I Feel Love 8.15 / Theme from The Deep (Down, Deep Inside) 6.06 [no Moroder involvement] (US 12": Casablanca Records, NBD 20104)
A note about the sound quality of the two different German CDs by Walter Cescato:
"The German Repertoire 1999 CD is another UNCREDITED "Vinyl RIP on CD" fiasco.
It seems that today labels policy is to cheat on customers hidding such details.
This is the trick to make you buy another copy, if you've got a good vinyl already.
As a plus, a wrong connection between the vinyl player and the digital recorder ended up with an inverted stereo image
(I can't believe people doing this is german!). If you are looking for the real master on CD find a copy from the Castle Communications release."
From Here to Eternity (Single Version) 3.52 / Utopia 4.14 (German 7": Oasis 11 538 AT)
Bob Esty worked on this LP, here is a quote from him taken from www.angelfire.com/de/moroder/
Bob Esty worked on 'Last Dance', here is a quote from him taken from www.angelfire.com/de/moroder/
Produced by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. Chris Bennett on vocals.
The A-side is OK but not very exciting at all, whereas the B-side is absolutely fantastic,
and in the same line as the 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' album.
Track 5 for example is a fascinating boogie-woogie computer disco (!) and will keep your feet moving!
An extended 13 min version of Chase was released on a US 1-sided 12" (NBD 20146).
Bonus tracks UK 2010 CD:
The Number One Song in Heaven 4.02 / The Number One Song In Heaven 7.28 [full length] (UK 12": VS 24412)
Beat the Clock 6.38 / Beat the Clock 4.23 (UK 12": VS 270-12)
Tryouts for the Human Race 7.54 (US 12" version) / Beat the Clock 6.33 (US 12": Elektra AS11412-A)
Clive Hocker: 'Strangely the US 12" version does NOT appear on 'Sparks - The 12 Inch Mixes'.
It omits the lengthy solo 'syn-drum' sequence in favour of a long introduction based on the existing verse/chorus and,
just before the final verse and chorus, adds an almost 'I Feel Love' synthesiser 'break-down' sequence.
Equally odd is the fact that it features an extra line in the final verse which is not in the album version:
'...We just want to feel the sun and be your little daughter or your son. We're just words that lovers use,
words that light that automatic fuse. Still we're at the mercy of the passion of the helpers of the Lord.
When that love explosion comes, my, oh my, we want to be someone...'
Which could suggest that the original version of this song is, in fact, the 'US extended 12" version' rather than the shorter album version!'
Life in Tokyo (long version) 7.08 / Life in Tokyo (short version) 3.30 (Ariola AHAL 540)
CD bonus tracks:
Party Light 6.03 / Bolectro 3.52 (German 12": OASIS, 600.139)
Hot Stuff 6.45 (1-sided DJ 12": Casablanca Records, NBD 20159 DJ)
Bad Girls 4.55 [= Album Version?] / ? (US 12": Casablanca NBD 20167)
Dim All the Lights 7.10 (US 1-sided DJ 12": Casablanca Records, NBD 20193 DJ)
Harmony (single version) 4.08 / Givin' It up 3.33 (US/Canadian 7": Elektra E-46530)
Harmony [6.45 fade-out? 6.59?] / Ooh, La, La 7.38 (German 12": Oasis 600 140-213)
Harmony [6.45 fade-out? 6.59?] / Givin' It up (UK 12": Elektra K 12390)
Harmony 6.45 [fade-out] / Ooh, La, La 7.06 (US promo 12": Elektra PRO 502)
May 1977 LP (+ CD) DONNA SUMMER: I REMEMBER YESTERDAY
All songs produced by Moroder/Bellotte. The only song here that should appeal
to 'Computer Disco' fans is 'I Feel Love' - a radical change from his earlier
'Soft Disco' sound and a superb Moroder classic. The other songs are very soft.
July 1977 7"/12" Donna Summer: I Feel Love I Feel Love 5.53 / Can't We Just Sit Down (And Talk It Over) (Edit) 3.56 (US 7": Casablanca Records, NB 884)
Sep 1977 LP (+ CD) GIORGIO: FROM HERE TO ETERNITY Bonus track 2013 CD:
Amazing, futuristic, rhytmical! Way ahead of its time and a must for Moroder fans.
The whimsical and corny last track sabotages the wholeness though.
Sep 1977 7" Giorgio: From Here to Eternity From Here to Eternity (Single Version) 3.52 / Too Hot To Handle 4.51 (UK 7": OASIS 1)
Clive Hocker: "The 7" version starts with the the vocoder-style voice
from the album version without any additional instrumentation.
Then the music starts (suddenly - almost in the same way as the Donna Summer
recording 'I Feel Love) and Moroder's singing begins after eight bars of this
introduction. After one verse (as on the album) the chorus repeats four times.
The mix during the chorus is substantially different with more emphasis on the
'hook' melody. Instead of proceeding onto the second verse (as on the album)
the beat continues but the music fades into the percussive start of 'Utopia -
Me Giorgio' and then that track continues until the single fades. It is almost
a medley of the two tracks - perhaps Moroder couldn't decide which was the better
song! A video (rather basic by today's standards) was released to accompany
the song and featured a close up of Moroder standing in front of a bright light.
During the chorus he moved in time to the music so that the light flared into the camera!".
Oct 1977 2-LP (+ CD) DONNA SUMMER: ONCE UPON A TIME...
All songs produced by Moroder/Bellotte. 5, 6, 8 and 13 are really great
Moroder stompers, but many other tracks are good too.
"Yes, I did the double LP "Once Upon A Time".
We used the Munich Machine rhythm players (including the incredible drummer
Keith Forsey) and the Munich Symphony. Giorgio stayed away from the studio
for the entire project and left me to format the order of the record. He
left me alone and let me do whatever I wanted. His partner Pete Bellote was
in the studio for the guitar overdubs and later co-wrote lyrics with Donna.
Giorgio had given me a tape of himself at an electric piano singing "la, la,
la" the melody and giving some chord changes in his playing. I then did a
demo of the entire album w/synthesizers in L.A. After that, I flew to Munich
to stay at the Arabella Haus where Giorgio's studio Musicland was.
Everything you hear instrumentally was completed before Donna heard it. I
had sung the melody for her on the tape and she took it from there. It took
about 4 weeks to do all the music, then Donna flew in from her tour of Italy
and wrote the words to the songs. I didn't know what the lyrics were until
she sang them. Then we added background vocals and Giorgio mixed it. During
this process, I did the Roberta Kelly LP "Gettin' the Spirit" which had the
song "O Happy Day". I added a gospel choir and some overdubs in L.A. then it
went to Munich for Giorgio to mix it."
1978 German 7" The Beepers: Love Is You Love Is You 3.22 / Love Trap 3.08 (Oasis 15 517 AT)
Both tracks written and produced by Giorgio Moroder. Thanks to Dan Magnusson for info.
Dan told me that he thinks that The Beepers is not really a group but Giorgio solo,
and that he uses a vocoder like on the Munich Machine and Giorgio & Chris LPs.
13 March (?) 1978 LP (+ CD) ROBERTA KELLY: GETTIN' THE SPIRIT
Recorded in Munich and Los Angeles in 1978, produced by Giorgio Moroder and Bob Esty. A kind of gospel-disco.
The A-side is the better side with Giorgio's usual uptempo disco stomping a la 1978, not bad at all.
The B-side is slower and not in my taste.
1978 US 7" Roberta Kelly: Oh Happy Day Oh Happy Day 3.18 (single mix) / To My Father's House 3.58 (Casablanca NB 935)
April? 1978 US soundtrack 12" Donna Summer: With Your Love With Your Love 7.35 (1-sided 12": Casablanca Records, NBD 20117 DJ)
May 1978 soundtrack 2-LP (+ 2-CD) THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY
Last Dance was also released in May 1978 as a special DJ 12" single (NBD 20122 DJ) but it was remixed by Marc Paul Simon and Bobby Guttadoro, so it had no real Moroder involvement.
(2-LP: Casablanca NBLP 7099-12.98; 2-CD 25 March 1997: Casablanca Chronicles, 314 534 606 2;
also as a 12-track single CD disc (Rebound Records 314-520-337-2) without the last track)
"I met Giorgio Moroder when I did 'Last Dance' (summer of 1977). Neil Bogart
(president of Casablanca Records) was the force behind doing the song. He
thought it was a "hit".
Paul Jabara had "trapped" Donna in a bathroom in Puerto Rico to make her
listen to the song idea. She said OK, and Paul and I finished the song and I
developed the way the song was to be done: slow intro, fast, then slow
again, then fast. It was to be the first time to my knowledge a disco track
did this.
Giorgio was initially against the song because it wasn't his, and, vocally,
Donna would be singing "full voice" (not high and breathy). This was not
like "I Feel Love" and the other previous tracks. Also, we were to use a
full orchestral arrangement, not electronic.
We recorded the entire track in one day at Record Plant. Giorgio was not
involved in the recording of the track except we had Jurgen Koppers (his
engineer) at the console. Mr. Moroder was present at the end of the
instrumental session when Donna sang her vocal (2 times only, as was her
habit). Donna and I had made a "demo" of the entire full length version with
piano and voice, so she knew the arrangement and the song before the vocal
session.
I mixed the song with Bob Stone at Larrabee Studios and it was done. After
hearing the final product, Giorgio asked me to arrange "Once Upon A Time".
This double LP was released before "Last Dance" because the movie "Thank God
It's Friday" came out some months later."
24 May (?) 1978 LP (+ CD) MUNICH MACHINE: A WHITER SHADE OF PALE
Written and produced by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. Featuring Chris Bennett on vocals.
Heavy electronic rhythms and catchy melodies.
Clive comments on the differences between the CD versions:
"The Repertoire 2011 CD is virtually the same as the previous Bud/Oasis edition from 1996,
but with slightly louder and clearer sound. The cover artwork, also taken from the previous Bud CD release is a bit of a mess,
being a poor quality re-hash of the original album artwork.
In sum, the 2010 Gold Legion edition has better artwork and an informative booklet - plus it doesn't prematurely fade out In Love With Love.
But the 2011 Repertoire CD sounds better."
(European CD (Munich Machine's two first LPs) 1996: Bud Music, CBU 62509;
US CD 23 July 2010: Gold Legion 597732; German CD (Munich Machine's two first LPs) 4 April 2011: Repertoire)
1978 7"/12" Munich Machine: A Whiter Shade of Pale A Whiter Shade of Pale (edit) 4.12 / It's All Wrong (But It's Alright) 4.12
23 June (?) 1978 7" Giorgio and Chris: Love's in You Love's in You 3.35 / I Can't Wait 3.55
Clive Hocker: "The B-side features a very different beginning to the album version."
24 July (?) 1978 LP (+ CD) GIORGIO AND CHRIS: LOVE'S IN YOU, LOVE'S IN ME
1978 Mexican 7" Giorgio and Chris: Love Now, Hurt Later Love Now, Hurt Later (Single Version) 4.16 / Let This Night Go On for Days (Single Version) 4.20 (Mexican 7": RCA Victor SP 5150)
31 Aug 1978 live 2-LP (+ CD) DONNA SUMMER: LIVE AND MORE LP 1 Side A (live 1978):
LP 1 Side B (live 1978):
LP 2 Side A (live 1978):
LP 2 Side B (studio):
CD:
All tracks produced by Moroder/Bellotte, except 'Theme from The Deep' produced by John Barry.
studio bonus track from 'The Deep' soundtrack:
(Dec 1978) 12" MacArthur Park Suite MacArthur Park Suite (Special DJ Edit) 17.33 (1-sided 12": NBD 20148)
Info from Clive "Eurodisco" 23 June 2013: "The 1990s Casablanca CD box set and 2012 Bad Girls deluxe edition CD both use the 1978 “DJ edit" of the MacArthur Park Suite.
This version was created for 12” single release in the the US.
It stitches in the longer single version of Heaven Knows (with the extra "trumpet solo" instrumental section) in place of the shorter album version.
I think One Of A Kind is a little shorter on the DJ edit version, too.
Personally, I don't like it - the edits are really obvious and completely balls up the transition back into the MacArthur Park reprise.
If Moroder and co had wanted it that way, they would have produced it that way.
At the moment, the only way you can get the proper, original version is on the 1987 Dance Collection CD or the recent Japanese Deluxe re-edition of Live And More".
25 Sep (?) 1978 soundtrack LP (+ CD) MIDNIGHT EXPRESS
Track 1 is Giorgio de-luxe, 3 and 8 are also good but slower. Track 2
is an OK ballad, whereas 4 is a bluesy song not written by Moroder at all. 6 is an exciting
song and you can hear some similarities to the 1982 Cat People soundtrack!
5 and 7 are more or less horror music.
Oct 1978 LP (+ CD) THE THREE DEGREES: NEW DIMENSIONS
Side A recorded at Wessex Studios, London, mixed at Musicland, Munich.
Side B recorded and mixed at Westlake and Larrebee Studio, Los Angeles.
Track 1 is very good and rhythmic, 2 is more glamorous and soft-disco, 3 has a good bass "drive" and melody, 4 an excellent rock-disco track,
5 and 6 are (to me boring) ballads.
The A-side on the European LP (and the Japanese & UK CD) is a medley with three segued tracks instead of separate songs (as on the US LP).
11 Dec (?) 1978 soundtrack LP BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
Music for a TV series that ran from 17 Sep 1978 to 29 April 29 1979.
Side A produced by Harold Faltermeyer, side B (track 9) produced by Giorgio Moroder/Harold Faltermeyer.
'Evolution' is pretty good actually even though it is rather slow and intended as soundtrack music.
It has the usual sounds of this period. It was included on a (deleted) Canadian CD-Maxi (Unidisc, SP5-1632).
23 Feb 1979 European 7"/12" Sparks: The Number One Song in Heaven The Number One Song in Heaven 3.48 [single edit] / The Number One Song In Heaven 6.56 (UK 7": Virgin, VS 244)
Liner notes in Sparks CD "The Heaven Collection" 1993: "The combination of Giorgio Moroder's electronics and a dance beat
had been intriguing to us. Both Giorgio and ourselves were feeling our way through the recording process,
as he had never worked with a band before, and we had never worked with a producer known more for his work
with solo disco artists like Donna Summer. No drum machines were used on the album; none existed at the time.
Just Keith Forsey (Billy Idol's current producer) and his steady right foot.
Though recorded mostly in Los Angeles, once again the British and European public were the most supportive of what we were doing."
2 March 1979 LP (+ CD) SPARKS: No 1 IN HEAVEN Bonus tracks Japanese CD 2009:
Bonus tracks 2013 CD:
CD 2 in 2019 2-CD:
CD 2 in 2024 2-CD:
All songs produced by Moroder. Synthesizers by Ron Mael and Moroder. A great album if you like (and even if you don't like) Sparks.
(UK 2-CD 17 May 2024: Lil' Beethoven Records, LBRCD120)
(July 1979) 7"/12" Sparks: Beat the Clock Beat the Clock 3.49 [single edit] / Beat the Clock (Alternative Version) 3.32 [edit of the 12" version] (UK 7": Virgin, VS 270)
The extended version is available on the Sparks CD 'The 12inch Mixes' (CMP 62010) and on the Italian CD 'Giorgio Moroder & Co: GREATEST HITS'
but unfortunately both CDs exclude the first few seconds from the beginning of the original vinyl version.
Liner notes in Sparks CD "The Heaven Collection" 1993: "[Donna Summer's] 'I Feel Love' had caused an amazing impression on us.
Working with Giorgio Moroder, we wanted to see if we could combine some of the electronics and feel of that song with our lyric slant.
'Beat the Clock' was the second British hit single from the LP. We were happy to see that the meny was basically the same at the BBC-TV canteen."
(Oct 1979) UK/US 7"/12" Sparks: Tryouts for the Human Race Tryouts for the Human Race 3.15 [edit of US 12" version] / Tryouts for the Human Race 6.05 (UK 7"/12": Virgin, VS 289/289-12)
'The Very Best of Sparks' Repertoire CD includes the 3.20 edit.
Liner notes in Sparks CD "The Heaven Collection" 1993: "Despite the success with the public, the British press crucified us for 'going disco' with this LP.
We felt we had committed some crime and Giorgio was our accomplice. Funny how ten years later, 'disco' is called 'dance music'
and it's no longer a pejorative term. A video for 'Tryouts' that has never been shown in America was shot at Shepperton Film Studios in London.
We were transformed into werewolves by one of Hitchcock's Shepperton based make-up artists."
12 April 1979 7"/12" Life in Tokyo Life in Tokyo (short version) 3.30 / Life in Tokyo (part 2) 3.29 (Ariola AHA 540)
Written by David Sylvian and Giorgio Moroder. Recorded in Los Angeles by all members of Japan, produced by Giorgio Moroder.
April 1979 LP MUNICH MACHINE: BODY SHINE
Produced by Giorgio Moroder and M.W [possibly refering to Gunter Moll and Stephen Wisnet, two members of Munich Machine].
Varied and modern disco (not Computer Disco, even though track 3 comes close).
April ca 1979 German/Italian 7" Munich Machine: Party Light Party Light (Single Edit) 3.28 / Bolectro (Single Edit) 3.01 (German 7": Oasis 101 072-100)
24 May 1979 LP THE SYLVERS: DISCO FEVER
Produced by Giorgio Moroder and Harold Faltermeyer. This is also some kind of modern soft disco with no exciting rhytm.
You can even hear a saxophone! Track 5 has some speed, but not enough if you ask me.
1979 UK 12" The Sylvers: Theme from Mahogany Theme from Mahogany [extended edit] 8.40 // Dance Right Now 5.38 / Forever 4.15 (Casablanca, CANL 167)
April 1979 7"/12" Donna Summer: Hot Stuff Hot Stuff 3.47 / Journey to the Centre of Your Heart 3.49 (US 7": Casablanca Records, NB 978)
May 1979 2-LP (+ CD) DONNA SUMMER: BAD GIRLS BAD GIRLS - DELUXE 2-CD EDITION:
All songs except 12 produced by Moroder/Bellotte. Recorded late Jan to March 1979 at Rusk Sound Studios in Los Angeles.
Arguably her best album, including many classics.
1, 3, 4, 6, 14 and 15 are my favourites (Moroder de luxe)
but 7, 8 and 13 are also quite good. The rest of the tracks are slower ballads.
May 1979 7"/12" Donna Summer: Bad Girls Bad Girls 3.55 / On My Honor 3.30 (US 7": Casablanca Records, NB 988)
(Sep 1979) 7"/12" Donna Summer: Dim All the Lights Dim All the Lights 3.55 / There Will Always Be a You 4.58 (US 7": Casablanca Records, NB 2201)
(11?) July 1979 LP (+ CD) SUZI LANE: OOH, LA, LA
Recorded at Musicland Studios, Munich. Produced by Giorgio Moroder.
1979 7"/12" Suzi Lane: Harmony Harmony (single version) 4.08 / Ooh, La, La (single edit) 3.59 (German 7": Oasis 101 071-100)
1979 US/Dutch 7"/12" Suzi Lane: Ooh, La, La Ooh, La, La 3.59 (single edit) / No One Home in the City (Dutch 7": Elektra, 12383)
| Aug 1979 | International LP/MC (+ CD) | GIORGIO: E=MC2 |
This is Giorgio de-luxe! An amazing album, the world's first to be recorded live-to-digital directly. With an infectious, heavy, robotical rhythm, this has to be one of his best records ever. A winner and a favourite amongst fans.
The Canadian 1992 EP only two tracks from the album but some fans claim it's mastered from the original tapes. This 1995 Russian has excellent sound quality (although the sound level could have been slightly higher). I was told by a Russian source that it has been very carefully de-clicked and mastered by a true music lover. There is another Russian illegal CD with another catalogue number but the sound quality is not as good. Some fans report that the 1997 SLAMCD edition has "mediocre" sound quality, while others claim it has the best sound and that it's mastered from the original tapes. Personally I'm not sure it's even a legitimate CD, because the stated label "S.L.A.M" has never released another CD and it has exactly the same tracks as the previous Russian CD! Fans report that the 2001 and 2013 Repertoire CDs are both are mastered from vinyl, although this is not stated anywhere. I guess you will just have to listen to them all and decide which CD sound YOU like best. In any case, when it comes to the booklet and relevant bonus tracks the 2013 CD is best.
Clive Hocker told me something interesting: "A curiosity is that 'What a Night' appeared in a drastically different version as a jingle in a 20 second Nescafé Instant Coffee commercial screened in the UK in 1980! Over various shots of steaming fresh coffee a rather high-pitched male vocal (not Moroder) sang 'Fresh! Coffee! Beans!' to the tune of 'What a Night'!"
Pablo Romero posted on facebook in 2023 "Data from Giorgio about this album: The voices: WERE NOT WOMEN. It was Giorgio with a Vocoder connected with a device called 'referencer tone digital', using the mic and a synthesizer. Sometimes was Giorgio, sometimes was Pete Bellote... The whole budget was spent more on machines (25) keyboards and modular sequencers. There was no more money for singers. The only computer in studio was the Roland Microcomposer with 64k capacity. * The main voice is Giorgio's voice accelerated. * Can you believe: This record cost, in the 6 weeks it was made $ 15,000 per day? * Can you believe: The studio and the equipment of the engineer, Juerguen Koppers, were sold to collectors? * Can you believe: The digital compression used on the disk, in 1979, was only 56K? And it was the first digital record on history."
| 1979 | German/Italian 7"/12" | Giorgio: Baby Blue |
Baby Blue 4.53 / If You Weren't Afraid 5.16 (German 12": Oasis 600 138-213)
| 1979 | UK 7"/12" | Giorgio: If You Weren't Afraid |
| (1980) | Canadian 7" | Giorgio: I Wanna Rock You |
| Sep 1979 | 7"/12" | The Three Degrees: Jump the Gun |
Jump the Gun (Long) 8.06 // Jump the Gun (Short) 3.56 / Falling in Love Again
| Oct 1979 | LP (+ CD) | 3 DEGREES: 3D |
Extra tracks UK CD 2011:
http://www.cherryred.co.uk/bbr/product.php?display=threedegrees
| Nov 1979 | 7"/12" | The Three Degrees: My Simple Heart |
My Simple Heart (Full-lentgh Version) 5.12 / Hot Summer Night 4.42
| (Feb 1980) | 7" | The Three Degrees: Without You |
| (April 1980) | 7" | The Three Degrees: Starlight |
Starlight 4.43 // Starlight 3.23 / Bodycheck 4.03 / Set Me Free 7.19 (UK 12": Ariola AROD 228)
| Oct 1979 | LP (+ CD) | JANIS IAN: NIGHT RAINS |
| Oct 1979 | soundrack 7"/12" | Janis Ian: Fly Too High |
Fly Too High (Extended) 6.50 / Night Rains 3.18
| Oct 1979 | coll-2-LP (+ CD) | DONNA SUMMER: ON THE RADIO - GREATEST HITS VOLUMES I & II |
| Nov 1979 | soundtrack 7" | Donna Summer: On the Radio |
| Jan 1980 | soundtrack 2-LP | FOXES |
| early (?) 1980 | US/Italian soundtrack 7" | Hollywood Dreams |
| Oct ca 1980 | coll-LP (+ CD) | DONNA SUMMER: WALK AWAY - THE BEST OF 1977-1980 |
| Oct 1980 | 7"/12" | Donna Summer: Walk Away |
Walk Away 7.15 (1-sided DJ 12": Casablanca Records, NBD 20226 DJ)
| (1987) | coll-2-LP/CD | DONNA SUMMER: THE DANCE COLLECTION [1977-1979] |
Copyright (c) 1996-10-19 Jonas Wårstad.
Last update 2024-05-17.
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