Life is such a strange thing, as is death. I’ve been thinking and talking about Donna Summer for months—- ever since I saw the Blondie episode of their story on the Biography channel. Donna Summer and Blondie? Huh? Anyone seen it? It’s great schooling and here’s the piece of it that really stuck with me.

Mike Chapman, Blondie’s producer asked Debbie Harry which mainstream artists (if any) she listened to currently (the late 70’s). She answered… Donna Summer and there was the birth of Blondie’s break out hit, “Heart of Glass.”  This was Blondie’s tip-of-the-hat and ode to disco intertwined with all their anti-mainstream punk roots and rebellion. They weren’t selling out. Blondie found a way to soar, with a sound so far outside their comfort zone, they broke free. 

Ever since that moment, I’ve been trying to write such a song… a song with a sound I’d never explored… a song that was fun, not about heartbreak, struggle or anger or sadness.

Months and months passed, but I never forgot about THE song I was waiting to write. We started demos for the EP and I wrote some OTHER songs.

In January, someone turned me on to a band called Goldfrapp, particularly a song called, “Strict Machine”, which promptly rocked my world. It opened up my mind to sexy back beats, in-your-face synths, ethereal vocals that still made you feel like a rock song.

The following month I went to borrow a microphone from my friend, the multi-talented Chris Arena. He was sitting on his laptop, making beats with soaring synths, and I was blown away. I’d only known him to make completely organic music with incredible vintage instruments and equipment, so the fact that he was now combining the two, was truly music to my ears. Chris stepped in to produce and arrange, and we ended up basically rewriting the EP together.

We started pre-production on the 1st of March (my birthday) and spent the rest of the March recording the 6 songs - 5 originals and 1 cover of Madonna’s “Borderline”. 

So by April, my head is filled with all these new songs, Madonna, Goldfrapp, Blondie, and Donna Summer.

In the early morning hours on a Thursday, I was awakened by this melody and lyric. The verse, then a minute passes… new voice memo, 2nd half of the verse… 4 minutes later, the chorus… and “Love Fever” was born.

I made the demo the next day, sang the vocal into my iPhone, emailed it to myself, dropped it in the track and then emailed the demo to Chris. I didn’t hear back from him all day. The next morning I got a text, “Well, that’s your single. It’s Blondie meets Madonna with a modern twist… I already wrote another verse and bridge.”

There were a few versions of this song until we finally found the right bed for the melody and vocal. Chris and I kept exploring until we created something that we could not only be happy with as a song, but a song which also fit the EP. This song was the ultimate team effort and a song we couldn’t have written when we started recording together. This is beauty of music; there is magic in it. 

So, thank you to Donna Summer, who inspired Debbie Harry, who inspired me…   Heaven is dancing tonight.