Cats Without Claws

Cats Without Claws
Studio album by Donna Summer
Released September, 1984
Recorded 1983–1984
Genre Pop, dance, gospel
Length 44:36
Label Geffen
Producer Michael Omartian
Donna Summer chronology

She Works Hard for the Money
(1983)		 Cats Without Claws
(1984)		 The Summer Collection: Greatest Hits
(1985)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Robert Christgau B [2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide [3]

Cats Without Claws is the twelfth album released by Donna Summer. Summer had achieved monumental fame during the disco era of the 1970s, and in 1980 was signed to Geffen Records. She had had some degree of success with them, though her previous album had been released on another label.

This album peaked at No. 40 on Billboard's album chart and sold 300,000 copies in the United States.

That previous album, She Works Hard for the Money, had been her most successful since the disco era, and as a result, its producer Michael Omartian was asked to produce the new album as well. Again the majority of tracks were written by Summer and Omartian, though a couple of other writers were credited including Summer's husband Bruce Sudano. As with the previous album, Cats Without Claws was pop/dance oriented but included soulful ballads. The album also contained a cover of "There Goes My Baby", originally made popular by The Drifters, which became the first single. Although Summer requested "Oh Billy Please" as the first single, again Geffen and his executives rejected her request. A gospel song written by Reba Rambo-McGuire and Dony McGuire entitled "Forgive Me" would win Summer a Grammy award for Best Inspirational Performance.[4][5]

Cats Without Claws produced two singles: "There Goes My Baby", "Supernatural Love" (also released as a 12" Single), There Goes My Baby reached 21 on the pop chart. Further 12" dance remixes included "Eyes" and "I'm Free".

Track listing

Side one
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Supernatural Love"  Michael Omartian, Bruce Sudano, Donna Summer 3:33
2. "It's Not the Way"  Omartian, Summer 4:22
3. "There Goes My Baby"  Benjamin Nelson, Lover Patterson, George Treadwell 4:05
4. "Suzanna"  Omartian, Summer 4:29
5. "Cats Without Claws"  Omartian, Summer 4:20
Side two
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
6. "Oh Billy Please"  Omartian, Summer 4:55
7. "Eyes"  Omartian, Summer 4:45
8. "Maybe It's Over"  Summer 4:43
9. "I'm Free"  Omartian, Sudano, Summer 4:29
10. "Forgive Me"  Dony McGuire, Reba Rambo 4:30

Personnel

Production

Charts

Album
Year Chart Position
1984 UK Album chart 69
Norway 15
US Album chart 40
Sweden 10
Single
Year Single Chart Position
1984 "There Goes My Baby" USA Billboard Hot 100 21
"Supernatural Love" USA Billboard Hot 100 75

References

  1. ↑ Wynn, Ron. "Cats Without Claws > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  2. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Cats Without Claws > Review". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
  3. ↑ http://www.discomusic.com/forums/showthread.php/8066-Rolling-Stone-VS-Donna-Summer-A-Critical-Reappraisal
  4. ↑ John Joseph Thompson Raised by Wolves: The Story of Christian Rock & Roll- 2000 "Her song "Forgive Me" was an enormous Christian radio hit and won her another Best Inspirational Performance Grammy. Critics blasted her for it, and she did see a drop in sales and popularity for several years..."
  5. ↑ Encyclopedia of recorded sound -Frank W. Hoffmann, Howard Ferstler - 2005 Volume 2 - Page 1079 "She won Grammy awards for Best Inspirational Performance in 1983 and 1984, for "He's a Rebel" and "Forgive Me," respectively."
  6. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDonnaSummer/photos/a.338441742943580.79917.335408976580190/640031342784617/?type=1
  7. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDonnaSummer/posts/645205872267164