Another Place And Time: 30 Years On

I often wonder if Happenin' All Over Again, really was meant for Donna, or if that was just a rumour.

 

I think in recent years SAW have debunked that myth. Probably one of Pete Waterman's tall tales of the time. I understand Donna wasn't happy on not being very involved on the songwriting process and thats why no second SAW album came to be?

It's great that Donna managed to regain her gay audience after the mid-80s AIDS fiasco alienated her fanbase. A very solid album, but I was really surprised the stunning LATCMH didnt perform a lot better. But I guess Black Box had arrived by then. Releasing When Love Takes Over You wasnt a great move, nice album track but not really single-worthy.

 

I do like When Love Takes Over You, but yes, it doesn't scream single or big hit as such. I think the first 3 singles, were the more obvious choices of the album overall.

 

I prefer Breakaway. Not that I don't love both obviously.

 

Breakaway is stunning, although I always go to the album version. That and the title track, are lovely ballads.

 

I wonder if some of the 'Between the Lines' album stuff Jason did was meant for Donna. 'When Love takes over you' isn't that far removed from the likes of 'Hang on to your love' and 'Another night', both quite MOR pop. Donna would have made them into something special though.

 

Does make you wonder. Especially when it was planned intially for a follow up album.

 

Knowing SAW, the songs intended for Donna Summer’s follow-up would still have appeared on Lonnie Gordon and Jason Donovan’s albums anyway.

 

I'd imagine Donna would have had a lot more say on a second SAW album than the first. Who knows, maybe Kylie would have lost out on the Rhythm of love singles?

 

It does make you wonder. Although not Better The Devil You Know of course, as that was indeed made for Kylie especially.

 

The great thing about the SAW-Donna pairing is that she was certainly the best singer they worked with. Most vocalists they worked with had decent voices or unique ones (Pete Burns) or downright anemic (Mandy), and the production helped mask their limitations, but Donna's voice could reach all the highs and lows she wanted to, and sustain notes without oversinging. That and the Hit Factory sound was an unparalleled perfect match.

 

I could definitely imagine Donna doing Step back in time.

 

Well, she was the Queen Of Disco after all...

 

Exactly!

 

Funnily enough, the only song from the follow up album Mistaken Identity, that resembles PWL of sorts, is Work That Magic. I think so anyway.

 

Work That Magic was the perfect follow-up to the SAW album, while being more dance oriented for the 90s. It's complete floppage is one of my all time biggest pop injustices!

 

I don't mind Mistaken Identity as such but that is the only song personally speaking that can compete with the well, magic, of the predecessor album.

 

Work That Magic has over time become my favourite Donna Summer song. I remember it did get some play on Radio 1 back in the day, #74 for that bop was just criminal.

 

Just goes to show how lucky she was to get 3 top 20 singles with PWL in that respect.

 

Love's About To Change My Heart definitely deserved to be a Top 10 single too - did that come out a while after the album was released? It is the most Black Box/Technotronic in production with the remixes to fit into the new musical landscape of the late 80s/early 90s.