Back in 1977, Donna Summer raised the bar for disco releases incredibly high by offering up the double-album Once Upon A Time. Thirty-six years later to the exact week, the beloved diva’s posthumous remix collection Love To Love You Donna will arrive (it’s out October 22). You may recall that we premiered the tracklist a few weeks back — and among the mixes is Holy Ghost!‘s reworking of “Working The Midnight Shift,” which first appeared on Once Upon A Time.
Lyrically, “Working The Midnight Shift” served as the precursor to Donna’s early-’80s smash “She Works Hard For The Money.” Holy Ghost’s mix finds the New York duo taking the original, futuristic Giorgio Moroder production and shaping it into a modern day synth-fueled stomper.
Head below to hear Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel‘s musical reinvention of the classic Donna Summer song.
Hear It Here and give your opinions
Donna Summer’s “Working The Midnight Shift” (Holy Ghost! Remix): Idolator Premiere
Terrible!
Pull this remix out of the project or let them work on it again but then with Donna’s vocals and not another singer.
That is certainly NOT Donna’s vocals in this supposed “remix” of Midnight Shift. Who are Holy Ghost trying to fool? This is a COVER VERSION and as such has absolutely no place on an album claiming to contain Donna remixes. A cover version is not a remix. Never has been, never will be. To claim it’s a remix is a blatant lie at best, and practically fraudulent at worst. Donna and her legacy, as well as her fans, deserve a lot better.
Holy Ghost – holy cow! A cover version of a Donna Summer song does not (IMO) deserve to be on a Donna Summer Album. It’s just awful. My ambivalence for this album is growing. I expected so much more from Verve. Someone needs a good slap and judging by the reaction of Donna’s fans on Facebook and Twitter there are a lot of us ready to slap (and slap hard). I look forward to any comment from the Album’s Exec Producer on what possessed him or her to allow such a travesty. I was prepared to indulge the (awful) On The Radio remix but this is beyond the pale. XpS
the remix is great, really great, BUT… this is definitely NOT Donnas voice, and no effect in the world would turn her voice this way… did they do that to tease us ?????
i am a die-hard fan of Donna, and i want a remix CD, of DONNA SUMMER, the voice , the talent, the writer…. do you hear me Verve ??? Donna summer and no background singers, or two words repeated 20 times, no Dubs (dubs used to be B-sides for real Vocal tracks)
i am not buying the product of DJS or producers (even if they are talented) i am BUYING the great Donna Summer CD.
“ON THE RADIO” remixed by Jacques Green, is a disgrace to our Idol, why would you filter her voice? ??????
Do something about it, or rename the album, and take off MRS DONNA SUMMER Picture from it, and see if it sales !!!
Please don’t disappoint us, don’t mess with Donna Summer legacy.
From what we heard already, only “HOT STUFF” did justice to Donnas talent.
I understand how upset Lucy is but don’t agree completely. The On The Radio mix is a terrible mess and should never have made the cut. The remix of Working the Midnight Shift is actually not that bad but the fact that they didn’t use Donna’s vocals on a Donna Summer remix CD is an absolute insult to all of her fans and to Donna Summer herself. It belongs on a cover CD, not a remix CD of Donna’s work. I have enjoyed all of the other mixes that have been leaked or released and I’m still holding out for some more surprises! I also agree with the comments about dub mixes and what about a club mix that is 4:00 long?? A little ridiculous.
Just not good, in any way, shape or form!
The beautiful, mysterious, dark and melancholy feel of the original could never be surpassed, but I was hoping with this project whoever handled this particular song needed to do so with astute care and attention.
This is on a par with Samantha Fox covering ‘Love To Love You’ and Sophie Lawrence massacreing ‘Love’s Unkind’ back in the 1990’s.
Sorry , i was so upset, i mentioned only “hot stuff”
fingers on the trigger is fine also….
This is shocking!To call this a remix when it doesn’t feature the great lady’s vocals is insulting to her legion of fans..i for one will not buy this rubbish.
The fact that ‘Working The Midnight Shift’ was included in this collection made the idea of a remix collection bearable considering there has been an abundance of official and fan mixes over the past decade with various degrees of succcess, especially of the well known hits. Having heard this ‘cover’ (I guess it probably uses a sample to legitimise it), I feel cheated and crushed. the complete beauty and importance of this track has gone. Of what we have heard from this project so far only Hot Chips take on Sunset People is worthy of our Diva and her memory. I’m dreading the rest.
I can’t really add anything except, this is fucking sacrilege!
Putting this on the album will make the whole project lose integrity and will be a point of ridicule. There are already some mixes I’m not keen on (ie no vocals)
Verve! SORT IT OUT!
There is not a more devoted Donna Summer fan than I and these are NOT Donna’s vocals. I have anticipated this album for weeks now and I am extremely disappointed in Verve trying to put one over on the fans with some session singer vocals. Put Donna’s vocals in or take it off the album. This is a tragedy, far worse than the dreadful On The Radio nightmare of a remix. Sad and Disappointed. ;-(
I knew many of these tracks would be “stripped” or “changed” like this..but some of ya’ll think I’m just being bitchy or overly critical…The proof is is in the puddin’ honey, so now eat it… .lol I mean except for a couple, I never heard of or own anything by any of these remixers!!! Who the hell are they? So what do THEY really KNOW of Donna? Now if it was Tom Moulton or someone…..different story. I have just been debating that a lot of work vocally and in grandiose production were put to Donna’s originals..That’s why they are “classics”…leave them alone….If Donna was alive, you think she would have backed these???? She would have been recording/releasing new stuff….that’s where the focus needs to be…………….this project w such division isn’t helping secure that…..
I actually like the On the Radio remix which is great but this one really…no words!!!Where are Donna’s vocals?
They can’t do this to our one and only true diva Donna!!
How could they even have an idea to put somebody else’s voice instead of her own voice for HER remix album??? This is NOT a cover album. I really hope they get rid of this song from the album OR put Donna’s voice instead of this Ms. Someone-Else’s. I’m very sad and disappointed.
We should all post on Verve’s Facebook page. I have done it. Let them know what we think. At least OnThe Radio used Donna’s vocals, even though its not my cup of tea. THIS cover version has no business being on a Donna Summer album.
I hope that it´s a bad joke!!!!!
It´s not Donna Summer vocals…. what the fuck is she doing here?
I really hope that it’s a really bad joke!!!!
Terrible bad idea!!!!
Is there still a good reason to buy this cd ???
R.I.P Working The Midnight Shift
If this ‘Cover’ is on the cd, well.. i’m not buying it… and it will be the first Donna cd & vinyl i’m not buying…
Get rid of this cover version and replace it with the 17 minute version of Hot Chip’s Sunset People… Who handled that classic with respect!
WTF Verve? I feel like I’ve been robbed. Where are Donna’s vocals? Please have someone else remix this song using Donna’s voice.
The “WTMS” remix is a total insult to the memory of The Queen, and to all of us Donna Summer fans, I mean, since this is not a cover album. Shame on you holly ghost!, remove the track from the album or I’ll feel robbed, otherwise I guarantee that this will be the skipped track of the CD.
one more thing holy ghost!…. What did you do I..iots!!!!!
Is this a case of bait and switch?????????? WTF!!!!!!! Where the hell did they get that Andrea True wanna-be karaoke singer?????????? The mix is hot but the singer SUCKS!!!
So, what you all are trying to say is the recording of “Working the midnight shift” on this CD isn’t by Donna Summer? Noted.
The title of the album says ” Love to love you Donna”, & sometimes imitation is sincerest form of flattery rather than having her sing every single remix bar.
You know, I buy Cerrone records, and I don’t get disappointed when the females sing instead of him. Duh!!!!
I see that most of ‘ye truly HATED this abomination as much as me.
What is Really interesting was the ‘excuse’ given for this tracks inclusion by her hubby.
That it was written by Donna herself AND a little something about losing master-tapes.
Universal apparently has a vault of tapes that it can find ‘lost’ stuff when they want to re-release say Marianne Faithful’s ‘Broken English’ album.
Yet they genuinely said [according to Bruce Sudano – no less] that there is a dusty shelf somewhere minus anything from Donna Summer’s Casablanca days.
I know this to be a complete and utter lie.
As more than one person (who are VERY well known in the music biz) has told me this is untrue.
mr.Sudano himself has said that he asked Verve [David Foster] to consider a Covers Tribute Album.
Allegedly he baulked at that idea as being ‘too expensive’, but a crappy tenth-rate ‘remix’ album isn’t ?
Did they do a head-count of Fanatical Fans and think they’d make their money back on this incredibly lack-lustre effort ?
Universal/Verve ‘whoever’ is ultimately to blame for this woeful mess of an ‘album’ are ‘Baw-Faced-LIARS’ !
They could have done a remix WITH Donna’s voice but chose not to.
how dare they put donnas name any were near that track total crap