Donna Summer

Released: August 23, 1991

Songwriter: Larry Henley Keith Diamond Donna Summer Anthony L. Smith

Producer: Keith Diamond

(Rap:)
Lying here in the sun just trying to get a tan
Trying to find a look to go with the plan

Everyone's different
Everyone's go their thing
Spinman give me a rhythm...swing, swing

You don't have to dance alone
You get on the floor and make yourself at home
Do anything you want to do
It's alright... it's all up to you

(Ethnic chorus):
It doesn't matter what skin you're in
Baby let the groove begin
Get ethnic...all day
Get ethnic...all night
'gonna chill and ride the day out
People let me tell you what it's all about
Get ethnic...all day
Get ethnic...all night long

(Talk):
Walk my way!!!
Talk my way!!!

This is a new direction
We're gonna take it to the street
Spinman throw down a funky beat
Ooh sweet
Don't really care where you come from
You may move to a different drum
Jump right in and take you place
We're all part of the human race

(Ethnic chorus):
Like you mama do
And your daddy too
It's an attitude

(Ethnic chorus x 2):
Everybody's different
And we all have a song to sing
Spinman do your rhythm thing...swing...swing
Spinman do your rhythm thing...swing...swing

(Ethnic chorus):
C'mon c'mon baby
Smooth me out
Smooth me out
(chant fade)

As the unquestioned queen of disco, the one and only Donna Summer lit up the late 70s and 80s with flashy, exuberant vocals and automatic earworms. Born LaDonna Adrian Gaines on Dec. 31, 1948, Summer moved to Germany after being cast in a Munich production of Hair. There, she happened to meet Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, and the trio conglomerated to form a dynamic music team. With Moroder, Summer forged together her first album, The Hostage, which reached moderate success in Northern Europe. Summer’s big break, however, would come later with the release of 1975’s sexual “Love to Love You Baby”, which became one of disco’s first mainstream hits and reached #2 on the Billboard Charts.

1977 came around with the concept album I Remember Yesterday, which featured the Top 10 single “I Feel Love”. The next year, Summer hit the silver screen with the movie Thank God It’s Friday, whose soundtrack featured one of her own the iconic “Last Dance.” This would later become one of the disco legends' signature songs. “Dance” would take home an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Grammy, and a Golden Globe, and it jumped to a peak of #3 on the charts.

Yet Summer’s illustrious career was far from finished – Summer’s first live album Live and More featured the single “MacArthur Park”, a melting ballad that was a cover of the Jimmy Webb ballad of the same name. “Park” became Summer’s first – and perhaps most memorable – No. 1 hit, and cemented her status as a vocalist as well as a performer. With the track, she became the first female in modern rock history to hold the top spot in both the Hot 100 and the Billboard 200. 1979, though, would really be the peak of her career.

more tracks from the album

Mistaken Identity

From the album

Mistaken Identity (1991)

Donna Summer popular songs

Get EthnicDonna Summer

Donna Summer

Mistaken Identity