LP Review: I'm A Rainbow
Recorded: 1981
Released: 1996
LP Charts: nada
Here’s a boat load of bullshit.
After The Wanderer (B), Donna Summer with Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte got to work on yet another double album in 1981. I’m not sure if the album had an official title at that point, but it was scheduled to be released in October of ‘81. However, David Geffen (head of Geffen Records, which was Summer’s label at the time) was unhappy with the progress being made and pulled the plug on their project. He pushed Summer to work with Quincy Jones, instead, to garner greater commercial success than The Wanderer had delivered.
Thus the songs Summer, Moroder, and Bellotte recorded remained unreleased for 15 years. Finally, in 1996 these songs, which were at various levels of polish and production, were released as I’m A Rainbow.
I don’t know what Geffen was smoking, but this album even in its incompleteness, is better than the ultimate collection of songs Summer was forced to record with Quincy Jones.
Don’t get me twisted, this double album has its flaws and would have been better off being pared down to a single LP. Nonetheless it has many redeeming qualities and is a fine send-off to the long collaboration between Summer, Moroder, and Bellotte. They deserved to have had their final album together released at the moment instead of locked away for over a decade.
Dance-Pop
The album begins with “I Believe (In You)”, which updates that trademark Summer ballad-into-dance technique. It’s also a duet with her “Heaven Knows” partner Joe Esposito. It’s also an early shimmering example of mall pop. A splendid tune through and through. “True Love Survives” has Summer doing post-disco, that gorgeous extension of classic disco that thrived in the early’80s. She didn’t do too much post-disco, so enjoy this song for all it’s worth.
“Melanie” is an electronic-pop banger. Sounds like a rehearsal jam for the even-better “Together In Electric Dreams” that Moroder cut with Phil Oakley a few years later. “Brooklyn” is a funky synth track dedicated to Summer’s newly-born second daughter.
“People Talk” is foppish new wave. Well, as far as a Donna Summer track can do foppish new wave.
Ballads
“You To Me” is hands down one of Summer’s best ballads while “Back Where You Belong” is lite funk. “To Turn the Stone” has what sounds like a bagpipe. I can’t tell if it’s an actual bagpipe electronically altered in the studio or a synthesizer souped up to sound like a bagpipe. The point is that it’s weird. “I’m A Rainbow”… eh, it’s perfectly meh. “I Need Time” methodically stomps the album to a close.
Some Other Assorted Songs
“Leave Me Alone” is definitely a rock song in the vein of her tracks from The Wanderer. Not as good, though. Seems like an outtake. “Sweet Emotion” definitely falls under the pop category, but it’s very adult pop, though. Not for the teens out there. Donna finally showing her age, I guess.
Want reggae? Here’s “Walk On (Keep On Movin’)”. Need some rock? “Highway Runner” ably delivers.
ALBUM GRADE: B-
The overall rating here reflects the bloat. This thing is 18 songs total. HOWEVER, if you cut the album down to the 9 or 10 songs that are fully formed and produced? Easily a B+.
So to sum up, not the starting place for Summer newbies, but if you’re a fan or familiar with her more famous songs and albums, this is a trove of “hidden” tracks to prolong your Summer fever.
Song Scores
I Believe (In You): 8/10
True Love Survives: 7/10
You To Me: 7.5/10
Sweet Emotion: 7/10
Leave Me Alone: 5/10
Melanie: 8/10
Back Where You Belong: 6.5/10
People Talk: 7.5/10
To Turn the Stone: 6/10
Brooklyn: 7.5/10
I’m A Rainbow: 5/10
Walk On (Keep On Movin’): 6/10
Don’t Cry For Me Argentina: 6/10
A Runner With the Pack: 5/10
Highway Runner: 7/10
Romeo: 6/10
End of the Week: 5/10
I Need Time: 7/10