heaven Knows", the track slipped in to the reprise of "MacArthur Park". The reprise consisted of only one chorus, and that chorus was picked from this hear radio version. I don't care which version of this song I hear: The full-length version, the medley, or this radio version, I cannot get on with my day if I do not listen to this song.

HOT STUFF
From the album BAD GIRLS (1979). Great song, but I like to hear either the album version (5 minutes and 15 seconds) or the 12" Single version (6 minutes 45 seconds). But still a great song.

BAD GIRLS
From the album BAD GIRLS (1979). Classic song, talking about woman who "Work on 42nd Street" or "Hollywood Boulevard", if you know what I mean.

DIM ALL THE LIGHTS
From the album BAD GIRLS (1979). Classic.

SUNSET PEOPLE
From the album BAD GIRLS (1979). Classic.

NO MORE TEARS (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH) (performed by Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer) (Extended 12" Version)
Original version from Barbra Streisand's album WET (1979). This is a classic Diva duet between Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer. Right after Donna Summer released BAD GIRLS, Barbra Streisand began working on her album entitled, WET, a concept album describing Water in different variations. When Barbra and Donna hooked up for this duet, the title of the song was only called "Enough Is Enough", and the ballad introduction did not exist. When it came down to choosing what song will go on to the album, the producers did not want the duet between Barbra and Donna on the album, for the title did not fit in with the "Water" concept. Barbra, however, wanted the duet on the album, and she meant to have it that way. So she changed the title to "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)", and decided to add on the ballad introduction, where both she and Donna are saying "It's raining, it's pouring", and so forth. The finalized track that is now featured on Barbra Streisand's 1979 album runs to eight minutes and twenty-two seconds, but the single/radio version only runs to four minutes and forty-three seconds, not giving the single any justice. When Donna put this album togetehr, she decided to use the three minute, twenty-two second version, but she also decided to add on another Three minutes and twenty-one seconds, making it run to a full eleven minutes and forty-three seconds. Not only did she add the 3+ minutes, she even added a Disco mix to it, making the song even...dancier. Great song.

ON THE RADIO (Long Version)
While the album/single/radio version runs only four minutes long, this here long version runs to five minutes and fifty seconds, just one minute and fifty seconds longer than that of the original version. What makes this one longer is the extended instrumental bridge, as well as having a hidden third verse that plays right after the instrumental bridge, where Donna sings it in a ballad passage, just like the first verse. Great way to end the album.

This is another one of Donna Summer's greatest albums, featuring nothing, but the very best of Donna Summer's greatest hits of the '70s. This is a great album that should most definitely be owned already by every single Donna Summer fan around the world. November 15, 2006

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