Friday, May 18, 2012

Donna Summer's "Love To Love You Baby": The Backstory

Donna Summer, the Queen of Disco , became an icon in the 1970s, when disco music was all the rage. Even after disco was declared dead, Summer adapted to a changing musical environment and found pop success. Her string of hits included "Hot Stuff," "Last Dance," and "She Works Hard For The Money." However, of all her hits, "Love To Love You Baby" might have the most interesting backstory.


Around 17 minutes long, the epic track, produced by synth pioneer Giorgio Moroder, features sparse lyrics and suggestive moans. The lyrics go as follows: "When you're laying so close to me/ There's no place I'd rather you be than with me/ I love to love you, baby/ Do it to me again and again/ You put me in such a awful spin, in a spin."

By today's standards, those lyrics are almost Disney-worthy, but when the song hit the radio in 1975, it caused quite a stir. Some critics called it "obscene". TIME magazine called it "a marathon of 22 orgasms." Perhaps due to the controversy, the tune was a huge hit.




When Summer became a born-again Christian in the 1980s, she stopped performing the song at concerts, perhaps due to its suggestive themes. However, last year, the tune was remixed for a fragrance ad, according to People magazine.

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