Love to Love You Baby (album)

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Love to Love You Baby
Love To Love You Baby.jpg
Studio album by Donna Summer
Released August 27, 1975
Recorded May–June 1975
Musicland Studios
(Munich, West Germany)
Genre Disco
Length 35:48
Label Casablanca
Oasis
Producer Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte
Donna Summer chronology
Lady of the Night
(1974)Lady of the Night1974		 Love to Love You Baby
(1975)		 A Love Trilogy
(1976)A Love Trilogy1976
Singles from Love to Love You Baby
  1. "Love to Love You Baby"
    Released: November 26, 1975
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4.5/5 stars[1]
Robert Christgau B− [2]

Love to Love You Baby is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Donna Summer, and her first to be released internationally and in the United States. Her previous album Lady of the Night was released only in the Netherlands. Love to Love You Baby was released in the US on August 27, 1975.

History

In the summer of 1974, Summer approached Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte with an idea for a song. A re-issued 45 of 'Je 'Taime' by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg was back on the charts, prompting Summer to pen her own 'racy' song. She had come up with the lyric "love to love you, baby" as the possible title for the song. Moroder in particular was interested in developing the new disco sound that was becoming increasingly popular, and used Summer's idea to develop the song into an overtly sexual disco track. The original three-minute single was released several times before it had any success - and later edited versions of the re-recorded much longer track were the versions which became a major international hit, almost a year later. He had the idea that she should moan and groan orgasmically, but Summer was initially reticent. Eventually she agreed to record the song as a demo for other singers to hear and possibly record and release. She stated she was not completely sure of some of the lyrics, and parts of the song were improvised while recording. She later stated on a VH1's Behind the Music program that she pictured herself as Marilyn Monroe acting out the part of someone in sexual ecstasy. Moroder liked Summer's recording and insisted it should actually be released. Summer reluctantly agreed and the song, titled "Love to Love You", was released to modest success in Europe.

The song, however, still did not have a US release after modest success in Europe. Summer and Moroder took it to Casablanca Records and label president Neil Bogart eventually decided to release it, but requested Moroder produce a version near twenty minutes. Summer, Moroder, and producer Pete Bellotte returned with a seventeen-minute version. Casablanca signed Summer and issued the single in November 1975 as "Love to Love You Baby". Casablanca distributed Summer's work in the US while other labels distributed it in different nations during this period.

"Love to Love You Baby" was Summer's first single and first hit in America, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in early 1976. It also became her first number-one Hot Dance Club Play Chart hit. The album (side one of which was completely taken up with the full-length version of the title track) was also released in late 1975 and was soon certified gold for sales of over 500,000 copies in the US. The song was branded "graphic" by some music critics and was even banned by some radio stations for its explicit content. Time Magazine later reported that a record twenty-two orgasms were simulated by Summer in the making of the song. In some areas of the music press, Summer would later began to be dubbed "The First Lady of Love." The album made the Top 20 in both the US and the UK.

The other songs on the album had a more soul/R&B feel to them. Side two consisted of four more original songs, plus a reprise of one of them. Two of the songs, "Full of Emptiness" (which was taken from her previous album Lady of the Night) and "Whispering Waves" were ballads, while "Need-a-Man Blues" was in a slightly more pop/disco vein, and "Pandora's Box" was more mid-tempo.

The track listing for side B differs in some European nations. In the Netherlands the album was released with the single "Virgin Mary" replacing the first version of "Full of Emptiness." On some releases in Germany, "Whispering Waves" and both versions of "Full of Emptiness" were removed. They were replaced by "Lady of the Night" and "The Hostage", both taken from the Lady of the Night album. In France, "The Hostage" was added as a bonus track at the end of side B. It appears that neither "The Hostage," "Lady of the Night," or "Virgin Mary" appear on any CD releases of the album. [3]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Pete Bellotte and Giorgio Moroder; except where indicated. 

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Love to Love You Baby"   Bellotte, Moroder, Donna Summer 16:48
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
2. "Full of Emptiness"     2:22
3. "Need-a-Man Blues"     4:30
4. "Whispering Waves"     4:50
5. "Pandora's Box"     4:56
6. "Full of Emptiness (Reprise)"     2:20

Alternate European track listings

All releases retained the same track listing for side one

Netherlands - Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
2. "Virgin Mary"     4:02
3. "Need-a-Man Blues"     4:30
4. "Whispering Waves"     4:50
5. "Pandora's Box"     4:56
6. "Full of Emptiness"     2:20
Germany (Atlantic Release) - Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
2. "Lady of the Night"     3:58
3. "Pandora's Box"     4:56
4. "Need-a-Man Blues"     3:09
5. "The Hostage"     4:16
France - Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
2. "Full of Emptiness"     2:22
3. "Need-a-Man Blues"     4:30
4. "Whispering Waves"     4:50
5. "Pandora's Box"     4:56
6. "Full of Emptiness (Reprise)"     2:20
7. "The Hostage"     4:15

Personnel

  • Donna Summer – lead vocals
  • Molly Moll, Nick Woodland, Pete Bellotte – guitars
  • Dave King – bass
  • Michael Thatcher – keyboards
  • Giorgio Moroder – keyboards, percussion
  • Martin Harrison – drums
  • Franz Deuber – string session
  • Bernie Brocks – percussion
  • Lucy, Betsy, Gitta – backing vocals

Production

  • Pete Bellotte – producer
  • Giorgio Moroder – arranger, mix-down engineer
  • Michael Thatcher – string and horn arrangements
  • Reinhold Mack, Hans Menzel – recording engineers
  • Lazzaroni, Zill – photography
  • Stephen Lumel/Gribbitt! – art direction and design

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1976 UK Albums Chart 16
Norway 9
Sweden 7
U.S. Album Chart 11

Single

Year Single Chart Position
1975 "Love to Love You Baby" U.S. Billboard Hot 100 2
U.S. R&B 3
1976 Norway 2
UK Singles Chart 4

Certifications

Country Provider Certifications
United Kingdom BPI Gold[4]

References

  1. ↑ Freedberg, Michael. "Love to Love You Baby > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Gold & Platinum: Searchable Database. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved on 2010-07-22.

External links

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