Donna Summer released 'Cats Without Claws' 41 years ago today
I still remember going to the record store after school (junior in college) to buy the album 'on sale' for $4.99 !
Summer begged Geffen Records to release 'Oh Billy Please" as the first single off the album, but they opted for 'There Goes My Baby' instead, which just missed the Top 20, peaking at #21. She asked for 'Eyes' to be the second single, but they went with 'Supernatural Love' instead, peaking at #75. A gospel song written by Reba Rambo and Dony McGuire entitled "Forgive Me" would win Summer a Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance.
Cats Without Claws peaked at number 40 on the Billboard 200 chart and spent only 17 weeks on the chart. The album failed to attain the success of its predecessor, She Works Hard for the Money, which peaked at number 9.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | September 13, 2025 1:18 PM
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The album was a misfire. David Geffen just didn't know what to do with Donna, her 80s catalog is pretty hit and miss.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | September 13, 2025 12:30 AM
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By then he didn't want her on the label any longer - but he didn't want to 'buy her out' of her record-breaking contract. He wanted her to quit (she still had two albums left on her contract after this one). He didn't promote this album, either (again, hoping she'd quit the label). But she persisted and stayed until he let her go in 1988 when she presented 'Another Place and Time' to him, and he wouldn't release it. There was no more time on her contract to 'buy out'.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | September 13, 2025 12:35 AM
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I wonder what Irene Cara thought when she heard "There Goes My Baby."
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | September 13, 2025 12:38 AM
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"Supernatural Love" was the only listenable song on that album
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | September 13, 2025 12:41 AM
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This bombed in part because of the gay/AIDS rumors.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | September 13, 2025 12:44 AM
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I've been trying to find the previous deluxe edition from 10 years ago that Edsel/Driven by the Music put out in brand new condition. That one had original bonus tracks. The more recent deluxe edition replaces them with all new remixes and quite frankly sucks.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | September 13, 2025 3:38 AM
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David Geffen and his crew were responsible for the "Adam & Steve" rumor.
The Sly Stallone machine floated the Richard Gere and the gerbil bullshit.
Donna Summer was a great talent and was treated shabbily.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | September 13, 2025 10:40 AM
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I’m sorry, OP. I can’t get into that overproduced 80s sound that cursed the airwaves from 1983 onward. I much prefer Donna’s 70s music (and dawn-of-the 80s music, the last good year of which was 1982).
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | September 13, 2025 12:43 PM
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[quote]David Geffen and his crew were responsible for the "Adam & Steve" rumor.
Yes, that was all part of his plan to release her from her contract if her albums didn't chart on the top half of the Hot 200. That was his loophole to fire her and not have to buy-out the remaining years on her contract. However, CWC landed at #40, her first single was at #21, and she was scoring top 10s in the dance clubs - which is the audience he tried to alienate from her. It backfired.
[quote]That one had original bonus tracks.
I have that one from 10 years ago (I think it was for the 30th anniversary). The only bonus track from the session was 'Face The Music' (which was the B-side of 'There Goes My Baby', but not released on the album). No other unreleased tracks - and quite frankly, not a great song, which is probably why they replaced it on the album with 'I'm Free'. There are also likeable remixes of 'Supernatural Love', 'Eyes' and 'I'm Free'.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | September 13, 2025 1:18 PM
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