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Someday... you'll appreciate this - song commentary
9.
Never Lose Your Sense of Humor
w/Paul Jabara (Jabara/Summer/Mathieson), from Jabara's The Third Album, 1979, Casablanca
(Diva/Gospel)
While not technically a Donna Summer release, part 2 of this medley displays a wonderful side of
Donna's voice that is unrestrained, unpressured, and unfettered by studio
politics. I accidentally discovered this song about two years ago and have been in love with it ever
since. With the success of the "Last Dance" collaboration with Paul Jabara and Live and More under her
belt, Donna takes this opportunity to have fun with a cherished friend on the Casablanca label and delivers a mighty
wallop. Beginning as the vision of an angel to her ever-adoring Paul, one almost expects the same otherworldly camp nonsense of 1977's
"Shut Out/Heaven is a Disco." To our surprise, the divine inspiration has its roots in
Donna's first performance at the Grant AME Church of Boston more than twenty years
earlier. Donna just lets it rip with ad lib, uses vocal glissando, presents nearly her full range and
power, and the whole while gives the listener the sense that she is having fun, doing what she does
best, and that she truly requites Paul's
affection. The two had a close friendship for many years before and after
"Last Dance" that dates back to Donna's time as a late teenager in New York where Paul was working in
theater. Never a closet case, Paul was the original gay fan of Donna Summer. He idolizes her throughout a great deal of his recorded and musical
work. Part 1 of the medley, "Foggy Day," opens to a forlorn and depressed Paul seeking the close advice of his real life closest personal and professional
friend, Donna Summer, and lamenting his inability to connect with her sage
counsel.
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Donna and Paul prove their enduring sense of humor as they ham it up over an Oscar in 1979. |
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The words are an imitation of reality for the two. Donna reappeared on Paul's 1986 release Ocho Rios, even after she became Born
Again. Paul's eventual illness resulting from AIDS and death in 1992 were very hard for Donna to
take. Local and unfounded stories link Donna's despondency over Paul's condition to the false source of the libelous and wholly untrue rumors about
Donna's homophobia and comments about AIDS. Personally, I can't imagine that anything would be farther from the truth and that Donna ever gave anything but an expression of love and support when Paul was
ill. Listen to this song, then to "We're Gonna Win," and know that Donna gave her heart in this performance to the best friend a Disco Queen could ever have…another Disco
Queen. One of the absolute best performances of her career.
(Written by David Thornton)
