MAKING IT IN THE U.S.A.
DONNA TAKES DISCO BY STORM
1976 rolled in and I remember her first appearance on the 'American Music Awards' co-presenting with Jerry Butler.
The Look:
HAIR: Long black, layered, ends slighly curled, uneven bangs.
MAKEUP: Thick lashes, high, thin pencil brows, glossy brown lips. Her outfit was a white long dress and long coat kind of thing (kind of covered up for the sexy image).
Sometime in February or March my oldest cousin had a party and she was playing albums on a very low volume to keep noise down. I'm really am a music lover so she sat me by the speaker.
She put on 'LTLYB' (the album).
I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I ended up playing it over and over and over.
RUMOR MILL: Some say, Donna was really having sex during the recording of this song. Or she was getting a massage, or she's playing with herself, or with some toys, or even laying on the floor with a mic stand.
And of course the count, 21 orgasms.
Well, the "official?" (I'll go with the first one I heard) word was;
Donna did the song as a dare. "I was always the funny girl. There was this french love making song out called 'JeTaime' that everybody was making a big deal over.
I jokingly said, we should do a song like that.
Everyone stopped, looked stunned, and said in unison...YOU!?! SEXY!?!
I said, excuse me? Anyone can be sexy! So I came up with an idea of the lryics and showed them to Giorgio (Moroder). He said, "Donna this is good!"
I came in the next day and he had laid out all these tracks and he wanted me to do the vocals. I said "Oh no, I'm not going to sing that, get someone else." Georgio said "Just do the demo." So, we tried it up-tempo, down, high, low, nothing worked. As time went on, more and more people gathered in the studio, even reporters and a photographer. I don't know how word got out that the "funny one" was making a sexy recording.
I got very nervous. We were just too distracted. Georgio cleared out the studio, turned off all the lights and it happened, like magic, we did it."
No matter how it was done, I loved it!
Sometime shortly after, 'COULD IT BE MAGIC' hit the airwaves, I was hooked!
'A LOVE TRILOGY' came out and I got both albums and played the heck out of them! By the summer of '76 I had all my friends and family grooving to DONNA.
Summer of 76, The Spinners were comming to town (The Greek Theatre) with special guest DONNA SUMMER!
I had seen the Spinners the year before with Minnie Riperton. I liked them......BUT Donna was my reason for wanting to go!
I begged my parents for tickests and I got them!!! I invited my "Disco" cousin to go with me and I'll tell you, Donna was Spectacular!!!!
"SUMMER FEVER" hit me even more than before.
REVIEW (comming soon)
Soon...
DONNA was on 'American Bandstand'
Songs: LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY & TRY ME, I KNOW WE CAN MAKE IT
The Look:
Hair: Dark, wavy, bangs, shoulder length, out at the ends (we called it the egyptian look).
Dress: Long , bodice in sequin vertical stripes in varying shades of beige & brown, v-neck to the waist, short little sleeves. Skirt was same stripe, gathered at the waist, flowing to ankel length.
Make-up: She had grown soft brows, thicker than usual, nicely groomed, pretty lashes, brown/burgundy lips.
Dick Clark got her to do a little of 'LTLYB' in German.
Another appearence was on 'The Mike Douglas Show'! (this may have been before AB)
Songs: LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY & COULD IT BE MAGIC (live!)
The Look:
Hair: Dark, layered, uneven bangs. Sides a few inches past shoulders, uneven ends, waves thoughout but not "Big" hair.
Dress: Black caftan, keyhole neck with ties, embroidered clouds on each side by the shoulders.
Make-up: Thin high pencil brows, light shadow, grey, lid to brow, brown lips. See the back cover of the 'Love Trilogy' album!
Mike kept making fun of 'LTLYB' "It's not hard to remember thoes words" (he said it more than once, Donna didn't hear it the first time).
Oh! I wish I had a VCR back then. Needless to say, I was totally thrilled to see her! When September came so did 'SPRING AFFAIR'. Oh what a song! as soon as the 'FOUR SEASONS OF LOVE' album came out I snatched one up! 
And the BIG bonus, a Calendar! WOW!
DONNA's next TV spot was on Soul Train
Songs: SPRING AFFAIR & WINTER MELODY The Look:
Hair: It was like on the 'Love Trilogy' album, but very flat, close to the head, like it was just trimmed.
Dress: Blue satin one piece outfit. The top was fitted like a dress with straps, the bottom was peddal pushers. There was a stem comming up one leg leading to a flower on the blouse (it sounds as bad as it looked! LOL). This came with two variations, a white skirt tied at the waist, or a white shirt tied at the waist.
I'm not sure who's Special this was....(David Soul?)...Or when it was on......I remember a kid on a skate board in a pinball arcade....the camera follows him....and he skated right by Donna, playing pinball. The Camera stops on Donna
The Look
Hair: The Egyptian hair
Make up: Thick lashes, Deep red Lips.
Outfit: Sequin top, goldish, black pants.
Donna Breaks into Love To Love You Baby, right there at the pinball machine. She does her hands and arms thing and her up and down dance. Just does a little of the song...up to the "in a spin...in....aaaaaah". then she goes....to I don't remember where, and performs Could It Be Magic.
Then an appearence on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert.
Songs:'COME WITH ME' & 'COULD IT BE MAGIC' & 'SPRING AFFAIR' and DONNA did her soon to be famous 'MY MAN MEDLEY'.
DONNA hits the cover of JET.Then years end came with DONNA hosting 'New Years Rockin' Eve' I know ther were other acts, but I only remember DONNA! Songs: TRY ME' & 'SPRING AFFAIR'
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