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Someday... you'll appreciate this (song commentary)
1. Whatever Your Heart Desires (Stock/Aitken/Waterman/Summer), from Another Place and Time, 1989, Atlantic (Diva)
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With her natural diva voice cutting through the SAW concrete thick production like a laser beam, "Whatever…" is one of many fine works on a completely unappreciated album in general. Unfortunately, due to timing and production difficulties as well as record-label politics, too few of the tracks from Another Place and Time saw the light of the pop charts. As Donna wanted to regain her lost "dance" (read that gay) audience through dance-oriented recording styles, this one stands as a welcome relief from the saccharine sweetness of "This Time I Know It's for Real" and the frenzy of "Love's About to Change My Heart" (yes, that album did have a lot of long song titles).
Several remix services have created their own extended versions of this song as credit to its dance floor potential. Had I been Armut Ehrtegun [not only would I not be writing this column, but also] I would have released "Whatever…" as the third single from the album as an AC crossover and to show versatility rather than the shattering "If It Makes You Feel Good" or "When Love Takes Over You," or repetitive "I Don't Want to Get Hurt." Melodic and building in intensity, it would be easy to categorize this as Donna Summer sings Rick Astley. The exception being Donna's unique ability to bring home the gospel-tinged vamping at the end and soprano-graced bridge, and having penned the song partially herself. Listen to the "Oh-oh baby…" and "Oooo-oooo-oo" lyrics and get the full power of the voice that ignited a musical genre. She shows us the low end of her range a la "Can't We Just Sit Down," and the layered overlap effect of Donna singing into a very wet microphone and backing herself on a separate track. This was a successful formula for Richard working with Karen Carpenter and it hasn't lost its luster 20 years later. Lots of Donna for the dollar here. Just try putting it in your iPod and not walking in rhythm to its lilting beat.
(Written by David Thornton)
