94.5 KOOL FM

Lysa D.’s KOOL Kollective – 5/17/12

Lysa D. — Fri, 18 May 2012 04:55:47 +0000

I’m still at a loss for words and those who know me know I love to talk! But losing the great “Queen Of Disco,” Donna Summer, is still hard to believe. Although many remember her for many hits and contributions of the 70′s and 80′s, she was still achieving success and making music decades after.

In the 90′s, she released two separate greatest hits albums, including The Best Of Donna Summer (1990) and The Donna Summer Anthology (1993, Polygram Records). A year later, her latest album was a contribution to the holidays titled, Christmas Spirit, which had a gospel influence and featured renditions and some original tracks.

During the Millenium, Ms. Summer and her hit, “I Feel Love” made history by being inducted into the Dance Music Hall Of Fame in 2004.

She was only 63 when she passed away from lung cancer, which she reports of blaming the inhalation of toxic dust from the 9/11 attacks…

On a fun note, I’d like to share a fun song she teamed up with young artists, Musical Youth. “Unconditional Love” was the second single she released in 1983 that only made it to #43 on the Billboard Hot 100. Today’s KOOL Kollective is “Unconditional Love”… We’ll miss you, Donna!!! xoxo

Donna Summer… Queen Of Disco…Has Her Last Dance

Freddie Colon — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:00:45 +0000

She was a singer like no other. Her voice will go down as one of the great voices of our time. Donna Summer could sing in a way that would leave your ears amazed at what they were hearing. If you heard her sing at the start of her career you knew this was someone special. Anyone who has ever set foot on a dnace floor knows Donna Summer. At the start of the Disco era, Donna Summer was ready to become an icon, the queen of disco. What made Donna Summer special was that she could sing it all…dance songs, ballads, her duet with Barbara Striesand is still one of the great duets I have ever heard. I remmber first seeing her talent at a club in New Jersey called Brothers Three. I was there with a couple friends as she belted out Love to love You Baby..little did I know I was seeing the birth of a star.

It was back in 1989 when she came out with the song “This time I know it’s for real.” I was working back in New York. I was told Donna Summer would be the main act at a concert that the station I was at did yearly. I was exstatic to find out that she would be on my show promoting her new song. Many musical stars at the beggining of their careers would make the rounds of all the major radio stations to promote their music. Donna Summer was already a superstar. I remember seeing her in New Jersey around the time when she started. Now she is The Queen of Disco and I have her on my show. SHe was one of the people whose music was part of why I loved doing radio. Donna Summer walks into the studio, I introduce myself and bowed my head as I said..”Hail to the queen.” She smiled and thanked me, and then something in the studio caught her eye, she asked me “What are those.” I answered, they are Freddie Bears. (Small teddy bears that I would give to listeners)
Donna Summer asks me if she could have 3 Freddie Bears. I grabbed 3 gave them to her, then went on to have one of the greatest moments of my radio career. I interviewed Donna Summer. She was sincere, funny and seemed more like a neighbor than an icon. We talked about music, food and life. I did not want the interview to end, but it did. A few weeks later introduced her at the radio stations big show of the year. Donna Summer was a unique human being that touched millions with her music and unforgetable voice. She was a dedicated Mother of 3 girls, she was always true to her beliefs and her talent was equal to her heart and what she believed in. Thank you Donna Summer for the music, the memories and for letting us be a part of your life. I have posted a picture of the day I interviewed Donna Summer. You can see she was happy getting the Freddie Bears. I can not tell you how much it means to me that I, that I could repay her with a moment of joy for after all the great times her music gave me.

Donna Summer With Dick Clark On American Bandstand

Steve Goddard — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:34:44 +0000

In 1978 Donna Summer was at the top of her game, about to enter the most successful time of her life with four #1 hits ahead within the year. On this clip from the iconic show, she talks with Dick Clark about recording her new album, her new movie Thank God It’s Friday, her acting career, and future music plans. Seeing this again made me realize just how much we’ve lost over the past few weeks, yet it’s still nice to see old friends like these one more time.

Today In Pop Music – May 17 – Elton John’s Hardest Session

Steve Goddard — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:14:22 +0000

Birthdays today include original Yes drummer Bill Bruford (1949) who left the group to join King Crimson, George Johnson (1953) of The Brothers Johnson, and Jordan Knight (1970) of New Kids On The Block.

On this day in 1975, musical history was made when Elton John was awarded a platinum record for sales of a million copies of the album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. It was the first album ever to be certified platinum on the day of its release, and included the hit song Someone Saved My Life Tonight. While I was working in Dallas in the mid 70′s, my buddy Wayne Edwards spoke with Elton‘s producer Gus Dudgeon about the recording session which according to all accounts, was the toughest of Elton‘s career.

Love To Love Her, Baby: Celebrities Tweet About Donna Summer

Randall Tyree — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:48:34 +0000

Following the news of Donna Summer’s passing, celebrities from all genres and generations took to Twitter to share their feelings with their fans and the world. A number of her fellow divas tweeted some moving tributes in 140 characters or less.

We will miss Donna Summer! She changed the world of music with her beautiful voice and incredible talent.

— Janet Jackson (@JanetJackson) May 17, 2012

My thoughts and prayers go out to Donna Summer’s family.I will miss her but she will live on thru all her wonderful music!

— Reba McEntire (@reba) May 17, 2012

Few singers have impacted music & the world like Donna Summer! It’s the end of an era. Peace & prayers 2 all who loved her. I will miss her!

— Gloria Estefan (@GloriaEstefan) May 17, 2012

#TootTootHeyBeepBeep RIP Donna Summer

— kylie minogue (@kylieminogue) May 17, 2012

I can’t believe we’ve lost another wonderful singer. Donna, like Whitney, had one of the greatest voices ever…

— Dolly Parton (@Dolly_Parton) May 17, 2012

Some of today’s most popular R&B artists weighed in as well.

Donna Summer. Icon! Legend! Her voice! Her spirit! Rest In peace, you truly inspired me! I love you! instagr.am/p/KvMnmlv-TQ/

— KELENDRIA ROWLAND (@KELLYROWLAND) May 17, 2012

Wow, another legend gone. Rest in peace to the beautiful disco queen Donna Summer.

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) May 17, 2012

Marc Almond, the leader of synth-pop group Soft Cell pointed out just how influential Summer’s body of work was to electronic music.

Donna Summer’s work with Georgio Moroder changed the face of music and changed my life.

— Marc Almond (@MarcAlmond) May 17, 2012

Two of the most successful popular music producers of all time also offered their thoughts:

Rest in Peace dear Donna Summer.Your voice was the heartbeat and soundtrack of a decade.

— Quincy Jones (@QuincyDJones) May 17, 2012

In 30 minutes I have sound check. I proud that I have a job where I can HONOR this music. Donna Summer RIP you paved the way for me

— Nile Rodgers (@nilerodgers) May 17, 2012

Garry Shandling and Kristin Chenoweth offered their personal takes on her passing:

When I was starting I toured frequently with Donna Summer as her opening act, I’ll never forget the sheer power of her voice or her kindness

— Garry Shandling (@GarryShandling) May 17, 2012

Donna Summer RIP. I promise to do u proud.

— Kristin Chenoweth (@KChenoweth) May 17, 2012

A number of other musicians weighed in as well:

Disco has lost a legend; a stupendous voice that could do anything.Rest in peace, Donna Summer.

— Paul Shaffer (@paulshaffer) May 17, 2012

woah! donna summer gone to the great beyond !!! chuck brown then donna summer they’re gonna be dancing in heaven!!! i love donna summer RIP

— Flea (@flea333) May 17, 2012

Donna Summer. Man I can’t believe this— like “My Baby Understands” was on my workout playlist this morning! This MORNING! God…I just…

— Questo of The Roots (@questlove) May 17, 2012

Rip Donna Summer. Thanks for the all time great disco jams.

— Tom Morello (@tmorello) May 17, 2012

My deepest condolences got out to the family of Donna Summer regarding the passing of a true legend. #donnasummer

— bretmichaels (@bretmichaels) May 17, 2012

What are your memories of Donna Summer and her music? Let us know in the comments section below.

– Brian Ives, CBS Local

Van Halen Postpones 30+ Concerts This Summer

Randall Tyree — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:45:25 +0000

Without explanation, Van Halen have suddenly postponed more than 30 North American tour dates throughout July, August and September. The postponement starts in July, with all scheduled shows following the reunited rockers’ June 26th show in New Orleans removed from the Van Halen website and postponed via promoter AEG Live.
Van Halen’s shows throughout May and June, including one in St. Paul on Saturday, will go on as planned. Van Halen has spent much of 2012 on the road, promoting A Different Kind Of Truth, their first album with David Lee Roth since 1984.
No official statement from Van Halen’s camp has been offered up regarding these postponements or when the new dates will be announced. In fact, the band announced that they were adding more to the tour just earlier this week, so the rescheduling comes as a surprise. In 2008, Van Halen was forced to put a tour on hold due to Eddie Van Halen’s undisclosed health problems.
In local markets, promoter AEG Live have not been listing reasons for the delay, promising “future dates to be announced,” reports Salt Lake City’s Daily Herald.
Van Halen’s remaining and postponed tour dates are below.
Van Halen 2012 Tour Schedule:
5/19 — St. Paul, Minn., Xcel Energy Center
5/22 — Kansas City, Mo., Sprint Center
5/24 — Denver, Colo., Pepsi Center
5/27 — Las Vegas, Nev., MGM Grand Garden Arena
6/1 — Los Angeles, Calif., Staples Center
6/3 — Oakland, Calif., Oracle Arena
6/5 — San Jose, Calif., HP Pavilion
6/12 — Anaheim, Calif, Honda Center
6/14 — San Diego, Calif – Viejas Arena
6/16 — Phoenix, Ariz., US Airways Center
6/20 — Dallas, Texas, American Airlines Center
6/22 — San Antonio, Texas, AT&T Center
6/24 — Houston, Texas, Toyota Center
6/26 — New Orleans, La., New Orleans Arena<
Postponed dates:
7/7 — Uncasville, Ct., Mohegan Sun Arena
7/9 — Hampton, Va., Hampton Coliseum
7/11 — Philadelphia, Pa., Wells Fargo Center
7/13 — East Rutherford, N.J., Izod Center
7/15 — Baltimore, Md., 1st Mariner Arena
7/17 — Rochester N.Y., Blue Cross Arena
7/19 — Detroit, Mich., Joe Louis Arena
7/21 — London, Ontario, John Labatt Centre
7/24 — Toledo, Ohio, Huntington Center
7/26 — Grand Rapids, Mich., Van Andel Arena
7/28 — Cleveland, Ohio, Quicken Loans Arena
7/31 — Fort Wayne, Ind., Allen County Memorial Coliseum
8/2 — Columbus, Ohio, Schottenstein Center
8/4 — Knoxville, Tenn., Thompson-Boiling Arena
8/6 — Memphis, Tenn., FedEx Forum
8/8 — Birmingham, Ala., BJCC Arena
8/10 — Greenville, S.C., BI-LO Center
8/12 — Cincinnati, Ohio, US Bank Arena
8/21 — Spokane, Wash., Spokane Arena
8/23 — Portland, Ore., Rose Garden
8/25 — Sacramento, Calif.,Power Balance Pavilion
8/28 — Fresno, Calif., Save Mart Center
8/30 — Reno, Nev., Reno Events Center
9/4 — Salt Lake City, Utah — EnergySolutions Arena
9/8 — Albuquerque, N.M., Tingley Coliseum
9/11 — El Paso, Texas, Don Haskins Center
9/13 — Austin, Texas, Frank Erwin Center
9/15 — Oklahoma City, Okla., Chesapeake Energy Arena
9/17 — Wichita, Kan. – Intrust Bank Arena
9/21 — Moline, Ill., Iwireless Center
9/25 — Milwaukee, Wis., Bradley Center
–Jillian Mapes, CBS Local

Top 10 Hits Of Donna Summer [Steve Goddard]

Steve Goddard — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:16:29 +0000

Donna Summer left an incredible body of work that included 34 chart singles, including 14 top 10 hits and 4 that went to #1. Dubbed The Queen of Disco, she expanded beyond that label in the 80′s and 90′s with songs like The Wanderer, Dinner With Gershwin, and This Time I Know It’s For Real. In later years she also went back to her gospel roots, which seemed at odds with the image that brought her such fame. Her last chart appearance came in 1999 and at the time of her death today, she had been working on new material.

Get ready to dance, in order of chart position, here are Donna Summer‘s top 10 hits.

10. HEAVEN KNOWS

9. LAST DANCE

8. THE WANDERER

7. SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY

6. LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY

5. DIM ALL THE LIGHTS

4. NO MORE TEARS (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH) – with Barbra Streisand

3. HOT STUFF

2. MACARTHUR PARK

1. BAD GIRLS

Black Sabbath: “We Have Engaged A Substitute Drummer”

Randall Tyree — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:05:05 +0000

Following Bill Ward’s lengthy statement detailing why he won’t be joining Black Sabbath for their upcoming concert performances, Black Sabbath have responded with their own much shorter statement.

“We have decided not to make any detailed comment on Bill’s latest statement. There are two sides to every story. We have been working hard at rehearsals making excellent progress after Tony’s treatments and we have engaged a substitute drummer for the forthcoming shows. See you at Download.”

Notably, Sabbath didn’t mention who their “substitute drummer” is, but that won’t remain a secret much longer: the band have a “warmup” gig at England’s O2 Academy on Saturday, and they’re playing the Download Festival in June. Their single U.S. Date is at Lollapalooza in August.

– Brian Ives

R.I.P. Donna Summer: Eight Essential Songs From The Queen Of Disco

Randall Tyree — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:16:48 +0000

From her disco days to her reinvention in the 1980s and beyond, Donna Summer was a one of a kind star in the music world. Known famously as the Queen of Disco, Summer scored four No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 chart and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach No. 1. As we mourn the loss of the five-time Grammy winner from cancer at the age of 63, we celebrate Summer’s legacy by highlighting her essential hits.

“Love To Love You Baby,” 1975

Her first hit as Donna Summer (rather than her given name, Donna Gaines) is easily the sexiest song of her career, thanks to breathy vocals, racy moans and a funky bass line. Summer’s audible moaning even led to the song’s banning on a handful of radio stations. Through the years, film has immortalized the No. 2 hit by using “Love To Love You Baby” to soundtrack on-screen “sexy time.” Listen to it here.

“I Feel Love,” 1977

By 1977, disco was at its peak, and Donna Summer was the songstress of choice during those long nights spent on the dance floor, strutting under the disco ball. But with her No. 6 hit “I Feel Love,” Summer sounded ahead of her time, channeling a future era when dance music would become more about fast electronic beats than a groovy bass line and a catchy chorus. Listen to it here.

“Last Dance,” 1978

The concept of “Last Dance” seems simple, but its structure is a real piece of work, filled with dramatic tempo changes and instrumentation (strings, horns, synths, oh my!). Perhaps that’s what made “Last Dance” so cinematic, thus earning it the best original song Oscar and Golden Globe for its appearance in the film Thank God It’s Friday. Listen to it here.

“MacArthur Park,” 1978

Many artists have covered the Jimmy Webb-penned “MacArthur Park,” but Donna Summer’s dramatic disco version remains the most well-known. Summer made the song her own, and for her efforts, she was rewarded with her first No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart. Listen to it here.

“Hot Stuff,” 1979

Even before the spacey synth on “Hot Stuff” picks up, it’s not hard to identify the song, thanks to its rock guitar riff and toe-tapping beat. Its unmistakeable sound, along with Summer’s lady-on-the-prowl lyrics, helped “Hot Stuff” launch up the charts, eventually reaching No. 1. Listen to it here.

“Bad Girls,” 1979

From the “toot-toot, beep-beep” to the whistle noises, few disco hits sound as distinct as “Bad Girls” – and continue to get dance club play. The song – Summer’s third of four No. 1 hits in a year’s time – was supposedly inspired by her assistant being mistaken for a prostitute by a cop. Listen to it here.

“No More Tears (Enough Is Enough),” 1979

Like many other disco divas, Summer has become an icon in the gay community, due to little more than her dance music and tales of empowerment. Perhaps her most empowering tale, “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)” – a duet with Barbra Streisand – went on to become a full-fledged gay anthem. The five-minute song – half ballad, half dance track – was just as much of a smash in the mainstream as well, reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100. Listen to it here.

“She Works Hard for the Money,” 1983

While she proudly reigned as the Queen of Disco, Summer managed to transcend the genre when it fell out of vogue in the 1980s, incorporating elements of new wave, R&B and pop-rock into her sound. In 1983, Summer scored her biggest post-disco hit, “She Works Hard for the Money,” an upbeat song that not only felt modern for the era due to its empowering working girl narrative but also its epic guitar, saxophone AND synth solos. Listen to it here.

–Jillian Mapes, CBS Local

Donna Summer In The All-Request KOOL Cafe!

Jeffrey T. Mason — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:18:54 +0000

Today’s All-Request KOOL Cafe at Noon will feature YOUR favorite songs by Donna Summer. One thing that has always blown me away about this woman was her longevity. Even after disco was declared “dead” in the early 80′s, Donna Summer kept pushing along with another dozen singles. Two of those hit the top 10!

CLICK HERE to make your Donna Summer request on today’s KOOL Cafe. And, while we’re at it, here’s MY all-time favorite from the Queen of Disco:

I actually enjoy Donna’s version of “MacArthur Park” even better than the original from Richard Harris.