Customer Reviews

The Dance Collection

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Okay, There really IS no place to get the full length version of "With Your Love." (I have the vinyl LP, and recorded it onto CD from there). However, if you can afford the Donna Summer Anthology 2 CD set, THAT'S where you can get the 12" version of Hot Stuff segued directly into Bad Girls...a shock for a CD that is all edits, but I promise you, that is the ONE place where it IS available...and ON THE RADIO, although not even on the original vinyl version of this title, is available in its TRUE long version (7:30 or so) on the CASABLANCA STORY 4 CD set...the "long version'" on the On The Radio Greatest hits CD is shorter(5:30)...HOWEVER, the long version (7:30), which was originally on the Foxes soundtrack in 1980, is actually MISSING the final slow verse of the 5:30 version!!! So, for all you diehard fans, there is NO LONG LONG version available...too bad...a nine minute version including that "lost" verse would have been awesome...Hope this info helps fellow fans...

This is the collection to obtain if you have already purchased the Live and More c.d. only to find out MacArthur Park Suite was disastrously deleted ! The 17 minutes plus of the Suite are restored here as originally recorded on the vinyl version of the Live and More 1978 double l.p.

Also, I too agree with a previous reviewer;Bad Girls, On The Radio, Sunset People should have been included along with Could It Be Magic.Hopefully, there will be a second volume to The Dance Collection (hint)...

This collection exemplifies what made Donna a household and nightclub name in the early and late '70s...

At first sight, this seems like an excellent chance to scoop up all of Donna Summers classic 12" dance singles, but on closer inspection, you don't get all that much. Having long versions of "I Feel Love", "Hot Stuff" and the full version of "Macarthur Park" on one Cd is great, but where are "Sunset People", "Rumour Has It", "On The Radio" or "Bad Girls", instead of odd choices like "With Your Love" and "Last Dance". There is a better selection of hits on "Anthology", but it comes with far too much poorer material from Donna's later career ("The Wanderer", anybody?), whereas "On The Radio" has a great selection from the classic years, but they are all too short and segued together-yuk! This means that the "Dance Collection" is not an essential purchase, but it's not expensive, and has at least some highlights of Donna Summer's career as a disco diva.

I bought this album back in 1993, and have never laid it to rest. I've been a keen Summer fan since her first hits in the mid seventies. Although PolyGram released this album in 1987, it never got released until 1993 in Australia.

I primarily bought the disc for the extended versions of "I feel love" and "Hot Stuff", as these were my favourite Summer tunes, but started liking every track on the first playing. This is Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder at their best. Other great tracks on this album include "With your love", "last dance", the entire seventeen version of "MacArthur Park", "walk away" - another great disco track", "Dim all the lights", and "No more tears (enough is enough)".

Only small let down was the absence of her 1979 hit "bad girls". This track appears on the "walk away - the collection - 1977-1980" CD, and is available in it's full 12 inch length as a CD Single, released by Unidisc. This particular track sounds best though on her 1979 double album of the same name.

In 1987, PolyGram records released a compilation of twelve inch singles of Donna Summer's classic hits. Prior to this album the songs were the domain of the discos ( and international soul charts). Now the public has the chance to "Dim All The Lights" and enjoy this hot album. here are the extende versions of "I Feel Love", "With Your Love' & "Last Dance" (These two songs were featured on the film "Thank God It's Friday"). Here too is the legendary "Mac Arthur Park Suite"; which includes "One Of A Kind" & "Heaven Knows". (Classic R&B, Soul). And if that's not enough for you; there's "Hot Stuff", "Bad Girls" , "Walk Away", "Dim All The Lights" and yes, "No More Tears" the duet with Barbra Streisand. (The Long Version). The Dance Collection is a keeper.

The main reason I purchased this CD is to finally get the full Macarthur Park "Suite", which I sorely missed. Every other CD I perused had one or at best two songs from the original medley. How frustrating was that? As frustrating as not having the hot stuff into bad girls direct mix. I lived in New York when this was released and they played the full MP suite often. Consequently, it's the only way I like to hear it. The same goes for Hot Suff/Bad Girls. You may say, with all the horror in the world - who cares. Uhh... that would be us, the fans.

"MacArthur Park Suite" is reason enough to buy this album. This was unfortunately taken off from her first live concert album, "Live and More". But who can deny the absolute power and unmistakable beauty and grace of her vocals in this 17-minute suite? The only criticism I have of this album is the absence of "Bad Girls". If they intended to make this a veritable 70s dance collection CD, this song should not have been omitted or skipped. We've heard the wonderful transition from Hot Stuff to Bad Girls in the original "Bad Girls" LP and its modified but still wonderful version in "On the Radio/Greatest Hits" album. Why not provide listeners and buyers of "Dance Collection" this pleasure again?

If you are tired of seeing Donna Summer's "Greatest Hits" albums and are looking for something different, then get this! As my title indicates, these songs are the lenghty 12-inch version rather than the typical "radio edited" versions! In my opinion, getting this album looks great along with her 1993 Anthology and/or 1994 "Greatest Hits". It contians one page of liner notes and a nice album cover! Highly recommended for ALL Donna Summer fans!

This collection is great but it's just a first-step-purchase because :
- The essentials « Love to love you baby », « Bad girls » and « On the radio » are missing (« Bad girls » is available on the tape and all three songs are on the 4 cd-box « The Casablanca records story »).
- « With your love » is edited on the cd (but not on the tape).
- « Heaven knows » is not featured in its 12" version.
- « Walk away » is edited (the original 12" is actually 8:30 long).
- Except « Hot stuff », Donna Summer's 12" versions are not very creative if we compare them with the lp versions.

If you are one of those people that are still in love with disco, this is your package. Most of Donna Summers great extended mixes are here (although several have been overlooked - this could have been a 2-CD collection). You can throw out all those extended 12" vinyls and dance your butt off (or just listen - it's that good a disco collection). I still am amazed at "I Feel Love" (reported as having the lyrics written in 5-10 minutes - no kidding) after a great Giorgio composition. Most people don't realize that Summer co-wrote nearly all of her big hits. Great collection.