So here I sit, unemployed and unappreciated. However, without diving too deeply into a well of self-pity, I have finally the self-discipline to remind myself, "Hey that reminds me of the article I'm supposed to write for Forever Donna: T-Box!" And now I can write it from the perspective that I know what it feels like to give it your all (in my job hunting) and nobody really notices…at least enough.

I started this idea a couple of months ago on a rather selfish notion. There are some really great Donna Summer songs (as well as disco songs in general) that are really almost relegated to the obscure category because they did not reach commercial success or acclaim. Our favorite around this house is "Someday," the dance cover of the All 4 One song from the soundtrack of Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I thought I would use this venue to display that song to our readers everywhere and get it the credit it deserves. Sometimes it's not even mentioned in discographies and certainly had limited exposure to the public despite Donna's more-than-oblique, but not outright reference to its impending release in the Donna Summer Fan Club newsletter back in 1996. Oddly enough, it didn't even make the cut because some Friends Unknown recognize its importance and artistry. (I'll have to save my accolades for another article, then.)

Joe says I get further and further into the realm of obscure music with each passing year. I guess it's like digging for gold. If at first you find some, you keep digging deeper wanting more. It's actually very fulfilling, and I get a kick out of a friend asking me, "who's that singing" and I say that's Donna Summer…and then I get the reply "I never heard that song before." On the inside I think maybe they should get out of the house more, but then I snap myself back to reality and relish the notion that I have unique tastes not known to the listener whom is uninitiated to true Donna fandom.

Thanks to a suspiciously creative and totally semi-unscientific methodology that includes Forever Donna reader input on favorites and what doesn't get its props, chart positions, awards, nominations, and analysis of the music itself, I've arrived at the Top 10 List of "The Most Under-Appreciated, Underrated Songs by Donna Summer (according to me)." It's not catchy enough to make it on the Tonight Show Top 10 List, but I think you will enjoy it.

I was quite surprised after the results of my analysis as to just which songs came up on the list. To us the initiated, these songs will not seem obscure at all. However, they are probably not as obscure as some others that get more credit. 

When I stood back and took an objective look at it, I can say that I have pretty good supporting reasons why these ten examples of Donna's finest efforts did not get the props they deserved throughout the years. And no, "Little Marie" did not make the cut (sorry, Cathy #;-).

For the evaluation of the masterpiece elements of these songs, I looked at creativity/artistry, originality of the material, vocal delivery, and production value/arrangement. While the list is surprising, it spans nearly all of Donna's major U.S. releases with the exception of her most recent releases (the last 9 years). It also contains every type of vocal delivery that Donna has done over the years: sexy, falsetto, disco queen, gospel, hard rock, experimental and diva with often more than one style within the same song. I take that to mean that the world is finally giving the Diva her due for the few and far between works that she does produce, and that the time is ripe for a major release that will also garner the attention it deserves. 

I hope you enjoy the list, here in reverse order, with the most under-appreciated, under-rated work listed last as #1.

10. Queen for a Day (Summer/Moroder/Bellotte), from Once Upon a Time, 1977, Casablanca (Falsetto)

In the Fairy Tale concept album, this track is #7. By the time we get to this song, we're already tired from the feverish pitch of the journey that's taken us from reality into fantasy and back. KEEP READING

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. KEEP READING

8. Wasted (Moroder/Bellotte), from A Love Trilogy, 1976, Casablanca. (Sexy/Falsetto)

The words of "Wasted" open up a double entendre reflecting both the mind altered state of disco patrons as well as the longing of a bitch resenting her mistreatment of the love of her life post-departure. KEEP READING


7. Sunset People (Bellotte/Faltermeyer/Forsey), from Bad Girls, 1979, Casablanca (Disco Queen)

The quintessential LA song. Call me partial, but I can certainly understand the allure of this track even if released as part of another album completely. KEEP READING


6. Breath of Heaven (Grant/Eaton), from Christmas Spirit, 1994, Mercury (Gospel)

I wrote extensively about this entry to our list as well as "Lamb of God" in the December issue of "T-Box: Thank God It's Christmas." KEEP READING

5. In Another Place and Time (Stock/Aitken/Waterman), from Another Place and Time, 1989, Atlantic (Experimental)

SAW finally learned to cut back on the production values and let Donna carry this syncopated melody line written partially in triplets (which are very hard to carry off musically by any performer) executed with military pleat crispness by Donna's interpretation. KEEP READING


4. Lamb of God (Summer/Omartian), from Christmas Spirit, 1994, Mercury (Gospel)

The miracle of this song is that Donna wrote it herself KEEP READING

3. One Of a Kind (Summer/Moroder/Bellotte), from Live and More, 1978, Casablanca (Disco Queen)

Lost in the 18-minute glorious disco madness of MacArthur Park and Heaven Knows what else, this hard rock work is the pop glue that holds this disco medley together. KEEP READING


2. Pandora's Box (Bellotte/Moroder), from Love to Love You, Baby, 1976, Casablanca (Rock)

The simple piano and guitar riffs that start out this article's inspirational demi-namesake anthem evoke images of Janis Joplin and an early Elton John. A stark contrast, yet reassuringly familiar rock sound to follow the unnervingly intimate disco thrust of LTLYB on the album of the same name. KEEP READING

1. Whatever Your Heart Desires (Stock/Aitken/Waterman/Summer), from Another Place and Time, 1989, Atlantic (Diva)

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. KEEP READING

So, here we are, both Donna and me, both without a gig right now. Someday, life will be fairer… At least you'll maybe be able to give these ten songs another listen and let them grow on you just a little. I'm not saying that these are among the absolute very best of Donna Summer as I truly believe that the songs for which she has received fame and acknowledgment were justly deserving of them. I'm just asking the world to take another, deeper look beyond Bad Girls and LTLYB.

Thanks for indulging me. In my inordinate amount of spare time, I've created a medley/mix of the above ten songs plus an eleventh Surprise available for download. Enjoy!