Love to Love You Baby
Encyclopedia
Love to Love You Baby is the second album by Donna Summer
, and her first to be released internationally and in the US. 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.
and Pete Bellotte
with an idea for a 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. He had the idea that she should moan and groan orgasm
ically, but Summer was initially reticent. Eventually she agreed to record the song as a demo for other singers to hear an 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
evetually 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.
and Giorgio Moroder
except where noted
Netherlands
Germany
(Atlantic Release)
France
for their song "Freaks of the Industry" and the refrain was sung by Beyoncé
on her song "Naughty Girl
".
No Doubt
did a cover of the song for the Zoolander
soundtrack.
Tom Tom Club
did a cover of the song for their album The Good, the Bad, and the Funky
.
The BBC banned the playing of the Donna Summer version because of its "orgasmic moans", so in the BBC play Abigail's Party
(1977), a cover version by Clare Torry
was used.
In part one of the season five finale of Friends
, Rachel is singing this song as she is dancing around naked because she has the apartment to herself.
In the Will & Grace
Season Five episode Sex, Losers and Videotape, Grace sings the song whilst making a sexy video. She is later heard singing it in the shower while unknowingly filmed by Jack. Later in the same episode, she watches the video of herself singing the song in the shower.
Kiki Kikova (A.K.A. Sam Taylor-Wood
) released a limited edition of this song in 2003 which was produced by Pet Shop Boys
.
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
, and her first to be released internationally and in the US. Her previous album Lady of the Night was released only in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Love to Love You Baby was released in the US on August 27, 1975.
History
In the summer of 1975, Summer approached Giorgio MoroderGiorgio Moroder
Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder is an Italian record producer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. When in Munich in the 1970s, he started his own record label called Oasis Records, which several years later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records...
and Pete Bellotte
Pete Bellotte
Peter J. Bellotte is a British songwriter and record producer, most famous for hismain body of work with Donna Summer alongside his partner Giorgio Moroder...
with an idea for a 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
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
sound that was becoming increasingly popular, and used Summer's idea to develop the song into an overtly sexual disco track. He had the idea that she should moan and groan orgasm
Orgasm
Orgasm is the peak of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, characterized by an intense sensation of pleasure...
ically, but Summer was initially reticent. Eventually she agreed to record the song as a demo for other singers to hear an 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
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Behind the Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
program that she pictured herself as Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
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
Casablanca Records
Casablanca Records was an American record label started by Neil Bogart, who partnered with Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris, and Buck Reingold in 1973, and based in Los Angeles. The label was formed after all of them had left Buddah Records and secured financing by Warner Bros. Records to start the venture...
Records and label president Neil Bogart
Neil Bogart
Neil Bogart was an American record executive. He is perhaps best known as the founder of Casablanca Records, with Peter Guber....
evetually 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
Love to Love You Baby (song)
"Love to Love You Baby" is a song by American singer Donna Summer released in 1975 . It became one of the first ever disco hits to also be released in an extended form.-Song information and original release:...
" was Summer's first single and first hit in America, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart in early 1976. It also became her first number-one Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
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
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
/R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
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
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define 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
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
the album was released with the single "Virgin Mary" replacing the first version of "Full of Emptiness." On some releases in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, "Whispering Waves" and both versions of "Full of Emptiness" were removed. They were replaced by "Lady of the Night" and "The Hostage
The Hostage (song)
"The Hostage" is a 1974 pop-rock song released by Donna Summer on the Groovy record label. It was the first single from Summer's debut album Lady of the Night, which was released in Europe but not any other continent...
," both taken from the Lady of the Night album. In France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan 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.
Track listing
All tracks written by Pete BellottePete Bellotte
Peter J. Bellotte is a British songwriter and record producer, most famous for hismain body of work with Donna Summer alongside his partner Giorgio Moroder...
and Giorgio Moroder
Giorgio Moroder
Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder is an Italian record producer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. When in Munich in the 1970s, he started his own record label called Oasis Records, which several years later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records...
except where noted
Alternate European track listings
All releases retained the same track listing for Side A.Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Atlantic Release)
France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Personnel
- Donna Summer: lead vocals
- Pete Bellotte, Molly Moll, Nick Woodland: guitars
- Giorgio Moroder: keyboards, percussion
- Michael Thatcher: keyboards
- Dave King: bass
- Martin Harrison: drums
- Bernie Brocks: percussion
- Strings and horns arranged by Michael Thatcher
Production
- Arranged by Giorgio Moroder
- Produced by Pete Bellotte
- Recorded and engineered by MackReinhold MackReinhold Mack is a German record producer and sound engineer, mostly known for his collaborations with rock bands Electric Light Orchestra and Queen. Most of this work took place at Giorgio Moroder's Musicland Studios in Munich...
and Hans Menzel - Mixed by Giorgio Moroder
- Mastered by Joseph M. Palmaccio
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
16 |
| Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
9 | |
| U.S. Album Chart Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
11 |
Single
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | "Love to Love You Baby" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
2 |
| U.S. R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
3 | ||
| 1976 | Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
2 | |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
4 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certifications |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Gold |
Cover versions and appearances in other media
This song has been sampled by Digital UndergroundDigital Underground
Digital Underground was an alternative hip hop group from Oakland, California. It could have been considered a music "family" rather than a group, as its personnel changed and rotated with each album and tour....
for their song "Freaks of the Industry" and the refrain was sung by Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
on her song "Naughty Girl
Naughty Girl (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Naughty Girl" is song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her debut studio album, Dangerously in Love . It was written by by Knowles, Scott Storch, Robert Waller and Angela Beyincé. Produced by Beyoncé and Storch, the song continues the Western sound of "Baby Boy"...
".
No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
did a cover of the song for the Zoolander
Zoolander
Zoolander is a 2001 American satirical comedy film directed by and starring Ben Stiller. The film contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by Drake Sather and Stiller for the VH1 Fashion Awards television specials in 1996 and 1997. The short films and the...
soundtrack.
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, both also known for being bandmembers of Talking Heads.-Biography:...
did a cover of the song for their album The Good, the Bad, and the Funky
The Good, The Bad, and the Funky
-Track listing:All tracks composed by Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth; except where indicated# "Time to Bounce"# "Who Feelin' It?"# "Happiness Can't Buy Money"# "Holy Water" # "Soulfire" # "She's Dangerous"...
.
The BBC banned the playing of the Donna Summer version because of its "orgasmic moans", so in the BBC play Abigail's Party
Abigail's Party
Abigail's Party is a play for stage and television written and directed in 1977 by Mike Leigh. It is a suburban situation comedy of manners, and a satire on the aspirations and tastes of the new middle class that emerged in Britain in the 1970s...
(1977), a cover version by Clare Torry
Clare Torry
Clare Torry is a British singer who famously performed the wordless vocals on Pink Floyd's "The Great Gig in the Sky" on the 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon.-Education:...
was used.
In part one of the season five finale of Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, Rachel is singing this song as she is dancing around naked because she has the apartment to herself.
In the Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
Season Five episode Sex, Losers and Videotape, Grace sings the song whilst making a sexy video. She is later heard singing it in the shower while unknowingly filmed by Jack. Later in the same episode, she watches the video of herself singing the song in the shower.
Kiki Kikova (A.K.A. Sam Taylor-Wood
Sam Taylor-Wood
Samantha "Sam" Taylor-Wood OBE , born Samantha Taylor, is an English filmmaker, photographer, and visual artist. Her directorial feature film debut came in 2009 with Nowhere Boy, a film based on the childhood experiences of The Beatles songwriter and singer John Lennon...
) released a limited edition of this song in 2003 which was produced by Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
.