#11 - I Feel Love / Donna Summer

When Brian Eno first heard 'I Feel Love' by Donna Summer, produced by Giorgio Moroder in 1977, he declared that he had 'heard the sound of the future'. It was the first pop song to be entirely produced on a synthesiser and quickly came to be seen as an important milestone in the history of record production, pointing the way forward to the dominance of electronic technology in the decades following its release. Equally, it's a song which was immediately embraced by gay clubbing communities; when Sam Smith recorded their cover of it in 2019, they could describe it as a 'queer anthem'. In this episode, the first of a new series focussing on songs from the 1970s and 80s, I ask what it is about 'I Feel Love' which has inspired these responses and what might link these two key strands of its history.

All the songs discussed in this episode, including the original recording of 'I Feel Love' can be heard here. The theme from A Clockwork Orange is not on Spotify but at the time of writing can be found here. If you've enjoyed the episode please leave a review on Apple podcasts. Thank you.

With very special thanks to Paul Wierdak, the producer of this episode.