Released: 19 November 2021
Donna Summer’s ‘lost’ 1980 album ‘I’m a Rainbow’ gets new life with the help of an all-star ensemble of producers.
Revived from the original recordings, the LP – which was recorded between ‘The Wanderer’ and ‘Donna Summer’ albums – features 10 tracks from the sessions with producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte.
Axed weeks before release, as the disco icon went on to work with Quincy Jones, the revisited album remains faithful to the original recordings while injecting a modern edge.
Junior Vasquez, Le Flex, Figo Sound, Jean Tonique, Ladies On Mars and Oliver Nelson have all contributed to the release, each offering up their signature style and flair.
Opening ballad I’m a Rainbow highlights the purity in Summer’s voice, but it’s not long before the heat is turned up with the dance floor ready I Believe In You and funk driven Back Where You Belong.
There’s plenty to appreciate across the collection; Sweet Emotion, with its electronic R&B edge, is infectious, while an amped-up revision of fan-favourite Romeo is perfection.
Occasionally, the juxtaposition in quality between Summer’s 40-year-old vocal recordings and the new instrumentals is jarring, and the inclusion of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina is questionable.
But when it comes to music icons, Donna Summer is among the elite, and ‘I’m a Rainbow (Recovered & Recoloured)’ is a fitting celebration of her incomparable legacy.
‘I’m A Rainbow – Recovered & Recoloured’ comes in A5 Mediabook CD and 2LP Clear Vinyl formats
