Wow! Interesting additional details! I didn't know the song was originally intended as a B-side. Also, this is the first time I've heard the Human League song. Love that band! Thanks!
Then I have good news: they — as in The Human League 😁 — are on the shortlist, Dan. One of the upcoming episodes, and they’ll feature quite prominently intros Friday's one too.
Thanks for reading and reacting. Have a great week!
Pe, your passion for all of this is truly amazing. My favorite of Gorgio is the love theme from Flashdance. I feel like that soundtrack work blended all the different aspects of his work and influences into something otherworldly.
Thanks, Taz. His soundtrack work was a direct consequence of the I Feel Love “accident”, and you can clearly hear him returning to the same techniques again and again.
Wow, this was brilliant Pé! Despite the fact that somebody at some point was going to come up with something that pushed the boundaries of music and the technology, it really does feel like synchronicity that these specific people came together at the right time and in the right way.
You used the term revolutionary when referring to the song and that feels so apt. I think it’s probably impossible to overstate how influential this song was and it’s almost unbelievable to me that nobody really recognized its greatness at the time.
II agree — it had everything to do with the anti-disco bias. Sometimes you get so conditioned into a certain way of thinking that you stop judging a song or artist on its own merits. I had the same experience this week while researching Pete Shelley and discovering a very different perspective on punk, and why young artists were drawn to it. Had I known that back then, I probably would have formed a very different opinion about punk at the time…
Thanks for reading and reacting, Mark. Wishing you a great start to the week!
Pe, what a beautifully written pair of essays. And spoken I should add. I was engrossed from beginning to end. And I actually knew a lot of the story already. Though I learned quite a bit more.
I find your framing of the inevitability of this specific Moroder sound fascinating. Of course we can never know the course of history should a piece of it be missing.
And I’m super excited about your next piece on Pete Shelley and the Buzzcocks.
I really enjoy those alternative-history questions; they’ve always been some of the most interesting exercises for me as a historian. In this case, I feel I was on fairly solid ground.
As for Friday: I’m deep in research and will start writing this evening. Pete is such a fascinating artist — I’ve had his ’80s albums (and those excellent twelve-inch mixes) on repeat all day.
Interesting and informative post, PeDupre. I Feel Love is one of many pivotal songs originally intended as B-sides, from Rock Around the Clock to I Will Survive. Your post, of course, is an A-side hit.
I remember buying the Once Upon A Time double album and enjoying record one, particularly the transcendent Now I Need You and Working For The Midnight Shift, but being disappointed the rest of the album was in a more conventional disco vein. It's a shame Moroder and Bellotte weren't more committed to electronics, but I wonder if record company pressure had a bearing on the way the album sounded as well. Either way, I felt somewhat cheated at the time, as if the future had been cancelled.
Once Upon a Time is my favourite Donna album precisely because of its electro side. Now I Need You was actually planned for this week’s mix, but I ended up cutting it because it just wouldn’t play nicely with the other kids 😂. Still—what a track. It gives me goosebumps every single time.
What really gets me is how Donna (with Giorgio and Pete) blends gospel elements with those cold synth textures so beautifully. It shows a completely different side of her, and once again proves what they might have achieved with a fully electronic album. As you’ve now read, there are reasons why that never materialised—but it remains a real shame. On that, I think we fully agree.
Thanks so much for reading and reacting, Paul. Have a great week!
My introduction to this song came when I heard the title track to the I Remember Yesterday album as background music in a London club prior to a concert by Jigsaw. I bought the album to listen to the rest and was blown away by I Feel Love, despite not being particularly enamored with disco or dance music. It truly is a song set apart from everything else. I still love to listen to that entire album. Highly encourage anyone who has not to seek it out. It truly shows the range of musical talent Donna Summer possessed. She would have been a star in any era. RIP.
I Feel Love felt like a perfect match of disco and electronic music to me. I’ve always felt a strong connection to the music of Donna Summer and Cerrone. In my opinion, disco evolved thanks to them. I’m not sure how much longer it would have taken for this style to become mainstream without them.
Thank you for this lesson in electronic music. For years, I heard musicians bashing the genre because they preferred groups who played traditional instruments. As someone with no formal musical training (I just loved to dance!), I never quite understood the disconnect. Reading your article taught me about the skill, precision, and effort required to create this music.
Thanks again for another masterclass! Your newsletters are truly brilliant.
My pleasure, Marta. Reactions like yours are exactly what make all the research and writing worthwhile. Disco is thankfully viewed very differently today, but there are still plenty of misunderstandings about the period and many of the artists. Beyond that, the music itself was pure fun—and writing about it is just as enjoyable😁. And you are right Donna & Cerrone really did play a big role.
Thanks so much for reading and reacting. Wishing you a great week ahead!
Wow! Interesting additional details! I didn't know the song was originally intended as a B-side. Also, this is the first time I've heard the Human League song. Love that band! Thanks!
Then I have good news: they — as in The Human League 😁 — are on the shortlist, Dan. One of the upcoming episodes, and they’ll feature quite prominently intros Friday's one too.
Thanks for reading and reacting. Have a great week!
Can't wait!!
Pe, your passion for all of this is truly amazing. My favorite of Gorgio is the love theme from Flashdance. I feel like that soundtrack work blended all the different aspects of his work and influences into something otherworldly.
Thanks, Taz. His soundtrack work was a direct consequence of the I Feel Love “accident”, and you can clearly hear him returning to the same techniques again and again.
Superb write up. It's an incredible song, still sounds otherworldly nearly 50 years later. Thanks for writing this great article.
Thanks so much for reading and for the lovely compliment, Kal. Wishing you a great rest of the weekend.
Wow, this was brilliant Pé! Despite the fact that somebody at some point was going to come up with something that pushed the boundaries of music and the technology, it really does feel like synchronicity that these specific people came together at the right time and in the right way.
You used the term revolutionary when referring to the song and that feels so apt. I think it’s probably impossible to overstate how influential this song was and it’s almost unbelievable to me that nobody really recognized its greatness at the time.
II agree — it had everything to do with the anti-disco bias. Sometimes you get so conditioned into a certain way of thinking that you stop judging a song or artist on its own merits. I had the same experience this week while researching Pete Shelley and discovering a very different perspective on punk, and why young artists were drawn to it. Had I known that back then, I probably would have formed a very different opinion about punk at the time…
Thanks for reading and reacting, Mark. Wishing you a great start to the week!
Donna Summer = goddess
Pe, what a beautifully written pair of essays. And spoken I should add. I was engrossed from beginning to end. And I actually knew a lot of the story already. Though I learned quite a bit more.
I find your framing of the inevitability of this specific Moroder sound fascinating. Of course we can never know the course of history should a piece of it be missing.
And I’m super excited about your next piece on Pete Shelley and the Buzzcocks.
Thanks, Steve — that’s a great compliment.
I really enjoy those alternative-history questions; they’ve always been some of the most interesting exercises for me as a historian. In this case, I feel I was on fairly solid ground.
As for Friday: I’m deep in research and will start writing this evening. Pete is such a fascinating artist — I’ve had his ’80s albums (and those excellent twelve-inch mixes) on repeat all day.
Have a great rest of the week!
Another excellent deep dive!
Thanks for reading & reacting Matt! Glad you liked it. Have a great week!
Interesting and informative post, PeDupre. I Feel Love is one of many pivotal songs originally intended as B-sides, from Rock Around the Clock to I Will Survive. Your post, of course, is an A-side hit.
haha.. thanks Rock Around The Web! Much appreciated. Thanks for reading & reacting. Wishing you a nice week!
I remember buying the Once Upon A Time double album and enjoying record one, particularly the transcendent Now I Need You and Working For The Midnight Shift, but being disappointed the rest of the album was in a more conventional disco vein. It's a shame Moroder and Bellotte weren't more committed to electronics, but I wonder if record company pressure had a bearing on the way the album sounded as well. Either way, I felt somewhat cheated at the time, as if the future had been cancelled.
Paul, you’re my man!
Once Upon a Time is my favourite Donna album precisely because of its electro side. Now I Need You was actually planned for this week’s mix, but I ended up cutting it because it just wouldn’t play nicely with the other kids 😂. Still—what a track. It gives me goosebumps every single time.
What really gets me is how Donna (with Giorgio and Pete) blends gospel elements with those cold synth textures so beautifully. It shows a completely different side of her, and once again proves what they might have achieved with a fully electronic album. As you’ve now read, there are reasons why that never materialised—but it remains a real shame. On that, I think we fully agree.
Thanks so much for reading and reacting, Paul. Have a great week!
My introduction to this song came when I heard the title track to the I Remember Yesterday album as background music in a London club prior to a concert by Jigsaw. I bought the album to listen to the rest and was blown away by I Feel Love, despite not being particularly enamored with disco or dance music. It truly is a song set apart from everything else. I still love to listen to that entire album. Highly encourage anyone who has not to seek it out. It truly shows the range of musical talent Donna Summer possessed. She would have been a star in any era. RIP.
So true sdflash 2006! Great album indeed and Donna is such a versatile star. Thanks for reading & reacting. Have a great week!
I Feel Love felt like a perfect match of disco and electronic music to me. I’ve always felt a strong connection to the music of Donna Summer and Cerrone. In my opinion, disco evolved thanks to them. I’m not sure how much longer it would have taken for this style to become mainstream without them.
Thank you for this lesson in electronic music. For years, I heard musicians bashing the genre because they preferred groups who played traditional instruments. As someone with no formal musical training (I just loved to dance!), I never quite understood the disconnect. Reading your article taught me about the skill, precision, and effort required to create this music.
Thanks again for another masterclass! Your newsletters are truly brilliant.
My pleasure, Marta. Reactions like yours are exactly what make all the research and writing worthwhile. Disco is thankfully viewed very differently today, but there are still plenty of misunderstandings about the period and many of the artists. Beyond that, the music itself was pure fun—and writing about it is just as enjoyable😁. And you are right Donna & Cerrone really did play a big role.
Thanks so much for reading and reacting. Wishing you a great week ahead!