Four Seasons of Love
Four Seasons of Love | ||||
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Studio album by Donna Summer | ||||
Released | October 11, 1976 (1976-10-11)[1] | |||
Recorded | August–September 1976[2] | |||
Studio | Musicland Studios, Munich[2] | |||
Genre |
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Length | 32:28 | |||
Label | Casablanca | |||
Producer |
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Donna Summer chronology | ||||
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Singles from Four Seasons of Love | ||||
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Four Seasons of Love is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Donna Summer. Released on October 11, 1976, this concept album became her third consecutive successful album to be certified gold in the US. It peaked at #29 on the Billboard 200. In addition, all the cuts on this album went to number one on the disco chart.[5]
Overview
This was the third concept album Summer had made, though unlike the previous two which had contained one long track on side one and a small selection of slightly shorter ones on side two, Four Seasons of Love was more equally balanced. The album told the story of a love affair by relating it to the four seasons. Side one contained "Spring Affair" and "Summer Fever", both disco tracks, and side two contained "Autumn Changes" (a slightly slower disco number) and "Winter Melody" (which had an even slower beat), plus a reprise of "Spring Affair".[6] This concept was reflected in the four photos of Summer, one for each season of the year, in a pull-out 1977 calendar included with the original LP album.[3] The photo on the cover was, fittingly, the Summer pic. Summer's "first lady of love" image came across strongly on this album, though her trademark moans and groans were slightly less evident than on previous work. Pics included "Winter" in a fur with a tear on her cheek; "Spring" in a Scarlett O'Hara style hoop skirt on a swing; and "Autumn" re-enacting Marilyn Monroe's famous scene from The Seven Year Itch with the billowing white dress over the subway grate. This is an allusion to her song "Love to Love You Baby", for which she cites Monroe as an inspiration.[6]
As with the previous two albums, Four Seasons of Love was distributed by different record labels in different countries, including Casablanca Records in the U.S. Edited versions of "Spring Affair" and "Winter Melody" were released in various places, but neither had a big impact on any charts (although the latter made the Top 30 on the UK singles chart). The album was also released as a Club Special Edition / Club Sonderauflage in West Germany on the Atlantic Records Label.
Critical reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Michael Freedberg of AllMusic called the album "rapture indeed", noting that "the rhythms push and go poof as delicately as ever", "the horn section mutes and jazzes the melody", the beats stop, run, and stop again whenever they damn please", and "Summer expresses private rapture in falsetto as she smooches, oohs, and ahs onto the mix like lipstick traces".[3]
Cashbox magazine reviewer stated that since there are only five songs on this album, at "first glance it seems a little slim", but "each tune, based on a season of the year, is pure Summer (Donna)". On the album, "accompanied by the Munich Machine, the sultry songstress runs the gamut of emotions, from lust to lustier", "the string parts are super-slick", and "the production makes full use of Summer's vocal abilities".[4]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte and Donna Summer; all tracks produced by Moroder and Bellotte
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Spring Affair" | 8:29 |
2. | "Summer Fever" | 8:06 |
No. | Title | Length |
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3. | "Autumn Changes" | 5:28 |
4. | "Winter Melody" | 6:33 |
5. | "Spring Reprise" | 3:51 |
Personnel
- Donna Summer – lead vocals
- Thor Baldursson – keyboards, string and horn arrangements
- Keith Forsey – drums, percussion
- Nick Woodland – guitar
- Les Hurdle – bass guitar
- Dino Solera – saxophone
- Geoff Bastow – synthesizer
- Madeline Bell, Sue & Sunny – backing vocals
- Technical
- Mixed by Giorgio Moroder
- Engineered by Jürgen Koppers
- Album Cover Concept by Susan Munao, Joyce Bogart & Donna Summer
- Design by Henry Vizcarra & Gribbitt!
- Art Direction by Gribbitt! & Chris Whorf
- Photography – Mario Casilli
Charts
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Certifications and sales
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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France (SNEP)[23] | Gold | 100,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] | Silver | 60,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[25] | Gold | 500,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ Sexton, Paul (October 11, 2022). "'Four Seasons Of Love': Donna Summer's Year-Round Soul Affair". UDiscoverMusic. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ a b Four Seasons of Love (liner notes). US: Casablanca Records. 1991. 826 236-2.
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ignored (help) - ^ a b c d Freedberg, Michael. Four Seasons of Love Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
- ^ a b "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cashbox. October 23, 1976. p. 26. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974–2003. Record Research. p. 249.
- ^ a b Wikane, Christian John (May 18, 2012). "She's a Rainbow: A Tribute to Donna Summer". PopMatters. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 682.
- ^ "International Best Sellers" (PDF). Cashbox. July 9, 1977. p. 47. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5177a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 89, no. 1. January 8, 1977. p. 55. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved June 15, 2021 – via Google Books.
- ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Donna Summer". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 250. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Donna Summer – Four Seasons of Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 89, no. 5. February 5, 1977. p. 62. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved June 15, 2021 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. July 9, 1977. p. 89. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
- ^ Fernando Salaverri (2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor–SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Donna Summer – Four Seasons of Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
- ^ "Donna Summer Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
- ^ "Donna Summer Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Cashbox. December 18, 1976. p. 49. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ "Top 75 R&B Albums" (PDF). Cashbox. December 18, 1976. p. 38. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ "The Top 100 Albums of '77" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 28, no. 14. December 31, 1977. p. 15. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved July 3, 2023 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1977". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
- ^ "French album certifications – Donna Summer – Four Seasons of Love" (in French). InfoDisc. Select DONNA SUMMER and click OK.
- ^ "British album certifications – Donna Summer – A Love Trilogy". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "American album certifications – Donna Summer – Four Seasons of Love". Recording Industry Association of America.
External links
- Four Seasons of Love at Discogs (list of releases)
- v
- t
- e
- Lady of the Night (1974)
- Love to Love You Baby (1975)
- A Love Trilogy (1976)
- Four Seasons of Love (1976)
- I Remember Yesterday (1977)
- Once Upon a Time (1977)
- Bad Girls (1979)
- The Wanderer (1980)
- I'm a Rainbow (rec. 1981, rel. 1996)
- Donna Summer (1982)
- She Works Hard for the Money (1983)
- Cats Without Claws (1984)
- All Systems Go (1987)
- Another Place and Time (1989)
- Mistaken Identity (1991)
- Christmas Spirit (1994)
- Crayons (2008)
- Live and More (1978)
- Live & More Encore (1999)
- On the Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes I & II (1979)
- Walk Away: Collector's Edition (The Best of 1977–1980) (1980)
- The Summer Collection: Greatest Hits (1985)
- The Dance Collection: A Compilation of Twelve Inch Singles (1987)
- The Donna Summer Anthology (1993)
- Endless Summer: Donna Summer's Greatest Hits (1994)
- The Ultimate Collection (2003)
- The Journey: The Very Best of Donna Summer (2003)
- Gold (2005)
- Singles... Driven by the Music (2015)
- The Ultimate Collection (2016)
- "The Hostage" (1974)
- "Lady of the Night" (1974)
- "Virgin Mary" (1975)
- "Love to Love You Baby" (1975)
- "Could It Be Magic (1976)
- "Try Me, I Know We Can Make It (1976)
- "Spring Affair (1976)
- "Winter Melody (1977)
- "Can't We Just Sit Down (And Talk It Over)" (1977)
- "I Feel Love" (1977)
- "Shut Out" (1977)
- "Down Deep Inside" (1977)
- "I Remember Yesterday" (1977)
- "Love's Unkind" (1977)
- "I Love You" (1977)
- "Rumour Has It" (1978)
- "Last Dance" (1978)
- "Back in Love Again" (1978)
- "MacArthur Park" (1978)
- "Heaven Knows" (1978)
- "Hot Stuff" (1979)
- "Bad Girls" (1979)
- "Dim All the Lights" (1979)
- "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" (1979)
- "On the Radio" (1979)
- "Sunset People" (1980)
- "Walk Away" (1980)
- "The Wanderer" (1980)
- "Cold Love" (1980)
- "Who Do You Think You're Foolin'" (1981)
- "Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)" (1982)
- "State of Independence" (1982)
- "I Feel Love (Patrick Cowley Remix)" (1982)
- "The Woman in Me" (1983)
- "Protection" (1983)
- "She Works Hard for the Money" (1983)
- "Unconditional Love" (1983)
- "Love Has a Mind of Its Own" (1984)
- "There Goes My Baby" (1984)
- "Supernatural Love" (1984)
- "Eyes" (1984)
- "Dinner with Gershwin" (1987)
- "Only the Fool Survives" (1987)
- "This Time I Know It's for Real" (1989)
- "I Don't Wanna Get Hurt" (1989)
- "Love's About to Change My Heart" (1989)
- "Breakaway" (1989)
- "When Love Takes Over You" (1989)
- "State of Independence (New Bass Remix)" (1990)
- "When Love Cries" (1991)
- "Work That Magic" (1991)
- "Carry On" (1992)
- "La Vie en rose" (1994)
- "Melody of Love (Wanna Be Loved)" (1994)
- "Any Way at All" (1994)
- "I Feel Love (Remix)" (1995)
- "Whenever There Is Love" (1996)
- "I Will Go with You (Con te partirò)" (1999)
- "Love Is the Healer" (1999)
- "The Power of One" (2000)
- "You're So Beautiful" (2003)
- "Dream-A-Lot's Theme (I Will Live for Love)" (2004)
- "I Got Your Love" (2005)
- "I'm a Fire" (2008)
- "Stamp Your Feet" (2008)
- "It's Only Love" (2008)
- "Fame (The Game)" (2008)
- "To Paris with Love" (2010)
- Brooklyn Dreams
- Pete Bellotte
- Joe "Bean" Esposito
- Giorgio Moroder
- Bruce Sudano
- Neil Bogart
- Paul Jabara
- Sunshine
- "Down Deep Inside"
- Love to Love You, Donna Summer (2023)