Mistaken Identity (Donna Summer album)

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For other uses, see Mistaken Identity (disambiguation).
Mistaken Identity
Mistaken Identity cover
Studio album by Donna Summer
Released August 23, 1991
Genre Pop, Dance, Soul, Urban, R&B
Length 54:59
Label Atlantic
Producer Keith Diamond
Donna Summer chronology
Another Place and Time
(1989)		 Mistaken Identity
(1991)		 The Donna Summer Anthology
(1993)

Mistaken Identity is an album released in 1991 by Donna Summer. Since making her name as the biggest female star of the disco era in the 1970s, Summer had experimented with different musical genres throughout the 1980s with varying degrees of success. By 1991 she was signed with Atlantic Records and two years prior to this had released an album with production team Stock Aitken Waterman. SAW's unique "hit factory" sound (their own brand of 1980s synth/sampled pop/dance) had been particularly evident on that album and had given Summer several hits, but for her new album she was keen to adopt a more Urban style, and the result was indeed a very far cry from the previous album. Sounds range from a Lisa Stansfield "All Around The World" and Soul II Soul-esque style to current 90s House - especially in the track "What Is It You Want?" (opening spoken intro: House? Whose house?? MY house!!! - no doubt a reference to her role as Queen of All Things Danceable) but audiences expecting HI-NRG dance melodies and chord progressions of her earlier works were disappointed. The tracks "When Love Cries" and "Work That Magic" were issued as singles and both moderately successful.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Get Ethnic" (Donna Summer, Keith Diamond, Paul Chiten, Anthony Smith, Larry Henley) - 5:21
  2. "Body Talk" (Donna Summer, Keith Diamond, Eve Nelson, Anthony Smith, Larry Henley) - 4:48
  3. "Work That Magic" (Donna Summer, Keith Diamond, Eve Nelson, Anthony Smith, Larry Henley) - 5:00*
  4. "When Love Cries" (Donna Summer, Keith Diamond, Eve Nelson, Anthony Smith, Larry Henley) - 5:15
  5. "Heaven's Just A Whisper Away" Keith Diamond, Larry Henley, Anthony Smith) - 4:06
  6. "Cry Of A Waking Heart" (Betsy Cook, Bruce Woolley) - 4:36
  7. "Friends Unknown" (Donna Summer, Keith Diamond, Anthony Smith, Vanessa Smith) - 3:44
  8. "Fred Astaire" (Donna Summer, Keith Diamond, Anthony Smith, Donna Wyant) - 4:40
  9. "Say A Little Prayer" (Donna Summer, Keith Diamond, Anthony Smith, Donna Wyant) - 4:07
  10. "Mistaken Identity" (Donna Summer, Keith Diamond, Anthony Smith, Donna Wyant) - 4:08
  11. "What Is It You Want" (Donna Summer, Keith Diamond, Donna Wyant, Anthony Smith, Vince Lawrence, Dave Resnik) - 4:40
  12. "Let There Be Peace" (Donna Summer, Keith Diamond - 3:59

(*)The UK edition of this album contained the "ISA full-length remix" of this track

[edit] Personnel

  • 'Kaydee' - rap vocals, drums, percussion, assorted funkiness, "Intro Madness" on "Mistaken Identity"
  • Carl James - rap vocals, bass
  • Neil Thomas - rap vocals
  • 'Wrong Way' Smith - "Intro Madness" on "Mistaken Identity"
  • Paul Chiten - composer
  • Eve Nelson - composer, keys, piano
  • Anthony Smith - composer, keys
  • Larry Henley - composer
  • Betsy Cook - composer
  • Vanessa Smith - composer
  • Donna Wyant - composer
  • Vince Lawrence - composer, keys
  • Dave Resnik - composer, "vibe" on "What Is Is You Want"
  • Joe Taylor - guitars
  • Vicki Genfan - guitars
  • Rafe van Hoy - guitars
  • Skip McDonald - guitars
  • Paul Pesco - guitars, acoustic guitars
  • Ira Siegel - guitars
  • Joe Hornoff - drums
  • J.T. Lewis - drums
  • O.C. Rodriguez - drums
  • Bob "Mr Shaker" Conti - percussion
  • Steve McLoughlin - "on a Harley D" on "Body Talk"
  • Danny Wilensky - saxophone
  • The 'Heart' Strings (Suzie Schumway, Sally Schumway, Suzanne Ornstein, Ann Labin and Cathy Metz) - strings
  • Background vocals: Donna Summer; The New York crew: Craig Derry, Yogi Lee, Cliff Dawson, Biti Straughn, Lauren Kinham, Tracy Amos, 'Sabelle'; The Los Angeles crew: Marry Ellen Bernard, Gene Miller, Susan Macke
  • Album cover coordination: Tracy Nicholas Bledsoe
  • Design: Bill Smith Studio, London
  • Photography: Harry Langdon, L.A.
  • Stylist: Gina Delgado

[edit] Production

  • Strings on "Friends Unknown" arranged by Keith Diamond and Eve Nelson
  • Engineered by George Karras
  • Additional engineers: Bob Rosa, Acer Key, Peter Robbins, J.C. Convertino
  • Assistant engineers: Shawn 'Fido' Berman, Steve McLoughlin, Andy Udoff, Adam Yellin, Carl Glanville, Jeff Lippay, Danny & Steve, Welcome, Darien Sahanaja, Joe Seta
  • Recorded at Unique Studios, NY; Hit Factory, NY; Electric Lady, NY; Rumbo Studios, LA; Encore Studios, LA; Track Record Studios, LA; American Studios, LA; Presence Studios, CT; R.P.M. Studios, NY; Interface Studios, NY; My Blue Heaven Studios, NY
  • Studio managers: Tony Drootin - Unique, NY; Vicki Camblin - Rumbo, LA; Troy Germano - Hit Factory, NY; Bob Mason - R.P.M., NY; Daryl - Encore, LA; John Russell - Presence, CT
  • Mastered at The Hit Factory by Herb Powers

[edit] Charts

Single
Year Single Chart Position
1991 "Work that magic" UK's single chart 74