Donna Summer released 'Cats Without Claws' 41 years ago today

The album was a misfire. David Geffen just didn't know what to do with Donna, her 80s catalog is pretty hit and miss.

By then he didn't want her on the label any longer - but he didn't want to 'buy her out' of her record-breaking contract. He wanted her to quit (she still had two albums left on her contract after this one). He didn't promote this album, either (again, hoping she'd quit the label). But she persisted and stayed until he let her go in 1988 when she presented 'Another Place and Time' to him, and he wouldn't release it. There was no more time on her contract to 'buy out'.

I wonder what Irene Cara thought when she heard "There Goes My Baby."

"Supernatural Love" was the only listenable song on that album

This bombed in part because of the gay/AIDS rumors.

I've been trying to find the previous deluxe edition from 10 years ago that Edsel/Driven by the Music put out in brand new condition. That one had original bonus tracks. The more recent deluxe edition replaces them with all new remixes and quite frankly sucks.

David Geffen and his crew were responsible for the "Adam & Steve" rumor.

The Sly Stallone machine floated the Richard Gere and the gerbil bullshit.

Donna Summer was a great talent and was treated shabbily.

I’m sorry, OP. I can’t get into that overproduced 80s sound that cursed the airwaves from 1983 onward. I much prefer Donna’s 70s music (and dawn-of-the 80s music, the last good year of which was 1982).

[quote]David Geffen and his crew were responsible for the "Adam & Steve" rumor.

Yes, that was all part of his plan to release her from her contract if her albums didn't chart on the top half of the Hot 200. That was his loophole to fire her and not have to buy-out the remaining years on her contract. However, CWC landed at #40, her first single was at #21, and she was scoring top 10s in the dance clubs - which is the audience he tried to alienate from her. It backfired.

[quote]That one had original bonus tracks.

I have that one from 10 years ago (I think it was for the 30th anniversary). The only bonus track from the session was 'Face The Music' (which was the B-side of 'There Goes My Baby', but not released on the album). No other unreleased tracks - and quite frankly, not a great song, which is probably why they replaced it on the album with 'I'm Free'. There are also likeable remixes of 'Supernatural Love', 'Eyes' and 'I'm Free'.

R9 Yes. That one. The other tracks were 7" and 12"/Extended Mixes. It's also part of a somewhat rare boxset Edsel released back in 2014. Have it on my discogs wishlist.

I really wish they would reissue She Works Hard for the Money which is Mercury Era. Hopefully they can locate the Casablanca Era masters as well. I torrented the Casablanca Era last year. All of the albums plus the 7" and 12" versions. A proper box set is long overdue.

Contrary to popular belief the masters were NOT destroyed or damaged in the Universal fire but they definitely are currently missing.

A tepid cover to lead, disposable LA pop, expertly played on the rest. Oh Billy Please is probably my favorite Geffen-era deep cut, if not the biggest lost opportunity for the summer of '84.. Eyes got the shitty remix treatment from Jellybean by the time they tried it as the third single. It's not my favorite Donna Geffen-era album (that of course is the unfinished yet still issued numerous times in spite of its unfinished state, I'm A Rainbow), but it doesn't deserve the bad rep it seems to have. It strays into Yacht Rock at times, because that's who played on it. Michael Omartian, like him or not, knew what to do with her talent musically. But as for La Geffen? He set up, paid for, and then rejected Another Place & Time.

David Geffen had no idea what to do with any of the artists on his label. The Police, Elton John and Joni Mitchell also had a lull in their careers with his label.

Mostly everything released after Another Place and Time is bland. I'm a Rainbow is technically her 9th album and was originally from 1981 and doesn't count. Crayons is pretty much solid.

Crayons was a very good album. Unfortunately she never recorded a follow up because she got sick not that long afterwards.